Energy: Saving

We recently received our energy bill. Normally this is cause for a sharp intake of breath, the jumble of figures on the page aligning in such a way as to achieve a larger sum than might reasonably be expected. On this occasion, though, it proved to be slightly less eye-wateringly expensive than usual, this being some reward for our efforts to reduce energy consumption.

We both dislike waste, be it over-consumption of energy, reckless creation of landfill volume, irresponsible attitudes towards the use of water or other precious resources, or anything else (don't get me started on the estimated £12 billion of food we throw away in the UK each year). Use, re-use, repair, recycle, up cycle: to me it doesn't really matter, as long as waste is reduced and profligacy prevented.

However, it was another figure on our bill that really caught our eye: apparently, we are ranked as the 7th most energy efficient household in a comparison of 100 similar properties. This is good news for two reasons: a) our efforts to reduce energy consumption appear to have been effective, and b) we now know how many households we need to catch to become the number one most efficient. (Competitive? Who, me?)

On that basis, you’d be forgiven for thinking that "clean, green" energy production would be a real passion too. And, up to a point, it is. However, regular readers of this blog will know I have commented unfavourably on wind farms in the past. This is not simply through some blind belief that wind turbines are possessed of an inherent wrongness, or that they are in anyway aesthetically displeasing (which is entirely a matter of opinion).

No, my dislike of them is a considered position based upon facts that are widely available – if you look hard enough! Namely, that they are grossly inefficient, very expensive, ecologically unsound, subject to a planning process that favours the energy companies, and often inappropriately situated. 

And it is this last issue which for me is the cause for most concern.

Take a look at this example from Alan Sloman’s Blog. I won’t elaborate further, as Alan’s post (and many others like it on his blog) speaks more eloquently and knowledgably on the subject than I ever could.

The main reason behind the current rush towards wind-powered energy generation is less to do with suitability or sustainability and more with the fact that that successive Governments have failed to grasp the nettle and formulate a coherent future energy policy. Now, with many of our existing power stations in the process of being decommissioned at the end of their lifetime, there is simply nothing to replace them.

It doesn’t help that so-called environmental groups have actually been complicit in this kind of desecration. Unwittingly or otherwise, their refusal to support the kind of generation necessary to power the UK in the coming years (such as nuclear) has helped create this position, as though it is perfectly acceptable to sacrifice anything on the altar of ideology, without realizing the ultimate irony of forever degrading the very thing they say they want to protect: the environment! 

To be frank, I find the implicit assertion that their dare-I-say conceited version of environmentalism is somehow more worthy than my (and many others) more holistic interpretation - an interpretation that takes into account ecological as well as environmental aspects - more than a little arrogant.

And, as renewable solutions alone can only ever generate a fraction of the energy we need, the future looks set to be blighted by increasing energy poverty: this in a nation with the 6^th biggest economy in the world. A high cost is set to be paid – in more ways than one.

The truth is there are now increasingly large tracts of the Scotland, Wales and England covered by or in the shadow of wind farm developments. It just so happens that many of the areas in question are also some of the wildest, most beautiful and most remote places in the country, fabulous resources in their own right that are in the process of being lost to this and future generations. The opportunity to roam, to explore pristine wild places, to leave behind the incursions of modern life and to gain spiritual and psychological sustenance from such landscapes will be gone - changed forever. 

Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

Once the summer is over and the August Bank Holiday has passed, the opportunity for a long weekend relies on taking time off work. With just one day’s leave remaining until after Christmas, it was important to ensure it was carefully considered and used wisely. So would the risk pay off, and would the long haul out to the west coast of Wales in October be worth the effort?

You bet!

As we were also spending time with family, we had to restrict ourselves to shorter, half-day walks so as not to abuse the hospitality so generously offered. No problem there, then: and a good time was had by all. But we really appreciated the opportunity to get out again for a bit longer – the first time since returning from the Camino – and over the three half-days of great coastal walking on the PCP we covered most of the ground between Whitesands Bay and Broad Haven, although not in sequence.

