i'm leaving in 2 days for Spain!

[annie o]

hello-i have been planning for months and have found this forum very helpful. i can hardly believe that i'm about to leave. i have been so calm, and now i am not! i am rethinking some of my decisions, and just feel so panicky. i haven't been worried about how i will get from madrid airport to pamplona to roncesvalles to st. jean pied de port, but now it feels like 'how am i going to do that?!?' also, i have gotten nervous about checking my trekking poles and having them get lost in transit....big sigh, i guess i just have to trust, and return to my calm, pilgrim-like state that has been so blissful these last few weeks. any advice/experience/words of wisdom would be GREATLY appreciated! thanks to all of you who have inspired me, and also made me laugh. hopefully, that is what i have in store on the camino
peace and blessings-annie o

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Annie, that isn´t panic, it´s excitement! You´re embarking on a great adventure, so OF COURSE you have butterflies in your stomach!

Thousands have walked the path before you, so you really have nothing to worry about. Relax. The journey´s already begun.

Rebekah

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Annie...you are allowed to be excited and nervous and all the rest! All the best for your departure, and I am sure everything will totally fall into place for you, even if some of it is not as you might have planned!
Margaret

 

[annie o]

thank you so much! both of these posts are so encouraging. i can breath and let go, and yes, thousands (THOUSANDS!!!) have walked it before, so i will be in good company both with whoever i meet and those whose steps i follow. thank you.
peace and blessings-
annie o

 

[sillydoll]

Annie, the weather forecast isn't great so listen to the locals in St Jean - if they tell you not to walk the Route Napoleon to Roncesvalles, DON'T.
The Valcarlos route is the 'authentic' route through the valley of Charlemagne and is equally scenic. If you walk on the road, face the oncoming traffic. Don't take any of the detours - camino signs pointing an alternative way off the road. Keep warm, keep hydrated, try to keep close to other walkers. There is a lot of mud about so use your poles.
Big warm hug!

 

[annie o]

thanks, will do. i have been checking the weather and it hasn't seemed so bad, but i will DEFINITELY follow the suggestions of the locals. i want to finish in santiago! btw, i have not made any reservations for my first night in st. jean. do you think that is a problem? if i haven't started walking am i allowed to stay in a pilgrim albuergo? i am planning on staying in st. jean a couple of days just in case of jet lag. any suggestions/experiences/advice welcomed!

thanks again-i'm down to counting the hours. it's less than 24!
peace and blessings-
annie

 

[Deirdre]

Good luck, Annie!
You'll be fine. You've gotten great advice from experienced pilgrims. Relax and know that from here on you are "en Camino".

I began in Roncesvalles and when I arrived (on the bus from Pamplona in the evening) I went to the albergue and stayed the night. Since it is a startng point, a Pilgrim is obviously on his way when he arrives there.

Although I didn't begin in SJPDP, I would guess that if you are planning to stay a few days, that you should probably not expect to stay in an albergue, but rather a hostel or small hotel until you actually plan to begin. Others may have other opinions, but that would be the way I would do it.

I hope that your Camino is all that you hope for.
¿Qué Santiago te bendiga!
Buen Camino,

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Hi annie,
You wouldn't be able to stay in the pilgrim albergue itself in SJPP for more than one night, but in a gite like l'Esprit du Chemin you can stay two nights, so long as they have room. Why not send them a quick e-mail to check out the possibility? Another option might be to stop a night wherever it is that you land before you head to SJPP.
If you have not booked anything before arrival, head to the pilgrim office in SJPP, and they will help you find somewhere. If you haven't booked, and things end up being a bit full, you might need to stay in a chambre d'hote, like a bed and breakfast, which is more expensive, but could give you a bit more privacy to recover from jetlag.
All the best annie.
Margaret