I've done it! I have booked my ticket!

[cbarua]

It is actually happening! I am very excited now....I leave Adelaide on Cathay Pacific on May the 4th, arrive Paris on the 5th, early in the AM. I plan to get to Bayonne by train that day and there hope I will meet with a friend from my childhood, who amazingly I just realized lives a few kms away in Arbonne! I will rest a day or two, and then, if the weather is good, plan to start walking from SJPP early in the morning, say on the 8th. Perhaps, I will meet up with you Nathanael? Anyone else leaving around the 8th?

My training is going really well now, I haven't touched a cigarette since the 28th of Oct and I am starting to believe that I can actually do this fantastic walk! Thank you Sil, Cyd, Vinotinto, Brendan, Anne Marie, Sumachado, Lilian, Ivar and so many others for helping me to begin to believe that I can do it too.

I have got my shoes and my pacer poles and have started to used both.....the rest is falling into place bit by bit.....got a backpack but not sure it is the right one for me.

A quick question for the Australians....has anyone used the Roman 5+C sleeping bag on the walk? Any comments? I also have a silky liner. I would also like some advice on hats and suncream as I tend to get very burnt sometimes ( I noticed that one of you had bought a Tilley hat....which apparently stays on your head through thick and thin, but the hat flap (sorry, can't think of the name at the moment) doesn't appear to be very wide; and they are expensive) .....

And thank you Ivar for all your hard work on this wonderful site!

Clarisa Peregrina

 

[KiwiNomad06]

: I would also like some advice on hats and suncream as I tend to get very burnt sometimes
Clarisa Peregrina

Clarisa, congratulations on the booking! I leave NZ on April 5th and I am finding the weeks are absolutely racing by now.
Re suncream. I tend to take my favourite (Australian-made!) sunscreen with me. But I think you will find that walking in May-June, you won't face quite the same intensity of sun that we have here in the Oz/NZ part of the southern hemisphere. The UV ratings in Europe do not seem to be as high.

 

[cbarua]

Ta KN. By the way which is your favourite suncream. I have a problem with them because I perspire a lot and feel that I have no protection soon after I start to walk. True about the sun elsewhere....it really burns hot here.....2 months to go for you....you will be there before you know it. How many times have you been?

Buen camino,
Clarisa

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Clarisa,
Personally I like the Sunsense brand. I use Sunsense Ultra, and I find it goes on more easily than some of the thicker formulations, and it seems to last for ages. They also make a Daily Face formula which I love.... not as greasy as many and doesn't seem to hurt much if it gets in the eyes. I used Sunsense for five weeks cycling in the Loire, when I was outdoors pretty much all the time, and it gave me excellent protection during some very hot June days.
This is my first time long distance walking (-though I have travelled quite extensively in Europe before by various other means.)
Enjoy your walking!
Margaret

 

[Deirdre]

Hi Clarisa!
It is exciting, isn't it? You will have the most azaming experience of your life!

Regarding sunscreen...it is a necessity. Despite the possible lesser intensity of the sun than in Australia, much of Spain is at quite a high altitude and the sun can be fierce. I used a cosmetic moisturizer with a 25 sunblock built in (I use it every day - summer and winter!) on my face... but you will want to have a sunscreen with you for your legs as well. Remember you are going to be walking west with the sun always at your back - the tender backs of the knees are very vulnerable. The moisturizer was the only cosmetic I carried with me having read over and over how women tend to take bags of cremes, lotions, etc. Oh, and a chapstick for your lips with a sunscreen in it - once again, I choose 25 - 30. My heritage is Irish - that Celtic skin was never destined to see the sun!

You can buy a great hat along the Camino ...and it will be a fun souvenir as well. They have Camino insignia on the front - a yellow arrow, a shell, various things - really cute! One of my walking companions bought one... I have no idea what you call them, but it was great for both sun and rain, and when she chose, she could throw it back off her head. I had a similar one, brought from home, (no insignia ) - but I never used it (it remained tucked in the bottom of my pack) it was very lightweight and I brought it in case of rain, but I only had one day of rain. I chose to wear the typical yank baseball style hat to keep the sun off my face and my hair pulled back. (It also has our school logo on it so my students get a kick out of the fact that I wore my Prep hat on the Camino!) If you want, send me your email by PM and I'll forward the photo of Ana in her hat! It was a great hat!