Day 1: Solva to Nolton Haven – 8 miles

A bright, warm morning, gradually clouding over as the day went on. Looking at the photos, it’s hard to believe its October.

Solva and harbour.

Views along the coast.

 

Newgale beach.

On the way to Nolton Haven.

Day 2: Whitesands Bay to Caer-fai – 9 miles

Overcast; warm and breezy, but with rain never far away.

Whitesands beach.

St Justinian's and Ramsey Island.

More coastal views.

Porth Clais and Caer-fai.

Day 3: Nolton Haven to Broad Haven (and back) – 8 miles

A bright morning after heavy overnight rain and winds. All of a sudden, Autumn had arrived.

Nolton Haven.

On the beach.

More coastal views.

Pilgrim's Progress - Part 5

Life In The Slow Lane - El Burgo Ranero to Leon

Day 14 - El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas: 21.07km / Ascent 78m / Descent 146m

This morning’s breakfast was notable for two reasons: first because it was available nice and early, and second because it was such a copious affair we were able to eat our fill there and then, take left-over bread, cheese, ham, tomatoes and bananas for lunch, and still not finish everything!

After another stifling night when sleep was hard-won, it was surprisingly cool as we set off in the half light of early morning. Nice for walking, though, and many others thought the same, judging by the number of familiar faces that were also hitting the trail early.

For much of the morning we walked beside the road, which was quiet enough at this time of the day. With trees on our left and occasional picnic spots along the way, we enjoyed a relaxed pace, passing and re-passing our friends as we went.

We stopped for a drink break beside the entrance to Villamarco village, chatted briefly to a girl from Hungary, and took a short detour to view the exhibition of old farm implements which made for an interesting diversion.

Tumbledown adobe buildings beneath clouds and contrails

Back en route, we kept along beside side the road, passed an airfield and further rest stops, until a picnic area near Reliegos provided a good, shady spot for lunch. A little later on, as we passed through the village, we popped into a bar for ice creams and cold drinks.

With only 6 kilometers of the day remaining, we took our time getting to Mansilla de las Mulas. Nevertheless, it was barely 2.00pm when we passed through the old town walls and headed for our hotel.  

Entering Mansilla de las Mulas

We bumped into the four Scots for the first time since Calzada del Coto, and a Japanese girl who had walked the 38 kilometers from Sahagun. This gave us some food for thought: having eventually reached a level of fitness, we both felt that the last few days’ walking had not offered quite enough challenge, and it would have been good if they’d been a little bit longer. Perhaps not 38k at a stretch: maybe 30 kilometers per day, give or take, would be ideal. That way we wouldn’t arrive at our destination quite so early in the afternoons, and may have “saved” a day – or possibly even two – by adopting a more flexible schedule between Burgos and Leon. Of course it’s entirely our own fault in that we pre-arranged the days’ duration in advance, but it’s a lesson learned for next time, I feel.

Once again, our room is simple and functional, but seems quite quiet and will suit us just fine. It’s hot, though, just like at Calzadilla and El Burgo Ranero, and we hope it will cool as the sun goes down.

Camino sculpture, Mansilla de las Mulas

We spent the afternoon resting and pottering round town. What interest there was lay mainly amongst the high-sided, narrow streets of the old town. It’s not a big place, though, and one lap revealed the best of what was on offer. We went to a bar near the Albergue where a few pilgrims lounged, soaking up cold drinks and writing up our notes, wondering if any familiar faces would appear. But they didn’t.

It was later that we caught up with friends: pre-dinner drinks with Fred, Frans and Ann, followed by a filling meal of pasta, grilled pork steaks and chips.  

Day 15 – Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon: 20.30km / Ascent 257m / Descent 175m

And so to our last day – the final leg of this section – from Mansilla into Leon, where we have to leave the Camino and return home.

Again, it was a cool morning, belying the fact of another hot, sleep-interrupted night. On reflection, I think we coped better with the heat during the day (wide-brimmed hat, frequent applications of sunscreen, plenty of water, keeping to the shade) than we did at night, which seems slightly odd given all the warnings about afternoon temperatures at this time of year.

