Planning to leave in just under a month - All help gratefully accepted

[chilledKat]

Hello everyone,

My name is Katrina and have decided to take the plunge and go this June/July. I really want to be in Santiago de Compostela for celebrations/fireworks on July 24th and 25th. Not even sure how long the pilgrimage takes....so I thought if I was ready to go on the 15th June I should make it in time right?????

I will most likely fly into Paris from Melbourne, Australia so am open to other long haul flyers suggestions on getting to SJPP given that I will likely be jetlagged and therefore somewhat incoherent

I would love to meet up with anyone going around the same time. I am completely nervous about going as I have never backpacked in my life. Recently everything that I thought was secure went to Hades on the express train and so it left me with an opportunity to take time out and challenge myself. This will be a huge challenge and am worried about the heat, what shoes to wear, what to carry, blah blah blah ad nauseum

Anyway, thanks for getting this far with me.

Hope to share the journey with you, in person or in spirit.

Cheers
Katrina

 

[koknesis]

I will start from SJPP on June 15th. i guess it will be pretty easy walk for you if you aim to get to Santiago de Compostela till July 24th. about 20 km/day one could make till lunchtime.
you can learn some hiking tips from http://old.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fastthruhike.php (my favorite one) , even though CdS is not really that tough, I believe.

from Paris you may consider to take a train to Bayonne, and then train/buss to SJPP.
check out http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/

 

[tyrrek]

Hi! Exciting times. Just browse the forum and pick up tips about packing lists etc. In June/July you'll have some flexibility about what you take as you're unlikely to get cold. Non-negotiables for you will be good backpack, footwear, hat and water system of some sort. Take advantage of any sales over the next month or so. After you arrive all will be well. Don't overplan. You seem to have your timings spot on. Go and enjoy yourself and those you meet. Buen Camino!

 

[David]

Hi Kat - sounds great! Many people go on Camino because there has been a trauma in their lives, that moment when what we thought was safe has suddenly gone - something happens inside, deep inside, and one just HAS to go - without really even knowing why ... the Camino can be life-changing, not necessarily because one has some deep spiritual insight - though this does happen to thousands - but more because it is usually the first time in our lives that we step out of our lives .. into something simpler, some ancient migration thing that seems to be hard-wired into our dna. For decades we have wrapped around us a lifestyle that, when we look at it, we find has been created by others, that we have adopted and lived as if it was ourselves living - it isn't. It never was.
When the break comes it leaves us fearful, somehow empty, but in that moment there is also a yearning, a yearning to be what and who we really are - the problem is, we have no idea what and who we really are and there is fear there, a lot of fear ... then something weird happens - we 'accidentally' hear about the Camino and it grabs us, won't let us go, until we surrender and go - to me it is God calling (whatever that may mean to you) - and this is what you are doing, responding - this is a good thing!

Nervousness is normal, fear of what will happen out there is normal, fear of being alone is normal. You know, we have two minds; the chattering one that needs certainty above all things, the one that tries to make us live safe and small, the one that is afraid - afraid of change, afraid of the new, afraid of being alone ... but our other mind, the deep one behind that chattering mind, is the one that can connect with the Universe as One, that is always connected to that Oneness - that mind is not afraid, that mind does not need certainty and safety and fear - that one is strong and clear and unafraid - walking along the Camino the body at first is undergoing a lot of stress, until it gets fitter - this is ok, it is normal. The chattering mind will worry about weight, water, where the next food, how many miles, where will I sleep - but the other mind is at home, finally at home ... after some while the chattering mind sort of drops away and the still mind may make you spontaneously laugh, cry, touch a stranger, share food .. and one day you may be filled, just filled, with the glorious wonder of it all - and then the fear is gone - and then, when you return home, you just might change your life completely, because you have woken, as if from some strange dream, and are who you are - strong, kind, capable - and you are no longer afraid.
The Camino can open this for you - it does for so many who walk the Way .... tip - do not stay in contact with your other life, leave it behind - let the dead bury the dead - don't be on the phone all the time letting people know your experience - turn all that off and Live the Experience

This forum is great - many kind and supporting people on here, and treasure chests full of practical information - anything you need to know is here.

Have a wonderful Camino!

All is Well

 

[Metropolly]

Yes, if you start on June 15 you'll have plenty of time. You could have a night in Paris to catch up on sleep/acclimatise to France (Ibis hotels are relatively cheap, clean and ubiquitous), then take an early morning train to Bayonne to arrive in St Jean Pied de Port in the evening. Once you're there, as Tyrrek so beautifully puts it, all will be well. You don't have time to assemble a highly specialised kit, but fortunately you don't need one. The most important items are:
-Shoes: unless you have weak ankles, I'd suggest light trail running shoes. The Camino Frances is not a technically challenging hike, so heavy boots are often an unnecessary extra weight.
-Backpack: lightweight (Osprey, for example) and 35L capacity should be enough. Anything that doesn't fit inside, you don't need!
-Sleeping bag liner (silk, if possible)
-Lightweight, comfortable clothes, and only one change of each (but two changes of socks/underwear)
-Any prescription medication you take
-Rain cape - I doubt you can buy these in Australia, but you can find them at big outdoors shops in France or Spain, or even in odd shops along the way (shopkeepers know their market). Everyone raves about the Altus ones, but I've seen plenty of people using the cheap yellow disposable ones equally successfully
While you're walking you might find you need some other item, but you can buy things as you go (the way passes through many towns).
Congratulations on your decision, and I hope you find peace and joy on the Camino

 

[chilledKat]

I will start from SJPP on June 15th. i guess it will be pretty easy walk for you if you aim to get to Santiago de Compostela till July 24th. about 20 km/day one could make till lunchtime.
you can learn some hiking tips from http://old.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fastthruhike.php (my favorite one) , even though CdS is not really that tough, I believe.

from Paris you may consider to take a train to Bayonne, and then train/buss to SJPP.
check out http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/

Fabulous thank you for your response and suggestions. Looks like I will be seeing you there at the same time!

 

[chilledKat]

Hi! Exciting times. Just browse the forum and pick up tips about packing lists etc. In June/July you'll have some flexibility about what you take as you're unlikely to get cold. Non-negotiables for you will be good backpack, footwear, hat and water system of some sort. Take advantage of any sales over the next month or so. After you arrive all will be well. Don't overplan. You seem to have your timings spot on. Go and enjoy yourself and those you meet. Buen Camino!

I love the saying of All will be well. It has to be doesn't it. Thank you for your kindness

 

[koknesis]

Fabulous thank you for your response and suggestions. Looks like I will be seeing you there at the same time!

Thanks! I wish I could afford more relaxed walk, but at the moment my target is closer to 40 km daily. Anyway, if you see on the first day somebody wearing vegvisir sign, that will be me

 

[chilledKat]

Hi Kat - sounds great! Many people go on Camino because there has been a trauma in their lives, that moment when what we thought was safe has suddenly gone - something happens inside, deep inside, and one just HAS to go - without really even knowing why ... the Camino can be life-changing, not necessarily because one has some deep spiritual insight - though this does happen to thousands - but more because it is usually the first time in our lives that we step out of our lives .. into something simpler, some ancient migration thing that seems to be hard-wired into our dna. For decades we have wrapped around us a lifestyle that, when we look at it, we find has been created by others, that we have adopted and lived as if it was ourselves living - it isn't. It never was.
When the break comes it leaves us fearful, somehow empty, but in that moment there is also a yearning, a yearning to be what and who we really are - the problem is, we have no idea what and who we really are and there is fear there, a lot of fear ... then something weird happens - we 'accidentally' hear about the Camino and it grabs us, won't let us go, until we surrender and go - to me it is God calling (whatever that may mean to you) - and this is what you are doing, responding - this is a good thing!

