300 mile walk for Charity

Our adventure is over and I want to say a Big Thank you to everyone that has donated and the encouraging comments during our walk

2009-06-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

It all started on Saturday 30th May from Stanstead airport. We arrived at Asturias and from there got a bus to Oviedo and then another one to Leon. Before our journey I was told that hotels / hostels wouldn’t be a problem but that was our first opportunity. We searched for more than 3 hours before we found a hostel (Hostal as they are known in Spain) so we could now relax and our only administration before we started the walk was a getting our “Credential del Peregrino” – this is a most important book (perhaps passport is a better word) as it will be stamped through the various villages / towns that we walk through and is used as evidence that we have completed the walk before we are awarded the “Certificate of Completion Compostela”. Unfortunately there was a queue of about 500 people but a few hours later we had our passports and ready for the adventure.

It was an amazing walk because we had our highs and lows, frustrations and happiness. It could have easily all ended after the first day, Monday 1st June; We left our Leon Hostal at 6:15 in the morning and it was at this time that I realised my wife and daughter were right in making us taking 2 jumpers with us as it was very cold. We followed the signs to the edge of the town and suddenly we met up with many other walkers (pilgrims) so at least we had some company. It all seem straightforward and about 1 hour later stopped for breakfast at one of the hundreds of cafeterias on the way. We passed through a few villages and our first surprise was seeing the enormous Stork nests at the top of the church. I got some nice pictures which you’ll be able to see as soon as I have created our album.

A few hours later and the temperatures was in the mid 30s and I have to admit we started to struggle. All my 3 months training was in typical English weather and of course hardly any hills apart from the mountain biking area. We are suddenly faced with extreme hot weather and continuous uphill for 24 miles. I have to admit that during the first evening our legs were aching and I actually felt that there is no way we could continue our walk the next morning. But when we woke up the next morning we felt much better and fitness was never a problem again really.

Our worst moments were

1. the 11.5 hours walk from Cacabelo to Cebreiro as we had endless high mountains walk in torrential rain. We were soaked wet and the strong winds made it even worse. We arrived at what we thought was our destination only to realise that we were still 5 km away. I could have cried but men apparently don’t cry so I used my positive thinking to take us there. It was such a relief when we arrived but even more so when I discovered we got the last hotel room available in that village. Perhaps god was looking after us.

2. Alexis problem with his feet – he had lots of blisters and I had to take him to the hospital where he got excellent treatment, including 2 injections. That meant that for the next 4 days I had to carry all the weight which wasn’t ideal for my back and shoulders but it was ok really. The other choice was ending the walk and that was never going to be an option. Credit to Alexis in that although he was in pain and at times very frustrated, he never really complained and was determined to finish the walk.

3. The final day which lasted 11 hours in extreme heat – trust me, walking in mid 30s temperatures with a back-pack with 10 kilos weight isn’t the preferred option. And this was the first time why had dehydration problems. We always had about 4 litres of water with us but because of Alexis’ feet problem we had just 2 and once that finished it seemed ages before we found a cafeteria to buy another bottle. We drank a 1.5 litre bottle in about 30 secs. We were exhausted when we arrived at our hotel (thanks to my family who booked it for us in advance as everything was fully booked) but at least we knew we have reached the end and we can now relax.

Just to give you an idea of the altitude, we started at Leon on 820 metres (2,690 feet) and at various times we reached many highs and lows with 1,615m (5,300) the highest and 230m (755) the lowest. But the one that really stood out was during an 8 hours walk we went from an altitude of 3,900 feet up to 5,300 and then down to 1,968 feet.

Northern Spain is beautiful, very green and the wild life is absolutely amazing. The people are very friendly and the food is delicious and to prove it, my weight is exactly the same today as the day before I left for our walk. Lunches and dinners can be very cheap if you take advantage of the “Menu Del Dia” (Menu of the day) which is an extended selection of 3 course meals that include a bottle of water and wine for just 8 euros.

Our accommodation varied from the simplest (Albergue, which is very cheap, about 5 euros, accommodation for pilgrims only and the facilities are obviously not the best as you could end up sharing a room with 20 other people) to very good hostels and 2-3 star hotels which obviously add to your expenses.

