El Camino 2013

[bbates225]

Hi everyone, my name is Bonnie and I live in Camarillo, CA. I just read in a post that no one finds this site "accidently". Up intil I read that, that is exactly what I was going to say. I was researching sleeping bags and found this site. It was no "accident". I signed up immediately. It's exactly what I've been looking for but had no idea exisited. I want to walk The Way of St. James in Aug/Sept of 2013.

In 2005 I took a religious pilgrimage with fellow church members - via bus - from Barcelona to Lisbon, passing through Santiago on the way. It was an awesome experience and I will never forget it; however, no one mentioned El Camino Santiago. Recently I saw the movie The Way and I knew in my heart that I, too, desire to walk El Camino. I purchased the DVD and watch it constantly. I still have my cap (with the yellow arrow of the pilgrim) and my shell from the pilgrimage. They will accompany me on El Camino.

I'm also very glad to read in the forum that age is not a factor as I will have passed my 70th birthday by the time I go. It's a gift and a promise to myself that - some how, some way - I will walk El Camino de Santiago.

Buen Camino,
Bonnie (Bonita in Spanish, though I am not

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Welcome, and have fun planning and walking the Camino. You have plenty of time to ask questions and get assurances. An often repeated piece of advice is to walk at your own pace. You may arrive at the same destination as companion pilgrims, but it is much easier each day if you don't slow down or speed up to match someone else.

Buen camino!

 

[julie]

Hi everyone, my name is Bonnie and I live in Camarillo, CA. I just read in a post that no one finds this site "accidently". Up intil I read that, that is exactly what I was going to say. I was researching sleeping bags and found this site. It was no "accident". I signed up immediately. It's exactly what I've been looking for but had no idea exisited ...

Hi Bonnie and welcome to the Forum,

You're right, it was no "accident" that lead you here. It was also no accident that you weren't aware of the Camino before. It decides when you're ready and you are clearly ready for it now. Your enthusiasm and commitment are palpable and reading your posting gave me goosebumps as I thought about the wonderful experience you're in for.

Buen Camino

 

[sillydoll]

In 2007 a local Dominican nun asked to join me on the Camino. She had done the route with her order 18 months before and after passing hundreds of backpacking pilgrims wanted to walk the way during her sabbatical.
Bonnie is living proof that we peregrinos should not judge pilgrims on a tour of religious sites. We are all in different places on this path and many people are inspired to attempt a walking pilgrimage after having done one with a group.

The Servant Song - by: Richard Gillard
We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are travellers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

 

[cecelia]

Hi Bonnie
Welcome to the forum. As you have already noted, there is a lot of good advice here and there are certainly a wide variety of opinions. IMO, one thing to remember as you are reading everyone's input is that those of us who post here and try to be helpful are all of varying ages, have varying degrees of experience, have different shaped bodies with different needs and travel at different times of the year. So what is excellent advice for July or August might be not adequate for April or May or September or October (and obviously not for winter). And what I think I need for March or April would be ridiculous in the summer.
Next year is my 70th year as well. My first walk from SJPP to Santiago was 10 years ago and my second a few years later. Next is a longer walk from Le Puy to Finisterre ( around 1000 miles - seems like a great way to celebrate my good and fortunate health!).
Your age is definitely not a barrier. On my 4 trips I have always met others who were 79 or more.
Buen camino and if I can help in anyway please just ask (and hundreds of others feel the same).
Cecelia

 

[Farmer John]

Hi Cecilia!

Patron saint of musicians and Naval Gunners! And chosen Confirmation name of our youngest daughter.
Your namesake must have been as adventurous and well-rounded as you appear to be. I picked on your post since you have plans to travel the same Camino route as I have chosen for my inaugural trip ("virgin" was also an appropriate adjective, but somehow doesn't seem right). As the veteran pilgrim that you are, I trust that this route met some admirable criteria for your third go-round. Makes me more comfortable with my choice as I can't see much likelihood of my making more than one Camino, as much as I already know I'd like to. Again, depending almost entirely on the planting season controlled by the totally unpredictable Iowa weather, I plan on starting from LePuy in mid June of next year. Though countless contributors to this wonderful Forum advise against setting "Goals", I nonetheless hope to persevere from there to the sea past Santiago. Reading these posts daily has become a fixation and add to the wealth of information gleaned from the written books I have purchased.

Do so admire what you have already accomplished and are planning for next year.

