25th September

I cannot believe a week has passed since I walked into Santiago de Compostela. The Camino was the most memorable of experiences; to see the heart of a country and culture was a privilege, and to feel the heartbeat of humanity in the inspirational people i met was precious.

 

Thank you to all my amazing and most generous sponsors for supporting my walk and The Mulberry Centre. When I initially set up the Just Giving page my target had been £1000.00, and so I am thrilled to have reached the amount shown today.

 

Thank you.

 

I'm used to walking in Richmond and Bushy Parks, but the mountainous terrain of The Camino - wild dogs and all - will not be a walk in the park. 

In February I met a Spanish magician and his mother, on a train to Waterloo: it is thanks to this chance encounter that on Friday 6 September I shall be waking up early in O’Cebreiro, Galicia, Northern Spain, to start walking the last 109 miles of el Camino de Santiago, the way of St James; following the steps of countless pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.

I shall be walking alone, which is likely to spice up the inevitable blisters, since I have zero sense of direction, and my aptitude for map-reading is akin to my success at crosswords, also nada.

So why?

I had been looking for a challenge that reflects life's uncertainties and joys.

I would also like to put something back into the system that so helped me in 2008. 

My consultant mentioned The Mulberry Centre, the charity of which he recently became a trustee. What a place. It’s an oasis for anyone whose life is affected by cancer, be they patients, families, carers, friends or those recently bereaved. Their approach is holistic, complementing all the medical conventional treatments. There are no referral procedures, no red tape: everyone is welcome. Everything they offer is free of charge: Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Shiatsu, T’ai Chi Qi Gong, Yoga, Meditation, Counselling, Support Groups, Library, Macmillan Mulberry Cancer Information Manager, Welfare rights and benefits advice, Workshops, Drop in sessions, Tea, Coffee … and a beautiful, peaceful garden.

I wish my father, my aunt and cousin had had access to such a place. For that matter, although my own life-threatening illness was not cancer, both my mother and sister could have done with a Mulberry Centre, in 2008. It is the sort of place that you know would provide comfort and support to those nearest and dearest to you, or even to yourself.

So, please support me in my Camino walk, to raise funds for this truly worthwhile and wonderful place.

In due course I shall be blogging my preparations, and of course, the walk itself.

Kingston to the Camino by Magic ... read here: #mce_temp_url#

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.