The funniest moments for me were (photos to follow)

1. The old woman washing her clothes at the local water well

2. The old man with his 2 cows at the town centre waiting for the traffic lights to change

Overall it was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again as there are 12 different routes to Santiago, including from Portugal, France and many other parts of Spain. But the biggest satisfaction was getting the donations for The Ark.

Please remember that you still have time to donate to The Ark who do an amazing job for people with special needs; it’s a fantastic cause and you can use this link to sponsor us http://www.justgiving.com/nikospolydorou and hopefully ensure that The Ark isn't forced to close down but continue helping the people that are not able to help themselves

How it all started and ended

2009-06-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

Alexis in front of the Leon Cathedral the day before we started our walk i.e. Sunday 31st May 2009 12 days later, early evening Alexis in front of the the Santiago road sign after 11 hours of struggle in high temperatures but it was all worth it And we even had time for sightseeing - Alexis shakes hands with the original pilgrim

We have done it, one of the biggest achievements of our lives

2009-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

This was a fantastic adventure that tested us both to the limit. There were times when felt that perhaps this was too much for us but we became stronger with each challenge and I feel we are much closer as father and son because of it. I will of course write a summary when we return to the UK and show you of the hundrerds of photos we have taken. Please remember that donations for The Ark are still possible and more than welcomed

What a great day, sunshine is back and the route was beautiful

2009-06-11T08:28:00.001-07:00

I am so happy to report some good news at last after all my recent moaning. This was one of the most satisfying walks in beautiful sunshine and spectacular scenery. It was an 8 hour walk but loved every minute of it. Alexis is doing great and he has a surprse as I hope we'll finsh tomorrow, our last 40 km. Keep your fingers crossed for us It has been a great adventure and we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I promise not to bore you with the rain anymore, the continuous boring rain that has made the last few days so difficult

2009-06-10T09:21:00.001-07:00

Today we left beautiful Portomarin at 7:30 for Palas De Rei. We crossed the lake on a footbridge that was dangerous especially with the rain and strong wind. The first mile was on a very steep hill but eventually got better. I have lots of photos to show you when I return. In total we walked about 30 km but it was slow as Alexis is still having bad blisters and of coursethe terrible r***

continue from the below post due to mobile problems

2009-06-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

It was encouraging listening to walking experience's of Keith and Carol and this is now an additional motivation for us to complete our challenge. We had some sunshine today but it has been raining for the last few hours so lets hope it goes away by tomorrow morning. Alexis send his regards to everyone at The Ark, Waymead and Yateley Industries.

Some sunshine at last

2009-06-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I was very concerned this morning and the thought of not completing our challenge did enter my mind following Alexis problem with his feet but credit to him for not complaining once. We walked at a slower pace and had a great time in reaching our target after about 6 Hours . We also met a wonderful couple (Carol and Keith) from Sytney Australia who have completed a few other long walks around the world and are doing 800 km this time.

We have about 120 km left so keep your fingers crossed for us especially as Alexis had hospital treatment today

2009-06-08T10:41:00.001-07:00

This isn´t the image that Alexis imagined in sunny (?) Spain We have completed 22km today in torrential rain and winds but at least we had very few hills. Unfortunately Alexis had some very bad blisters and could hardly walk but he was very brave and we managed to finish in just over 5 hours. We went straight to the hospital who were fantastic and treated his feet which are now covered with bandages and also had two injections. He has been allowed to continue tomorrow but we´ll have to be careful and take it easy. We have seen the sun for the first time after 4 days but the rain seems non stop. At least we are having some great meals - for 8 euros you get a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine and trust me, just the starters is enough for most people but not when you are walking so much. We have just been informed that on Saturday we completed just over 32 miles when you take the ascent in to consideration. We went from 500m up to 1,300m in terrential rain so you can now call us the marathon men.

This isn't what I was expecting

2009-06-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo from the early days Another long hard and tiring walk in the continuos rain wasn't exactly what I was hoping for in Spain. To top it all the washing machine broke a few miins from the end and the tumble dryer isn't working well either. All our clothes are wet and our walk is planned for 6:30 am and te forecast is for more rain. Apart from that all is great, apparently

continue from last post due to mobile problems

2009-06-06T12:08:00.001-07:00

I am having major formattiing problems with my mobile so I'll be very brief. The walk was a nightmare as it lasted 11.5 hours in the rain and walking to one of the highest mountains I have been to. We arrived soaked wet and very tired but feel very proud of our achievement. I especially feel very proud of Alexis who was clearly very frustrated but at the same time he kept saying 'we have to do it for The Ark'.

