To finish the story of the shell and the little cross. It was quite difficult to find a place to leave them in a dusty building site. However, tucked away, still accessible, and untouched by the noise and dust, was a small chapel. In one corner was carved recumbent figure. Apparently she is a woman of exotic appearance, so it is assumed she is a female pilgrim. I left the shell and the little cross tucked in her arm. From North Norfolk to North West Spain.

So at the end, why do people walk the Camino? 

Many people say they just walk, because it is there and it is an adventure. Many people walk for fairly pure religious reasons, even if they are not particularly religious. The Camino obviously has a very strong pull on catholic countries.

But most people have some underlying reason to be there. Mostly it is a way of punctuating life. Drawing a line under a tough time, and or thinking about a new stage in life. Kicking off retirement, and what to do with the rest of (your) life was a very common theme. Death of spouse, child, or parents,  divorce, serious illness, relationship hiatus, job loss, loss of home were all the issues people were hoping to deal with. No one thought that the Camino would give them all, if any answers, but they valued the time the walking, away from much of the world, gave them to ponder where they are in life. Most people, even if with a friend, or in a group, preferred to walk mostly alone, meeting up at the end of the day.

Why did I go? Putting some sort of significant punctuation mark at this time, after the last several years felt very necessary. It also felt like an appropriate way of celebrating John's life of climbing and walking, mostly alone, and then our lives walking together, in the highlands, the borders, the Lakes, the Peaks, Essex, Norfolk, Wales, Cornwall, The Auvernge, The Alps, South West France, The Pyrenees. 

Do I have any answers, probably not, but at the end of the first year after John's death I feel as though I have done something very  positive, for me, for John, and for Priscilla Bacon.

Thanks to so many people's kindness and generosity, the fundraising total is now just over £7,000.00

Thank you everyone for all your support .

Tomorrow I will post a couple of poems, that explain, far better than I can 'what it was all about'

Amanda