New Member from New Zealand

[gittiharre]

Hi all, my name is Gitti and I have just joined your website. I spent 20 or so years dreaming about walking the Camino one day and finally in 2006 after I turned 50 I took the plunge and did my first long walk. I come from Germany originally and after training to be a nurse in London in the 70's I went to live in Auckland in the early 80's. Now in Auckland with my family, I have worked as a nurse/educator/manager/real estate agent and manager and am now again practising as a nurse. I walked from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostella in May 2006 and 400 km of the Route of St James through Austria in 2008, as well as 400 km of the Czech Greenways from Prague to the Austrian Weinviertel.
In 2009 I am planning to walk from Le Puy en Velay to St Jean Pied de Port/ Roncesvalles and am hoping to get to do the Via de la Plate, Via Geneva and the rest of the Austrian route, may be the bit from Cesky Krumlov to Innsbruck at a later stage. Would love to hear from anyone who has done or is intending to do the Le Puy route. Am looking at September...is that a good time? Regards, Gitti

 

[sillydoll]

Phsew Gitti - you are making up for lost time! Another camino addict!
You must have a 'bucket list' of walks to do (before you kick the bucket) so how about adding the Via Francigena, St Olaf's trail, St Paul's Trail, the Abraham Path, Tro Breiz and, maybe even the Shikoku Pilgrimage, to your list.
September should be a great month to walk. The crowds have gone back to work/college etc and it is harvest time - yummy!
Enjoy your planning,

 

[gittiharre]

Yes well, not that I want to overdo it! Just am aware how much there is to discover...regards, Gitti

 

[sillydoll]

You go girl!
When I started walking at age 50, someone sent me this little joke:

My grandma started walking
five miles a day when she was 60..
Now she's 97 years old
and we don't know where she is.

 

[kiwirich]

Hey Gitti,
Congrats on the walks completed so far, like you I am planning for the Le-Puy- SdC route around mid-september next year. When it came down to choosing a date I couldnt bare waiting around until 2011 as walking in the busy holy year doesn't really sound like my cup of tea. Hope to see you on trail
Rich

 

[gittiharre]

Hi Kiwirich and Sillydoll, thanks for your replies, loved the joke about the grandma and funnily enough I decided to go next year as I wanted to avoid the Holy Year and could not bear to wait to 2011! Regards, Gitti