TheLostPhotographer

I've changed my style a bit since Alicante, but I'm still a sruff shyster artist! The hat remains to cover my baldy head. Other than that, I look completely different!

TheLostPhotographer

Update:

Second pilgrimage went a bit wobbly for many reasons, but mainly because I lost my passport when I had my bag stolen in Barcelona. Hassle and expensive to replace. I'll complete the final leg of the second route later in the year. The main Camino Frances is already exceptionally busy - not really what I'm looking for, but fun socially if you meet the right bunch.

Monday I head to San Sebastian to start walking along the beaches of the north coast. Sketching and sand-sculpturing to raise money for charity and pay for my own bed and food. Hoping to find an assistant also. It's a lot of work for one. Goal is to raise €10,000 by the time I reach Santiago. I'll be keeping a daily tab on my blog so that people can track my financial progress (or, lack of it). It's a very BIG ask and I'll need a lot of luck.

jdr

Good luck on the next leg.
Shame about losing your bag, did you really need to renew the passport though ?

TheLostPhotographer

Thanks.

I could have got away with other ID and photocopies of passport I guess. 'Replacement' passport rather than 'renew'.

Anyway, hopefully all will be sorted by Monday morning. My feet are itching again. As much as I love Granada, I think I've caught some sort of walking/travelling bug. Really looking forward to the north coast hike. I suspect I'll like it lots.

TheLostPhotographer

I'm walking again after getting stuck in Santander with torn ligaments for 2 months. When the doctor said "torn ligaments" I was thinking well thank f*** it's not a broken bone. How wrong I was. Anyway, finally recovered and am currently in Santillana del Mar - a fascinating World Heritage site just a short drive from Santander. Perfectly preserved little medieval town with prehistoric cave paintings 2KM from the town center (it's more like a village) and a zoo for the kids and animal fanciers?

A HUGE thank you has to go to the good folk at the Brittany Ferries terminal restaurant in Santander, and all the folk on the bay ferry embarcation point. Much help greatly appreciated. You know you can take the ferry from Plymouth to Santander for just 40 squids as a foot passenger and the resto at Santander does a very nice full English for just €6??? A very pleasant way to travel back if you have the time.

A personal recommendation to anyone thinking of a trip back to the UK by ferry from Santander (and it's a very nice ferry) would be to spend a day in Santander at least. Take a ride around the bay, or head to the beaches. Or, take 2 days and visit Santillana del Mar. Well worth it. Seems to be one of those tourist secrets the Spanish keep to themselves.

It does rain just a little bit more here than in the South mind. Small price to pay for really.

The luck is with me again ATM. Hopefully it will hold out until I reach Santiago again. Not sure where I'm going from there. May well stay there for a year. Dunno?

I won't stop walking until I know where I'm going.

jdr

Glad you are on the mend, enjoy your trip mate. ;-)

EsuriJohn

Great to hear from you again. Pity you did not tell us about your ligament delay. We took the ferry from Santander to Portsmouth in June and would agree with all you say. We stayed overnight just by the ferry terminal and explored the centre and the beaches and both will get better when we return for longer.

Agree with all you say about Brittany much better in our view than P & O from Bilbao. Did not take the breakfast in the terminal but saw lots of bikers who did.

Regards John.

TheLostPhotographer

I'm on a new mission.

Briefly, I am now trying to raise funds to help establish a UK based charity that will fund the Camino experience for disadvantaged young people. From my own experience, I think it has a great deal to offer. Perhaps above all is the 'little by little' or, 'poco a poco' sense of achievement. Something that is lost in much of the modern world where we are all sold a promise of instant gratification and success. The 'little by little' philosophy is a big part of Spanish culture (possibly to big sometimes). Young people will learn much more than this - it's been a huge experience to me (a fairly well travelled 42 year old).

I post on a forum dedicated to the Caminos, and someone there has mentioned that the idea has good support. There are people already willing to make it happen if the cash comes forward.

