March Preparations

Hi all Peregrino's, friends, relatives and people I have met while on my daily walks.


It's nice to know you all go to the trouble of coming to my pages to see what I have done and what's my next crazy scheme going to be. Well most will know the next Camino walk will be from Cordoba and much of the past month has been getting things ready for that to save panicking the week before I leave.
God willing on Saturday the 9th of May at about 10 or 11 in the morning I will be standing under the beautiful arch in the gardens of the Mezquita seen here and in last month's photos! I'll be ready to go see the town and start my Camino Mozarabe this will probably happen on the Sunday. I will walk across the ancient Roman bridge and re-cross back into the city as the Romans legions would have entered into it, (that’s if you can walk across these days without being run over by the traffic chuckle. I'll then find my way through the town to the first stream Arrio Pedroche and a small Roman bridge on the far side of the city. Seeing I am an old romantic fool, I have even started to walk in sandals! Chuckle!! here is a painting I did many years ago of the city bridge












John and Silvia had a anniversary this month but we hope to celebrate that and ours next month with them in Denmark.
We took the old Chev to a big car show where we were supposed to dress in the era of the car! Here are some photos for you to decide if we were properly attired. "Anyone for badminton?" The child's bike is about 1955! We are from a bit earlier and the Chev a bit older, she is 80 this year there are more photos on the web page album.






























This month there were a number of nice photos of the bird life on our Canning river also. My friends Elaine and Jay went south for a while so I lost my walking companion but we did meet up last weekend for one 20 odd kilometre walk by the river. Not bad for someone that fell off the kitchen stool, nearly demolishing the table on the way down just a few month ago in Canada!


One Sunday Maisie and I also spent a time walking together by the river where we saw the dolphins too, it was a magical day! We had a coffee and returned for lunch too at the little café. A lot of the river photos were taken that day.




































My Camino preparations!!!
I am hoping my old boots from last time will complete another 1000 or more kilometres and I will take some glue to hold them together for as long as I can, chuckle!!!!! This is walking camino on a shoestring as us English folk say or maybe in this case more like on a bootlace. Think I'm joking? Here is the glue and photo of the boots he he The tape comes off when its set chuckle

This time I decided a wider brimmed hat would be better as it might be very hot. On seeing a friend in one similar to what I wanted, with a neck sun flap too, I asked about it and was lucky enough to be given a new one the same. On wearing it I decided it needed a little more ventilation. So out came the scissors and the sewing machine and I cut out a strip all the way round the back and put in the net, then fixed a stiffener into the top and front, covering the logo stitched there. Next I made a hatband to fix my badges on. These I love because most were given to me as I met and made friends on camino, each has a story to tell. Unfortunately some have got lost on walking other caminos but I still have quite a number. My latest idea is collecting bird feathers and making bright feather hat plumes so two of these now adorn the sides! Looking flash isn't it?


I had been searching for thin liner socks that take the sweat away from your feet while walking. These can cost $9.95 for 2 pair up to $45 for one pair in sports shops I had bought several pairs of Cybersocks by Sportztrek two half years ago.
Photo of wrap


They were in a bad way by now, I do walk a lot chuckle! But I looked everywhere and even bought the so called same sock again once, but now made in China (a hopeless copy)!!!! I tried other brands of cheap sports socks but nothing compared to the original. Then just the other day I found a scruffy cardboard box on the floor in the same sports shop where I had bought the others so long ago and there inside was just two pairs of the old kind! At $9.95 the two, I was saved!!!! I could now feel safe to walk those 1000k or more!!!



Trousers can cost up too $150 for a good pair and while I have a number of usable pairs I wanted one nice pair to take. Having searched the second-hand shops I found such a pair just like I wanted for $5! Pity they were not the right size!!! Chuckle! I bought them and took out a couple of pleats in the back and lengthened the waste band. I fitted a zip instead of buttons, chopped off 10 centimetres from the legs and now they to fit me (Is one leg shorter than the other or am I am built that way?) chuckle. Pale - grey they match my hat! As us Peregrinos live in one pair of trousers, I am sure you can wait to see them in every photo of me when I get back!!!

My rucksack has completed all but the first camino and was beginning to show wear.
I remembered having to re adjust the straps many times as I walked the Ebro and know it was because the plastic buckles are warn. It is asking too much to change every buckle but I got to thinking they needed a wedge to jam them once adjusted. I found a rubber strip that had been used to hold glass in the windows of the caravan we destroyed!!! . This I cut into little wedges and put two in each buckle making sure they are well placed after adjusting the strap and can't come out. A blob of white paint on each strap lets you know that is where it should be. If its not showing, it has moved. I think this wedge idea would be a good improvement even on a new rucksack as if it didn't keep slipping it wouldn't wear out anyway! Problem solved.
Next the wide belt was showing signs of wear. I cut up a road-workers day-glow waistcoat, (I am not saying how I came across that he he). I simply fixed some of the bright reflective tape for walking at dawn! I made a sleeve out of the day-glow orange this was slid over the belt and put some tails made to tuck in to stop it moving forward, I cut a few holes and slots and closed them with Velcro after pulling through the offending strap. It worked ok so I made another one for the other side.

My water bottle carrying bag had to be cut off while making the belt cover and on inspection would never last another camino, so I now made another - fixing it on with Velcro this time. Not easy to explain but it's on the black wraps round a strap loop strap that was fixed to the belt!

My new camera is the smaller Sony Cyber-shot this time and I am getting used to using it now and this I hope to carry on the belt when I get there. At the moment it's on my trouser belt but I find they get a bit in the way when carrying the rucksack.
The new tent, while better, is heavier but there was not much I could do about it except use smaller and lighter home made pegs. I changed 4 aluminium pole ends for rubber feet (not much lighter but would be less likely to tear the tent or groundsheet). I have dumped carrying a mattress roll and use a silver-bobble car windscreen cover to sleep on instead. I might regret that later, chuckle!!! I will take a piece of anti slip carpet matting for under the sleeping bag. I found it stops you when turning over getting wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy!
I will still be using the umbrella on the walking staff like Robinson Crusoe, but it now has a reversible cover that can be Day_glow orange for walking on those busy roads with no pavement!!!
Robinson Crusoe never had THAT problem.
Bye for now keep walking
Mike