Retired, busy and already behind schedule

I know, I know, I know…

Three weeks on the road and not a single blog post. Shocking. Disappointing. Possibly grounds for unfollowing. But today — today we turn things around. This is the official “pre-Camino” kickoff.

I’ll give you the condensed version of Scotland (because clearly I’ve been very busy being retired), and then circle back later with proper posts when I “have time.” You know… that mythical thing everyone says you have more of when you stop working. Turns out, when you retire, time becomes even more scarce. No boss, no vacation days… just a calendar that fills itself with important things like walking, eating, and discussing where to eat next.

Needless to say, I am behind schedule. Please don’t tell the project manager in charge. She’ll figure it out eventually — usually right when something is due.

Johan and I spent the last three weeks traveling through Scotland with Ben and Veronica. What a pleasure to travel with Johan and Ben — also known as the self-appointed Department of Absolute Knowledge. Between the two of them, there is no topic they cannot confidently explain… regardless of whether they have any actual information.

From the back seat, we were educated on such critical topics as:

• The black-headed Scottish sheep, whose heads are apparently black to help them withstand the wind, build character, and produce stronger offspring.
• The fascinating concept that rain and wind create friction on trains, allowing them to reach speeds of 200 mph… because without that friction, clearly, trains would just sort of give up.

Ok, maybe I dont even have this “facts correctly,” but since most of these were fabricated…who cares. Veronica and I spent most of the time quietly evaluating these statements, trying to determine what MIGHT be true. Our conclusion: very little. But it made for excellent entertainment.

And just when you think it couldn’t get better, they would confidently say:“As my friend Johan… or Ben… will confirm.”

Which reminded me of a saying from back in the day:

“Ask my friend Jack — he lies just like me.”

Now, to be clear — I am not saying Johan and Ben lie. But in the words of the grandchildren:

“Oupa… you are telling a story.” and as the bible says…out of the mouth of babes.

More on Scotland later. There’s a lot to unpack there.

Staying in a box

Our final night was spent at the very “affordable $150-per-night” Bloc Hotel at Gatwick Airport.

Let me paint the picture.

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to sleep inside a carry-on suitcase, this is your place. The room was technically measured in meters, but emotionally… it was in inches.

Now, I don’t normally use strong language, but Johan (you know, from the slightly less refined branch of the Van der Walt family) summed it up perfectly:“You can shit, shave, and shower without taking a step.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

• Shower → toilet seat wet
• Sit on toilet → no one brushes teeth
• Get up in the night → step onto a wet towel
• Instant wake-up call

There was no closet, no luggage space, and the bed was tucked into a nook like a drawer. Johan’s nighttime bathroom strategy involved climbing over me like a mildly distressed mountain goat.

Would I recommend this hotel for $150 a night?

Absolutely not.

Stepping on a Lego in the dark is a more enjoyable experience.

We survived, as one does, and made our way to Johan’s favorite country in the world: Spain.

A quick flight and a very pleasant train ride brought us to León — the starting point of our Camino.

Walking through town on Monday, we had one of those moments where it hit us:

“We are actually retired.”

To which Kristin (our daughter-in-law) replied:

“What exactly have you been doing since August?”

Fair question.

Apparently, we’ve been busy. Now we’re “relaxing.”

And what does relaxation look like?

• A 26 km walk tomorrow (short day, obviously)
• A 15 km “rest day” today
• Laundry
• Shipping our big bag to Santiago
• A casual 3-hour lunch
• Followed by a proper siesta

By 6 pm, we were fully recovered and ready for tomorrow.

At the laundromat, we met a lovely local woman named Rosa, who insisted we go to Ezequiel for lunch.

Our reservation was at 3 pm, which in normal countries means “the kitchen is closing and only the dish washers remain.”

In Spain? Peak lunch.

The place was packed. The food? Outstanding.

Octopus — tender, perfect

Pork — melt-in-your-mouth

Would I die for it? Probably not.

Would I consider it briefly? Maybe.

Next time, we’ll order half as much. Possibly.

The rest of the day will be spent trying to get Johan and my backpack under 10 pounds. This is currently a theoretical goal.

We love and miss you all.

Not sure I’ll have the strength to write tomorrow…

Can I do weight magic?

The highlight of the day…when I asked Johan to read the post before posting he said: “how on earth will you get me to be below 10 pounds”…point taken, it is only the backpack that we try to get to be below 10 pounds. Johan can stay at this healthy XXX pounds. I’m not saying anything about that.

Love and miss you all. I am not sure that I will have any strenght to blog tomorrow…but maybe in 2 days.