A hopeful Pilgrim,
Farmer John

 

[cecelia]

Hi Farmer John,
Well- you know it's said 'the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step', and that's very appropriate for the camino. This is not an extremely difficult walk on any given day (don't get me wrong - it does feel hard sometimes). But to complete your chosen camino walk it's more about endurance than it is about anything else. It's about putting one foot ahead of the other for day after day until you reach your goal. And incidentally, as you probably know, unless you belong to the European Union you only have ninety days over there. Just as an eyeball on the distance, if you average 20 km every day it will take you 80 days to walk from Le Puy to Santiago and another 3 or 4 to walk to Finisterre. So you do need some kind of a timeline (goal) I hope to do it in less but we'll see.
You are going to have an extremely hot walk starting in mid June. That's a time of year when I would have much more difficulty completing the walk. Whew! We're starting in late March to avoid as much of the heat as we can. You may want to see if you can do a work trade with a neighbour and get him to do your planting next year so you can start a bit earlier. Then you can help with his harvesting or something.(Just a thought).
I live to the northwest of you - on the BC coast. Buen camino, Cecelia

 

[Farmer John]

Hi Cecelia,

Thanks for the reply, really like the friendly "feel" of this Forum. Gives me a good idea of the kind of folks who are drawn to this endeavor.

In my earlier post, I misspoke regarding my planned beginning time. I have found that I'm frequently saying to myself, "at this time next year, I'll be on the Camino and hope to be in the vicinity of------------------". So, by mid June next year, I was projecting my location to be nearing the end of the France section and starting on the Spain route. Our planting normally winds up by the middle of May and I have the option of pushing that ahead (weather cooperating???) a little. So, I'd like to be leaving home on the 15th of May and starting from LePuy a few days after that. My Cicerone guidebook says there are wonderful things to see in LePuy itself and adding time to adjust to jet lag should have me heading for Santiago by the 18th or 19th of May. The emphasis on this guidebook is also on letting the journey be the structure, and I hope to adhere to that theme. The time of "four to five weeks for the experienced walker" (Cicerone, again) is the only info I have to base my planning on.

I appreciate your concern regarding the summer heat. There is probably some difference in opinion and experience between you and I on what constitutes "hot". You hail from a lovely part of the world and our few times there have me thinking that our typical mid-90's summer temps here in southern Iowa would fall into the "uncomfortable" range for you. At least, this is what I'm counting on for my years of acclimating to hot and humid conditions. With all that said, if I could start in April, I certainly would, but that really isn't something that is in the cards.

We have just recently found a "Camino Veteran" living in Cedar Rapids, just an hour north of us. We are eagerly planning a social get together with them to absorb all the info and experiences they can share.

Thanks again,
A hopeful Pilgrim,
Farmer John

 

[bbates225]

Welcome, and have fun planning and walking the Camino. You have plenty of time to ask questions and get assurances. An often repeated piece of advice is to walk at your own pace. You may arrive at the same destination as companion pilgrims, but it is much easier each day if you don't slow down or speed up to match someone else.

Buen camino!

Thank you so much. This website has been invaluable thus far. I read it all - for advice, encouragement, and the pure thrill of seeing what others have to say. I know the time will fly by, as other marvelous expectations have come to pass, and I'm looking forward to the day I make this walk a reality.

Buen Camino
Bonnie

 

[bbates225]

You're right, it was no "accident" that lead you here. It was also no accident that you weren't aware of the Camino before. It decides when you're ready and you are clearly ready for it now. Your enthusiasm and commitment are palpable and reading your posting gave me goosebumps as I thought about the wonderful experience you're in for.


Thanks for your kind words. I rec'd my Credencial del Peregrino in the mail today. I've been walking on cloud 9 ever since. It will be my daily reminder of the day I embark on my wonderful journey along El Camino de Santiago.

Buen Camino

 

[bbates225]

Next year is my 70th year as well. My first walk from SJPP to Santiago was 10 years ago and my second a few years later. Next is a longer walk from Le Puy to Finisterre ( around 1000 miles - seems like a great way to celebrate my good and fortunate health!).
Your age is definitely not a barrier. On my 4 trips I have always met others who were 79 or more.
Buen camino and if I can help in anyway please just ask (and hundreds of others feel the same).
Cecelia[/quote]

Hi Cecelia, thanks for your valuable input. I too celebrate my good and fortunate health. I used to look at age as a barrier, although I don't feel nearly my true age. But I've never been one to sit back and say "I can't" and I don't plan on doing so now. I rec'd my Credencial del Peregrino in the mail today and am thrilled to have it. Can't wait until I start getting those sellos

Buen Camino,
Bonnie

 

[bbates225]

The Servant Song - by: Richard Gillard
We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are travellers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.[/quote]

This is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I so look forward to my journey and helping others where and when I can.