To Spain Again ...

Off we go again ... feet have been itching for a while, though life in Stanhope has been perfectly fine, still something wanted to happen ... considered rolling the dice to see what fell, then, in the end, the thing emerged ...

... A friend of a friend's mother has a house in Andalusia which is hard to sell and needs protecting from folks helping themselves to the contents and the rather nice marble ... A kind sun-lover is needed ... do I know anyone who might live there for a while, to take care of it?

... after a meeting over coffee in Ciao Ciao in Durham with the daughter and a Skype call with mother and daughter, it was agreed ... flight booked to Malaga on April 17th ... notice given on cottage, surplus stuff seeking new homes ... all unfolding simply as these things sometimes do ...

Meanwhile it is a gorgeous Good Friday in Stanhope ... weather forecast to revert to more typical British Bank Holiday from tomorrow ...

In a synchronicity, the new adventure begins almost a year to the day since returning from Spain ... a good time to get used to the rather hot weather in Andalusia. ...

So, the cottage wants a tenant or owner, the library wants some readers and this feckless, reckless wanderer is off for a walk ...

2016

The New Year has brought more dismal, drizzly weather to Stanhope, in the foothills of the North Pennines. The fells are clarty in places, though the peat bog ismuch drained, along with the grazing land. The river here rises very fast, even though it is close to the source(s) … the capacity of the high land to absorb water considered less important than the creation of habitat for rearing pheasants and grouse as sport for wealthy psychopaths … and employment for local folks as gamekeepers to protect the birds until their dying time and beaters to persuade the reluctant targets to fly high enough to give the killers a clear shot ….

In the future, these fells revert to forest and Nature re-establishes balance (with or without humans).

The weather is not unusual, being part of the grey climate of Britain, though locals recall long cold winters, with snow lying deep for months … the damp climate is, of course, linked to the “green and pleasant landscape” and probably to the phlegmatic character of the sterotypical Brit.

This Brit, having studied stereotypes, is thinking again about Spain and Portugal and recalling this time last year, walking along the Algarve from Ayamonte to Cape St Vincent … mostly in T-shirt and sun hat … increasingly aware at the ecological horror wrought by fellow Brits, cheerfully watering golf courses and filling swimming pools in a near desert …. mostly avoiding integration with local folks …

On social media, a random post arrives this morning, from a Portuguese led eco-village project near Braga, in the North …. interesting … let's see ….

This winter break is also interesting … two weeks rest and relaxation, with a Christian Festival superimposed on the pagan solstice celebration … though mammon has also jumped on the bandwagon and spending, eating, drinking frenzy takes hold … after a childhood of traditional Yuletide, an early sense that this charade was not resonating, experiments with the Therevadans and the solitude an opportunity for a novel Community Christmas Lunch, the suggestion of a local teenager, concerned about the sad and lonely …. and whilst not identifying entirely with that story, happy to help with transport and the day was heartwarming … possibly the first of many such events in Stanhope …

As for family, elder daughter, recently accepted with partner as the youngest foster carers in Northumberland, was asked to take in two brothers the day before Christmas Eve as well as announcing their engagement; younger daughter on working holiday in Sydney, wangled 10 days holiday and spent the season at the beach … which leads to the question: Is this a good time of year, in the Northern Hemisphere, for three whole Public Holidays (and four in Scotland, where they take New Year rather more seriously)?

Not that this is a major issue for retired folks who may do as they please and still receive sufficient money to live simply … assisted by this being paid into an account automatically and which can be drawn anywhere in the world where there is a cashpoint. Freedom calls again!

To revisit role play for awhile … having flirted with “writer”, flattered by some “readers”, declined to dramatise the rest from writing as “writer's block” …. just not inspired and no need to stick in any particular role … although the social activist role has been happily played since returning in April and very rewarding it has been, albeit with challenging moments from project funders demanding increasingly detailed feedback for their small investment … and some lingering social responsibility, not so much to the project as to the dear co-co-ordinator, left with it last winter and wanting some support so that her voluntary effort does not drift into a full-time unpaid job.

