THE TRAINING IS OVER, TIME TO GET MOVING

Well, I guess I'm ready. In five short days, on Easter Sunday, I will be leaving for Spain. Until recently I've had some trepidation about walking the Camino de Santiago. This usually occurs when I wake up in the middle of the night and say to myself, "what was I thinking?" Actually I would say, "what the #$^#%^@ was I thinking?" Luckily that feeling has now passed and I'm really excited about my trip. I am no longer nervous about making my connection in London nor catching the train in Madrid to Pamplona. Things will work themselves out and I'm not going to worry myself sick about it. If I have to start the Camino a day later, so be it, it's no big deal. Receintly there has been a lot of snow in the higher elvations over the Pyrenees, but the weather has been improving. A couple of days ago the pass was still closed due to deep snow. If the pass happens to be closed when I get there, I'll just walk around it.

My training is complete. This past month I walked 104 miles and rode my bike 293 miles. When you add it all up since I started my training, I walked with my pack for 443 miles and rode my bike a whopping 1732 miles. I think I'm done training. I've packed my backpack various different ways to get the weight distribution just right. It no longer bothers me to carry the pack and I have no back pain. Since I learned the correct order in adjusting the straps on my pack, it actually feels somewhat comfortable on my back, so that is a good thing. My boots are well broken in and don't hurt my feet. In fact I've been a little concerned that I might wear them out before I get to Spain. After the shot of Cortisone, my shoulder has improved, although it still pains me sometimes. I'm not gonna let that bother me nor slow me down. I am ready.

I don't intend to blog every day while walking the Camino but only when I feel like I have something to say. So I won't be doing daily updates of, "today I walked X-number of miles from point A to point B." I'll keep the blog updated on my progress but not day-to-day. If you follow me on Facebook, I'll also be posting some photographs there on occasion. A lot will depend on when I have Wi-Fi. But please bear with me when I post on the blog as I will be doing so with an iPad app called Blogsy. I've used this app a few times and I'm still trying to get used to it. It does not have spell check. Also I'm going to be trying to dictate my narrative, so we'll see how that goes.

I feel that I've done all the preperation that I can do. So, lets get to it and see if it pays off.

 

Posted with Blogsy

16 DAYS TO GO

Well, I've been continuing my training at a more relaxed pace, cutting back on the miles.  I feel that I'm in pretty good shape and have learned to live with most of the annoying aches and pains that go with walking 12 to 15 miles a day.  My shoulder has been the exception, so yesterday I paid a visit to my doctor who gave me an injection of cortisone.  Seemed to do the trick as last night was the first time in weeks that I have been able to sleep on that shoulder.

The other day my Pilgrim Passport or Credencial del Peregrino arrived. The credencial is a document that identifies the bearer as a pilgrim, with space for stamps from accommodations and sites along the Camino.  A pilgrim passport is required in order to use the Camino's system of albergues and serves as proof of completing the pilgrimage.

The Compostela is a document of completion awarded to those who walk at least the last 100 kilometers to Santiago.  One presents his completed credencial at the pilgrim office in Santiago de Compostela in order to get your Compostela, written in Latin and personalized with your name and date of completion.

I'll also be carrying this guide book with maps and a description of the route.  It also gives the pilgrim information on places to stay, eat, where to get water and information about sites along the Camino. There are other guides, but I liked this one the best as the maps had more detail than the others.   You could get by just following the yellow arrows which mark the route.

A app developer read my blog and offered me a download of an app he developed called A Wise Pilgrim Guide At first glance it looks pretty good and with the exception of the GPS feature, it works without internet, so I've loaded onto my iPad Mini which will be going along.

I've been watching the weather along the beginning of the Camino, especially over the Pyrenees. Right now the Napoleon Route, or the high route is closed due to snow.  There is a lower route one can take, but most of the off highway trails are impassable, so one must walk on the road.  Currently the weather reports call for rain and snow for the next week.  But a pilgrim must be flexible, so depending on the conditions when I arrive will go into my decision on where to begin my Camino.

Here are some photos of the current trail conditions.