Day 5, 6 and 7 - May 7th, 8th and 9th

I have not written any thing these last few evenings. I have been frustrated trying to get on line and actually I have been spending far too much time doing so.

On day 5 we walked to within 6.5 miles of Enniskillen, Patricia is suffering very sorely with her feet but she battles on. I know we could walk another 5 miles a day if her feet were not so sore but they are and for her to cover the ground she has is a wonderful effort, she is very stoic and stubborn!

Enniskillen is home to my Brother in Law Peter McGuinness, Vera his wife and 3 children, a lovely family. I spent the evening with them after my walk and then Peter and Vera left me back out to just beyond Kiladeas Church of Ireland where I had walked that day.

While at the C of I Kiladeas I visited the cemetery to see the pre-Christina stone face which had been Christianised by adding a figure of a Bishop onto one of it's sides, naturally it's called the 'The Bishop's Stone.'

Peter has just been given the all clear after suffering from prostate cancer. He refused Traditional Medicine and fought the cancer on his own. Of course I thought he was mad, (as did many of his family), prostate cancer is apparently relatively easily treated with a very high success rate. But he went his way and won through. Naturally we are all delighted, Vera had supported him all the way, and it could not have been easy.

I know very little about cancer and am in no position to advise BUT I would suggest to any reader that they should look up B17 and The Oasis of Hope Hospital in Mexico, whose Director is Dr. Franciso Contreras. Simply enter either of the above into a search engine on the Internet and you will be amazed at what comes up. I do know that there is help and hope for cancer sufferers out there. Look it up, what have you to lose!

Basically the theory is that cancer, like scurvy before it, is caused by a lack of a vitamin in our diet. We have processed the vitamin, namely B17, out of our diet in or efforts to make food more attractive and pleasing to our palates. For goodness sake we are hard pressed now to find grapes that have seeds! B17 in its most basic form is found concentrated in the kernels of the stone of apricots. Please look it up and make up your own mind. I know it works!

The following morning Patricia and I walk into Enniskillen where we are warmly greeted by two friends of Patricia, then on to the Town Hall to meet the Chairman of the Council, Alex Baird. After a photo shoot for the local papers we have coffee and biscuits with the Chairman, then we head on out the Sligo Road. We walk well and make it as far as Florence Court. We are to stay in the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen that night.

How's Hilary doing I wonder, has she acknowledged Obama as the Democratic Candidate yet? A first for America no matter what way it goes, a Lady nominee or a coloured gentleman. I have no opinion on the subject but it has certainly captured the attention of the world.

The Clinton Centre was very clean, very basic, we made up our own beds, provided our own towels, and the following morning paid for an excellent breakfast. Breakfast and accommodation are treated separately. The staff were most helpful and courteous but I still could not get on line!

Pat negotiated the caravan through the usual morning rush hour traffic and got us back out to Florence Court. We are now 5 walkers, yesterday evening we were joined by Peter and Kathleen, more friends of Patricia, they will walk with us for the next two days. A great show of support. Peter and Kathleen are experienced walkers they have been on the Camino a number of times and also have helped to manage Refugios on the Camino. They are good craic, we had enjoyed the evening before. The morning is damp and overcast and that's how it stayed most of the day. Patricia is suffering with these feet, we had an extra stop early in the day for bandage adjustments and also to relieve pressure on a painful blister. Relieving the blister certainly helped we reached Ballinamore just around 4.00 in the afternoon and after a pint of shandy booked into a lovely B&B run by a busy young housewife, with young children Bernadette Hamill. A lovely woman, the kind that gave Ireland it's reputation for friendliness and hospitality. It's great to know that the Cead Mile Failte is still there. We'll be on the road by 9.00 in the morning time for bed!

Day 8 - May 10th

Had a short conversation this morning with Bernadette, (our host of last night), during it she filled up. Tears were never far away. Her brother, a young man of 46 died last year of cancer, diagnosed and given a matter of weeks to live, he survived for six months. He leaves a wife and nine children, life can be very cruel. Marie Curie does not have a presence in the South but there is a similar organisation. Bernadette referred to it as Hospice Home Care. She said they came into nurse her brother during his last days and then went on to say how disgraceful it was that these organisations have to depend on donations from the general public in order to carry out their wonderful work. Disgraceful indeed, hopefully those of you who read this will continue to pressurise our public representatives to lobby for more money for Hospice and organisations like Marie Curie.

In the mean time don't forget the web site. justgiving.com/patriciawatterson. All moneys donated to Patricia's walk goes directly to Marie Curie. Also I am trying to set up a number of fund raising nights. Benny McKay is going to organise a night in The Shamrocks, Alfie Corr and Friends will do a night in Warrenpoint Golf Club, and Larry Quinn together with Patsy Quinn will organise a night in Burren Social Club. These events should be happening during the next couple of weeks, please give them your support. Even if you cannot actually attend perhaps there is some way that you could support them. Could someone set up strategically placed collection boxes in say Warrenpoint Golf Club, Petrol Stations and the like advertising the forthcoming event and suggesting that 'Can't attend but would like to support.' I say again ALL MONEY RAISED goes directly to Marie Curie Cancer Care. The organisation has absolutely no outlay.

A dull morning, but good for walking, we pass on through Ballinamore and head for Mohill. We make good progress, Patricia is walking a lot easier; relieving the blister has certainly helped. We have our first stop after about an hour and a half, then on to Mohill where we stop for a glass of shandy before continuing to within 4k of Dromod. A shortish day probably a little less than 18k, but it is the weekend! We have now been 8 days on the road, I would think around 1/4 of our journey behind us. We intend to have a short day again on the morrow and then have a rest day with Pat and Patricia's friends who live in Dromod. We can walk through Dromod on our way to Longford and Pat will pick us up and return with us to their friends. Having the car in support is great, Pat looks after us well, he judges our walk gets parked and has the kettle boiling on or arrival!

Peter and Kathleen leave us here, we return with them to their car in Ballinamore, we have enjoyed their support, we say our goodbyes and then look for accommodation for me for the night.

Not so easy, we have to travel back the road to 'The Glebe House,' a charming lady shows me a lovely room and I settle in for the night. Too far to walk into town for something to eat but the lady of the house will provide a light meal for me. There is a wireless net work for the Internet but it requires a code to gain entry, the lady's daughter is away and she doesn't know it. Beaten again, when will I gain access to the Internet! Perhaps it was not such a good idea to take the laptop with me!