Class of 2009

[johnnyesparto]

Johnny - you can let the people know on the website:

http://www.alberguedobrasil.com

thanks sillydoll, didn't mean to vent, but when i saw the picture, it immediatly brought up the memoires....all good.....by the way, im sending them a message )

 

[bubbles]

Thanks, Javier! I'll definitely be checking this site regularly for advice. :lol:

 

[Arn]

Welcome Bubbles!!!

The site isn't something you check into...it's something that grows on you as you come closer to walking the Way. Here you will find honest and accurate answers to your many questions...and valuable insight into the many and valuable reasons folks chose to walk the Milky Way.

Check out the FAQ thread and again, welcome to the Forum.

Buen Camino
Arn

 

[Deleted member 397]

Arn
The Milky Way is not the only camino

 

[Arn]

Omar, agreed...when using the Milky Way term....I'm addressing the ability to see so many stars when we are out and about along the Camino away from the back light of large populated areas. No matter where you are on the Camino... you can discern much of the Milky Way.

Getting more specific...and of course I'm opened to correction here...the popular Spanish name for the astronomical Milky Way is El Camino de Santiago. The Milky Way was said to be formed from the dust raised by traveling pilgrims in a common medieval legend. Compostela itself means 'field of stars'. There were only a few major Caminos to Santiago way back then, but I'd submit to you that the many "El Caminos de Santiago" of today could be a Milky Way.

Buen walking with the stars Camino
Arn

 

[neilbedford]

I'm Neil, planning to start in Lourdes March 21st. Booked flight into Lourdes, found this website and beginning to feel it will really happen. I have Anton Pombo's Guide del Camino (in Spanish) (tengo pocas palabras) and I know a couple of people who have done it. Planning on 20 k a day for 7 weeks. I'm retired, no hurry, no worry. Biggest hope - to discover something I never even imagined was possible (spiritual or emotional rather than physical, but who knows). Biggest fear - getting to Santiago no wiser. Biggest problem - how to get my walking staff on the plane, I can't imagine it is allowed as hand luggage. It is orange wood, made by a well wishing neighbour, 1 m long (the stick, not the neighbour) , light and strong and much more 'satisfying' than the telescopic aluminium kind. Keep an eye out for me.

 

[sillydoll]

Neil, you can put your staff in a postal tube, together with your other 'weapons of mass destruction' ie: Swiss army knife, or nail clippers, cutlery, liquid over 100mls etc, and send it through as luggage.
Are you walking the Chemin du Piemont route - Lourdes to St Jean - or the Tolosana via Oloron Ste Marie and Somport Pass?

 

[Deirdre]

Welcome Neil!
What a great trip! I'm very anxious to hear about it as it is one of the items on my "bucket list". And I agree, a walking stick such as yours is a treasure! I had a very special one lent to me last year and it meant alot. From where are you flying into Lourdes?

Buen Camino,

 

[Arn]

Neil asked:how to get my walking staff on the plane

Sil is totally accurate about the mail tube option...now it's up to the airline to make sure it arrives when you do. Which leads me to a story.

I packed my "stuff...including a walking staff I used when walking the Appalachian Trail" and turned it over to the airline. It didn't make it to Madrid. I contacted the missing luggage folks at the airport and asked that the package be forwarded to the Central PO in Pamplona...where I'd collect it on my way thru. When I arrived in Pamplona several days into my Camino, I walked to the Central PO and asked about my forwarded package...they searched and searched but couldn't find it. Oh, did I mention that in the package was my medication?

So I was perplexed...my Spanish wasn't good enough to get across what I needed done...nor was I able to ask how to do it if I did.

Here's the Camino Angel part of the tale.

A lady standing behind me understood my problem...sort of. Her son, who was with her, spoke English. I explained the situation and the PO folks suggestion that I call the airline to find the package. So, my Angel got on their cell phone and began to track down my package. He must have spoken to six different people...and at times in language that was blue as can be, when after nearly 40 minutes he ascertained that my package was with security at the Pamplona Airport. Not only did they find my package, the woman and her son drove me to the airport and back to the albergue.

My package in hand...I removed my walking staff...knife, meds,etc...and set out the next morning. Up to this point I'd made good time. It was late in the afternoon when I had my fall...changing my Camino...actually the Camino doing what it does best...making my Camino what it desires.

As I mentioned in another thread, once I reached Burgos, I deposited my walking staff in the Rio Vena.

Buen no lost packages Camino
Arn

 

[Rambler]

Arn:
I hope you are writing a book!!! I want a signed copy.

Glad to see you back on the forum.

Ivar:
Make sure you have some spare mailing tubes on sale in your office. I also used a mailing tube to bring my poles and WMDs through the airline. In Leon, I had the grand Idea of mailing the tube to Santiago with our airplane clothes and guidebook to Finisterre. Well, the Post is not open as in the States where you can go anytime and use a machine to pay postage and drop off a box. So we donated our clothes to the Sisters at the Convent and threw the tube away. In Finisterre we got a box from the supermercado that got the poles, and Maria Cookies, Turron, etc. and had to carry it all back as checked luggage. I would have happily bought a tube...

Rambler

 

[Arn]

Rambler wrote: Arn:
I hope you are writing a book!!! I want a signed copy.

I hadn't thought of that...then again:

"Falling toward Grace!" might be a good title.

Thanks very much,
Arn

 

[ksam]

Hmmm...reading these notes on the 6th, the Epiphany! Write Arn, write! I'd buy a copy too! In fact several! Seriously, give it a thought. I have a fair collection of Camino books, some better than others. Having read so many of your entries over the last year, I think yours would be very honest and very entertaining. Go for it!

Karin

 

[ivar]

Hmmm...reading these notes on the 6th, the Epiphany! Write Arn, write! I'd buy a copy too! In fact several! Seriously, give it a thought. I have a fair collection of Camino books, some better than others. Having read so many of your entries over the last year, I think yours would be very honest and very entertaining. Go for it!

Karin

Why not get several pilgrims to write one chapter each... then publish it as one book with many contributors... :wink:

 

[Arn]

Ivar wrote: Why not get several pilgrims to write one chapter each... then publish it as one book with many contributors...

That could very well be doable. Sort of a "Tales from the Camino." Item.

Time to ponder that possibility.

regards and Buen have pen will write Camino
Arn

 

[WolverineDG]

Arn, I like the idea of a book, especially a collaboration. I'm sure we've all got some hum-dingers!

Ivar, I second Rambler's suggestion of selling postal tubes for the walking sticks.

Kelly

 

[crackmrmac]

Hi, about the book, it's possible.
It reminds me when I arrived home after my first short journey on the Camino, my neighbour asked me about the book. After my second adventure I orderd some books via amazon.com to my sister in NY, which one of my other sisters would bring home from holiday. They wondered privately was I gone mad. I told them they should only worry when I started to write a book.
As for class 2009, I plan to fly to Santander on June 30 and get a bus to Leon.

Buen Camino

Brian

 

[Arn]

Hi,

Might I suggest we start another thread called The Book where we can further explore the possibilities and our options.