Today was the hardest day of my life

2009-06-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hardly slept last night and our walk started at 6:30 am in the rain that unfortunately for us only got worse during the day. Our first target was Villafranca Del Bierzo which where we should have been yesterday and we thought was just a few miles away turned out to be a 2 hour walk but very good one as we were forced to walk through the vine plants and cherries fields. We had breakfast at Villafranca and staryed our walk with our target Cebreiro which turned in to a nightmare.

Bad news - terrible thunderstorm stops us from reaching our target

2009-06-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

this means that we are forced to walk 24 miles each of the next 4 days in to get back on schedule Unfortunately tomorrow our task is one of the hardest as we are walking up one of the highest mountains Its 2:10 in the morning and I can't sleep because of the rain My mobile battery is almost flat and I am in trouble as we don't have power points in this place. Keep your fingers crossed for us as we have to our walk at # :30 am

what an amazing walk

2009-06-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

first of all apologies for lack updates but as I mentioned before, internet access is almost impossible I'll start with yesterday's walk but don't be surprised if I stop halfway through as I am using my mobile and there is a thunderstorm outside Thursday 4th June We left Rabanal just before 7:00 am and during the 8 hours walk we went from an altitude of 3,900 feet up to 5,300 and then down to 1,968 feet. You need to be fit to do this walk and I guess our three months training has helped but in no way have I ever imagined the difficulties we faced. I have to say that Alexis was superb. Not only he has several blisters but his training was a lot less than mide due to work commitments but he managed it all. Going up those mountains was difficult enough but going down was a killer But lets get the bad stuff out of the way as this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I guess my ignorance is showing but like most people you imagine Spain as a place for holidays with its superb beaches and great food but if you want to see the real Spain then doing this walk wil go a long way to answer your question. The scenary was absolutely breathtaking, the different coulours of the wild flowers that seemed to go for miles but always in the distance you see the high mountains that still have some snow left. I guess the best way for you to understand my feelings would be to see my photos and video clips and I promise that as soon as I return I'll make them available on the web for anyone interested to see. Its simply impossible to do so now as I have very little access to internet and when I do there are always people waiting in the queue. My favouriye village today was El Acebo with its beautiful balconies and most colourful flowers. In leaving the village we walked through the gorge. There seemed thousands of birds singing and you must watch one of my video clips to appreciate it. It was amazing at the top of the mountain as we were above the clouds but very cold and breathless at that altitude. I have to say that the last couple of miles were the toughest as we never trained walking down mountains especially on rocky paths and it seemed to last for ever. It was such a relief to see Molineseca from about 1 mile away and then just then it started to rain. At least we didn´t have a thunderstorm like last night while at the hotel which caused a powercut for a couple of hours. Damn it, I am pressurised to come of internet so I better go More updates tomorrow I hope

Now the real tough work starts

2009-06-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like an ice cube, so strange as the temperatures during the day is in the mid 30s. I had to wear socks and jumper and it doesn´t really help when I caught a cold on the day we started our walk. Today we started at 6:30 am and the walk lasted about 8 hours but went through some fields with thousands of wild flowers nainly lavender and heather. The last 3-4 miles was all up hill and very tiring but I guess is all good preparation for tomorrow when we face our toughest task in walking up the highest mountain (about 5,000 feet) of our trip and then even worse, the next day we have to start the walk downhill which apparently isn´t very good for your legs. I have already taken some photos of the mountain from about 30 miles away and it clearly still has snow and of course all we have is summer clothes and a jumper so it better not be too cold. I´ll srart up a link of our photos ASAP My daughter Elena has made me aware that there are lots of spelling / grammatical erros in my posts but I guess this is what you get when you only have a few minutes to post these messages - apologies for that

Welcome to the home of Chocolate ASTORGA

2009-06-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

After yesterday´s long and tiring walk today has been a pleasure. Although the temperature since I have arrived has been in the mid 30s last night was very cold and it doesn´t help when they don´t even give us a blanket but I guess I should have expected that since I only paid 8 Euros. And can you believe they ran out of coffee and tea by the time we got up at 7? Now I know why everyone else got up before us. The walk was miles away from any road and the scenery was beautiful. The walk to Astorga is only about 12 miles but so enjoyable and I can´t wait to taste their chocolates. Today´s accomodation is excellent and only 4 euros per person. I think we got the best room as the receptionist fancied Alexis :-) I´ll try and update this page later with more info and also upload a few photos

