The journey has just begun.

With a hint of sadness and a defiant sense of accomplishment I made it to Santiago.

Please note, this is the only time that "Croc's and socks" are at all acceptable. Out of the context of "traveling pilgrim", this it a crime against, well, everything.

What does someone do who has walked 800km to see a cathedral?

Sit in front of it.

For a really, really long time.

Until being pulled away to play the obligatory "Europe vs The World" soccer match...

Arrived and Lost already

Getting to Santiago was a mission, don't get me wrong. But NOW what am I going to do?! All of a sudden after a solid month of walking I have come to the end of my journey and I am in a little bit of shock over it...

The end of the earth.

95km on from Santiago is a place called Finisterre. Up until the late 1400's, it was known as the end of the earth. It's not hard to see why.

I had all the best intentions of walking there, but I made a promise to my knees about 9km out from Santiago that if they got me to the finish line, I would do the right thing by them and catch a bus. So i did.

I hung out with a beautiful boy named Marius the whole time - we drank Campari by the sea, saw the sunset at the beach, had a beach bonfire with the local nomads, watched people burn their walking shoes (which turn out to be a VERY good source of heat), and sang the Australian National Anthem by request.

We played the noseflute on a cliff and slept in a yet-to-be-occupied tomb on the side of a mountain. My mum called as I was waking from the "tomb". It was her birthday - it was one of those "well you'll never guess where I slept last night" conversations...!

So Long, Farewell.

One last look at the cathedral. One last profound video.

Never Forget.

My life is complete. Gary Barlow has been sighted, and I have witnessed the familiar choreographed dance moves of the now all thirty-something boyband, Take That.

I might have jumped around the house singing "I've got a golden ticket! I've got a golden ticket!" when my friend Al passed me the magic envelope.

I waited in the line for ten hours. This is my hand on the railing at the FRONT!

The rest of the photo's speak for themselves really...

Including the tears at the final goodbye...cliché boyband hysteria at its best...

Do not use this against me. EVER.

As you can see, there are 80,000 OTHER people who have an equally shameful love for boybands...I AM NOT ALONE!!

This is me enjoying a bit of Take That action - they were on the 'B Stage' which is why they seem far away. Oh and because I know you want to sing along, the words are "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon Take That! And Party..." Repeat till fade...Repeat till fade...

God! It's such good clean fun! Bottle of water and all!

Oh the shame!

I will walk 500 miles...

Ok Amigo´s.

 

Did it not occur to ANY of you, that when I casually mentioned I would be spending 800km walking across Spain, to not stop me?!! My God!!! Where were you?!!

 

Conversation SHOULD have gone...

 

Dara: ¨Hi guys, I´m going to walk the Camino to Santiago - 800km across Spain¨

You: ¨Woman are you mental?!?!?! Do you not know who you are? You are a sprinter! Not a long distance runner! You have a broken foot! Permanent injury! You´ve never been camping in your life! You like sitting behind computers! You can´t handle free time!!!

 

Yes? No? Ring any bells? NO. EXACTLY!!

 

So instead, I find myself at the top of the friggin PYRENEES, slowly losing my WILL TO LIVE because I have just climbed a mountain...swearing to the wild shetland ponies (yes they do exist) that no one stopped me! Why people? Why?!!!

 

Nothing and I mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the gentle TWENTY SEVEN KILOMETRES over that mountain. I was drawing on everything to save me...bikram yoga, meditation, little athletics, the biggest loser, Jana Pittman!!

 

Somehow I got there. And yes, it was the most rewarding, unbelievable, life changing thing I have ever done. I have never slept so well in my life in a room full of seventy people at the bottom of the hill.

 

So now, in true Dara over-achievement I am a master of the trail. An easy 34km today. Did you hear that? An easy 34km! As a translation, this equates to:

 

Sydney: North Sydney to Palm Beach

Melbourne: Flinders St to Dandenong

Singapore: Changi Airport to Jurong East

 

Nowhere else but the Camino can you walk 25km through a field with a 65year old man named Jesus (who speaks almost no English) and still manage to talk and laugh for 6 hours...

 

The journey continues...

 

Dara xxx

(Chel is still on the boat)

 

Europe 2009: in a nutshell

Hello Friends! (¡Hola Amigo's!)

You know what I hate about these kind of emails? Putting the reader through an endless rant of "and then we went to the ____ (insert landmark here) and thought it was _______ (insert emotional descriptor here) where we had the best ________ (insert food item here)".

Not this time folks!! Six weeks into "Tour-de-Global-Financial-Crisis 2009", I will endeavour to give you a nice, succinct account of travels thus far with easy-to-read headings to guide.