Buen the wheels are turning Camino

Arn

 

[Anonymous]

Might I suggest we start another thread called The Book where we can further explore the possibilities and our options.

Good idea Arn. Just a thought: this sounds like a project that CSJ might be good at coordinating? The "Roads to Santiago" spiritual companion produced by CSJ last year shows that this kind of jointly written publication can be successful and popular.

Slightly different but almost on the same theme, how about this: "The Camino Gospels"! I have been trying for some time to organise a visual memory scheme for studying the four Gospel narratives, mainly for my own use, as an artificial memory system for accurately recalling which events happen in which Gospel. I'm now creating it: a map of the route from SJPP to Compostela with the significant events of the Gospels occurring in settings I can visually remember.

Each of the evangelists is travelling differently and recalled by their traditional symbols, Matthew on a mountain bike (think mountain Lion), Mark on foot (think Man), Luke on horse (think Ox), and John overflies the Camino (like an Eagle) landing to observe the Gospel scenes. I have been mapping out the first stage of the Camino Gospels and it works very well. The first time all four 'evangelist pilgrims' meet up together is at Puente la Reina where their four different accounts of John the Baptist are remembered by placing the cyclist, the horse rider, the walker and the eagle at different places on the bridge and by the river and visualising their Gospel account, as the Baptist - in the river - is described in their individual narratives.

Having cycled the Camino Frances once and walked it on four occasions, I can visualise the entire route, which I have done regularly in meditation and I recommend that as an exercise too. The adaptation of a classical 'memory theatre' mnemonic system to recalling the Gospel on the Camino in this way is a very exciting project. It might sound like a crazy idea, but it works: I am already recalling differences between the four Gospels with some accuracy. A lot of work to be done, however!

Gareth

 

[Arn]

Gareth,
Goto The Book

Arn

 

[Anonymous]

Gareth,
Goto The Book

That took me a few minutes to find, so here's a helpful link for anyone else who wants to follow the change of thread...

http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com/board/pilgrim-introductions/topic5137.html

 

[Portia1]

My name is Portia and I am hoping to start my Camino September 2nd. I am an Episcopal priest serving St. James' Parish and this is part of my sabbatical time--I have been looking forward to this journey for over ten years and it is hard to believe it is finally coming to pass. I hope to meet some of you along the way. I have hiked over 900 miles on the AT--from Georgia to Harpers Valley plus a few sections further north. I found the AT to be my labyrinth spread along the ridgelines. Many lessons were learned; many new insights were gleaned. I pray that the Camino will lead me even deeper into profound awe of a God who loves beyond our imagination.

Buen Camino!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Welcome Portia!

 

[ksam]

I found the AT to be my labyrinth spread along the ridgelines. Many lessons were learned; many new insights were gleaned. I pray that the Camino will lead me even deeper into profound awe of a God who loves beyond our imagination.

Buen Camino!

Welcome Portia! Having done a few miles on the AT, and a short Camino Portuguese, I can say with some small certainty that the Camino is much easier!! Both in signage to follow and terrain. The sections of the AT we've traveled to date have been in the later portions of PA and NJ...and are, from what I understand amongst the rockiest and most uneaven :roll: Just my luck!! At times it's hard to appreciate the scenery as you dare not remove your eyes from the path. Even at the rainiest and hilliest we didn't find the camino quite that bad!

Wishing you all the best on your journey, both the planning and the doing!

Buen Camino, Karin

 

[Arn]

Portia...welcome to the Class of 2009!

I'm sure you will find the Forum to be a treasure trove of accurate and thought provoking information, comments and hints on how to make your Camino an experience of a life time...it will most likely become a gift that will keep on giving well into your future.

I thru hiked the AT in 96'. I was hoping for more inspiration than I found. That said, I did notice that if I came to a sign indicating "Scenic Overlook 1 mile" and it pointed off in another direction...I'd do the mental math...'Let's see...hike 1 mile that way...then hike 1 mile back and...get exactly right here. EEEEEmmmmmmmmmmm, I think I'll forgo the scenery and move on toward Katahdin. Choices...choices!

Buen Camino
Arn

 

[Deirdre]

Hello Portia,
It is so nice to see so many new American Pilgrims here! Of course it is nice to see so many NEW pilgrims here, but it seems that so few Amricans know anything about the Camino, ... well, you know what I mean!
I know your area pretty well, as I am originally from Maryland, went to college in D.C., and my sister lives nearby as well.
Welcome to the forum!
Buen Camino,

 

[Horsey 87]

Hello all,

The adventure is soon to unfold for myself and a close friend from uni. Our plan is to set off from Winchester late March, hop on a ferry at Portsmouth for Cherbourg and then on to Mont St Michel before meeting up with the route from Paris at Saintes and following it south and along the Camino Frances...quite the challenge lol :lol:! Especially as this will be my first time. But, we are determined as we are not just going on pilgrimage for ourselves but are collecting sponsorship for the charity Help for Heroes.

I'm very much looking forward to the endeavor. However, I'm having some trouble working out a route up until Saintes. Can anyone help? Is there anywhere I could find out about sub-routes through the Normandy area?

 

[Arn]

Horsey...welcome to the Forum,

Here are some quality suggestions from three members of the Forum that have probably forgotten more about the Camino than most of us can possibly remember. I am sure they will chime in in short order, but until then...take a bite on these great plums.

Re: Canterbury to Santiago
by sillydoll on 15 Feb 2008, 07:59
Hi Gareth,
Welcome to the Cyber-Ivar-albergue!
You said:
My plan now is to regard all that as preparation for the big event

A very brave lady from the UK walked from Cornwall to Santiago and then from Santiago to Rome in 2006. She was a month or two behind me on the Switzerland to Rome section of the Via Francigena. Not sure which way she walked from Cornwall but you could get hold of her. This is her website: http://www.walk2rome.com.btinternet.co.uk/
And then there is Ben Nimmo - who wrote a book about his journey from Canterbury to Santiago - via Belgium and Dijjon - called Pilgrim Snail. I have his email address if you would like to have it.
And in the CSJ bookshop is a book called: Horseshoes and Holy Water: on the hoof from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela described as "A lively account of the horseback pilgrimage from Canterbury via Vézelay to the Pyrenees and Santiago de Compostela in 2002 of two, and sometimes three, sisters and a long suffering husband driving the horsebox."
Good planning!


Re: Canterbury to Santiago
by dlr47 on 15 Feb 2008, 11:21
You may find this blog helpful in planning a route. It belongs to a couple from London who are currently walking in northern France with the plan to complete there pilgimmage later this year. They started walking from their home in London on New Year's Day, as I recall. The reason I recommend it is that they seem to have done a lot of research into their route through France and they provide a map of the route they have completed as well as what is planned:

http://verylongwalks.blogspot.com/


Re: From Paris
by Peter Robins on 05 Mar 2008, 06:28
Gareth Thomas wrote:If the classic Le Puy to SJPP route is no more 'traditional' than this, it's anyone's guess what should be the best route from Dieppe through western France, surely? It has been suggested that many traditional routes would have been buried under modern roads and motorways; but isn't it more accurate to say that nobody has any real idea where these routes went?

no, medieval roads in general are well documented, and broadly speaking remain much as they were. There is little doubt of the road from Paris, via Tours, Poitiers, Bordeaux etc - the main road then and the main road now. If you go to one of the online route finders and ask for Paris-Santiago, it will give you much the same route as the one in the Codex Calixtinus or for that matter as the Roman one - the main difference being the shift in the late Middle Ages from the Roncesvalles pass to the coastal road and the route via Tolosa and Vitoria. The main road from Dieppe was south to Rouen and Chartres, and this remains the main road today. It will have been used by English pilgrims to Chartres, though I would question how many pilgrims to Santiago went that way.