Nervousness is normal, fear of what will happen out there is normal, fear of being alone is normal. You know, we have two minds; the chattering one that needs certainty above all things, the one that tries to make us live safe and small, the one that is afraid - afraid of change, afraid of the new, afraid of being alone ... but our other mind, the deep one behind that chattering mind, is the one that can connect with the Universe as One, that is always connected to that Oneness - that mind is not afraid, that mind does not need certainty and safety and fear - that one is strong and clear and unafraid - walking along the Camino the body at first is undergoing a lot of stress, until it gets fitter - this is ok, it is normal. The chattering mind will worry about weight, water, where the next food, how many miles, where will I sleep - but the other mind is at home, finally at home ... after some while the chattering mind sort of drops away and the still mind may make you spontaneously laugh, cry, touch a stranger, share food .. and one day you may be filled, just filled, with the glorious wonder of it all - and then the fear is gone - and then, when you return home, you just might change your life completely, because you have woken, as if from some strange dream, and are who you are - strong, kind, capable - and you are no longer afraid.
The Camino can open this for you - it does for so many who walk the Way .... tip - do not stay in contact with your other life, leave it behind - let the dead bury the dead - don't be on the phone all the time letting people know your experience - turn all that off and Live the Experience

This forum is great - many kind and supporting people on here, and treasure chests full of practical information - anything you need to know is here.

Have a wonderful Camino!

All is Well

What a truly exquisite piece of writing David. It brought tears to my eyes. Any response of mine will pale in comparison and not do justice to such a heartfelt piece. It resonated with me to my core. I had already decided that if I was to go on this pilgrimage I would disappear off the grid. I am not generally a social media fan so there will be no love lost there.

Thank you sincerely for your honesty. It takes courage to fly in the face of the norm....one of my current challenges where I feel so at odds with the prescribed norm. I recently played all my cards and in one foul swoop I lost them all. Starting from scratch has been humbling, not that I needed to be brought to my knees. That said, I wouldn't be on this journey now so I guess this now becomes my silver lining.

Blessings to you. I feel truly blessed

Katrina

 

[chilledKat]

I will

Thanks! I wish I could afford more relaxed walk, but at the moment my target is closer to 40 km daily. Anyway, if you see on the first day somebody wearing vegvisir sign, that will be me

I will keep my eyes peeled. A buon Camino to you

 

[chilledKat]

Thanks

Yes, if you start on June 15 you'll have plenty of time. You could have a night in Paris to catch up on sleep/acclimatise to France (Ibis hotels are relatively cheap, clean and ubiquitous), then take an early morning train to Bayonne to arrive in St Jean Pied de Port in the evening. Once you're there, as Tyrrek so beautifully puts it, all will be well. You don't have time to assemble a highly specialised kit, but fortunately you don't need one. The most important items are:
-Shoes: unless you have weak ankles, I'd suggest light trail running shoes. The Camino Frances is not a technically challenging hike, so heavy boots are often an unnecessary extra weight.
-Backpack: lightweight (Osprey, for example) and 35L capacity should be enough. Anything that doesn't fit inside, you don't need!
-Sleeping bag liner (silk, if possible)
-Lightweight, comfortable clothes, and only one change of each (but two changes of socks/underwear)
-Any prescription medication you take
-Rain cape - I doubt you can buy these in Australia, but you can find them at big outdoors shops in France or Spain, or even in odd shops along the way (shopkeepers know their market). Everyone raves about the Altus ones, but I've seen plenty of people using the cheap yellow disposable ones equally successfully
While you're walking you might find you need some other item, but you can buy things as you go (the way passes through many towns).
Congratulations on your decision, and I hope you find peace and joy on the Camino

Thanks Metropolly for your helpful suggestions Any stand out places for you?

 

[Skye2014]

Hi Kat

I flew from Sydney to Madrid because Paris required about a 12 hour layover in Dubai each way. It was quite easy then to get to SJPP- if you want more details I would be happy to give them, but it's worth checking out (it was cheaper too)

When I walked I knew that it was unlikely I would be returning to Spain anytime soon, so I gave myself heaps of time to explore the cities & soak up the atmosphere- staying in buildings built before our country was 'discovered' is humbling and amazing! Keep that in mind when planning as well

Buen Camino!

 

[chilledKat]

Hi Kat

I flew from Sydney to Madrid because Paris required about a 12 hour layover in Dubai each way. It was quite easy then to get to SJPP- if you want more details I would be happy to give them, but it's worth checking out (it was cheaper too)

When I walked I knew that it was unlikely I would be returning to Spain anytime soon, so I gave myself heaps of time to explore the cities & soak up the atmosphere- staying in buildings built before our country was 'discovered' is humbling and amazing! Keep that in mind when planning as well

Buen Camino!

Hi Skye,

That would be great if you could....I am currently looking at spending minimum $2k on flights and with all the stop overs looks like a journey from hell. I want to start on the French side however so would be great if you can give me some info. I have been dealing with a travel agent up not sure if I should book it myself. I obviously have just over three weeks before I want to go.....nothing like being organised....waiting for two years worth of tax refund to hit my account. Yep...disorganized
Cheers
Btw, how did you find the experience?
Katrina

 

[jpflavin1]

ChilledKat:

A June 15th start is plenty of time to walk the Camino Frances from SJPdP.

Start slowly - Let your body adjust to walking a Half marathon a day.
Pack light - Review packing list others recommend and put together a list that fits your comfort zone - You will pack too much.
Try not to plan too much - Just let the Camino be your guide

Travel from CDG to Bayonne - Take a train or cab from CDG to Montparnesse train station. Then take TGV train to Bayonne (5 hours). Then local train to SJPdP.

You are walking at a transitional time in your life. Try not to have specific expectations. Just go with the flow of the Camino and accept whatever it has to offer.

I have said this several times in my posts but feel this quote, from the great philosopher Mick Jagger, is the approach to take into the Camino. "You don't always get what you want but you find sometimes you get what you need".

Buen Camino,
Joe

 

[Adhemar78]

Hello everyone,

I will most likely fly into Paris from Melbourne, Australia so am open to other long haul flyers suggestions on getting to SJPP given that I will likely be jetlagged and therefore somewhat incoherent

Hi Katrina,

As others have mentioned in this thread, to get from Paris to SJPP you get the train from Montparnasse Station to Bayonne (which takes about five hours direct) and then get a train to SJPP from Bayonne. Just one thing to be aware of - heavy rains in March resulted in an avalanche which has blocked the line between Bayonne and SJPP. There is currently a replacement bus running between Bayonne and SJPP, which takes 85 minutes. Here is a link to the timetable for the replacement bus:
http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/...ies_jeu_27_mars_nouvel_avis_tcm-11-101460.pdf

Buen Camino!
Matthew

 

[Skye2014]

I booked through qantas (flew emirates) from Sydney to Madrid (only ~2 hour layover in Dubai). Then I walked out of the departure gates & hopped straight on a bus to Pamplona. It was ~5 hours. The train is shorter, but with departure times it was only 30 min later into Pamplona and too easy. I had booked with Corazon Puro and they picked me up, brought me to their Alburgue for the night, had an amazing dinner & in the morning they brought me to SJPP where I started walking. It was all so smooth & easy! (For anyone else reading this, I can't recommend the Corazon Puro service highly enough- it was fantastic!)
I had an amazing time- I work on boats on the GBR so it was a totally new adventure for me I only had 4 weeks total, so I made it to Leon. I took naps in fields of flowers, watched lizards sun themselves and often stopped dead in my tracks and just looked around at the gorgeous landscape.

 

[Skye2014]

I also spent my first night in Orisson to un-jet lag myself- no way could I have walked straight over with my body stuffed from the flight. Also- how often do you get to spend the night in the Pyrenees!?

 

[bokormen91]

Many that do intercontinental flights seem to fly in to Paris, but as Skye suggested Madrid is a good alternative, too. If you fly in to Paris it means that it will be easier to start your camino in SJPP, but more awkward getting back to Paris at the end. If you start in Madrid it will be more awkward getting to SJPP, but easier when you leave...
Saying that - quite a few forum members have flown in to Madrid, taken the train/bus to Pamplona and then prebooked a stay with Corazon and they will then collect you from Pamplona, you stay the night and they drop you off in SJPP the next day.

David has given you a wonderful reply. I like many others found the Camino, along with other long distance walks to be wonderful experiences and it has changed how I do things. To me they're like a Spring clean; allowing yourself to be present in the moment and living a "simple" life, cancels out some of the background noise and dust that is clogging up space in my head.

You've left yourself plenty of time imo to reach Santiago for the 24th/25th of July - then again we all walk at different speeds, and have differing opinions of fast/slow and short/long days

However - I would suggest at also having a look at some options for what do if you finish walking earlier than expected. There is often discussion of what to do when people have left themselves short of time, there seems to be less discussion about what to do if you have a week or 2 extra at the end before your flight is due. Both times that I were on the Camino I walked with people that finished quite a bit earlier than they expected, and had considerable time before their flights were booked. I'd suspect that staying in Santiago after all your Camino friends have departed might feel rather lonely. There are plenty of options; go to Finisterra/Muxia, take a side trip to Oporto. Go to Paris/Madrid and spend a few days. Looking at options does not mean that you have to do it it - it just gives you options...

