Hello all

[Belinda]

I will start my first camino pilgrimage on 25 August from StJPP, and just wanted to say hello and ask if anyone in the forum plans to be walking at about the same time. Also to thank everyone for such a useful and friendly site. It has been a great help in my preparations.

Now ... boots ... toothbrush ... guidebook ... sweeties ... comb .........

Belinda

 

[Minkey]

I'm leaving SJPdP about 6 days before you, so you'd better walk quickly or I'd better slow down

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Good luck both!

Minkey I left that beer I promised you behind the bar in the third bar down on the the second street out of the Cathedral Square

 

[Minkey]

Behind... bar... third... street...

Ok, cheers!

 

[NB Kevin]

Hi Belinda, and welcome to the forum!

If you check the thread started by Minkey on the Camino Frances area of the site and entitled "August Babies (surely it's about time?!)" you will find some info about August pilgrim plans.

Hope to see you out there!

 

[jillianvaldez]

re:hello

HI Bellinda. How was your stay in the forum. I am new here. I Am Jillian

 

[rawilson24]

belinda,
i am leaving SJPP on August 30 - maybe i'll see you along the camino!

 

[redracer]

Hi Belinda

I am leaving SJPP on the 24th. Maybe we will meet up. I am from Seattle.

Michelle

 

[Belinda]

an apology

Just to thank you all for your kind welcome to the forum ... and to apologise for being slow to respond. Yahoo sent the respond messages to the bulk folder, which I tend to ignore as the emails are usually for online gambling and viagra!

All this packing and unpacking, and still the rucksack looks like Homer's belly.
One thing to share. I was worried about using plastic bags and then rustling away when others are trying to sleep. To avoid this, I am using little laundry bags, those mesh things to stop socks going off to sock heaven when in theory they should be in the washing machine. They are light, neat, and allow the air to move about a bit. Also cheap and readily available in those little "sell everything" stores on local high streets. It's just an experiment, but will let you know if they work out well.

Six more nights ... more excited than I can say, and a bit anxious. The cry of Ultreya! makes much more sense now.

Yours aye in fellowship


Belinda xxx

 

[windeatt]

Hi Belinda

Best wishes for your camino. This is just to say that I used those mesh bags on our walk through France earlier this year and was very pleased with them. They don't rustle and they allow anything slightly damp to dry out.

I customised mine beforehand so that they exactly fitted what I was taking - so I had two biggish ones for spare trousers and tops (it kept them wrinkle free!) and two smallish ones with draw strings for underwear. Drawstrings allow you to compact them to a small size and to hang them up in the shower ready to change into). I also had another small drawstring one that I put my 'kitchen equipment' in (aluminium bowl, cup, coffee, teabags, oil etc) - it kept them all neatly enclosed and non-rattly.

I also found it handy to put a loop on the bigger bags so that I could hang them up in the shower too. Almost all the showers we used had a hook somewhere so that you didn't have to put your clean clothes on the wet floor.

Of course, they don't protect against wet like a plastic bag. But we had these wonderful rucksacks that didn't leak at all - despite the awful weather - I was drenched to my very bones and my paper money in my purse in my pocket got soaked and stuck together but mercifully not the contents of my rucksack.

Buen Camino!

 

[Belinda]

mesh bags

Thanks very much for the tips, Windeatt. It is encouraging that the bags worked out well for you.

I was interested to read that you took along coffee and tea bags ... are people allowed to get their own hot drinks in the refuges? Actually, you don't need to bother answering my silly little queries. I could go on for ever ... and it's just first-time jitters and wanting to control everything. Not the least of the things I hope to learn while walking the camino is to "take life as it comes" rather than attempt to micromanage and control all eventualities. A definite shortcoming for me. But having said that, maybe just a couple of bags of my favourite tea, the one I swear I can't do without, ha ha! At this rate, the kitchen sink will definitely be going into the rucksack ...

Yours aye in fellowship


Belinda xxx

 

[windeatt]

Hi again

Re tea-bags - I mainly walked in France and there were always well-equipped kitchens in the 'refugios' ('gites' in France) and lots of people cooked/ate their own food in the evenings (a good option if you want to get through France cheaply or you are vegetarian).

I only stayed in two hostels in Spain (cos I stopped at Pamplona) - Roncevalles and Zubiri and in both you could make yourself a hot drink at least. Roncevalles didn't have a kitchen but there were flasks of hot water if you wanted to make yourself a tea or coffee. T-bags are very light so you're not burdening yourself too much if you take half a dozen with you.

Windy