WAKING UP THE OLD BLOG

Why? You ask.  Well, it seems I am walking the Camino again.  Here's the low down.  Last year Cathie and I started walking the Camino beginning in Saint Jean Pied de Port, the traditional starting point of the Camino Frances.  Our Camino came to an abrupt end after about 110 miles when Cathie developed a sever case of tendentious in her hip.  Although we had to end our pilgrimage, we promised ourselves that we would start anew the next year.  Then in July, Cathie broke her leg when, either her father fell on her or she was skydiving, depending on which story you believe.  (See Gassaway's Adventures.)  Not to worry though, as the doctors told us, she would be nicely healed by the time January rolled around and it was time to start training.  As luck, or the lack there of would have it, her recovery took a turn for the worst when, first she developed a blood clot behind the knee, and later it was discovered that she had some really bad nerve damage in her foot.  No extended walking for ONE YEAR.

Well, we'll just file a claim with our trip insurance, right?  The order of things precluded that.  Leg broke in July, tickets bought in September, trip insurance bought in October, nerve damage discovered in December, but as a result of the broken leg in July.  So, we're not getting our money back.  But we're only loosing the cost of one ticket as I have decided to go while Cathie recovers at home and plans a Camino for 2019.  The only positive, if you want to call it that is that the tickets were purchased with credit card points, so there was no out of pocket cost.  I have mixed emotions about leaving Cathie behind as this was to be her Camino.  I can only hope that sometime in the future she and I will be able to share the experience together.

So, now that 2018 has arrived, it's time to start training.  When planning this trip, with both of us in mine, we allowed ample time to walk to Santiago.  51 days for the entire trip, which allows for 45 days of walking, including walking past Santiago all the way to Finisterre, the end of the earth.  There would be plenty of short days, with several days off along the way.  I'm going to stick with the same plan.  Readers of Gassaway's Adventures know that I recently purchased a drone and along with my GoPro Camera, the plan is to document the trip.  Still on a learning curve in the video production department, but I'm learning.  I can use the extra time in Spain honing my cinematography skills.

Since I've got to carry extra equipment and I want it readily available, I have purchased a chest pack that attaches to my back pack shoulder straps.  This will help balance the load and give me access to the GoPro and drone without removing my pack.  You can check it out here: here.

I've started my usual training regime, bike riding, which I have been doing all along, and throwing on the backpack and walking.  Two to three days a week riding and two to three days a week walking.  I'll post on the blog occasionally during the training phase or if there is some really big news.  So follow along and don't be afraid to put your e-mail address up there on the right.  Oh, yes, I almost forgot, I've got an extra ticket if someone wants it.