Greetings from a monastery and 1st day successfully completed

2009-06-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be the last place I would find internet but actually it is as I can´t find it anywhere else and I am having problems with accessing it through my phone. Anyway, I have less than 25 minutes as there are people behind me in the queue If I say I am tired it would be an understament. We started our walk at 6:15 this morning and finished just before 2:00 pm. Completed just under 25 miles and although its the longest and hardest walk I have ever done I was a bit disappointed as I was hoping I would complete the 26 and therefore a marathone. Oh well, perhaps another day. I have been training for 3 months but this is completely different as the surface was very rocky and the temperature was over 30C. And just when I thought I have achieved something someone reminded me that I have to repeat it all tomorrow, and the day after and after that ...... Why have I done this? Just remembered, its for a fantastic cause and once again thank you to everyone that conntributed so far and hopefully many more will do soon. BTW, I have 2 enormous mountains coming up soon of which one is 5,000 feet and we have to walk right to the top and then down the other side and then another one not much smaller. If you hear of a death from too-high-mountain-walking exhaustion then you know who it is. I have taken a few nice photos but I have more chance of uploading them to the moon that here using this computer. BTW, apologies to those that I haven´t sent any personal emails but I am having problems with accessing by my email account Thank you all and hopefully I´ll get another chance to update you soon Cheers, Nikos

Big internet access problems but thanks for all donationd so far

2009-05-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

we arrived at Asturias airport yesterday evening and 2 hours later we arrived at Leon I have to say that some of the mountains we drove through were very scary and I hope the next 2 weeks will not be so bad A big thank you to everyone that has donated and help us to go past £2,500 before we even started

Great News - Thanks to O2 who have donated a Nokia E71 which will be invaluable during our walk

2009-05-28T01:18:00.000-07:00

The Nokia E71 is a quality phone which provides many very useful functionalities but none more important for our walk than the internet access and a 3.2 MP camera that we can use to keep you informed on my blog page, and in addition it has an excellent GPS that will keep us on course The photograph of my car was taken by the Nokia camera and of course this post was created using the Nokia Many thanks to Marin from the O2 head office for all his help

Four more days before our departure and feeling nervous already

2009-05-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

I am feeling nervous not because of fear that we may not complete the walk but the fear of going to the unknown. We have completed our long distance walking training and will now concentrate on just gym training, swimming with sauna and jaccuzi for relaxation. Sponsoring has gone very well so far but we do expect a lot more once we start the walk next Monday morning. Great news from O2 - A demo for the Nokia E71 has been arranged for tomorrow afternoon. I can't thank O2 enough Bought the walking Sticks (poles) today and was lucky enough to get a big discount from Millets i.e. reduced from £88 to £53. Also bought all relevant medicine, blisters cream / plasters etc. All we have left to buy are the sandals. It would be great to receive any constructive comments / suggestions from you on our walk - every little bit helps and all you have to do is click on the "comments" word after each post

Thank you to all donators so far for helping us reach the £1,000 mark

2009-05-23T15:07:00.001-07:00

Its fantastic news with still one week away from the adventure Please feel free to use this link http://www.justgiving.com/nikospolydorou if you haven't already contributed to this fantastic charity, they desperately need our help so that they can help the people with mental disabilities £1,000 is great news so far but we really need a lot more as the local authorities have withdrawn their annual funding of £37,000 because its required for something more important apparently. Thank You

Training progressing very well plus a BIG Thank you to O2

2009-05-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

Alexis and I have been training really well in the last few days with lots of mileage and finished it off today with 18 miles at Windsor Great Park and Virginia Water Lake. Tomorrow is a rest day and on Monday we have our last long training before our adventure next week. Its important that we don't over do it otherwise we'll be too tired before we even start. We walked with our back-packs today and although it seem strange initially we soon forgot about it and I feel we are now ready for the big walk. My only two concerns are that

We have not trained for walking over mountains apart from the gym training
The Spanish hot weather but hopefully we'll be lucky as early June isn't normally too bad.

