Where there’s a will

As many of our readers know we have been cycle touring every year since we retired in 2012. However, the arrival of the Covid pandemic in 2020 brought our plans to an abrupt halt. Until that point some of our tours had been along ancient pilgrim routes, and we had used these tours as a vehicle for charitable fundraising. We have cycled the Camino de Santiago twice – from Le Puy en Velay in France , and from Seville in Andalusia. In 2014 we cycled the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome.

Our friend, and Kevin’s colleague, Pat Norman (pictured above) was diagnosed with terminal cancer late in 2019 and died in December 2020. We were both shocked and deeply pained by the loss of Pat, and so we determined to undertake another Camino in her memory, and raise funds for Strathcarron Hospice. The Hospice had provided wonderful support to Pat and her family in her final challenging months.

For those interested the link to our fundraising site is below:

https://www.strathcarronhospice.net/where-theres-a-will

Little did we think, when we decided to do another pilgrimage, that it would have to wait until 2024. First, it took much longer to resolve the serial travel challenges during a pandemic than we had anticipated. Two superannuated cycle tourists passing from place to place on a daily basis would have become one of Europe’s Super Spreader events! Secondly, some minor health issues of our own made 2023 a practical impossibility.

The Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo are reputed to be very beautiful, if somewhat challenging, routes. The Norte starts at the French border, near San Sebastian, and hugs the northern coast of Spain before joining the Camino Frances (our first Camino) just before arriving in Santiago. We plan to leave the Norte near Sebrayo and turn inland to join the Primitivo at Oviedo. Our route then becomes much more challenging as we traverse the remote mountains of Asturias.

We have started our training programme as we are very conscious that it is now five years since we attempted such a challenge, and both of us are now into our 70s. Unfortunately, so far 2024 has proved really challenging for training, at least in our northern climes! One of our first attempts was a ride from near Perth towards Kinkell Bridge and Crieff. Initially the terrain was nearly level, but we could only manage walking pace because of the 35mph headwind! And it has continued thus with relatively decent days being accompanied by fierce winds. Hence the title of this blog!

Along with the training we have also been busy trying to launch our fundraising effort. As with other aspects of life things have moved on since our first pilgrim ride in 2012. Technology advances even if we tend to stumble haphazardly behind. You will imagine our surprise, not to mention a little dread, when the Hospice invited us to participate in their launch of a podcast programme. Fortunately, Ailsa and Ross at the Hospice were very welcoming and reassuring and, as Linda had predicted, in no time I was talking freely in the great tradition of the Irish! The photo testifies to the fact that we were put at ease.

We leave Scotland on 8 May , heading for the Portsmouth ferry to Santander. All being well we should start our tour in Irun on 12 May. There are twenty one days of cycling to Santiago, and we’ve planned a rest day in Oviedo. We now believe we should have built more rest days into the schedule, but our accommodation is booked so we will just have to adopt the time-honoured mantra of the Tour de France giants and exclaim, “Shut up legs!”

And finally, we are embarking on this journey in the year we celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. In 2004 Linda had just acquired her first mountain bike and on our anniversary weekend came off, shattered her kneecap and was air ambulanced to Paisley. In 2014, three days after we had celebrated our 40th, just as we were preparing to cross the Alps at the Great Saint Bernard Pass, she caught her pedal awkwardly and needed fourteen stitches in her calf. So, what could possibly go wrong in this golden year?