Town walls, early morning

We were underway by 8.30am – later than normal, but not too bad considering there was only 20 kilometers to go.  Some of our regular chums were also about, but others had opted to take the bus. Word had got round that the last part of the walk into Leon wasn’t very nice: dangerous, even, as it followed the shoulder of a busy road.

True, walking into the main cities was often less than scenic, but there was usually something of interest to see. And all the reasoning in the world (more time in Leon, a chance for a rest day, catching up with others) wouldn’t change one simple fact: we were not going to put ourselves in the position of getting to Santiago, looking back and wishing we’d not missed a bit! After all, we’d promised ourselves “the full distance on foot, no matter what”.

Twenty-arched bridge, Puente Villarente

As has been alluded to earlier, the Camino again paralleled the road or used pavements for much of the day. We passed through a minor village, Villamoros, before taking a coffee break with Fred at a bar in Puente Villarente, a village with an historic twenty-arch bridge and a little museum about the history and restoration of the major bridges along the Camino.

Beyond Puente Villarente, we headed off on a now-familiar gravel track. A short detour to the Albergue in Arcahueja offered a lazy rest stop with cheese and chorizo sandwiches and cokes. We met Belgian Dirk, and caught up again with the Chamonix ranger from a few days ago, who was stopping for the day there and then because of foot trouble!

We rejoined the main road in Valdelafuente, and followed an intricate set of paths and bridges to reach the outskirts of the town proper near the Psychiatric Hospital at Puente Castro. From what I can work out this sinuous route is new, created to remove the pilgrim from a dangerous roadside plodge.

Extravagant new bridge, Valdelafuente

Walking through the streets, familiar voices hailed us from a nearby bar. Having passed us while we were ensconced in the Arcahueja Albergue, Mike and Carol had been there a while and already slipped into relaxation mode. So we joined them for a beer: a bit early, maybe, but if it was OK by the locals and OK by other pilgrims, it was certainly OK by us.

Looking back at my notes and photographs, it seems like these final days just flew by. The thought of finishing this year’s section had been preying on our minds a little, and with these longer breaks I get the impression we were deliberately trying to prolong the experience and delay the moment when it would be time to rejoin the “real world” once again. 

The odd thing is that over the last two weeks the simple recurring mantra of “eat, sleep, hike” had become our reality, and we were reluctant to leave it behind. Our busy lives of only a few days ago, lives full of noise and stress and obligation, structured by outside commitments and pressures and soon to be rejoined, are the lives that now seem peculiar, distant and incongruous. I guess this is how the Camino gets into your system; how it changes your life.

Double thickness city walls, Leon

There was another kilometer or so of pavement bashing through the outskirts, before finally passing through the ancient walls and entering the beautiful and historic city centre. We followed the Camino through narrow streets, and turned towards the Plaza Santo Martino to reach our hotel. Part of the collegiate church of San Isidoro, it proved a magnificent setting in which to spend the last night of our pilgrimage.

Inside the Casa de Espiritualidad

After a rest and a quick wash and brush up, we set out to explore the city – wandering the streets and soaking up the atmosphere. We’d arranged a rendezvous by the cathedral, but bumped into JD while we were out and about who said a bunch of pilgrims were gathered at a bar round the corner. 

Leon Cathedral

So we all joined up – us, Mike and Carol, Frans and Ann, Don, John, John and Stephen (the four Scots), Dirk, JD and Becky, Sandi and Dean – all our friends from the last couple of weeks on the Camino gathered together one final time before we all went our separate ways.

Sandi, Dean, Ann & Frans

Frans, Don & John

John, Becky, JD, Dirk & Stephen 

Us, with Mike & Carol

I had deliberately kept fairly quiet about it being my 50^th birthday – the idea of arriving into Leon at the end of a great fortnight being present enough. But word had got out: Carol had bought me a small present and a beautiful hand-painted card which everyone signed. It was great – a lovely thought and a fantastic memento of a unique and wonderful two weeks!