Those are the 'traditional' routes, but main roads are of course problematic for modern walkers, who generally have to find some compromise, 'shadowing' the line in some way. This is what both the Amis route through Normandy and the GR655 (and to some extent the modern Camino Frances) do. As the main road is more or less a straight line, inevitably that means the walking route is much longer. The situation in France is no different from England. If you want, for example, to follow Chaucer's pilgrims, you are essentially following Watling St, the main A2 - neither pleasant nor safe walking.

The point with the so-called Le Puy route is that there is nothing 'classic' or 'traditional' about it. There were plenty of pilgrims in Le Puy, of course, as it was and remains a major shrine - Our Lady of France. It was (and AFAIK still is) popular with Spaniards, particularly Catalans, and there are well-documented pilgrimages of Catalans to Le Puy, via the Perthuis pass and the Chemin Regordane. The Bruges Itineraries list the Regordane, i.e. the road south from Clermont-Ferrand to Le Puy, and on to Nimes - a GR based on this (GR700) is currently being developed. Estienne lists a pilgrim road from Montauban via Rodez to Le Puy (broadly the Roman road known as La Bollène). Those who created the GR65 chose to ignore these documented 'pilgrim roads' and base the route on the extremely vague claim in the Codex Calixtinus that there was a road to Santiago via Le Puy, Conques and Moissac. The GR65 was the first 'chemin de saint Jacques' to be developed, but it was not originally intended as a 'pilgrimage road', any more than the Sentier Cathare was intended for use by Cathars. It was intended as a walking route, loosely based on the sparse info in the Codex, through attractive country, visiting places of religious and/or historical significance. Ironically, it is popular with walkers precisely because there is no traditional, i.e. main, road to spoil the experience. However, AFAIA there is no historical evidence of any pilgrim to Santiago going via Le Puy.

You may find some of the info on my website useful http://www.peterrobins.co.uk/camino/history_F.html and see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09185b.htm for a potted history of Le Puy's pilgrimage (which predates that to Santiago).


Buen Camino

Arn

 

[Horsey 87]

Thanks Arn, some fantastic resources there, will follow them up immediately.

 

[Arn]

Hello Class of 2009,

This is your personal topic...it will document your successes, chronicle your adventures and underscore the realization that your planned Camino wasn't necessarily what the Way had in store for you.

It's also an opportunity for other fellow peregrinos to meet you on the Forum, establish a sense of camaraderie for a journey shared and, possibly, meet with you along the Way.

Ivar, Sil, Rebekah, Karen, Mermaidlilli, Johnnie Walker, Gareth, William Marques, Peter Robins, Javier Martin, Deirdre and many others may not be walking with you in 2009 in the flesh...but each will be with you in Spirit as you make your Way to Santiago.

Keep visiting the Class of 2009…keep communicating with your fellow peregrinos and have a rewarding Pilgrimage to Santiago.

Buen Camino
Arn

 

[Mish]

very pleased that i can say..i am part of Class 2009 . We (2 aussie girls) plan to start at SPP on Wednesday 8th April. We have about 32 days to walk.Planning what to take..or not to take and walking around in our boots and the moment and sweltering in the aussie summer heat!!!!
look forward to reading more in here..
cheers
mish

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Mish

What a fubulous adventure to look forward too. Not long now. I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy the experience - please let us all know how you two get on.

Buen Camino when it comes

John

 

[sillydoll]

Springtime is beautiful on the camino. Early April can be trecherous - especially in the high places. Listen to the locals - if they say do not walk on the Route Napoleon, or do not even walk on the road, take their advice seriously. I've just read a comment on a member's blog where the pilgrim had snow in Burgos on the 1st May last year. We missed snow by one day at O Cebreiro on 22nd May!
Read old posts here about walking in April. This year there could be blue skies and dry, snow-free days, but just in case the weather follows the pattern of the last two or three years, take warm clothing, take a cell phone just in case you need help and remember that the emergency number is 112 - it works 24/7 and the operators speak different languages.
Have a wonderful walk!

 

[Arn]

Mish...Welcome to the Forum and the Class of 2009.

I walked from SJPDP starting on April 12, stopping half way up to Roncesvalle at Orisson. It's a fantastic albergue...with one of the best Pilgrim Suppers I had my entire Camino. So, if Orisson isn't currently on your schedule...consider it. Even in early April Orisson fills up so make reservations either before you depart, or have the folks at the pilgrim office in SJPDP call ahead. Here's their website with contact info:

http://www.refuge-orisson.com/

I mention this, not because I get a cut...but rather as a consideration should there be a weather situation not severe enough to halt your progress, but there may be snow along at elevation and splitting your first day is a good option.

Also check the FAQ's for good info and then scan the other topics for top notched info on all facets of your Camino.

Buen Camino

Arn

 

[Anonymous]

Cherbourg and then on to Mont St Michel

If you are walking on that route, stay at the Communaute des Beatitudes at the Abbaye Blanche in the small town of Mortain, (looking at the map it is south of Cherbourg on the way to Mont St Michel). Explain what you are doing and ask them to contact other Beatitudes houses on route: there is another one close to Mont St Michel, a day's walk from Mortain, then I think there's another going south from there on your route to Saintes. Make contact through the Beatitudes website: http://beatitudes.org/francais

I suggest this because I spent a year at this Beatitudes house (situated in an old 12th c. Cistercian abbey) back in 1992 and I know there is a network of religious houses in Normandy and further south that they can put you in touch with. It was one of my functions in that community to welcome the regular 'men of the road' and accommodate them overnight, and I know that the community is in touch with many other religious houses in the area you are going to walk through, so get their help!

The head of house in a Beatitudes house is called the 'Berger' (shepherd of the community) so address any enquiry to that person. I walked from England down the Via Turonensis last year but from Dieppe not Cherbourg. The best part of the journey - in my view - is the Charente Maritime where you have excellent route marking (balisage), with concrete markers like the ones on the Camino in Spain, but after that region it gets a bit hazardous, to say the least! So study the route well. Success with you plans.

Gareth

 

[Nicki2009]

I'm happy to be part of the Class of 2009... I'm a first-timer starting El Camino Frances from St Jean Pied-de-Port on Sunday, May 10, 2009.

