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From September 8th 2016 I will be attempting the walk from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostella as part of my sabbatical. The route runs across northern Spain and is a little less than 500 miles. Of course it is possible that I won't manage to complete the Trek so if it is an important part of your sponsorship, I suggest you wait until I have finished, however I am allowing myself plenty of time and in the spirit of a true hypochondriac I will be taking a huge variety of blister and foot treatments. 

The Pilgrimage has a strong spiritual context and that is certainly part of my motivation.  In medieval times it was an important pilgrim route and the Camino Ingles involved sailing to Bilbao and then walking the remaining 400 miles or so. The voyage to Bilbao must have been enough excitement in itself.

The Porch is a drop in centre in east Oxford, which supports people with a variety of needs. It is run by an enthusiastic young team with a huge range of talents and backgrounds. I pop in from time to time and enjoy a good lunch. Volunteering sometimes involves washing up but the most important thing is to chat to the members about nothing in particular. Just being with people and listening when that is required is paramount. So much of our lives are governed by targets that we forget the importance of showing our humanity with no particular aim in mind.  I hope the Pilgrimage will help me to reflect on the most important things in life - if that's not a target in itself!

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