Enjoy the planning, have a wonderful walk - Buen camino

 

[ChristineW67]

Hello everyone,

My name is Katrina and have decided to take the plunge and go this June/July. I really want to be in Santiago de Compostela for celebrations/fireworks on July 24th and 25th. Not even sure how long the pilgrimage takes....so I thought if I was ready to go on the 15th June I should make it in time right?????

I will most likely fly into Paris from Melbourne, Australia so am open to other long haul flyers suggestions on getting to SJPP given that I will likely be jetlagged and therefore somewhat incoherent

I would love to meet up with anyone going around the same time. I am completely nervous about going as I have never backpacked in my life. Recently everything that I thought was secure went to Hades on the express train and so it left me with an opportunity to take time out and challenge myself. This will be a huge challenge and am worried about the heat, what shoes to wear, what to carry, blah blah blah ad nauseum

Anyway, thanks for getting this far with me.

Hope to share the journey with you, in person or in spirit.

Cheers
Katrina

Hi Katrina,

I'm flying to Paris from the US on the 15th but won't arrive until the morning of the 16th. From there, I'm taking a quick flight to Biarritz. The flight was less expensive than the train! I'll make Biarritz around 3pm and then catch a cab to SJPDP. If this kind of fits your timeline, let me know. I'd love to share a cab with you.

 

[Metropolly]

Thanks

Thanks Metropolly for your helpful suggestions Any stand out places for you?

It's been many years since I walked the Camino Frances (I've kept myself busy with other routes since then!) but, despite the fact I'm British and we Brits love Spain, it was my first time in the country. Therefore the standout place for me was Spain itself. I just couldn't get over the fact you could wander into a tiny mountain village and there would be a bar, where at 9am dapper old men would be gathered over a bottle of Rioja, not because they were drunks but because, well, why on earth not? Then there was the fact you never had to decide in the morning how far you would walk that day, because there was so much accommodation in so many places along the way that you could just make up your mind when you got there. I loved to walk in the evenings when the crowds had gone (though if you do this you'll need sunglasses and a peaked cap, as the setting sun will be glaring straight into your eyes). I loved the feeling of freedom and strength as I strode out for 40km each day across the Meseta, just because it was flat and the going was easy and there was always a cold beer and a pintxo at the end of the day. I loved having no decisions to make, simply following the yellow arrows every day - that for me was the real glory of it all. Also the camaraderie, the characters from all over the world who each have a story to tell, the sheer freedom of being on the road. As far as I'm concerned there's no 'must-see' or 'mustn't-miss' - it's all there like a buffet, for you to take what you need. Arriving with a list of 'must-do's' would curtail the freedom, I think (though that's just my view - many others here would disagree)

 

[cherrys]

Hi - The initial logistics of "getting there" seem staggering at first. I flew into Paris, then trains to SJPdP. If I had known about the Corazon Puro deal in Pamplona I think I would have done that instead. Since you haven't walked much, please try and stay at Orisson the first night. Even though it seems not too long of a walk, it is fairly relentlessly uphill, more tiring I thought than the following day over to Roncevalles. If you can't get a reservation there, call them a couple of days before and see if they have a cancellation. That's what the owner told me to do, and it worked. Walk as much as you can in the next couple of weeks (buy shoes first), and as soon as you get on the plane, it's out of your hands. Relax, sit back, enjoy, and you will be in for an incredible experience. Buen camino - Cherry

 

[chilledKat]

Thanks Metropolly. You certainly painted a lovely picture. I will be spending my birthday on the Camino so that will be interesting. I might have to treat myself to something nice....maybe convince a fellow pilgrim to give me a back or foot massage surely there is a business idea in that!!

It's been many years since I walked the Camino Frances (I've kept myself busy with other routes since then!) but, despite the fact I'm British and we Brits love Spain, it was my first time in the country. Therefore the standout place for me was Spain itself. I just couldn't get over the fact you could wander into a tiny mountain village and there would be a bar, where at 9am dapper old men would be gathered over a bottle of Rioja, not because they were drunks but because, well, why on earth not? Then there was the fact you never had to decide in the morning how far you would walk that day, because there was so much accommodation in so many places along the way that you could just make up your mind when you got there. I loved to walk in the evenings when the crowds had gone (though if you do this you'll need sunglasses and a peaked cap, as the setting sun will be glaring straight into your eyes). I loved the feeling of freedom and strength as I strode out for 40km each day across the Meseta, just because it was flat and the going was easy and there was always a cold beer and a pintxo at the end of the day. I loved having no decisions to make, simply following the yellow arrows every day - that for me was the real glory of it all. Also the camaraderie, the characters from all over the world who each have a story to tell, the sheer freedom of being on the road. As far as I'm concerned there's no 'must-see' or 'mustn't-miss' - it's all there like a buffet, for you to take what you need. Arriving with a list of 'must-do's' would curtail the freedom, I think (though that's just my view - many others here would disagree)

 

[koilife]

I am completely nervous about going as I have never backpacked in my life.

Nothing to be too nervous about. Two sisters from my church walked the Camino in 28 days last summer with no training or backpacking experience. They were packed light, and they had all the great benefits of youth, especially the two I envy most --- endless energy and rapid recovery. The best thing you can do is browse the various threads and read a good guidebook.

-Shoes: unless you have weak ankles, I'd suggest light trail running shoes. The Camino Frances is not a technically challenging hike, so heavy boots are often an unnecessary extra weight.

Metropolly's advice is double valid given that you've never packpacked before and your feet aren't used to boots. When looking for running shoes, look for something with at least a moderate lug and make sure to avoid those that have superthin soles. You'll probably want something that has reasonable stiffness and support. You might consider going to a professional running store, as they are usually have the best and most knowledgeable sales people when it comes to how to properly fit a shoe for your walking mechanics, foot characteristics, and purpose.

Enjoy your Camino and entrust yourself to this great process of pilgrimage. Good for the body, good for your soul, good for your life!

 

[naplesdon]

Thanks Metropolly. You certainly painted a lovely picture. I will be spending my birthday on the Camino so that will be interesting. I might have to treat myself to something nice....maybe convince a fellow pilgrim to give me a back or foot massage surely there is a business idea in that!!

You will find the very best massage therapist, Miguel, at the Casa Magica in Villatuerta around the middle of "Stage 5." It is a wonderful place to stop with a great kitchen to prepare your own dinner.

 

[Metropolly]

Thanks Metropolly. You certainly painted a lovely picture. I will be spending my birthday on the Camino so that will be interesting. I might have to treat myself to something nice....maybe convince a fellow pilgrim to give me a back or foot massage surely there is a business idea in that!!

Be sure to mention to all you meet that it's your birthday. Many of your fellow pilgrims will usually be looking for an excuse to celebrate!

 

[chilledKat]

Am assuming it is totally normal to start freaking out. I have nothing booked, incl flights. Nothing purchased and am planning to leave in three weeks. I am so clearly unprepared. I am beginning to get v overwhelmed by everything that needs doing. Has anyone walked June/July before?? I don't know what weather to expect......I don't even have a guide book!
Given my lack of preparation am scared the Camino will may me suffer for my stupidity.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is nothing like being unprepared to raise your anxiety level! It is not overwhelming if you take it in little bites. I suggest that you start doing some of the small things, like booking a flight, so that you feel more prepared.

 

[bokormen91]

Pay attention to backpack and footwear... The rest will fall into place If you already have a backpack that you're comfortable with - use it, even if it's large. Likewise with shoes - if you already have runners/trainers that you're comfortable with - use those.

You can expect temperatures to be 20-30C during the day. You can have colder nights and mornings, so go for layers. There is a lot of equipment discussion on this forum - understandably so, but - pilgrims have survived for centuries without availability of outdoor stores, and without raiding them before departure. If you pack too much - you can get rid of some whilst under way. If you pack too little - you can buy it, which might involve a bit of effort, but it can be done.

Guidebook - get one before departure if it makes you feel more comfortable, otherwise you can pick one up in SJPP, or go without, which is also an option.