It also turned out to be Ann’s birthday, and the eve of her and Frans’ wedding anniversary, so there was a definite celebratory air about the evenings’ proceedings. Eventually, though, everyone began to drift away. For some, the immediate future meant carrying on along the Camino: for others, like us, it was time to turn for home.

Cheers!

We had dinner with Mike and Carol at a small off-the-beaten-track café – loads of food and wine at a very modest price – and rounded-off the evening watching a son et lumiere show telling the history of Leon, which was projected on to the side of the San Isidoro church. Brilliant! It was a fabulous evening of fun, friendship and celebration, and I can’t think of a better way of marking the end of a memorable fortnight.

Sound & light show projected on to the facade of San Isidoro church

Day 16 – Leon to Home

There was precious little chance to do anything much this morning, but we did our best to make the most of what time there was. We had a quick look round town, wished a few departing pilgrims well (with more than a tinge of sadness) and took a guided tour of the hotel/church complex.

Tower and courtyard, Casa de Espiritualidad

It was hard to leave, but we know we have lots to look forward to when we return. And return we will to finish our pilgrimage – God willing, of course. 

Interior of San Isidoro from the gallery

Pilgrim's Progress - Part 4

Our Camino, Our Way – Carrion de los Condes to El Burgo Ranero

Day 11 - Carrion to Calzadilla de la Cueza: 16.87km / Ascent 108m / Descent 65m

After the shock of yesterday's news and the ensuing late night, it was good in a way that breakfast was a little later than usual. Coupled with a lazy getaway, it meant it was after 9.00am before we hit the trail.

Facade of the Monastery San Zoilo

Passing the front of the monastery, we first followed the road to the edge of town, crossed the bypass, and picked up a minor road heading west.

Via Aquitana, the ancient Roman highway crossing northern Spain

Pilgrims reading this will have a variety of opinions on our method of walking the Camino, and I’m sure there are many people out there who take a dim view of the way we have chosen to complete our pilgrimage, thinking to themselves (or even out loud) that doing it in sections, pre-booking generally better standard accommodation beforehand and not relying on the Albergue system is somehow not in the spirit of the Camino.

Trust me; we have rehearsed those same arguments over and over again. In the end it comes down to this: with busy lives, family responsibilities and work commitments, it is the only way we can currently undertake such a trip, and with a maximum two-weeks-at-a-time vacation rule, keeping to a rigid schedule and taking certain liberties with the essence of the journey is the only way we can do it at this stage in our lives.

Excluding students, retirees and the non-working for a moment, the number of people we met of working age who said they had effectively just quit their jobs and set off on pilgrimage seems pretty high. Interestingly, when we talked to them about it, almost all advice we received – not all of it tongue-in-cheek, I suspect – was for us to do the same. Heaven knows; if yesterday’s news demonstrated anything it was that opportunities must be grasped and that the future should never be taken for granted. The thought of giving it all up is tempting – very tempting - but it’s not for us. Not just yet, anyway!

The route today was pretty simple - leave town, head in a straight line for 17 kilometers, reach Calzadilla de la Cueza. At a T junction we left the tarmac and kept straight ahead along the gravel track which would accompany us all the way to Calzadilla. It was a short leg today – the shortest of our current trip – but unusual in that we would not pass through a single village all day.

Morning rest stop beneath shady trees

To make the journey a little easier, a couple of rest stops had been constructed that offered seats and shade for the hot and tired. We reached the first after 6 or 7 kilometers, an arrangement of picnic tables beneath shady trees. Because the day was short we had a good half-hour break, a bite to eat and some water, and dozed in the shade to conserve valuable energy.

Setting off again we noticed it was already quite warm, even though it was barely mid-morning. Another hour or so on the trail brought us to the second rest area – this one with lean-to for shade plus other wooden benches – where we ate lunch and again sat for a good while, simply dozing and reading. Just before we set off, Mike and Carol arrived – a good chance to check we were all fit for the walk ahead and had enough food and water to keep us going.