CURRENT LOCATION

Dara: Al's house, London

Chel: The Boat, Barcelona

NEXT DESTINATION

Dara: Northern Spain

Chel: Antibes, France

IN A NUTSHELL

We went to Palma in Spain (preferred escape destination of Christopher Skase) to get work as boat people. Chel's boat turned out to be in Barcelona (see heading "THE BOAT"), so we jumped on a plane, went our separate ways (Chel in 5-star luxury, me in hostel-haven) and after a week in Spain I decided to come back to London to get my safety certification to work on boats. Before I do though, I'm heading off on an 800km walk across Northern Spain (see "THE WALK"), to be back in London for the Take That concert in July (see "BOYBANDS")...

THE BOAT

This is what Chel is working on: http://www.hollandjachtbouw.nl/modules/content/content.php?page=313&main=80&id=80&second=Refit&cat=PHO&PHPSESSID=5ec8ef57f78c261e7f4250a658c8084a 

BEST REBRAND

Think little red shorts, little white polo and holding a business card that says "Strong Aussie Girl looking for Carpentry Work"...it's a shame we had to leave Palma so quickly.

BEST PURCHASE

A Nike T-shirt with the slogan "Quit Your Job" on it.

BEST MUSICAL MOMENT
Getting a last minute, very cheap "restricted view" ticket to see Oliver in the West End with Rowan Atkinson playing Fagin. I just had to lean left for the entire show...

WORST MUSICAL MOMENT
Getting a last minute, very cheap ticket to see Sister Act the musical and only realising after interval that this was a "Sister Act Inspired" musical and contained NO TRACE of ANY song from the movie. No folks, not even "My God". Considering writing a letter.

STRANGEST CHARACTER

Ray. Think Austin Powers crossed with Paul Hogan and a bit of Keith Richards. He owned the Crew House we stayed in (see the street in image attached). Taglines were usually "Yeah ok baby! You're obviously two mad Aussie birds up for it! Yeah! Everything is in cash yeah!"

WORST RECOVERY

The three day Hangover after "crew house initiation party" in Palma.

STRANGEST BIT OF GOSS

The random Kiwi and the equally random Chilean girl we were sharing the infamous "crew house" with have decided to get engaged after three weeks of knowing each other.

BEST TRANSFERABLE SKILL ON THE ROAD

Being a girl and being able to play pool. Although would advise against shaming the bar owner in a game in front of all his patrons.

HECTIC MOMENT #1

Being detained in Heathrow airport for 2.5hrs for being a "suspicious Aussie". Apparently my story of quitting my job and heading for London with zero plans didn't fly. I'm now officially "under caution" from the border authorities. Excellent. (See detainee slip image attached)

BEST "SPANGLISH" PRODUCT

Colon Washing powder (see image attached)

HECTIC MOMENT #2

Getting to Barcelona, finding the boat and realising that I would have to fend for myself in Barcelona with no guidebook, no Euro, fading light and no Chel!

DIVINE INTERVENTION

Being directed to the Colon Hostel in Barcelona after having a conversation about Colon washing powder...

HECTIC MOMENT #3

Being in Barcelona mid-week when they won some football match (see attached image)

NEW SKILLS ACQUIRED SO FAR

- Life Raft management (see attached image)

- Fire fighting skills (see attached image)

 

INTERESTING CULTURAL OBSERVATION

It is very difficult to buy a single-serve chocolate bar in Spain. They much prefer devouring entire blocks...When in Rome...

MOST DIFFICULT CULTURAL HURDLE

Trying to re-train your natural instincts of which side of the road the oncoming traffic is coming.

BEST ACCIDENTAL LOCATION

Ending up at the very gay, very naked end of the beach in Barcelona (no, i did not get my kit off)

BOYBANDS

Ok, so for those who know me well, you will know that I have a slight hall of shame when it comes to music. Think dancing boys and harmonising brothers. Take That have always been number one. Hanson, a close second. I might just know every single word and every single choreographed dance move performed so far by Take That, and so have scheduled my travels to coincide with their last concert of this Tour, to be held at Wembley stadium. I might just have a heart attack if I see Gary Barlow in the flesh. I may possibly burst into tears at the initial sounds of "Back For Good". Stay tuned.

THE WALK

The "Cammino di Santiago di Compostela" in an old-skool 800km pilgrimage across the top of Spain (see attached). Starting next week, I'll be submitting my broken feet to a daily 20-30km stroll through the Spanish countryside. You know...just for fun.

QUOTE OF THE TRIP SO FAR

Chel: "Look where we've gotten in a day, imagine where we'll be in a week".

Ok people, That's where it's at! Hopefully this has been a digestible email for you! We are both loving the adventure so far! Chel says hi (I'm the letter writer in the family)...I'll keep you all in the loop of what the enxt six weeks may bring!

Dara. xx