I have to say a big Thank You to O2 who will give us a loan iPhone for use during our walk. It has a GPS system which is very important but even more so, it will allow us to update you with our daily progress on this page

Recent updates

2009-05-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

Please be aware that major changes were made today to the walk itinerary below and worth reviewing again

Flights booked and almost all equipment purchased

2009-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Things are progressing really well and on target. The flight to Spain has been booked for noon on Saturday 30th May 2009 - this is an EasyJet flight from London Stanstead and we'll arrive at Oviedo (Northern Spain) where we plan to get a 2 hour bus to Leon. This is a change to the original plan of flying to Santiago as the bus journey from there would have been 6 hours. The flight back is from Santiago on Sunday 14th June using Ryanair. This is possibly the worst airline I had to deal with but had no other choice as they are the only airilne that flies from Santiago direct back to London. Be warned of their hidden costs as the charge almosts doubles from the one originally shown I have also bought the walking shoes and although expensive they are superb and makes walking feel so more comfortable. We now have just over 2 weeks to wear them in. Apart from the walking poles (sticks) and sandals we have bought everything we need for the walk and feel we are ready as one can be. Training is going really well - On Friday Alexis and I walked 10 miles and on Saturday that was increased to 15 miles. On Sunday we had a bit more relaxed session at the Hilton hotel leisure centre where we swam lots of lengths for about 1.5 hours but also taken advantage of the sauna / steam room and jaccuzi facilities. The plan for the remaining 2 weeks is to walk between 10 and 20 miles / day as well as using the Hilton Gym. Of course this is a bit difficult for Alexis as he also has to work during the day but he is more than happy to do his walk with me when he gets home. We are hoping that O2 will provide us with an iPhone so that we can keep you all informed of our daily progress on this site. Lets keep our fingers crossed as phone calls from Spain are very expensive as can be internet cafes. One of the remaining challenges is to pracice with my new camera (Panasonic Lumix TZ6) and ensure I familiarise myself with all its functionality including uploading photos and video clips to this site

The walk Itinerary

2009-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Please double-click on the map to enlarge

Sunday 30th May - Depart from London Stanstead airport for Oviedo - then get to Leon by bus - use this weekend to prepare for the walk and sort out all administration stuff especially the passports
Monday 1st June - The moment of truth has arrived - we start our walk from Leon to Virgen del Camino and then on to Hospital de Orbigo. This is about 24 miles on motorway but will obviously be a bit more on our route that takes us through several villages. I guess this first day will tell us what we have let our selves in to. Hospital is lovely and has an amazing bridge, 20 arches, one of the oldest bridges in Spain and a lovely river
Tuesday 2nd June - Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga - A shorter walk today which allows lots of time to explore Astorga, with its cathedral its Bishops Palace which is a Gaudi Building. Astorga is also the home of chocolate. I have been told that we musn't miss the ‘Pero Mato’ atop one of the pinnacles of the cathedral also the clockwork figures in Maragato traditional dress who strike the hours on the clock on the beautiful town hall
Wednesday 3rd June - Astorga to Rabanal - The wild lavender and heather is apparently amazing. We’ll be going back into the mountains so it may be cool at times. Also in the tiny church opposite the Refuge four monks who have come to the village from Silos sing/chant service during the day and evening, is apparently "magical".
Thursday 4th June - Rabanal to Molinaseca - I have been told this is quite tough as quite a bit of climbing then a lot of descending, can be hard on the knees. Foncebadon, the deserted/wild dogs village no longer deserted. The Cruz de Ferro…where Pilgrims by tradition place a stone, Manjarin, not far after Manjarin just below a military station you are at the highest point on the Camino frances (1517m or almost 5000ft). Next is El Acebo, a village with hanging balconies, and then there is the famous medieval forge operated by water and after this begins the beautiful descent through the gorge to cross the Pilgrim bridge into Molinaseca…..lovely river to sit and dream beside.
Friday 5th June - Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo - Today we pass through Ponferrada, this is where my daughter Elena spent 1 year working as teacher assistant. Lots of small villages today with views towards the mountains, go through orchards and vines, and I have been told that we mustn't miss the friezes on the wall of the Church in Compostilla and more in Columbrianos.
Saturday 6th June - Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro - This is possibly our biggest challenge as its about 25 miles long but there is also a stretch of about 4kms of a fairly steep (1:6) path with a very uneven rocky surface (through chestnut woods) which when wet is very tedious to go up. If we are lucky we may even be treated to a spectacular sunset, and apparently in the morning the look into the valley which is covered in mist can be quite magical
Sunday 7th June - O Cebreiro to Triacastela - Another beautiful walk especially the second part, and we have to stop for a coffee early on at Alto de Poio having passed the massive Pilgrim at Alto de San Roque. Then a beautiful walk/wander through rolling countryside in June the heather is magnificent. En route we’ll pass Fonfria if possible locate Carmen here who makes wonderful crepes. In Triacastela the priest at times doesn’t bother with mass but gives a lecture on the camino instead
Monday 8th June - Triacastela to Sarria - This is one of the shorter walks and I guess it will be a welcomed rest after a tough week. The walk via San Xil is apparently very beautiful.
Tuesday 9th June - Sarria to Portomarin - We are now in Galicia with lots of Galician green lanes, listen to the frogs, they will even hop across our feet in some places. Portomarin is a new town which was built and inaugurated in 1962, the old town was ‘drowned’ by the waters of the new dam. The Church of St Nicolas was dismantled and rebuilt in the new town.
Wednesday 10th June - Portomarin to Casanova (Mato) - Another 20 mile walk of beautiful scenery
Thursday 11th June - Casanova to Arzua - Today we’ll pass through Melide, nice little town, which is famous for serving Pulpo(octopus) in all its restaurants, just before it we pass through Furelos (lovely little Roman bridge) also has a tiny little church. After Melide we meet the Eucliptus woods, which will be with us on and off until Santiago.
Friday 12th June - Arzua to Arca - Today is the shortest walk (14.4 miles) of our journey but it includes some very steep hills so a nice long siesta would be just what we are looking for.
Saturday 13th June - Arca to Santiago de Compostela - if things have gone to plan then our journey is complete but we have allowed a contingency of one day. Today we visit the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and collect our certificates, assuming we had our passports stamped at every town throught our journey.
Sunday 14th June - Fly back to England