I can understand why lack of preparation might make you feel apprehensive, but - many of us survived the Camino without being prepared at all. You can choose to look at it as an advantage or a disadvantage... The advantage is that you're likely to listen to your body and stop when it's enough and have a break as you have no preconceived idea of what you should be walking in a day. Disadvantage - steeper learning curve and your feet might hurt more in the 1st week.

Stupidity... Well - my personal take is that no amount of planning can save you from "stupid". "Stupid" on the Camino is not listening to your body, does not matter how fit/unfit you are

Book your flights - expect some tough days and some easy days. They will all be worth it

 

[David]

"Am assuming it is totally normal to start freaking out. I have nothing booked, incl flights. Nothing purchased and am planning to leave in three weeks. I am so clearly unprepared. I am beginning to get v overwhelmed by everything that needs doing. Has anyone walked June/July before?? I don't know what weather to expect......I don't even have a guide book!
Given my lack of preparation am scared the Camino will may me suffer for my stupidity."

Kat - this is quite normal, well, almost quite normal. Perhaps you need to book a flight pretty soon! then get some kit together and then just go! (Do book your return to allow you plenty of time so you don't ever have to worry or hurry)

Many pilgrims have never walked further than the nearest bar or ice cream van before they started out ... so, you have two legs and you know how to put one foot in front of the other in a sort of alternate one after the other way? Good - you are fine!

It is the chattering mind thing - you have given it a great task and it is terrified - mainly because it desperately wants to know Exactly what is going to happen so it can plan for everything - but it is a pilgrimage, you are stepping into the unknown - you cannot plan for everything ... what you can do is to look back on your life and realise that after all those years you are still here, so the odds are that it will all work out and you will still be here - and here is the thing - it will all work out!

Baseline it .. what do you need? Money, airline ticket, simple travel plans to get to your starting point. Footwear, rucksack, clothing ...... this isn't too difficult .. what will the weather be like in summer? Summery, hot, sometimes very hot - but you also go over three mountain ranges, so can be cool up there, and into Galicia - sometimes (often) rainy Galicia, so you can get a variety of weather. Hang on! You live in Melbourne - that is three seasons in one day territory isn't it?

So - be kind to yourself - you are scared, that is normal, just go ahead anyway ... though ... you might want to get your footwear right now so that you can walk around a few miles to check they are right for you. All is well Kat - and all the info you need is on this forum

You will meet so many good and interesting people out there - some may become friends for life, you won't be alone.

pm me with your address and I will send you a guide (The Michelin 160), a pilgrim passport (credential), a scallop shell and some earplugs .. will arrive in ten days, long before you go and those things will be ticked off your list.

Buen Camino!!

 

[lettinggo]

Hi Kat - sounds great! Many people go on Camino because there has been a trauma in their lives, that moment when what we thought was safe has suddenly gone - something happens inside, deep inside, and one just HAS to go - without really even knowing why ... the Camino can be life-changing, not necessarily because one has some deep spiritual insight - though this does happen to thousands - but more because it is usually the first time in our lives that we step out of our lives .. into something simpler, some ancient migration thing that seems to be hard-wired into our dna. For decades we have wrapped around us a lifestyle that, when we look at it, we find has been created by others, that we have adopted and lived as if it was ourselves living - it isn't. It never was.
When the break comes it leaves us fearful, somehow empty, but in that moment there is also a yearning, a yearning to be what and who we really are - the problem is, we have no idea what and who we really are and there is fear there, a lot of fear ... then something weird happens - we 'accidentally' hear about the Camino and it grabs us, won't let us go, until we surrender and go - to me it is God calling (whatever that may mean to you) - and this is what you are doing, responding - this is a good thing!

Nervousness is normal, fear of what will happen out there is normal, fear of being alone is normal. You know, we have two minds; the chattering one that needs certainty above all things, the one that tries to make us live safe and small, the one that is afraid - afraid of change, afraid of the new, afraid of being alone ... but our other mind, the deep one behind that chattering mind, is the one that can connect with the Universe as One, that is always connected to that Oneness - that mind is not afraid, that mind does not need certainty and safety and fear - that one is strong and clear and unafraid - walking along the Camino the body at first is undergoing a lot of stress, until it gets fitter - this is ok, it is normal. The chattering mind will worry about weight, water, where the next food, how many miles, where will I sleep - but the other mind is at home, finally at home ... after some while the chattering mind sort of drops away and the still mind may make you spontaneously laugh, cry, touch a stranger, share food .. and one day you may be filled, just filled, with the glorious wonder of it all - and then the fear is gone - and then, when you return home, you just might change your life completely, because you have woken, as if from some strange dream, and are who you are - strong, kind, capable - and you are no longer afraid.
The Camino can open this for you - it does for so many who walk the Way .... tip - do not stay in contact with your other life, leave it behind - let the dead bury the dead - don't be on the phone all the time letting people know your experience - turn all that off and Live the Experience

This forum is great - many kind and supporting people on here, and treasure chests full of practical information - anything you need to know is here.

Have a wonderful Camino!

All is Well

Thanks David
Your writing makes me think of the reason why the Camino often has such a profound impact on the lives of those who walk it, and
it seems to be that the clarity of one self, the actually simplicity of being a human, is what rid the fear, confusion and stress that we often experience in our lives.
With clarity comes a peaceful mind and the value and beauty of our surroundings shows itself.

Have a great Camino, Katrina.
For now focus on getting yourself to Saint Jean.
The rest will unfold itself and with openness it can be wonderful.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[NicoZ]

Hello everyone,

Australia

This will be a huge challenge and am worried about the heat, what shoes to wear, what to carry, blah blah blah ad nauseum

So you're from the wee little island? Isn't it kind of warm there?

I'm visiting Spain this week. It was/is so cold I had to buy a hoodie. The local girls are still wearing coats. TO THE BEACH!.

You can tell the home country of the people by how they're dressed. The further north the skimpier the shorts and sun dress. The warmer the home country the more likely they'll be bundled up.

I wouldn't worry about the heat. Maybe the lack of heat this year

 

[tyrrek]

Three weeks is fine. Any more time and you'll start overthinking it and spending unnecessary money. The flight is important right enough.
One thing that could benefit from more time is learning some Spanish. Just enough to greet people and a few basic expressions are all you need, though.

 

[whariwharangi]

2100. Paris

2101 This section discusses transportation services in Paris.

Index 2100
2102 Paris Airports
2103 Getting around in Paris
2104 Charles de Gaulle Airport to Orly Airport
2105 Charles de Gaulle Airport to Gare d'Austerlitz
2106 Charles de Gaulle Airport to TGV Massey
2107 Charles de Gaulle Airport to Gare Montparnasse
2120 Trains in France
2121 Paris Train Stations

2150 Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port

2102 Paris Airports

Paris has two major airports. Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is known as Roissy and is located NE of Paris. Orly Airport (ORY) is located to the South of Paris.

CDG and Orly:
http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-gb/passagers/home/

2103 Getting around in Paris

Paris Transit Network
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php?lang=uk

Paris RER/Metro route planner - SNCF Transilien
http://www.transilien.com/itineraire/rechercheitineraire/init

Air France Shuttle Bus with service from CDG to Orly airport (#3) and to Gare Montparnasse (#4)
http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/...97348c-aerolis_deplianttakeoneBD_Mars2013.pdf

2104 Charles de Gaulle Airport to Orly Airport

There are two transit options from CDG Airport to Orly Airport.

a. RER Line B (destination B4 Saint Remy les Chevreuse) from CDG airport to Station Antony. Take Orly Val (name of train) from Station Antony to Orly airport Terminal Sud and Terminal Ouest. Allow 1:30 hours.

b. Air France bus from CDG airport direct to Paris Orly airport. Allow 1:15 hours.

2105 CDG Airport to Gare d'Austerlitz

RER Line B (destination B4 Saint Remy les Chevreuse) from CDG airport to Saint Michel Notre Dame RER station. Walk from RER station to Metro. Take Metro line 10 from Cluny la Sorbonne to Gare Austerlitz. Allow 1 hour.

2106 CDG Airport to TGV Massy

RER Line B (destination B4 Saint Remy les Chevreuse) from CDG airport to Massy-Palaiseau RER station. The Massy TGV station is located next to the RER station.

2107 CDG Airport to Gare Montparnasse.

There are two transit options from CDG airport to Gare Montparnasse:

a. RER Line B (destination B2 Robinson or B4 Saint Remy les Chevreuse) from CDG airport to Gare du Nord. Paris Metro Line 4 from Gare du Nord to Metro Station Montparnasse Bienvenue. Allow 1:00 hour. Allow an additional 15 minutes to walk from the Metro station to Gare Montparnasse.