 

[MermaidLilli]

Hope you get your patch and wear it on your pack, so we can find each other. It is fun to connect with fellow forum pilgrims. Also don't forget to post your trip on the calendar here.
Lillian

 

[ruben montero]

Hi Mish
I share your excitement as I've just got my ticket from Melbourne to Madrid and hope to start at SJPP on the 25August! It would have been nice to meet some other aussies along the way. I hope you have a wonderful time.
Mucha suerte y buen camino!

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Ruben
If your experience is anything like mine, then you will meet other Aussies along the way. Walking the path last year from Pau I met Mark and Denise from Launceston, Ron and Robbie from Melbourne, Fran and Jennifer from rural Victoria, Andrew from Forster, Vita from Cairns, .............
I am walking the northern route beginning August 29th, and hope to arrive in Compostela on October 3rd. Perhats we might meet.
Buen Camino Alan

 

[Arn]

Alan and Ruben,

Welcome to the Class of 2009!

The planning for the journey along the Way is only one third the experience. Gosh, when I recall all I'd decided to take, to do, where to go and how I'd get there...it was a good solid plan. Then the Camino came into play.

I've told many of my students and those in adult education at my Church of my experiences along the Way...and the one question that keeps coming up is why did you do the Camino...and what did you expect to get from it...considering the many trials and reverses you'd experienced.

Initially, I found that my responses were full of bravado, off-handedness and BS. Over the months (I walked into Santiago in mid-May) my emotions moved from silent relief and awe, toward a sense of failure and now to acceptance that I didn't walk the Way as much as the Camino walked beside me.

When I started out, I walked with a very fine gentleman from France named Francois. He wasn't fast, he didn't press an issue, but he continually reminded me to walk....'Slowly'.

I of course paid little attention to his admonition. I scampered ahead and waited with a wry smile as Francois caught up with me. It was especially satisfactory to push hard up a hill...leaving Francois far behind me...then smugly hrrumphing...when he finally caught up. Yet, in retrospect...he always arrived. He always had a piece of sausage or cheese to share and he continued to remonstrate that I was pressing to hard and too fast.

Francois was an expert on flora. He would call out to me to come back and look at his latest find. With a soft touch he displayed each colorful plant to my tempered amazement and half-hearted agreement that “this” was truly a sight for sore eyes. In actuality, I sincerely believe Francois was observing the slow deterioration of my physical condition that I’d been trying to hide.

You will meet your Francois…and you will be admonished to slow down and smell the roses…listen! Your plans may be to continue on another 15 km, passing up a very appealing albergue…for another along the Way. Stop here! Relax, take off your boots…do your laundry (your fellow peregrinos will appreciate it), read a book…or drink that extra glass of vino. The Way isn’t a race…it’s the Camino.

Buen Camino to you all
Arn

 

[chris]

Hello all,
I'm so glad to have found this site/forum. I'm hoping to walk part of the camino in May. I find I will be walking alone, as my friends have all bowed out for various reasons.
Have any women done this alone? Any problems?
I'd like to start in Astorga, hoping to make it to Santiago within 14 days. Still fuzzy on plans, but working it out.
Thanks for any input, Chris

 

[Arn]

Chris,

You will soon find that many on the Forum have traveled the Way...but never alone. Oh, they may have begun alone but the Camino has a way of putting people, albergues and Camino Angels in you path that make the Way to Santiago the most satisfying and safe journey you'll ever experience.

Stay in contact, continue to ask questions and, most of all, believe that the pilgrimage to Santiago will be an event in your life that will change you forever.

Buen one more for You Camino,
Arn

 

[jl]

Hi Chris, Don't be scared of walking on your own. I have walked 2 Caminos on my own, and always there have been many wonderful people along the way who have befriended me. a woman on her own. Indeed being on your own will enable you to make friends more easily, as I found that when I had my sister in law walking with me for the first 900 klms on one of my Caminos I was treated differently from when I was on my own later on. By the way - we didn't disagree it was the plan for her to walk as far as Pamplona and from there she went home, and I kept walking.

My first Camino was to be with my sister, but she pulled out and so I went alone, from Toulouse, and very soon made friends and indeed had a fellow pilgrim as a constant companion for 2 weeks.

Enjoy your planning experience and have faith that there will be many that you will meet along the way who you will want to share with, and they with you. Buen Camino, Janet

 

[sillydoll]

The quote from this blog says it all:

For as much as we try to plan our route on the Camino, or our lives, we can´t.

http://spanishlemonade.wordpress.com/20 ... %A8beauty/

There are two bits of advice that people never take! Travel light, and go slow.
At CSJ workshops, St James feast day get-togethers, through newsletters, hundreds of times giving the same advice, we issue backpack lists, or demonstrate by weighing everything in a pack in front of the group, people still take too much stuff. They can't believe that they'll get by on two shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of longs etc etc for 2 weeks, 3 weeks, a month, or longer. They nod their heads and then go home and pack those extra shorts, two in one zip off trousers, fleece jacket (just in case) pajamas to sleep in etc etc.
I laughed out load when I watched the French film St Jacques Le Merque when two pilgrims hid behind a rock and started chucking stuff out of their packs! The young girl had creams, lotions, potions and the guy had books, papers, trousers etc etc.
Many people plan a daily schedule at home and then feel that they have to stick to it come hell or high water. Obviously if you have a return ticket from Santiago you need to get there by a certain date, but you can do short days on the difficult terrain, long slow days on the easy terrain, put kms in the bank by walking an extra 5 km one day and less the next. We advise people to start off slowly, at least the first week, until the body becomes accustomed to the daily walking routine. They will get fitter and fitter and will soon cope with 30km or 40km distances (if they need to).
Its not until these people become pilgrims that they understand and if they are lucky enough to go back and do it again, they will do it differently. Then they will pass on the benefit of their experience to others - who don't listen!
The circle of life. :?

 

[Deirdre]

Once again, Sil, you are dead on!

The day I arrived by train to Pamplona, I met a gentleman in the train station whom I asked for directions. He was a well-seasoned Pilgrim and we had a cafe con leche while he pointed out highlights of the Camino. His advice: walk about 20 km a day for the first week, about 25 km per day the second week and after that you listen to your body. If 35 - 40 feels ok, go for it!

Generally, I heeded his advice and found that I felt better and stronger as the time went on (with the possible exception of my feet! :? )

I thought I had packed light (but never light enough!) and learned along the Way. I learned the hard way (the school of hard knocks as my Irish father would say!) the peril of carrying the extra weight.

It is impossible to overstate these two issues. For new Pilgrims, if you listen to nothing else, listen to this information. It will serve you well.

Buen Camino,

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am a dissenter on the "after that you listen to your body. If 35 - 40 feels ok, go for it!"

Every convalescing fifty-something I met had felt good at 25 km, so tried for 35. Suddenly they had tendonitis, swollen joints, or pulled muscles, and had to take several days off to recuperate. The difference between 25 km and 40 km is at least three hours of walking, four for most "senior citizens." You will notice by the third day that after seven hours of walking on subsequent days, when your longest training walk was three hours, stuff hurts that you never imagined would hurt. Having endured that, do not ignore the fact that adding another three to four hours at the end of a long day creates an extreme risk of being too much even after you have become accustomed to six-to-eight hour days. Accidents become much more likely the more fatigued you become. A knee that felt good after six hours may turn to jelly on the tenth hour.