From here on into Calzadilla it was about 6 kilometers, with no shade at all for the entire section. Our guidebook had warned us of this in advance – helpful, as we knew we would probably have to tackle it in the heat of the afternoon – and we had made allowances. But we were beginning to rue the late start and slow pace on what everyone feels is the hottest afternoon of the week by some margin. Heat bouncing back from the pale track bed added to the discomfort, and it came as a shock but no real surprise when the Albergue owner confirmed an afternoon temperature of 39˚C (102˚F). Phew!

Although the biggest place for miles around, Calzadilla is still a bit of a one-horse town. However we received a warm, friendly welcome from our hoteliers, and were swiftly shown to our room where we had a quick shower to clean up and cool down. Cooling down was definitely the order of the day - when we bought drinks and ice creams later, the barman also confirmed his belief that it was hottest day of the year so far.

Whatever the actuality, it was certainly warm enough for us. Even so, we went for a walk round the town so we weren't stuck inside all afternoon, gravitating to the shadows wherever possible for maximum cool before finally retiring inside for drinks. As the afternoon wore on people rolled in, and it wasn’t long before a whole bunch of pilgrims were sitting around chatting and whiling away the time with an iced beverage.

Dinner at the United Nations

Dinner at the hotel resembled a select gathering of member states of the United Nations, represented as we were by England (2 counties), Scotland, the US (5 states), Canada, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Brazil. Portion sizes were as prodigious as the number of nationalities around the table was profuse, and included a chick pea soup that was as good as anything we ate all fortnight.

A final drink beckoned before bedtime, but the beer ran out: pilgrims can be a thirsty lot when pushed. However it was still so hot that no one was keen to shut themselves in their rooms just yet. No offence meant to any the hotels or Albergues along the way, but entering the bedrooms was often like opening an oven door – too hot and uncomfortable for sleep – so we ended the day with a late stroll to try to catch whatever cool was going.

Day 12 - Calzadilla de los Cueza to Sahagun: 23.89km / Ascent 234m / Descent 259m

The heat of yesterday had persuaded most to make an early start so as to finish before the thuggish temperatures of the afternoon set in. I also suspect that most were awake early as getting any sleep in such conditions proved pretty difficult. So we had breakfasted and were underway by 7.45am, heading out of Calzadilla beside the ubiquitous N120 road.

It was a very pleasant morning, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet of the first 6 kilometers to Ledigos. Here, we stopped for a coffee with JD and Becky and Frans and Ann.

Adobe housing, Terradillos de los Templarios

It was still barely past 9.30am as we moved off again, completing another straightforward 6 kilometer stretch, through the wonderfully named village of Terradillos de los Templarios, to the little hamlet of Moratinos where we broke for cokes and sandwiches with Frans and Ann.

Memorial tree to the late Rev Philip Wren, the
"Methodist Pilgrim" who died May 2013 on The Way

On the way we saw a memorial to a British reverend and chatted briefly to a chap from Lyon in France - a recently retired forest ranger in Chamonix. What a great job that must have been!

After passing through another small village, we started on the lengthy stretch towards Sahagun, taking the opportunity for a break and some food in the shady surrounds of the Ermita Virgen del Puente picnic area.

The Ermita Virgen del Puente

The final 3 kilometers into town tripped through the usual edge-of-town factory-scape. The Camino chose to take a couple of different routes through the town centre, and we ended up taking a slightly roundabout way to our hotel in the main square. We’d arrived shortly after 2.15pm, and even though by common consensus it was nothing like as warm as the day before, it was still nice to arrive with plenty of time to rest, relax and explore the town.

For the first time in a long time, we seem to be the only pilgrims in our particular hotel. I’m not quite sure why: where we are – 2 floors above the bar with a view over the square – is nothing special but perfectly fine. Best of all, it has air conditioning – something of a relief after days of hot weather – and with it the promise of a good night’s sleep.