~Note there are 3 points where it is possible to transfer from RER B to Metro line 4. A transfer at St Michel may be preferable as Gare du Nord is a large station and will require orientation time.

b. Air France operates a bus service from CDG direct to Gare Montparnasse. Allow 1:15 hours.

2120 Trains in France

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

SNCF - train schedule and tickets:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train/horaires

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

SNCF Railway Map
http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-map/sncf-map-large.htm

2121 Paris Train Stations

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2 train station
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frmlw/accueil/

Gare de Massy TGV
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frdju/accueil/

Note in additon to CDG 2 and Massy there are 6 major train stations in Paris:

Paris Gare d'Austerlitz
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpaz/accueil/

Gare Paris Bercy
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpbe/accueil/

Gare Paris Est
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpst/accueil/

Paris Gare de Lyon
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frply/accueil/

Paris Gare Montparnasse
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpmo/accueil/

Paris Gare Montparnasse Map
http://www.railteam.eu/en/files/2011/11/MAP_Paris-Montparnasse_En.pdf

Paris Gare du Nord.
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpno/accueil/

Map of TGV train network in Paris:
http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-trains/images/tgv-map-paris.jpg

2150 Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port

2151 This section discusses how to get from Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port.

Index 2150
2152 Executive Summary
2153 Fly from Paris to Biarritz and train to SJPdP
2154 Train from Paris to SJPdP
2155 Not Assigned
2156 Train stations between Paris and Bayonne
2157 Saint Jean Pied de Port

2152. Executive Summary.

There are at least two viable options for getting from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport to Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPdP):

a. Fly from Paris to Biarritz and take the train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

b. Take the train from Paris to Bayonne and transfer to another train from Bayonne to SJPdP. Stations in Paris with trains to Bayonne include: CDG 2, Gare d' Austerlitz, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare Massy.

2153. ~Option 1 Fly from Paris to Biarritz and train to SJPdP

a. Fly from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Biarritz Airport (BIQ). Easy Jet provides service; or,

b. Fly from Paris Orly Airport (ORY) to Biarritz Airport (BIQ) Air France provides service.

The Chronoplus urban bus #14 leaves from the doors of Biarritz Airport and goes to Gare de Bayonne. Allow 40 minutes.

The SNCF TER train #62 travels from Bayonne to terminus at SJPdP.

Biarritz Airport (BIQ)
http://en.biarritz.aeroport.fr/

Chronoplus
http://www.chronoplus.eu/

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

2154 ~Option 2 - Train from Paris to SJPdP.

TGV trains travel towards Bayonne from three train stations in Paris.

a. There is a TGV station located at Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2.

b. There is a TGV station located at Gare Montparnasse in central Paris. There is greater frequency of service from Gare Montparnasse than from CDG 2.

c. The tracks from CDG 2 and Gare Montparnasse converge and TGV trains from both stations stop at Gare Massey.

SNCF TGV trains leave from Paris enroute to Bordeaux or Irun. Often there is a transfer required at Bordeaux. TGV trains from Bordeaux terminate in Irun. TER trains from Bordeaux terminate in Pau or Hendaye. If your train is bound for Pau another transfer is required at Dax. Trains bound for Hendaye or Irun stop in Bayonne.

SNCF Intercites night trains travel from Paris Gare Austerlitz to Hendaye and stop in Bayonne.

SNCF TER train #62 travels from Gare Bayonne to terminus at SJPdP

You will get limited results if you try to find a schedule for a train from Paris to SJPdP. I'd suggest planning your trip from Paris to Bayonne then Bayonne to SJPdP.

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

SNCF - train schedule and tickets:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train/horaires

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

2156 Train Stations between Paris and Bayonne

Gare Bordeaux - Saint Jean (Saint Jean is name of main station in Bordeaux)
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/en/frboj/accueil/

Gare Bordeaux - Saint Jean according to Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Bordeaux-Saint-Jean

Gare de Dax
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/fracg/accueil/

Gare de Bayonne
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frxby/accueil/

2157 Saint Jean Pied de Port

Saint Jean Pied de Port
http://www.st-jean-pied-de-port.fr/default.aspx

 

[whariwharangi]

Am assuming it is totally normal to start freaking out. I have nothing booked, incl flights. Nothing purchased and am planning to leave in three weeks. I am so clearly unprepared. I am beginning to get v overwhelmed by everything that needs doing. Has anyone walked June/July before?? I don't know what weather to expect......I don't even have a guide book!
Given my lack of preparation am scared the Camino will may me suffer for my stupidity.

John Brierley writes the gold standard guide: A Pilgrims Guide to the Camino Santiago ISBN 978-1-84409-575-9

The critical stuff is documents. Passport, flights, credit card and debit card set to go. You can get a pilgrim's credential at SJPdP pilgrim office. Put it in a ziploc so it doesn't get wet.

Weather in June and July is typically warm (hot) and dry. 3 mountain passes are the exception. You will need a hat with brim, sunglasses, rain gear, a jacket, a summer weight sleeping bag, and a 50-60 liter internal (or external) frame pack. (its the 'frame' part that is important) Otherwise its two changes of normal clothes and a toothbrush.

The Camino is very forgiving of stupidity and lack of preparation. Just ask any of us here.

 

[Olivia Luna]

The Camino is very forgiving of stupidity and lack of preparation. Just ask any of us here.[/QUOTE]
Though I feel fairly well-prepared...I am counting on this

 

[David]

John Brierley writes the gold standard guide: A Pilgrims Guide to the Camino Santiago ISBN 978-1-84409-575-9

The critical stuff is documents. Passport, flights, credit card and debit card set to go. You can get a pilgrim's credential at SJPdP pilgrim office. Put it in a ziploc so it doesn't get wet.

Weather in June and July is typically warm (hot) and dry. 3 mountain passes are the exception. You will need a hat with brim, sunglasses, rain gear, a jacket, a summer weight sleeping bag, and a 50-60 liter internal (or external) frame pack. (its the 'frame' part that is important) Otherwise its two changes of normal clothes and a toothbrush.

The Camino is very forgiving of stupidity and lack of preparation. Just ask any of us here.

True - though ... 50-60 litre rucksack? pretty big - many use a 35 litre rucksack

 

[whariwharangi]

True - though ... 50-60 litre rucksack? pretty big - many use a 35 litre rucksack

I should know better than to offer advice on equipment. There are too many variables in personal preferences. However, the critical bit is -frame- so that all weight goes to the hip belt. When I think 35 liters I think klettersack ... intended for day use and typically without frame or even a hip belt.

 

[Alyssa]

Hello everyone,

My name is Katrina and have decided to take the plunge and go this June/July. I really want to be in Santiago de Compostela for celebrations/fireworks on July 24th and 25th. Not even sure how long the pilgrimage takes....so I thought if I was ready to go on the 15th June I should make it in time right?????

I will most likely fly into Paris from Melbourne, Australia so am open to other long haul flyers suggestions on getting to SJPP given that I will likely be jetlagged and therefore somewhat incoherent

I would love to meet up with anyone going around the same time. I am completely nervous about going as I have never backpacked in my life. Recently everything that I thought was secure went to Hades on the express train and so it left me with an opportunity to take time out and challenge myself. This will be a huge challenge and am worried about the heat, what shoes to wear, what to carry, blah blah blah ad nauseum

Anyway, thanks for getting this far with me.

Hope to share the journey with you, in person or in spirit.

Cheers
Katrina

Hi Katrina,

I will begin my first Camino on June 20 from SJPdP. Although I have been preparing since February (have purchased and returned several backpacks, sleeping bags, sleep liners, shoes, etc.), pre-trip anxiety has begun to set in so I can relate! Hope to see you on the trails.

Alyssa

P.S. After trying a number of different backpacks, I finally settles on the Osprey Sirrus 36 liters and have done a couple of really long hikes with it packed; it's great! (You can read more about my search for a backpack on my blog, if you like.)