You won't miss the time now...it's beginning to look like I too, may be spending some time on the camino this summer - I'm not sure in what capacity yet. There are some interesting possibilities unfolding. But whatever the Camino has in store for me, I shall be really happy to return to it. I'm going to be in Madrid in about 2 weeks with students... and on the top of my list is to locate the yellow arrows of the Camino de Madrid. I never knew they were there! Best of luck with the rest of your planning.
Buen Camino,

 

[cbarua]

Hi Margaret and Deirdre, Yes I know Susnsense! Highly recommended by specialists. It is the best and I know the daily face one too...of course that's what I will take and the chapstick too.
Thanks!
Buen Camino,
Clarisa

 

[WolverineDG]

All right Clarissa! Way to go! I hope to be walking Sarria-Santiago at some point during the month of May. Hope to see you there!

Kelly

 

[keith]

Hi Clarisa,
Congratulations! I booked my flight 2 weeks ago, Ottawa, Canada to Madrid on May 8th. Travelling up from there by train or bus to Pamplona on May 9th. I'm staying one night in Pamplona and then on to Roncesvalles where I will start the trek on May 11th. So by the looks of it, I will only be about 2 days behind you and we actually might meet up somewhere along the way. I've gradually been buying the needed gear and only have a few more items to purchase. For me, only 104 more days to departure!

On a separate note for others who have already travelled via Pamplona to the start of their walk. I remember reading somewhere on the forum about buses to Roncesvalles from Pamplona. I think on week days the bus leaves at 6:00 pm, however I am leaving on Saturday, May 10th. I recall the bus may leave earlier, I think at 4:00 pm or is it 10:00 am? If anyone can help with this, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Keith

 

[WolverineDG]

Keith, fyi, the train is at least 1 hour shorter in travel time than the bus. Plus, you can easily walk to the Hotel Eslava from the train station in Pamplona, or if you wish walk the camino "backwards" down the Calle Mayor to the albergue at the convent. Buen Camino!

Kelly

 

[sillydoll]

Clarissa - you are a star! And, you will have a wonderful camino. I, for one, would love to follow you so please let us have your Blog address so that we can share the next step of this journey with you.

Keith, re-bus to Roncesvalles: The Autocares Artieda bus (formerly Lamontanesa) departs Mon-Fri at ± 18h00 (+ 10am 1 July to 31 August) and on Saturdays at 9h30 (Not Sundays) €4:

 

[Dale]

Congratulations and all the best for your Camino. I'll be somewhere out there ahead of you I have my tickets too but I start by flying to Paris on April 1st and plan to be on the Camino by April 4th.

A word about Tilley hats. You're correct of course they are expensive but in my opinion worth the price. They actually stand behind there life time warranty, I wore out two Tilleys through natural ware and tare and they replaced both, no cost to me. http://tilley.com/ They come in many brim sizes and I have one of their widest, The Tilley Mesh Hat, for sun protection.

Hope you have a Buen Camino :!: :!: :!:

 

[Arn]

Congrats!!!!!

Your Camino has already begun! Just witness the changes you've already made in preparation. These are life style changes that are yours to keep and, to share!

My Daughter, whom I love more than I can possibly relate, is verrrrrrry worrisome about my health. She and my Son have already lost their Mom, but tell me it's not for them they want me to be around, but for their children. Now, that's a high compliment!

Make your Camino that change that continues to fill you all the days of your life.

Buen "non sunburnt" Camino

Arn

 

[Arlene]

Clarisa,
Congratulations on booking your ticket and also on quitting smoking! I remember one of your first posts when you said you needed to quit. It stuck with me because, as an ex-smoker, I know how tough quitting can be.
I'm leaving in a little less than 2 months, on March 25th. I plan on beginning my camino from Roncesvalles on the 27th or 28th. When I first decided to do this it seemed so far away, and now it's really getting close, and time seems to be flying by. I can't believe it's almost here! I am so excited, but I have to admit a little nervous as well. The bottom line is, I want so much to do this and I know that I CAN. It really helps to read the comments and hear about the experiences of all the others on this forum.
Good luck with the rest of you preparations!
Arlene

 

[Rose Louise]

Clarisa,
That's really great. It doesn't seem that long ago you were having trouble with your heel and the prognosis was doom and gloom. Today, it's a different story you are all fired up and the world is looking positive again for you. Well done and enjoy the rest of your preparation and the walk itself.
Our paths won't cross as we will be on the Portugues route but you will be in our thoughts.
Rose Louise

 

[cbarua]

I love you all ...my caring Camino friends, for your attention, your care, your love and your encouragement.....thank you!