One of the features of the winter, as “writer” developed “reader” disappeared … a deficit more than remedied since April, with novels as well as philosophy and lay versions of new science devoured enthusiastically … Rupert Sheldrake and his morphic fields resonationg strongly, along with Fritjof Capra and David Bohm … and J. Krishnamurti a constant companion …

Not sure if “walker” is a role – perhaps the “pilgrim” or “saunterer” element is the role and walking is walking …. anyway the Stanhope based settled life includes a daily dawn walk for 50 minutes, usually on the same route …. keeping the body fit for another longer outing … and enjoyable in its own right, of course.

One Year On ...

Just about a year since the walk began and feet are a little itchy ... a recent return to Brockwood for a theme weekend on "The Ending of Time" was refreshing and timely ... and led to David Bohm's "Wholeness and the Implicate Order" as well as K's Notebook ... and an encounter with a writer and blogger who invites some collaboration through richardmorrisplaywright.blogspot.com

A visit to Durham today meant another encounter with Andreas, wonderful Cretan creator of Ciao Ciao, who has all of K's works and revealed today a previous existence as a therapist ... looking forward to a proper conversation soon, maybe here in Stanhope. Meanwhile, he suggests a pilgrimage to Mount Athos ... hmmm let's see!

Raul's plan for a website www.myholidaypal.com and an offer for some professional writing might just fit with that ... though the Camino Del Norte in Spring is foremost in current thoughts ... and a winter here in Stanhope settling projects and maybe starting off a rather major one ...

So, with official retirement fast approaching, options are opening up again .... which is exciting ...

As for bloggers and blogging an idea for a Dog Blog, photo biogs of humans and their dogs ... or maybe dogs and their humans .... possibly entitled The Dogalyst, which readers may have realised is a word to describe the canine capacity to engender human to human interaction ... like a catalyst but a dog ...

So many ideas, so little time ...

Tario

Tario keeps popping into my consciousness.

Maybe because the post never published at the time. Maybe because of all the pilgrims I met, he declined to identify as one. I never discovered whether he had ever walked to Santiago or Rome.

It was walking along the riverside path outside Ribadasella … he called out “Hola, peregrino” from the picnic spot where he was cooking his lunch. Invited me to join him for chicken stew. I declined having just eaten in town (didn't get into the vegetarian question … or where he had found the chicken).

He had no English, so verbal communication was limited by my very basic Spanish. However, we were connecting on a more fundamental level .. . where the language barriers are transcended somehow.

Tario had two little dogs and his stuff in a small trailer, which he pulled by hand. Seemed to sleep out mostly, though was aware of the local albergue where I was headed and looked clean, so perhaps called in for showers and laundry from time to time.

When asked if he was a peregrino or pilgrim, he laughed and said “ no, just a wanderer”. He has been walking about, sleeping out, living free for the last eight years … the eyes showed a contented soul.

Since the next adventure wants to be the Camino del Norte from Irun to Santiago and on to Finisterre, perhaps we will meet again.

I hope so.

More Role Play

 Having settled back in Stanhope in a familiar and comfortable role in the Community Hub, it became apparent that attention needed paying to the gap between personal income and expenditure.

Whilst the Hub (as the Community Partnership and Community Transport seem to be commonly known in the Dale) is financially sound, thanks mostly to the contract work with the Ambulance Service, and the Wheels to Meals project has funds until November and an invitation for further support after that, the social entrepreneur role is really more “volunteer” than entrepreneur, so while the community energy project simmers, and the book lingers, some action was required to stave off the likely deficit in a month or two.

A colleague on the Wheels to Meals project introduced the possibility of a wonderful public subsidy for impecunious householders,called Housing Benefit. Unlike the out of work subsidies, there is no requirement to seek jobs, which would make the voluntary and project development work tricky.