 

[nenkes71]

Hello Katrina ,
We only walked Leon to Santiago with the kids in February which the kids loved, my little girl turned 8 on the walk and had a great time with the other pilgrims on her birthday who all sang happy birthday to her. You will love it. We are also Aussies , temp should be a lot kinder to u then us . But February was amazing lots of snow few walkers but one amazing journey.
Bon camino

 

[ske]

We are starting to walk end September and had settled on the frances route. However, as we fly into madrid from Spain we have been looking at the madrid route which looks beautiful. We felt it might give us a different perspective than the busier frances which we would join east of Leon anyway. However, we can't find up much about accommodation on the route. Does anyone have any feedback abut that? We are both novices and don't wan to make life either too difficult or too expensive! Thanks

 

[chilledKat]

You are walking at a transitional time in your life. Try not to have specific expectations. Just go with the flow of the Camino and accept whatever it has to offer.

I have said this several times in my posts but feel this quote, from the great philosopher Mick Jagger, is the approach to take into the Camino. "You don't always get what you want but you find sometimes you get what you need".

Buen Camino,
Joe[/QUOTE]
Thanks Joe. Apologies for the delayed response. A lot of feelings have been overwhelming me recently as I have decided to take up this journey. Our resident forum philosopher David would say that is normal and it is my chattering mind working overtime....to which I would agree wholeheartedly.

It seems in some ways so irresponsible of me to be leaving it all behind when I am in some ways at a crisis point in my own life. I do hope the pilgrimage delivers me some respite from my head and helps me find answers. I guess I feel this journey is in some ways my last chance...so I hope I get what I need

 

[chilledKat]

So you're from the wee little island? Isn't it kind of warm there?

I'm visiting Spain this week. It was/is so cold I had to buy a hoodie. The local girls are still wearing coats. TO THE BEACH!.

You can tell the home country of the people by how they're dressed. The further north the skimpier the shorts and sun dress. The warmer the home country the more likely they'll be bundled up.

I wouldn't worry about the heat. Maybe the lack of heat this year

I am stuck near the bottom of the said wee island In all my years on this planet, I have never been able to dress properly for any weather...always ill prepared. Either freezing or dying of heat.....I guess it is a stretch to hope that I might change now

 

[chilledKat]

I will start from SJPP on June 15th. i guess it will be pretty easy walk for you if you aim to get to Santiago de Compostela till July 24th. about 20 km/day one could make till lunchtime.
you can learn some hiking tips from http://old.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fastthruhike.php (my favorite one) , even though CdS is not really that tough, I believe.

from Paris you may consider to take a train to Bayonne, and then train/buss to SJPP.
check out http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/

Thanks for the info. I am now possibly flying into Madrid instead but plan to start on the 15th June also so I might see you there. Look for the confused blonde.....how's that for a cliche??

 

[chilledKat]

The Camino is very forgiving of stupidity and lack of preparation. Just ask any of us here.

Though I feel fairly well-prepared...I am counting on this [/QUOTE]
It is going to have to be forgiving of mine then. Am reading a great book by Brad Kyle called Memoirs of a Pilgrim and I seem to echo his preparedness. It is a really special book for anyone I think looking to do the Camino....

 

[chilledKat]

Hi Katrina,

I will begin my first Camino on June 20 from SJPdP. Although I have been preparing since February (have purchased and returned several backpacks, sleeping bags, sleep liners, shoes, etc.), pre-trip anxiety has begun to set in so I can relate! Hope to see you on the trails.

Alyssa

P.S. After trying a number of different backpacks, I finally settles on the Osprey Sirrus 36 liters and have done a couple of really long hikes with it packed; it's great! (You can read more about my search for a backpack on my blog, if you like.)

Hi Alyssa,

I plan to take it easy so you may very well meet up with me. That would be lovely! I am basically borrowing everything I can given my lack of funds so I could end up with a huge back blister from my backpack! Lol

Katrina

 

[chilledKat]

John Brierley writes the gold standard guide: A Pilgrims Guide to the Camino Santiago ISBN 978-1-84409-575-9

The critical stuff is documents. Passport, flights, credit card and debit card set to go. You can get a pilgrim's credential at SJPdP pilgrim office. Put it in a ziploc so it doesn't get wet.

Weather in June and July is typically warm (hot) and dry. 3 mountain passes are the exception. You will need a hat with brim, sunglasses, rain gear, a jacket, a summer weight sleeping bag, and a 50-60 liter internal (or external) frame pack. (its the 'frame' part that is important) Otherwise its two changes of normal clothes and a toothbrush.

The Camino is very forgiving of stupidity and lack of preparation. Just ask any of us here.

Thanks for the info!

Darling David has sent me a few items to get me started checking things off my list.....still finalising my flights....

 

[chilledKat]

Thanks David
Your writing makes me think of the reason why the Camino often has such a profound impact on the lives of those who walk it, and
it seems to be that the clarity of one self, the actually simplicity of being a human, is what rid the fear, confusion and stress that we often experience in our lives.
With clarity comes a peaceful mind and the value and beauty of our surroundings shows itself.

Have a great Camino, Katrina.
For now focus on getting yourself to Saint Jean.
The rest will unfold itself and with openness it can be wonderful.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

Hi Lettinggo,

Ironically your username is something I need to do. One of my biggest hurdles...hopefully the Camino makes this happen easily.

I haven't even gotten on the Camino yet and am already months ahead in my mind wondering what it will be like on the return and how I will cope with having to find a job, a place to live, making new friends, etc etc. I guess I am so worried that I will be the same person on the other side. Not that there is anything grossly wrong with me....I guess I am just trying to get over heartbreak amongst other life changing things, and as we know that takes time. A lot. When I have trusted in the past it has gone pear shaped, so to trust again and this time in the Camino...well it is overwhelming at best.

This forum gives me the gift of being honest, without fear of judgement. When the wheels fell off in my life recently in every conceivable area I didn't see the point in anything. What I am left with now is a very small seed. The seed will hopefully flourish and become stronger, day by day, on the Camino.

A peaceful mind is indeed the goal so thank you.

 

[koknesis]

Thanks for the info. I am now possibly flying into Madrid instead but plan to start on the 15th June also so I might see you there. Look for the confused blonde.....how's that for a cliche??

a blonde, confused one, might be pretty charming once you will land on the Spanish side of Pyrenees, but want to start from SJPP, you may consider to go next to Pamplona and use the service from http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html .
there are other options, of course, but all of them are logistically somehow more complicated.

 

[chilledKat]

a blonde, confused one, might be pretty charming once you will land on the Spanish side of Pyrenees, but want to start from SJPP, you may consider to go next to Pamplona and use the service from http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html .
there are other options, of course, but all of them are logistically somehow more complicated.

Ha ha.....after an initial flight I don't know how charming I will be.

I have just emailed them. My flight gets into Madrid at 8.20pm on June 13th....so I don't know if I can make it to them on the same day. I really wanted to stay in SJPP for one night before leaving on June 15th......but is not looking possible at this stage.

 

[chilledKat]

Drum roll everyone...........I have booked my flights! No backing out now.....arriving into Madrid on night of 13th June so if anyone else is around and wants to join me to Pamplona just msg me!

Am hoping to leave SJPP on Sunday 15th June....and then the journey begins....well actually it has already begun as I am dreaming about it most nights now!

I am leaving Madrid on 29th July.......so a decent amount of time away and open to adventures so if you are in Spain during those times it would be lovely to connect....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited and UTTERLY TERRIFIED

 

[chilledKat]

Me again everyone......clearly my username of ChilledKat is ironic......hardly chilled right

Curious to know what kind of insights or turns your life took after the Camino? Did any of you have any expectations about going...other than hopefully completing it with body intact

Kind of like Before Camino/After Camino experiences.......maybe I should start another thread....hhhm idea!

 

[SYates]

The one thing I learned on my Caminos was NOT to have expectations, I learned on every Camino something new, but never what I had expected beforehand. When somebody asks me now 'Why do you do the Camino?' my standard answer is 'I hope have found out when I arrive in Santiago!' Buen Camino! SY

 

[chilledKat]

Ok folks....panic is starting to set in...looking for place to stay on SJPP...I was looking at the thread...quite a few are booked out already. Some said you had to depart early am...like 6am!! I will be jet lagged to the max and have I think reserved a spot at Oricsson...no idea how long it takes to walk there but was hoping to take it slowly ...read s L. O. W. L. Y. On the first morning. Any suggestions of where to stay? I want to take in SJPP before racing out....I get there late arvo the day before. Only ten more sleeps........

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have never known a place to kick you out before 8 a.m. Almost all albergues will show you the door by 0830, some quite rudely. The Camino is not for late sleepers except in hostales.