Non-destructive testing is the scientific technique for evaluation without passing a limit -- destruction. It's drawback is that it cannot exactly find the breaking point. Naturally, you want to press yourself a bit, but before you left on your Camino, you set out a plan, probably a flexible plan. You should be cautious about doing a 35 km day when it was not necessary in the plan, particularly if you do it with a macho hubris, and it is not necessary to meet a plane (for example). Keep non-destructive testing in mind. If you pass the breaking point, it may take days to recover, or may even end your trek.

If you are under 30, please ignore this advice! And, of course, it is not applicable to every older pilgrim, even the ones who eschew trekking poles (until they take a header down a hill).

 

[lckgj]

It is a sad fact that, probably because the camino is a test of physical (as well as mental) endurance, it does bring out an unattractive dose of competitiveness in some people - dare I say mainly men?!
This extends to Competitive Kit Weight Comparisons, Competitive Motives for Pilgrimage, Competitive Sacrifices Made/Hardships Overcome To Be There, Competitive Helping Those In Need Along The Way (whether they want help or not), Competitive Telling Of I Have Had The Most Authentic Camino Experience Tales and (my personal least favourite) Competitive Humbleness.
No matter how physically fit you are, you will inevitably meet someone who leaves you standing in a cloud of dust as they zoom effortlessly into the distance ahead of you. And, equally inevitably, some of those left standing will feel compelled to increase their pace to try to play catch up. Good luck to them!
Sil is right, you can tell people once to slow down/pack light but from then on you are wasting your breath, they have either taken it on board or they havn't. I think it's possibly a bit like when a waiter tells you not to touch your plate as it's hot - the first thing some people have to do is touch it to see if it really is!
However, probably just as relevant is to advise people not to go slower than they are comfortable with. It can be just as exhausting to do this than to walk too fast. I know of people who met walking companions they didn't want to be parted from but had to slow down to their pace to stick with them. This is YOUR pilgrimage. There are LOTS of great people out there. Don't get stuck with a routine you are not happy with- you may never get the chance to do this again!
Enough already, I already know this is falling on deaf ears and maybe an essential part of the pilgrim experience is selective deafness!
Good luck to anyone planning/walking this year.
Laura

 

[sillydoll]

Falcon - I think walking fitness, stamina and endurance is more important than age. A good, strong, regular walker at age 60 will have a better camino than an out-of-shape, unfit 23 year-old.
In 2002 I walked with two friends - Georgette was our senior at 74 and I was the 'baby' at 56. We averaged 28kms a day - easily - and walked from Roncesvalles to Santiago in 27 days. We were weary at the end of the day but because we were fit, our recovery rate was fast.
The secret for us was that we are all regular 'amawalker-walkers' in real life. We all belong to the same athletc club and regularly walked marathons, half marathons and ultra-marathons. At that time we also belonged to to Ramblers and hiked regularly.
Georgette walked the camino again last year at age 80 and I'm sure left many wounded, youthful pilgrims in her dust!

 

[Deirdre]

Falcon,
I am 54 (nearly 55) and was 53 when I walked my first Camino in 2007. I'm planning my third this summer.

I didn't suggest that one should plan to walk 35 - 40 km every single day, but I can assure you that in the 3rd and 4th weeks, there were days when I walked that many! I began in Roncesvalles, and ended in Santiago in 30 with no rest days and no particular pain, in fact, I felt better than I had in ages, with the exception of my blisters which were caused by a completely different reason. I was able to climb hills with my full pack that much younger people without a pack (because theirs were being carried in a vehicle) were unable to do without resting.

So when I say "listen to your body", I mean just that.If your body tells you don't do it, well then, pay attention. But if you're feeling good and walking without pain and fatigue, why not continue as much as is comfortable.

The Camino is completely individual. No one can make "blanket" statements. Things happen that you don't ever plan for... just ask Arn. But the "begin more slowly, and add distance as your body gets fitter" makes perfect sense. That's how most people train and build stamina. The key is not to "overdo" and that's where listening to your body comes in. Becuase if you overdo, your body will let you know that pretty quickly, as well.

Buen Camino,

 

[Deleted member 397]

The CF is the easiest camino for distances but if you are doing the Mozarabe or VDLP there are stretches where long distances are unavoidable. For instance from Villaharta to Alcaracejos it is 38km and as the giude book says you have no choice but to do it in one go-there is nothing between these two towns.
It's axiomatic to advise on a light pack but many seem to think that a kilo of cosmetics, '"a pretty dress",a hairdryer are indispensible.Surely there comes a point where giving advise to those who have no intention of heeding it becomes a bit pointless.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

And I must also inform you there are some of us who limit our daily walks to something under 30 km., and who do not seem to feel the extra weight that sends so many people right over the edge.

I have since pared my pack weight down to 6 kg, but when I did the Frances (at age 39) I carried my own 8 kilo pack as well as a breviary for a pilgrim priest and occasional other items for people who were having issues. With the weight or without the weight, I could feel no difference at the end of the day. And I had a nice dress to wear to dinner.

Methinks this comes from a long career of pitching hay and shoveling dung.

Reb.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

As Omar504 points out, long days are not required on the Camino Frances. I carried a 14 kilo pack at age 62/63, and did several over 30 km days, so I know it can be done. I am suggesting that walkers not test their limits by crossing them! Macho, whether male or female, is a hubris that can ruin a pilgrimage. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots. I learned early not to take calculated risks in planes, and suggesting avoiding risk on the Camino can be useful advice.

In France I was passed daily for a week by a couple in their eighties, so age is not always a limiting factor. Not too many couch potatoes in their twenties bother to walk a pilgrimage, but there are a lot of pilgrims in their fifties and sixties who have been substantially inactive for years. It is useful data for them to know of the dozens of pilgrims laid up in albergues for a couple of days because they pressed too hard. There are dozens of posts that the pilgrimage is not a race. If you do not NEED to walk a long day, and you are not confident of your conditioning, why risk an unnecessary long day?

Advice on the Board does not mandate a particular action. It is individual opinion to be accepted or ignored, and usually is not applicable to everyone. That is why everyone's Camino is unique.

 

[sillydoll]

Whoaa!! Omar - the inference here is that it is mainly the

"a pretty dress",and hairdryer

that weighs peregrinos down.
Many peregrinos can't seem to let go of their 'toys' like iPods, GPS tracking devices, Blackberry with keyboard, 10kg worth of camera equipment. Most of these are the hombres!