Article from our Local Newspaper on the walk

2009-05-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2050086_father_and_son_300mile_walk_for_the_ark Detailed summary of our walk including maps - please email me at nikos.polydorou@btconnect.com if you cannot view this document as I may have to give you access rights http://digitalvault.bt.com/document/collectionDetails.jsp?collectionName=87e9b4-11ef200c7b8-gemini03

The objective of our walk

2009-05-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

The objective of our walk is to raise money for The Ark, a centre at Crowthorne that helps physically and mentally disabled people access the arts. The centre needs a minimum of £37,500 a year to keep going and our aim is to raise as much money as possible. It is very important to note that when the Bracknell Forest Council last carried out an inspection Interact, a weekly drama based course, received a Grade 1 – the highest obtainable, which is a great shame that they have lost the majority of their regular funding from the local authorities, including Bracknell. Outside of its educational work the Ark has also hosted a disability arts festival in 2006, run children’s workshops and visited arts events and locations such as Tate Modern. In September 2008 it also launched Club Marmalade. This is a monthly inclusive nightclub led by a group of people with disabilities which developed from the Ark’s DJ sessions and an event held at the disability arts festival My son Alexis is autistic and I know from experience the Ark has been fantastic for him and he has benefited greatly in recent years. He is aware of their difficulties and he will be heartbroken if they were forced to close down. He had no hesitation in joining me for our 300 mile walk inNorthern Spain so that he can help in his own way. Camino De Santiago is one of the most famous and oldest walks in the world. The 1000 year old pilgrimage to the shrine of St James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is known in English as the Way of St. James and in Spanish as the Camino de Santiago. Over 100,000 pilgrims travel to the city each year from points all over Europe. We will fly to Santiago on Sunday 31st May and then another 6 hour bus journey to take us to Leon which will be the starting point of our long walk in the early hours of Monday 1st June. If all goes to plan we hope to arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago De Compostela on Saturday 13th June. This is a great challenge for us both especially as we have to walk over several mountains one of which is 5,000 feet high. The Spanish language isn’t a problem as Alexis is a fluent Spanish speaker but I do know the important Spanish words for beer, wine and most of the food. We will ensure that we keep you all informed of our progress on a daily basis with photos and messages. Use this link if you want to sponsor us http://www.justgiving.com/nikospolydorou