For a year from Spring 2011 I will be exhibiting at various venues along different caminos. A very generous sponsor is covering costs, so all proceeds will go to fund this idea. I'm not looking to make money from the venture. Hopefully, the exhibitions will raise in excess of €10K.

In the meantime I will spread the word and possibly find more people with a bit of spare cash who like the idea.

Short break coming up from walking for a flying visit to Barcelona to arrange future exhibitions and other projects. Back to the Asturias/Cantabrian border to start walking again this time next week.

TheLostPhotographer

I reach Santiago de Compostela again. Yay!

Anyone who hasn't visited this city should do. It is even more beautiful now than it was when I first visited at Christmas.



My new project (I've had enough of walking) will be to paint 5 seascapes a week and sell them on the net for charity. Probably renting a place on the coast not to far from Santiago.

Just have a few missing gaps on pilgrimage routes to fill in to complete all I wanted to complete. I was thinking about walking my original route a second time with new knowledge, but I am seriously tired of walking and day to day bed finding. It really isn't that easy when you have to make a living also.

The history of camino offers a fascinating insight into the culture of Spain. A fantastic experience, but I am seriously, seriously looking forward to having my own bed and bog again

Casa Santo Estevo

For bog you can always dig a hole in the ground...it will be your own I promise...anyhows well done you.

Mitzyboy

Try Noia
There are some pictures on my photo site HERE

TheLostPhotographer

Looks very nice. May well take a look. At the moment the walk between Laxe and Camelle is favourite. Lots of varied bays and coves within a 14KM easy hike. From pale sand dunes to huge lumps of granite. Should give plenty of scope to keep me entertained for a year.

Carrizos

Noia is lovely both the north and south coasts of the Ria have their fair share of coves and beaches although they can be a bit busy in the Summer they should be quiete now, the castro along from Porto do Son is worth a visit it very much reminded me of Cornwall.

anabella

I'm finishing my camino from Sarria on my next trip to Spain coming up at the end of this month, I cannot wait, I get to reach Santiago at last!

TheLostPhotographer

I've finished walking!

An update for anyone interested. Last 'walk' from Valencia to Cuenca to Madrid to Leon to Santiago was more of a bus ride A solid Two weeks of rain meant no income, so I took a bus to Madrid to make a bit of cash. Still raining (who broke Spain?), so took a bus to Leon to make more cash. Still raining, so took a bus to Santiago to try and make some cash. I've been here just over a week and it has pissed it down every day.

Anyway, onwards and upwards... my next project:

I am going to live on the coast of Galicia (in the rain) for a year and attempt to paint 5 seascapes a week to auction on ebay for charity. A new website with video, photo's and stuff will document and promote the new project. I'll continue to blog on my existing TheLostPhotographer.blogspot.com site.

I'm hoping to raise around €30,000 (and, possibly much more) for a new charity to provide 'Camino Experience' for people from disadvantaged backgrounds (with a mentor if necessary). Personally, I'd like to see the money give teenagers here and in the UK a chance to walk whichever camino to Santiago de Compostela they choose.

I'm looking for help. Sponsors - corporate/business sponsors. I need €2,000 to get this project up and running. I suspect this project will attract a large following. I'll be promoting online, in Spanish media and in the UK press. Times are hard! It's not proving to be as easy this time around to find backers. I'm looking for 1 -5 sponsors to carry ad links on my site to their own website.

Obviously, I'm not doing this for nothing myself - we all need cash to live. I have other income and this project will help promote the source of that.

All finances will be 100% transparent. Totally above board and all that.

Any buisness people here interested in a bit of EXTRA GOOD VALUE advertising who would like more information, please PM me.


Hopefully this is all cool with board rules. Thanks for the sticky, and thanks for all the posts and interest. It's been a fantastic experience. Many people to thank for much help and an excellent end result from 15 months work.

P.S. One final end note; it wasn't one long walking holiday. Oh no! It was work. Very tough at times. Honest