 

[Deleted member 397]

Sil-I'm devastated!
I've never met anyone with a "blackberry" nor a GPS-why on earth (!) would you need these?-especially on the CF. But I have met women with hairdryers and all manner of lotions and potions-why can't they leave them at home? Isn't half of the idea/ideal/attraction of the camino leaving everday vanities behind?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Omar may I assure you this is an argument you won't win - I'd retreat gracefully agreeing that there is no gender difference between people who carry too much

 

[lckgj]

I have never carried a hairdryer but if I had ever seen anyone carrying one I would have made friends with them pronto!
At the risk of making more generalisations, many women have longer hair than men. Especially when walking in cold weather it can be absolutely freezing to have a shower in an unheated albergue and then have to sit around/ head outside in the cold to a bar with wet hair that seems to take forever to dry.
This seems like exactly the kind of thing your mother warned you not to do!
I cut my hair shorter when I walked in November for this very reason but it has taken ages to grow back and I have regretted doing it. I still had no option but to go to bed with damp hair some days. Not nice. With hindsight the weight of a travel hairdryer might have been worth it. Think of all the new friends I would have made!
The alternative is not to wash your hair I suppose but this is not for me, I have to be squeaky clean at some point in the day! Also with the variety of fixed/unfixed shower heads in the albergues it could be hard to dodge the water and still get clean....
Each to their own I say....but if anyone walking the Portugues at the beginning of April wants to carry a hairdryer then that's fine with me!

 

[Deirdre]

Hey Laura!
That might be worth forming a group! Pass one hairdryer around and each user gets to carry it for a day... re-distribute the weight, if you will! Then when you meet up at the albergue in the evening, voilá! No wet hair.
I must admit that the heaviest thing I carried came in a tube... it was the 30 Sunblock. My Celtic skin was never designed to see so much sun! Having spent most of my childhood dealing with nasty sunburn, I know that it would stop me faster than any blister ever could! All the cosmetics were left at home... but I'll carry the sunblock again - and use it daily!
One of the guys I walked with carried a 5 kg stone in his pack - to leave at the Cruz de Hierro! He didn't tell any of us he had it! (No wonder, we'd have told him for sure he was crazy!) But someone asked him to leave it there and so he carried it for them...
So I don't think that either gender has the monopoly on what type of weird and weighty objects are secretly stowed in their packs. It's just a case of making choices....

Buen Camino,

 

[sillydoll]

I've seen peregrinos with all sorts of musical instruments - guitars, trombones, violins etc - but no didgeridoo, yet! I'll let you know when that happens Kev!

 

[Deleted member 397]

Johnnie Walker......this is me retiring gracefully
And Sil...a didgeridoo?...I'd say didgeridont!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I paralleled a German man for a few days who was carrying a hair dryer. During a particularly rainy week, he had dry boots each morning while the rest of us sloshed out of the albergue. I have pondered many times since whether it was useful weight!

 

[Dale]

Re: Class of 2009 - Didgeridoo player !!

Several of us encountered a didgeridoo playing "Pilgrim" last spring. I'm not sure just where it was but I think it was on the Meseta, anyway this guy was some sort of con artist. You would meet him walking east instead of west and he would play his didgeridoo for you and then hit you up for money. He had several old credentials with him to show you and his story was that he had already been to Santiago and was now trying to get back home. I met him twice over a three day period and he gave me the same story even though the second time I met him he was 20 to 25 KM further west. I think he was harmless and I also got the impression that he might have a mental disorder. :evil:

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Class of 2009 - Didgeridoo player !!

Several of us encountered a didgeridoo playing "Pilgrim" last spring..... I think he was harmless and I also got the impression that he might have a mental disorder.

Yes, quite. Having seen the news that Santiago expects Bruce Springsteen for the festivities in 2009, it is clear that a worrying pattern is emerging here. :shock:

Gareth

 

[ruben montero]

Hi Class of 2009
This is the first time I've noticed a judgmental/moralistic tone creep into the posts. We shouldn't judge others even if they do carry "pretty dresses" or blackberries with them. Is this what the camino teaches?

 

[sillydoll]

Ah Ruben! I think you missed the tongue in the cheek! :roll:

 

[ksam]

Re: Class of 2009 - Didgeridoo player !!

[/quote] Having seen the news that Santiago expects Bruce Springsteen for the festivities in 2009, it is clear that a worrying pattern is emerging here. :shock:

Gareth[/quote]

Ya'll should be forwarned...Bruce is from New Jersey...and dear to the hearts of many here in NJ. This could lead to an entire army of Jersey Girls showing up on the Camino. Be aware, Jersey Girls of a certain vintage, were/are noted for one particular thing (amongst many!!) HAIR! BIG HAIR...so there may be a dramatic rise in the use and carrying of the aforementioned hair dryers to say nothing of hairspray and other items!!

As a failed (and yet totally authentic) Jersey Girl, who cannot figure out how to do any of those dryer, hair things....it makes me shudder... :shock:

Beware one and all.... they'll be coming....Next they'll invite Bon Jovi and it'll all be over! :wink:

 

[mdefrayne]

Howdy,

My wife and I are expecting to be members of the Class of '09. We will be walking El Camino del Norte beginning at Santander, starting in mid-June. Hoping we can finish in three weeks.

Buen Camino,
Mark

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Mark - fabulous plan! Buen Camino - will you let us know how you get on? I'm really interested in this route.

John

 

[mdefrayne]

Hi John,

I certainly will. I have walked the Camino Frances from St. Jean, but this is the first journey for my wife. Because of her job at school, she can only travel in the summer and the Camino Frances in the middle of summer might not be the best experience for her.

So, we thought the Camino Norte would be cooler, less traveled, beautiful scenery. Yeah, more work, but instead fo the usuall 25-30km a day on Camino Frances, I would try to plan it out with 20-25km per day. I am really hoping she will become as passionate for the El Camino as I have become.

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Class of 2009 - Didgeridoo player !!

cannot figure out how to do any of those dryer, hair things

Quite right. Keep the Camino bathroom arrangements primitive, I say. Last July I had the most refreshing plunge in that medieval pilgrim bath just before Villamayor de Monjardin. I descended the steep steps into that freezing cold pool of crystal clear spring water... and then emerged blinking into the sunlight, dripping wet in my underwear, to face several Japanese tourists capturing the monument - and me - on their Nikons.

Gareth

 

[Arn]

Mark and wife...welcome !!!

Please take a gander at the Class of 2009 and other topics that recount the Camino del Norte. I'm moving closer to that as my nest option. I am an ocean type of gut and believe I could move just a bit off the path and visit the home of St. Ignatius.

As Johnnie Walker said, keep un informed of your journey.

Buen I love the ocean Camino

Arn

 

[Arn]

oops...what I meant to say.the recent threads before this page...many folks are also walking with you.

Arn

 

[Bridget and Peter]

I am an ocean type of gut

Is this like a beer belly, only you drink salty water???

 

[Arn]

In answer to your question...yes and yes!

First another error...drat!

Meant "guy" not gut. Then again, I've sailed most oceans of the world and love them as myself...then, there's the beer gut! I come by it honestly. I've drunk beer the world over and lifted a pint to "Nelson's blood". So I'm in good company!

Anyone on the Camino will find that fine vino is always available...as are many cerveza of note. My favorite being Estella grande.

Arn

 

[Deleted member 397]

Arn-Surprised to see you're planning to live on the camino del norte:
"I'm moving closer to that as my nest option."

 

[Arn]

ok ok LMAO..I must readily admit I'm in my cups!

