Greetings!

[uk2us]

My name is Penny, will be 62 next Tuesday. I live in pancake-flat Florida. I saw The Way three weeks ago and immediately knew that I had to face the challenge of walking the Camino asap - choosing September/October 2012, therefore giving myself 3 months of prep time for the six weeks in Spain (Frances starting in Roncesvalles). My journey is threefold: a trip down the memory lane of adolescence (lived in Spain from 11-21), and then the important spiritual and physical components.

Reaction from my overseas-living children: son "You're crazy!"; daughter "Take a dog!"

Having spent hours browsing through the forum, I have already learned to keep the following LOW: expectations, pack weight, daily mileage. HIGH: sense of humor, body-awareness, tolerance. Yeah! blisters are a bummer - didn't know that one could/should practice embroidery on them!

Step number one: conditioning. The only place for uphill in Florida is a treadmill - currently ongoing.

Step two: equipment. Thank you all so much for the forum advice. Top priority is footwear. Working on it.

I'll be posting questions. Buen Camino!

Penny aka: uk2us (my life story in 5 digits!)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

daughter "Take a dog!"

Even though she is kidding, in case she is not:

About 90% of the accommodations would be closed to you.

Native dogs will want to pick a fight.

The dogs feet will fare worse than yours the first week.

The dog's welfare will need to come ahead of yours (ditto burros and horses), making a long day much longer.

Buen camino!

 

[uk2us]

Even though she is kidding

Definitely! I don't have one and though I love them, I'm alergic.

Falcon, are stays in the albergues limited to one night - or is it possible (even if you have to leave before 8:00 am and return later in the day) to spend two nights at the same hostel? I imagine that I will want to spend more time in certain villages/towns.

Gracias!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The rule is one night unless you are injured (generally).

 

[SabsP]

Penny ,
Welcome and good luck! Buen Camino.

 

[tyrrek]

Reaction from my overseas-living children: son "You're crazy!"; daughter "Take a dog!"

Hi Penny and welcome! Your daughter's reaction to the situation made me smile too. :lol: Certainly a novel approach, but not top of most people's packing list! Buen Camino!

 

[rhmocha]

Hi Penny! My husband and I had the same reaction to the movie, and are starting our walk on Sep. 16 from SJPDP. I turn 60 next Monday and am retiring at the end of this week, so I thought it was a wonderful way to celebrate retirement. We will be training hard this summer, and do have hills in our area (Victoria, Canada), so should be interesting to see how we do with packs and walking poles. When do you leave Roncesvalles? Hope to meet you on the trail!
Buen camino,
Linda

 

[WayWalker63]

Hi Penny,

I too live in Florida. While most of Jacksonville is pretty flat, I live in one area of town that has a few hills. Not high ones but hills not the less. Around Tallahassee and Ocala there are a few hills too. Now south and western Florida are truly pancake flat.

I turn 62 in August but will not be walking until September of next year when I am 63.

I wish you well on your journey. Don't forget to come back and tell us all how you fared.

 

[uk2us]

Thank you all for your warm welcomes. Yes, Waywalker, I'm in the south of Florida.

While my expectations are low, I do look forward to some of the Spanish culinary delights: tortilla, good chorizos, as a special treat re-tasting "percebes" - a seafood that looks like mini black pigs' trotters that I've never seen anywhere else in the world, Cabrales cheese (a blue cheese from northern Spain) - yes I am a foodie.

Spanish is a colorful language and very odor conscious. There are words for specific odors none of which anyone would choose to sample. "Pecueca" (smelly feet) :roll: , "sobaquera" (underarms) :cry: , "tufo" (alcoholic breath) - these came to mind when reading the thread of albergue etiquette on this forum. Looks like they will also be part of this journey.

Now I must continue to focus on keeping one step ahead of the next...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

"percebes"

They are available in Santiago, but I did not see them other places. Bring your wallet; they are just about the most expensive thing on the menu!

Buen camino.

 

[uk2us]

Plastic works for me Falcon - (and it's lighter!!!!!!)