It will only take about 3 hours maximum to get to Orisson.

If you cannot find a place using the internet or booking.com, just go to the Pilgrim Office, and they will help you find a bed.

 

[chilledKat]

I have never known a place to kick you out before 8 a.m. Almost all albergues will show you the door by 0830, some quite rudely. The Camino is not for late sleepers except in hostales.

It will only take about 3 hours maximum to get to Orisson.

If you cannot find a place using the internet or booking.com, just go to the Pilgrim Office, and they will help you find a bed.

That's handy info re the times. Most appreciated thanks

 

[bokormen91]

If you can afford it, I'd suggest getting a room in a hotel or a B&B, whatever fits in your budget and has availability should do it. It will give you a chance to explore a bit of SJPP both in the evening and in the morning and you're likely to get a decent nights sleep. This will mean that you can have a relaxing morning, walk around SJPP without your pack and you'll have a chance to pick up some snacks/trailfood before you set out (I rarely eat fig rolls/biscuits, but for some reason I love them when walking - "Figolou" is one of the French brands)

As Falcon says, Orisson is not that far away, however mainly uphill. If you book with Orisson, it's probably worth letting them know that you'll depart SJPP in late morning/early afternoon. That way they know that you're a late arrival, instead of considering you a "no-show" and passing your bed on to someone else...

 

[whariwharangi]

I stayed at Gite Azkorria. They had rooms for 50 euro that can be reserved from hotel sites. I reserved for the first night and stayed a second ... jet lag was bad. The price of quiet room and place to get sorted was worth it.

Its located spitting distance from pilgrim office.

They also have dormitory beds for low price.

Gite Azkorria
http://www.hebergements-pays-basque.fr/accueil

Its worth it to spend a day in Saint Jean. I spent a lot of a day dozing on a park bench at the citadel. A pleasant town.

 

[mcpilgrim]

Hi Kat,
Footwear that is broken in, a pack of no more than 8kilos and listening to your body are the most important things.
Buen Camino!
Mcpilgrim

 

[gerardcarey]

Have I think reserved a spot at Oricsson...no idea how long it takes to walk there but was hoping to take it slowly ...read s L. O. W. L. Y. On the first morning. Any suggestions of where to stay? I want to take in SJPP before racing out....I get there late arvo the day before. Only ten more sleeps........

Slowly is good way to start.
Slowly takes between 3 and 4 hours to Orisson with a couple of extended food and drink stops.
Slowly means starting quietly after a good relaxed breakfast.
Slowly means a gentle excitement holds your heart.
Slowly means not starting before 9.30am.
Slowly means there's plenty of time.
Slowly means listening as you walk thru St Jean.
Slowly means walking gently up thru this countryside.
Slowly means smelling flowers along the way.
Slowly means sitting in the grass.
Slowly means there are many opportunities to practice "Buen Camino!"
Slowly means Orisson will gently hove into view.
Slowly means you will arrive early/mid afternoon.
Slowly means a gentle weariness.
Slowly means no strains.
Slowly means you will have confidence for the morrow.

Come slowly to the High Pyrenees,
Slowly, to a Basque afternoon.

 

[RobS]

I walked from SJPdP two years ago. I left on June 17 and got to SdC on July 19.
You should make it easily.
Buen camino!

 

[chilledKat]

Slowly is good way to start.
Slowly takes between 3 and 4 hours to Orisson with a couple of extended food and drink stops.
Slowly means starting quietly after a good relaxed breakfast.
Slowly means a gentle excitement holds your heart.
Slowly means not starting before 9.30am.
Slowly means there's plenty of time.
Slowly means listening as you walk thru St Jean.
Slowly means walking gently up thru this countryside.
Slowly means smelling flowers along the way.
Slowly means sitting in the grass.
Slowly means there are many opportunities to practice "Buen Camino!"
Slowly means Orisson will gently hove into view.
Slowly means you will arrive early/mid afternoon.
Slowly means a gentle weariness.
Slowly means no strains.
Slowly means you will have confidence for the morrow.

Come slowly to the High Pyrenees,
Slowly, to a Basque afternoon.

How's this for slow Gerard/..... so inspired by your prose I booked two nights in SJPP.....I get in late to Madrid and then a day travellling to get to SJPP so I thought why not soak in the start of my journey. Have treated myself and booked into Erricaldia http://www.errecaldia.com/index.php/en/ where I get to sleep off my jet lag in a four poster bed.....doesnt get more lush than that. How is that for no strain???

 

[chilledKat]

I just have to say....7 more sleeps till I fly out........woo hoo!!!!

Should I be buying the John Brierly guide???

Getting excited after a crappy week where a car ran into the back of mine so I currently have whiplash and some lovely bruising....so hope to be better come next Thursday...if anyone else is travelling around the same time I will gladly accept all offers of a shoulder and neck massage

 

[gerardcarey]

How is that for no strain???

You'll do me cobber!
Buen Camino!

 

[chilledKat]

Well folks. My first post on this forum was May 21st and here I am 11th June with only one sleep left before I fly out of Melbourne bound for Madrid to start my Camino in SJPP.

Thank you to everyone who has got me this far. There has been some wonderful private conversations that I have had as well which has helped me keep my focus. Stupidly or not, I leave with mild concussion following a very recent car accident....so for those peregrinos who may find me dazed and confused....that is probably just me, and not the concussion

I still have yet to pack, yet to get a back pack, some supplies so tomorrow promises to be a busy day before I fly out at an ungodly hour. I may even take a photo of me in my garb since it will be like dress-ups for me given I have never backpacked, hiked or used walking poles....I am prepared for my family to fall about in fits of laughter....

So from me to you, huge huge thanks and blessings to you all. You have become a part of my own Camino even from behind your computer screens.
Katrina xoxo

 

[Dave2525]

Good Luck Katrina. Can't wait to see the photo

 

[chilledKat]

Good Luck Katrina. Can't wait to see the photo

Thanks Dave.....it will be coming unless I look really bad. I still have a modicum of vanity or pride which will no doubt be knocked out of me when I hit the trail.

Mind you, I saw some photos of a friend who looked so darn glamorous on the Camino. Was like a photo shoot for Vogue or something. She wrapped a bandana round her head Ina top knot a la 1940's style. Inspire by her fashion style I tried the same....I looked like I should have been scrubbing toilets instead.

As they say in Australian slang...I will be the 'dag' on the Camino.

(Ps....Don't google dag....it reads as matted wool with dung hanging from the back of a sheep's bottom.)

 

[Tom Omen]

Hi Kat - sounds great! Many people go on Camino because there has been a trauma in their lives, that moment when what we thought was safe has suddenly gone - something happens inside, deep inside, and one just HAS to go - without really even knowing why ... the Camino can be life-changing, not necessarily because one has some deep spiritual insight - though this does happen to thousands - but more because it is usually the first time in our lives that we step out of our lives .. into something simpler, some ancient migration thing that seems to be hard-wired into our dna. For decades we have wrapped around us a lifestyle that, when we look at it, we find has been created by others, that we have adopted and lived as if it was ourselves living - it isn't. It never was.
When the break comes it leaves us fearful, somehow empty, but in that moment there is also a yearning, a yearning to be what and who we really are - the problem is, we have no idea what and who we really are and there is fear there, a lot of fear ... then something weird happens - we 'accidentally' hear about the Camino and it grabs us, won't let us go, until we surrender and go - to me it is God calling (whatever that may mean to you) - and this is what you are doing, responding - this is a good thing!

Nervousness is normal, fear of what will happen out there is normal, fear of being alone is normal. You know, we have two minds; the chattering one that needs certainty above all things, the one that tries to make us live safe and small, the one that is afraid - afraid of change, afraid of the new, afraid of being alone ... but our other mind, the deep one behind that chattering mind, is the one that can connect with the Universe as One, that is always connected to that Oneness - that mind is not afraid, that mind does not need certainty and safety and fear - that one is strong and clear and unafraid - walking along the Camino the body at first is undergoing a lot of stress, until it gets fitter - this is ok, it is normal. The chattering mind will worry about weight, water, where the next food, how many miles, where will I sleep - but the other mind is at home, finally at home ... after some while the chattering mind sort of drops away and the still mind may make you spontaneously laugh, cry, touch a stranger, share food .. and one day you may be filled, just filled, with the glorious wonder of it all - and then the fear is gone - and then, when you return home, you just might change your life completely, because you have woken, as if from some strange dream, and are who you are - strong, kind, capable - and you are no longer afraid.
The Camino can open this for you - it does for so many who walk the Way .... tip - do not stay in contact with your other life, leave it behind - let the dead bury the dead - don't be on the phone all the time letting people know your experience - turn all that off and Live the Experience

This forum is great - many kind and supporting people on here, and treasure chests full of practical information - anything you need to know is here.