Tomorrow I will be a chaperon for a retreat for youth conferati. Gosh, there's no one group that can try a man's soul more than young folk that want to know "WHY". Except for maybe a two year old.

I'm currently sitting in front of a blazing fire, pug at my feet and a fine Rioja in hand and, I will admit, I am savoring the vino while attempting a cogent discussion with fellow Forum members.

It's been a long day. That said, I submit while I may not be at my best...I think Iam.

Arn

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Quite right. Keep the Camino bathroom arrangements primitive, I say. Last July I had the most refreshing plunge in that medieval pilgrim bath just before Villamayor de Monjardin. I descended the steep steps into that freezing cold pool of crystal clear spring water... and then emerged blinking into the sunlight, dripping wet in my underwear, to face several Japanese tourists capturing the monument - and me - on their Nikons.
Gareth

I am glad to see that Rome hasn't caused you to lose any of your wonderful English sense of humour Gareth!!! This makes my Japanese tourist-Nikon moment seem so very very tame. Three of us were leaving Leon early one morning when few people were up and about, except for those who hadn't finished partying from the fiesta the night before. But suddenly a Japanese woman, extremely well-dressed and made-up, appeared on the road in front of us, and began whipping out her camera. She was obviously staying at the nearby Parador and was out for an early morning walk. She didn't take our photo immediately though: first she asked us if we were "real pilgrims", then she asked for permission to take our photos. Then she told us that she was a pilgrim too, and she might see us in Santiago. Funnily enough, we looked for her when we arrived a fortnight or so later, but never caught sight of her again.
Margaret

 

[Elma]

Hi Folks
After many years of thinking I would like to do the Camino I finally decided that it is 2009 or never. Not even the global financial crisis and the low value of the Aussie dollar will deter me. I live in Sydney, Australia and speak a little French but no Spanish. Planning on walking the Camino from St. Jean Pied de Port from early April. Air fare is booked and now I am starting to get excited/panic. Look forward to meeting other pilgrims and the locals out on the trail.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Elma - welcome. We share your excitement. You'll meet lots of other pilgrims and locals on the way. In terms of locals you will first meet them in St Jean in the pilgrims' office - take the map they offer, and listen to their advice about walking conditions. Thne step out with confidence for a fantastic experience. And come back and tell us how you got on!

Buen Camino

John

 

[Anonymous]

I live in Sydney, Australia and speak a little French but no Spanish. Planning on walking the Camino from St. Jean Pied de Port from early April.

Don't worry about the language: you will have no difficulty. The people on route understand pilgrims and that's all you need to know. As regards the low value of the Aussie dollar, the English pound has sunk similarly; but believe me, you will still find it quite a good exchange because you can live cheaply on the pilgrim road to Santiago. I went on a very tight budget averaging sixteen Euros a day last year (as I had to watch my money carefully over a three-month walk) and that actually worked! So don't worry.

It is a great feeling, looking forward to the Camino, and when you start from SJPP you will find it wonderful. Heed John's advice about the map they give you in SJPP for the route over the Pyrenees. It is good information and every detail is there to guide you.

Gareth

 

[TerryB]

My wife and I are expecting to be members of the Class of '09. We will be walking El Camino del Norte beginning at Santander, starting in mid-June. Hoping we can finish in three weeks.

Mark[/quote]

Hi Mark,
I am well into planning for my camino from Exeter Cathedral - walking to Plymouth, then the ferry to Santander and on to Oviedo and Compostela. I am planning in taking 5 weeks though and wonder if you may be pushing it a bit in thinking of 3? I leave on Plymouth on Sunday 26th. April and plan to be in Compostela for Pentecost, 31st May.
If anyone has any idea of timing I would be grateful!

Buen camino
Tio Tel

 

[Elma]

Elma - welcome. We share your excitement. You'll meet lots of other pilgrims and locals on the way.

Thank you John and Gareth for your kind words and the advice. I am mostly excited by the adventure, it is only the thought of encountering snow that has me a little panicked.

 

[Arn]

Hi Elma ...and welcome!

You are now a part of the Forum family...you will find many more in the same mold as Johnnie Walker and Gareth that will share their sage advice and well wishes as you make your Way to Santiago.

You wrote: it is only the thought of encountering snow that has me a little panicked.

I walked in April of last year and, although there's no guarantees that the weather will be the same...the key is always checking ahead, especially on your departure from SJPDP.

Let us know as you move forward and please check the calendar to see who many be walking with you.

Buen Camino,
Arn

 

[Mish]

After many years of thinking I would like to do the Camino I finally decided that it is 2009 or never.

Hi Elma
2 of us(2 girls) are starting 8th April from SJPP.We are from the Gold Coast. planning for a while and it is now coming very quickly. Very excited and can't wait to start. We might be with you at the same time?
Michele

 

[Mish]

Camera

Knowing that I have to keep my weight to a minimum....am having a dilemma over my camera!! I have a small digital one to take but I also have a Canon digital SLR which is not really that small but takes wonderful photos...any help with this would be welcome...
Mish

 

[William Marques]

I am not a camera buff and would say leave the SLR behind. There are a number of reasons:

Worry about an expensive item you do not want to loose.

Bulk.

Not living the Camino through a camera lens.

Weight.

You already have a small digital one which will be adequate for most situations.

It's your own decision but a SLR is one item I would not want to post back because I was trying to loose weight in my pack.

Buen Camino
William

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Camera

Knowing that I have to keep my weight to a minimum....am having a dilemma over my camera!! I have a small digital one to take but I also have a Canon digital SLR which is not really that small but takes wonderful photos...any help with this would be welcome...
Mish

Mish, this is a dilemma I know well! First, I'll say that everything William says is entirely sensible and comes from experience, and I'm going to say something very similar in a different way. Also from experience, which is the great value of this Forum.

Last year, planning my walk from Worcester to Santiago, I knew this was going to be a one-off pilgrimage, the 'walk of a lifetime' (in fact, so much that my feet still hurt :cry: ). I have a Nikon D80 and I love taking real photography. In the end, all the factors involving weight and security etc, as discussed by William, became the sensible and real issues. I went with a phone camera in the end (Sony Eriksson Cyber-Shot 3.2 mega pixels) and the resulting collection is not half bad. This is what you can do with such a basic camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/garethomas
Gareth

 

[mdefrayne]

Howdy,

I do wonder about the amount of time necessary to compete the El Camino del Norte. I have received the guides from the Confraternity (Eric's guides). I am also taking advantage of http://www.multimap.com/ to study the pavement sections. This is an excellent tool used while reading the guide.

On the Camino Frances a 30km days was not a big deal, that was average plus or minus a few km. This is my second journey and I'm leaning more towards 25km average days depending on the terrain. Another site I have been using for research is http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/ which has excellent information including some elevation information.

Albergues are another challenge on this camino and no point in mentioning the weather, just be sure to bring rain gear. hahaha!

Between these three sources and information on message boards, I'm going to do my best to plan out what hopefully will be a successful pilgrimage that will arrive us in Santiago near the desired date. Because this is my wife's first pilgrimage and she has no backpacking experience, it is important I dont' mess things up, get us lost or something foolish like that. On the Camino Frances getting lost doesn't really happen much, but on the Camino Norte it almost sounds like a tradition.