Clarisa en Camino pronto
:arrow:

PS. I hope I will meet you all sometime. How do we recognize each other on the Camino? Maybe we should have a little (http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com) symbol that helps us to recognize each other?

 

[Cyd]

Good on ya Clarisa!

Looks like our paths wont cross on the Camino, pity. I am still planning to start on 25 April.
I discovered a woman at work is walking in May, she and her partner are leaving round the same time you are, I told her about this website so we might see her on here soon enough.

I'm about to head out for another practice walk, a couple of hours, full pack and gear (about 8kg on my back and another 2 in a bum bag - should be interesting, a bit hot here today so hopefully I won't get too exhausted.

How's your training going?

Have a look at Paddy Palins (or similar) for a pack - think I told you mine's a Macpac Torlesse 35 - I love it, about 1.6kg in itself but fits me well, is comfortable and will certainly go the distance. I tried the Osprey Talon 35 but found it wasn't comfortable when i put weight in it. Another lightweight pack I've seen (and looks good) is a Vaude Cross Ultralight Comfort 35 (saw it in NZ but you can get Vaude gear here, not sure where though)

hope you're well - talk to you soon and good luck with your prep

Megan

 

[cecelia]

Hi Clarissa,
CongratulationsI Have a fabulous camino. About the hat. I bought a Tilley hat in 2003 for my first camino (started April 8th) but found it too heavy and hot so ended up leaving it behind and getting a new one in Burgos. Basically - get whatever you can with a big brim. I'm going to disagree with Dierdre a bit. My experience is that although the sun is sometimes at your back it is also often beating down on your left side so a hat you can tilt works well. Also be sure it has a string that can be used because sometimes it is quite windy, even in the sun. I have ended up using a soft cotton hat with a wide brim that rolls into a ball. It's not beautiful but beauty takes a step aside on the camino anyway.
Enjoy!
Cecelia

 

[WolverineDG]

I second Cecelia about the sun. Yes, get a hat with a big brim, but make sure you have your left side covered. I have wonderful tans on my left arm & leg. My right side? Not so much. :lol:

As for forum badges, I believe there are some for sale on the site. I know we had a vote about them earlier.

Kelly

 

[nathanael]

Hi there, in that note for Keith in regards to re-bus to Roncesvalles I could find nothing on the bus schedules could you please give us some info on taking the bus from Madrid to Roncesvalles. I assume that it leaves Mon-Fri, at 18:00 ( 6:00). If that is the case then one would need to make a reservation for accommodation at an Albergue. Thanks
nathanael

 

[sillydoll]

could you please give us some info on taking the bus from Madrid to Roncesvalles. I assume that it leaves Mon-Fri, at 18:00 ( 6:00). If that is the case then one would need to make a reservation for accommodation at an Albergue.

The very best website for info on transport - from anywhere to anywhere - on the caminos is Grant Spangler's site. It also has wonderful maps, weather information and just about anything else you'll need to plan your trip.
http://groups.msn.com/ElCaminoSantiago

You can get a plane, train or bus from Madrid to Pamplona. Then you'll need to get the 18h00 bus to Roncesvalles. My info is as follows:

Fly: http://www.iberia .com (± 60€)
Bus: http://www.continental-auto.es/index.do 10 busses between 8am and 9.30pm (±
5 hours) costs E24.55
Train: http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html 4 buses a day:
07:15 10:55 - 09:50 13:20 - 14:05 17:44 - 19:30 22:57 Cost: E48.50

You can't reserve beds at any of the Municipal or Church sponsored albergues - such as the one at Roncesvalles. If you are late and it is full, they will make space for you - either on the floor, or in the monastery dorms.

 

[nathanael]

Sil, you are the best thank you. I am rather looking forward to this Camino I had many fears but have thrown caution to the wind. I await for my Credentials from the Canadian Company of Pilgrims then will make traveling arrangements.

nathanael

 

[MermaidLilli]

About that sun beating down on my left side.... yes, my left arm was doubly darker than my right. On 2 very sunny and hot days, I opened my tiny umbrella and had shade. Helped alot with the heat. Was worth the extra 6 ounces
Lillian