Have a wonderful Camino!

All is Well

As a signed up member of the chattering life I have to say your post is one of the most sensible, true and beautiful things I have read on the forum. You are a poet, a wordsmith... in all those far flung villages over the centuries, in hovels and great houses your predecessors have encouraged and cajoled would be pilgrims into taking that that first step... to leave there security and to , as you so rightly say, return to something ancient and deep within us. I am lying here at 5.30 am, been awake worrying about my camino since 4am and then thankfully found your post. I will sleep a little easier tonight. Cheers

 

[chilledKat]

As a signed up member of the chattering life I have to say your post is one of the most sensible, true and beautiful things I have read on the forum. You are a poet, a wordsmith... in all those far flung villages over the centuries, in hovels and great houses your predecessors have encouraged and cajoled would be pilgrims into taking that that first step... to leave there security and to , as you so rightly say, return to something ancient and deep within us. I am lying here at 5.30 am, been awake worrying about my camino since 4am and then thankfully found your post. I will sleep a little easier tonight. Cheers

David is a wonderful wordsmith indeed. I leave for the airport in less than two hours....why am I on here??? Last minute inspiration perhaps

 

[Kanga]

David is a wonderful wordsmith indeed. I leave for the airport in less than two hours....why am I on here??? Last minute inspiration perhaps

Give yourself to the moment! Buen Camino Kat!

 

[Tom Omen]

Kat, safe journey. Having read your previous posts I sense real enquiry. There's an old 40's film with dame Wendy hiller-' I know where I'm going'. I think you do. You seem to have a great attitude... You never know you may hear a puffing, weezing ,grumbling old git behind you... That'll be me. Wishing you all the best...tom

David is a wonderful wordsmith indeed. I leave for the airport in less than two hours....why am I on here??? Last minute inspiration perhaps

Kay

 

[chilledKat]

Well folks with only one hour to go before the plane takes off, I sit here and enjoy a glass of red and ignore that fact it is 1:40am!

My pack weighed an impressive 6.9kilos which has shocked me to no end considering I only packed for the first time at 9pm tonight and just bought the backpack today. It's a miracle I tell you.

Here's the photo as promised
And to the path that is about to unfold....
Hi ho hi ho it's off to Spain I go

 

[OzAnnie]

Lovely photo Kat. First of many - and many more miles and smiles. You're on your way!
Buen Camino

 

[Tom Omen]

That is a good photo Kat. Teeth slightly gritted, but looking pretty cool.
I am leaving situations here. As I said on another thread I feel slightly foolish and a bit of a fraud. I only decided to do this a couple of weeks ago. I know I'm not running away exactly; I need to feel something different, something new. Perhaps. I have had insomnia for three years now. I have been weening myself of my sleeper this last week. There are risks to coming off them so quick but I am determined to do the Camino as me, without them. The urge to do this now is worth the risk. I have totally let it flow over me today. i am REALLY excited now about the Camino.
Your posts have been honest and funny and real. Take those qualities with you and you'll do nay bad.
Buen Camino!! Tom Omen

 

[chilledKat]

That is a good photo Kat. Teeth slightly gritted, but looking pretty cool.
I am leaving situations here. As I said on another thread I feel slightly foolish and a bit of a fraud. I only decided to do this a couple of weeks ago. I know I'm not running away exactly; I need to feel something different, something new. Perhaps. I have had insomnia for three years now. I have been weening myself of my sleeper this last week. There are risks to coming off them so quick but I am determined to do the Camino as me, without them. The urge to do this now is worth the risk. I have totally let it flow over me today. i am REALLY excited now about the Camino.
Your posts have been honest and funny and real. Take those qualities with you and you'll do nay bad.
Buen Camino!! Tom Omen

Thanks Tom

Am on the bus on the way to Pamplona! Woo hoo

Don't feel foolish or a bit of a fraud.... We are all in the same boat in this life and anyone who purports to have all the answers is delusional

I already started the self flagellation for the day, comparing myself which was ridiculous. I was ridiculing myself for not being fit and toned like this Aussie girl I saw working out in the hotel gym. I felt so inadequate and was busy berating myself instead of enjoying myself in the hotel pool. Fate stepped in to ground me in the moment by making my top fall off in the pool!!! That snapped me out of my head stuff v quickly

If this helps you... I am doing a George from Seinfeld! In one episode he realised that every decision he made in life led him to where he was.....and where he was, was shit. So he decided to do the exact opposite of all he had done. So that's what I am doing....basing my life on an American sitcom. lol

I haven't planned a thing and I don't have a guide book so once I leave Orisson I am as free as a bird

 

[Tom Omen]

Fabulous!!! I went for a bit of a hike yesterday and several times I wondered how you were doing. I had a big smile on my face. Kind of you to supply poolside entertainment for the guests sitting there sipping their drinks. Husbands pretending to clean their glasses... knowing looks from the wives...Jezabel!!
I really intend to try and just flow with it when I arrive. I have no time limit... I can take a couple of months truth be told.. so I really want to experience the land and the people. My grandad was a fervent socialist and did a Laurie Lee, crossing into Spain and joining the International Brigade. I have always wanted to see where he was. I have also decided to bring a bronze crucifix my late father gave me. He was a civil engineer and dug it up in a plague pit on the outskirts of a village in sussex. It was beside a man of 40 ish, with no signs on the bones of hard labour so they thought he may have been a priest. Me dad borrowed it before the county archaeologist turned up.The pit was for the dead of the Black Death in 1348/49. It's a beautiful piece and it means my dad along with me grandad is with me on the camino.
Keep on laughing Kat; you have a great attitude and I'm only sorry I won't get to discuss ponchos with you in person. Tom

 

[Tom Omen]

My grammar and spelling are awful!!!

 

[chilledKat]

Great story Tom

Having been on the road for over 48 hours am pleased to say I have arrived in SJPP......with a couple of pit stops on the way. I shared a cafe con leche and breakfast with the land...... Yep hardcore car sickness. I felt sorry for my travelling companions who I had befriended to cab it with. But am here now and alive and jet lag has hit epic proportions now so should end this post now before I incriminate myself somehow

 

[Monk Moses]

Great story Tom

Having been on the road for over 48 hours am pleased to say I have arrived in SJPP......with a couple of pit stops on the way. I shared a cafe con leche and breakfast with the land...... Yep hardcore car sickness. I felt sorry for my travelling companions who I had befriended to cab it with. But am here now and alive and jet lag has hit epic proportions now so should end this post now before I incriminate myself somehow

Feel better and Buen Camino Kat!

 

[Marilyn Russell]

Hi - The initial logistics of "getting there" seem staggering at first. I flew into Paris, then trains to SJPdP. If I had known about the Corazon Puro deal in Pamplona I think I would have done that instead. Since you haven't walked much, please try and stay at Orisson the first night. Even though it seems not too long of a walk, it is fairly relentlessly uphill, more tiring I thought than the following day over to Roncevalles. If you can't get a reservation there, call them a couple of days before and see if they have a cancellation. That's what the owner told me to do, and it worked. Walk as much as you can in the next couple of weeks (buy shoes first), and as soon as you get on the plane, it's out of your hands. Relax, sit back, enjoy, and you will be in for an incredible experience. Buen camino - Cherry

Corazon Puro deal in Pamplona? Can you tell me about this?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can read all about it here:

http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html

 

[cherrys]

You can read all about it here:

http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html

Thanks falcon for replying to this query for me, as I didn't know the information

 

[Marilyn Russell]

Thanks for the info. I've decided to start from Pamplona and will probably be staying at the Hostel Hemingway.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am doing a George from Seinfeld! In one episode he realised that every decision he made in life led him to where he was.....and where he was, was shit. So he decided to do the exact opposite of all he had done. So that's what I am doing....basing my life on an American sitcom.

I haven't planned a thing and I don't have a guide book so once I leave Orisson I am as free as a bird.

Your experience would make an excellent Seinfeld episode! Maybe you can do a treatment for Larry David...