Buen Camino,
Mark

 

[Karen Tilford]

Hi - I am a new member to this website as of today. I am planning on starting my camino at the end of April (probably leaving Canada on April 27th so starting out on the 29th) from SJPdP, walking through May to Santiago. It would be great to hear from others who may be starting out around that time.

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Karen,
Welcome to the Forum.
My wife & I are planning to leave St Jean.. on the 17th April.
We have a "fair bit" of time so chances are you might pass us along the way.
Buen Camino
Col & Lill

 

[Johnb]

Buenos tardes. My wife and I live in Canada and will begin our journey from SJPP to Santiago mid April. Mi esposa has several books she has enjoyed in helping us prepare (physically and mentally). Camino Chronicle, Walking to Santiago (Susan Alcorn); and What The Psychic told The Pilgrim (Jane Christmas).

We wish you all a great journey. John

 

[Arn]

Welcome Karen, John, Col...significant others!

Gosh, the numbers are growing for the Class of 2009 and we're only into Feb...but then the Camino is an adventure that, while it has a goal in mind, is eternal.

There are so many different routes to Santiago and it doesn't matter which you decide to walk or ride...it's getting there that's an experience of a life time.

As you continue to your departure date please check out the Calendar to see whom else may be on the Way at the same time and place your dates at the same time. From time to time let the Forum know where you are and how your Camino is going.

Buen Camino,

Arn

 

[Javier Martin]

I am not a camera buff and would say leave the SLR behind. There are a number of reasons:

Worry about an expensive item you do not want to loose.

Bulk.

Not living the Camino through a camera lens.

Weight.

You already have a small digital one which will be adequate for most situations.

It's your own decision but a SLR is one item I would not want to post back because I was trying to loose weight in my pack.

Buen Camino
William

Mish, I agree with William.

Think of 30 days walking with this extra weight and taking care about...

I always walk with a small camera in my right side ... easy to wear, to take a quick photo and after that back to it's place ...

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[Aldernath]

I'll be walking the Via de la Plata from Seville starting at the end of April or beginning of May. I've started a blog to record my experiences. Anyone is welcome to follow it at http://aldernath.blogspot.com/.

 

[MermaidLilli]

I started the VIa from Sevilla on May 5 last year. It is a beautiful time to walk it. I will hopefully follow your travels through your blog. I have one half done as well with many pictures.
Lillian

 

[Elma]

[/quote]
2 of us(2 girls) are starting 8th April from SJPP.[/quote]

Hi Mish
At this stage I plan to be in SJPP by the 7th April. I am sure we will see each other. Good luck with the rest of your preparation.
Elma

 

[lorax]

I thought that too... but after more checking, Ireland and England are part of the 90 day rule. I'm flying into Ireland and thought I could play there for awhile and still have 90 for the Camino....not true. I booked my ticket from Chicago USA and my return is on the 90th day.

hi janet
England and Ireland are not part of the schengengen states,so in order to extend your stay why not visit there,6 months max for australians.
no one can visit australia without a visa!! even if your changing planes and not leaving the airport a 70 hour visa is required,
i don't know the spanish but the french have a "cart-de-sejour" for people wanting to extend their stay past the 90 days.
check out travellerspoint.com "europe for 1 year thread"
Ian
http://sagalouts-theroadtonowhere.blogspot.com

 

[Rocknroll]

Hi, everyone!
I'm Marius, from Romania, and together with my wife we've decided to hit the famous "Milky Way" this year, starting in late june, as soon as my wife will finish her school-teaching program. I'm a freelancer, so for me... anytime is good. I've been thinking at this journey since long time ago (probably ten years behind) as soon as I've seen on TVE (TV Espana) a program about Galicia, "Galicia para el Mundo", every sunday morning. Sometimes, during those programs they've been talking about this pilgrimage which attract me (and my wife too) enough to thinking to do by ourselves. The years has passing by and our life goes on, dealing with all kinds of problems. But, at New Year's Eve, with a glass of champagne in our hands, we've decided to do the long expected wish of ourselves, "The Road to Santiago".
So, here I am, on this fabulous forum, reading all this "Class of 2009" topic and try to introduce myself as a Class of 2009 rookie member, which I'm proud of it. 8)
We intend to fly from Bucharest to Paris and then by train (or smth else) to Saint Jean Pied du Port, the place when we will start the pilgrimage, on Camino Francese, until Santiago de Compostela... and go to "The end of the World", Finisterre... Of course, by walk. At least, we intend so...
We'll travel on a budget in a relaxed manner, so I hope the money should not be a problem, even the budget it's about 25-30 € a day, together.
Anyway, I'm just waiting to be on Camino! I start to collect a lot of informations, maps, guides, tips etc. I start reading a lot of blogs (many collected from here). I already read the Shirley MacLaine's book and soon the famous Coelho's Pilgrim. Just to feel their emotions, though every human's emotions are unique on such a travel.

Well, I'm glad to be part of this community and please excuse my english grammar mistakes or semantique matters (it's not my native language).

We'll keep in touch! See ya'... on the road! (I hope... 8) )

 

[Arn]

Marius and wife...welcome to the Forum!

Well you're off to a great start just by joining the Forum family. As you already know, there is a Camino's worth of insight and encouragement contained in the many topics and threads available to you here.

Follow the varied links and threads by Sil, Gareth, Br David, Deirdre, Lillian, Johnnie Walker, Karen, Margaret and, wherever he may be Vinotinto, plus so many more that can provide valuable info to you and your wife.

Buen Camino,
Arn

 

[Arn]

Marius,

Once you begin your Camino...don't forget to keep the Forum informed about your progress and make a effort to visit Rebekah and Ivar as you make your Way to Santiago.

Buen the journey starts NOW! Camino,

Arn

 

[Javier Martin]

Hi, everyone!

.... so I hope the money should not be a problem, even the budget it's about 25-30 € a day, together....

Hi, Marius, welcome to the forum.

25-30 € each should be enough ... not for both.

Buen Camino, enjoy it.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[Ajda]

In the first moment there is only a desire...
..only a dream... a beautifull dream...

There is only a presentiment of Camino,
presentiment of steps.

There is only a fear ...
which is growing.

And hopes
wich are hidden behind clauds and rain.

But heart hold out.
Beat.
Tear.
Cry.

And there is a hope.
Always hope.
And longing.

And heart know
that somewhere out there is a Way.
That somewhere out there are steps.

Heart know that this way is his way.
And loves.
And hopes.
And belives.

Belives that his steps soon walk on the Way.

Desire become a Way.


This "song" i wrote last year, when I figure out that i couldn do my Camino in summer (last year).
I read it for milion times till now.

And dreams (wich lives in my heart for nearly 10 years) become true... soon. I hope so. I started in july. But i didnt decided yet . From JPS... (what a coplicated name)... or from Pamplona.

(P.S. I translate "song" from my lanhuage, i hope is understandable :roll: :lol: )