cwarnock
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances (Apr-May 2019); planning Camino Sanabres (Oct 2019)
I'm starting my first Camino on 8th April from St Jean Pied de Port. My wife is joining me for the first week before returning to our family and her job as a school teacher, while I hope to carry on to Santiago aiming to arrive mid May.
I was inspired by an old family friend who walked the Camino Frances several times in the late 80s and 90s. He introduced it to my father who joined him several times and has three Compostelas, and he in turn encouraged my mother to join him on her first Camino from Leon. She still says it was one of the best things she ever did.
I am having a middle-aged "gap year" (motto: "to find myself and lose myself" (i.e. some weight!) and am looking forward to the whole experience.
Thanks to Ivar and other forum members for all of the helpful posts and insights which have helped me both to plan and also to realise the importance of "letting go" and allowing the Camino to come to me.
We are lucky enough to have the Confraternity of St James here in the UK and we live close enough to London to visit their library and attend some of their events. I'm looking forward to attending the CSJ Practical Pilgrim day in February and hope to stay in their albergue in Rabanal.
Given the uncertainty about the weather in April, and the need to have some kind of plan for that first week to allow us to plan my wife's hopping off point and return travel, I've decided to take the low risk option of walking the "alternative" route via Valcarlos. We will also be stopping at Valcarlos (at the municipal albergue) to make two shorter days as we ease ourselves into the journey.
After my wife and I part ways in Puente La Reina I've not booked any accommodation and hope to take it as it comes, though I have read in some other posts that I might need to keep an eye on the accommodation situation during Semana Santa.
I see from the calendar that a few others are starting in early April too - hopefully I will meet some of you along the way.
Buen Camino
Colin
I was inspired by an old family friend who walked the Camino Frances several times in the late 80s and 90s. He introduced it to my father who joined him several times and has three Compostelas, and he in turn encouraged my mother to join him on her first Camino from Leon. She still says it was one of the best things she ever did.
I am having a middle-aged "gap year" (motto: "to find myself and lose myself" (i.e. some weight!) and am looking forward to the whole experience.
Thanks to Ivar and other forum members for all of the helpful posts and insights which have helped me both to plan and also to realise the importance of "letting go" and allowing the Camino to come to me.
We are lucky enough to have the Confraternity of St James here in the UK and we live close enough to London to visit their library and attend some of their events. I'm looking forward to attending the CSJ Practical Pilgrim day in February and hope to stay in their albergue in Rabanal.
Given the uncertainty about the weather in April, and the need to have some kind of plan for that first week to allow us to plan my wife's hopping off point and return travel, I've decided to take the low risk option of walking the "alternative" route via Valcarlos. We will also be stopping at Valcarlos (at the municipal albergue) to make two shorter days as we ease ourselves into the journey.
After my wife and I part ways in Puente La Reina I've not booked any accommodation and hope to take it as it comes, though I have read in some other posts that I might need to keep an eye on the accommodation situation during Semana Santa.
I see from the calendar that a few others are starting in early April too - hopefully I will meet some of you along the way.
Buen Camino
Colin