Housing Benefit is administered by the Council, whereas the unemployment benefit is in the tender care of the national government, through the Department of Work and Pensions. Feedback from folks engaged with this Department suggests they are very keen to reduce the number of customers they have on the books. There are obvious reasons for this, of course, since long term unemployment can be very debilitating and benefit dependency an even worse form of contemporary slavery than paid but unrewarding work. Personal experience of this system is limited to a couple of brief encounters, before the heat was really on and they provided an insight into the role and the relationship with the role player on the other side of the desk as well as a welcome respite from wage slavery during a rather dark period following divorce and relocation.

The Council hearabouts is basically sympathetic to support for the impecunious, being an old fashioned Labour administration, with its power base still tied up with the coal miningindustry which dominated Durham for along time before its decimation 30 years ago.

The council officer was very well trained, and put me at ease, referring frequently to “entitlement” as he completed the application. Imagine my delight when he revealed that, all being well, what with the Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction, an extra £400 a month was available, which added to the occupational pension will keep the show on the road (or more accurately, off the road) until the State Pension begins in November or other income arrives from seeds planted or who knows what.

So, how does this new role of Benefit Dependent feel?

It feels very good to be free of the slight anxiety which crept in as a spur to action and enables the continued attention to the important things in life!

And I am very grateful.

now what?

Two weeks on from returning to Stanhope, some very warm welcomes, very warm weather (since reverting to chilly and damp for a while), a walk in Jesmond Dene with three beautiful girls l-r in the first pic, Jess, Sophie, Emily (who triggered the return home after announcing she was off to Australia), a lovely trip to Scotland for a few days with friends and the cottage left in November for the adventure available to rent again from May . . . a synchronicity helping the decision to stay awhile and sign a six month lease with funds to cover a month or two . . . a new opportunity to trust the universe to provide, providing this really is the right place and the right time . . . and knowing that the modest monthly pension will be enough in other places if that's how it turns out . . .
. . . which sounds like doubt . . . though maybe just an alert to pay attention and do enough to help things along . . .
In the probability field, a few projects await . . . community energy ripening and a vehicle ticking over to take it forward . . . local social care and public health ideas . . . others not yet apparent . . .
Coming into focus today, after a good re-connection with Raul and previous feedback from friends who have followed the blog, including Frank, a retired journalist in the village - a book . . . its form to be discussed and maybe more than one . . . current thoughts lean towards an ebook, with lots of pictures (an expanded blog) . . . thinking also about a more collaborative platform so that readers and characters can contribute their perspective . . .
. . . which raises the question of motivation and money, since a writer is allowed to earn a living from their efforts . . . this writer wrote the blog mostly as a diary, a record of the adventure for later, when memory faded . . . then for family and friends following the trip, which appears to be more than first thought . . . never for financial gain, though the blog platform may be monetised even in its current form . . . to be honest I enjoyed writing it, valued the feedback as it developed and only considered making it a means of helping pay the bills at the suggestion of others . . .
So, some questions from this morning's meeting: to seek a publisher for a paper or ebook, along with an advance payment to sustain the work of the team; to crowdfund investments to enable the work, with a possible return based on sales; to seek donations, with a free book as a thank you . . . other suggestions welcome, though some readers report that the comment function on here is not easy to use . . .
All very energising and pleasant to imagine further research in the field to fill out the detail, recruit collaborators and sell advertising to some of the small businesses along the walking routes . . .
Is this what selling your soul feels like?
Hmmm, need to reflect on that one, though the line from the Koran resonates too: First tether your Camel, then trust the Lord.
Finishing with a photo and a reunion of pure love and affection from some the elders of Weardale, enjoying lunch at Parkhead Station, on a Wheels to Meals jaunt . . . with Edith in the foreground celebrating her 90th birthday.

Return to the Wear . . .

Stanhope looks much the same . . . time collapses somehow . . . synchronicities seem to suggest staying awhile is right . . . lovely welcomes from friends . . . some feedback on the blog and maybe a book from it . . . let's see . . . meanwhile these lines from TS Eliot express something about this 5 month experiment in freedom better than this apprentice writer, sometime pilgrim and returning social entrepreneur could aspire to do . . .

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started,
And know the place for the first time."

Little Gidding (excerpt)

Is the blog done now? Maybe, though some editing, research and filling out are possible. Meanwhile, thanks for reading!