Pilgrims about town, Sahagun

Others appear to be spread across a couple of Albergues and a hotel or two. After a rest and showers, we went for a walk round town. It was pretty quiet at first, as the siesta seemed to be observed with more diligence here than in some places we have stayed. However, we thought we’d go for a beer and see whether any other pilgrims were afoot. They were, and the square outside our hotel seems to be the place to be. Others were abroad as well, and we swapped the day's news with all and sundry.

We dined in the evening with Fred and Brian, and Sandy and Dean from Seattle. We had bread, a delicious tuna salad and a massive fish Paella that was supposed to feed four, not the six who tucked in but couldn’t finish it. During the course of the evening one advantage of using hotels became apparent: the others were all on curfew from their respective Albergues, and had to negotiate extensions after 9.00pm – in some cases not without serious complaint!

Day 13 - Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero: 18.96km / Ascent 140m / Descent 76m

After a simple but excellent breakfast of coffee, juice and Danish pastries, we were on the road again by 7.45am. Other pilgrims were lurking outside, sourcing their breakfast from one or other of the many cafés on the square.

We swapped news of schedules, working out who we might bump into over the coming few days and whether we would see some people again. In the course of conversation, another advantage of using small hotels manifested itself – or rather it was an outbreak of bedbugs that had manifested itself in one of the Albergues overnight. Not nice!

Frans and Ann by the Arco de San Benito, Sahagun

Leaving Sahagun by the bridge over the Rio Cea, we fell in with Mike and Carol and Frans and Ann, and would continue to walk with or near them for much of the day. At the first village, Calzada de Coto, the Camino splits in two – both official routes running roughly parallel to each other, but divergent for around 30 kilometers. One way is the original Camino Real route; the other follows the Via Trajana, an old Roman road. We all opted for the Camino Real route; the four Scots, on the other hand, chose the Via Trajana. So we wished them well and went our separate ways.

Tree-lined tracks like this offer vital shade on hot days

Between Calzada de Coto and Bercianos del Real Camino we walked with Frans and Ann, talking about topics as diverse as international business, nuclear power, the Belgian football team, beer (and the beauty of small producers) and Wagnerian opera. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. In Bercianos we stopped for a lazy coffee break, where Mike and Carol caught up and joined us as well.

After a sociable first 10 kilometers, we walked the next section on our own, all the while walking beside the road in the shade of poplar trees. After half an hour or so, we passed a bird hide by a small, reedy lake, which made an ideal spot to eat our sandwiches.

Bird hide beside the small laguna between Bercianos del Real Camino
and El Burgo Ranero, an ideal spot for birdwatching and lunch

Because today's walk was not especially long, it was barely 1.30pm when we reached El Burgo Ranero, even though we had adopted a fairly relaxed pace. After an impromptu tour of the village we found the hotel, though not before starting a minor disagreement between two local women as to where we needed to go (one said she knew exactly where our hotel was but was wrong, the other denied any knowledge of its existence at all). All was well in the end, though: we checked in and were treated to one of the most delightful welcomes of the trip so far - a cold bottle of beer each!

We popped to the room for a rest and a wash. We have the tiniest bath known to man – I could barely squeeze my legs in under the tap, and had to use an empty beer bottle to wash my hair. After a quick circuit of the village, we settled at the bar for to relax, write notes and catch up on the day’s news with other pilgrims.   

We sat with Mike and Carol for dinner. Under intense interrogation they let on it was their wedding anniversary, so we celebrated with wine and a menu peregrino, and offered them congratulations and best wishes for the future!

Later, we went for another quick stroll, and rang home to swap news before going to bed. It was very hot in the room, and again we didn't sleep too well. The heat had been a notable feature of the last few days, both during the day and at night, but we didn’t let it detract from the fact that we were having a great time. 

With sore feet a thing of the past, the daily routine honed with military precision and new friendships forged, we felt like we could walk forever. Even the sad news of a few days earlier couldn’t detract from that. However, for us the end was approaching – just three more days walking before our Camino for this year had to come to an end. Although we still had plenty to look forward to, we couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of melancholy that the life we were living and the way we had slipped into it so easily would soon be exchanged for the “real world” once more.