I'M OFF THEN

IT IS GOOD TO HAVE AN END TO JOURNEY TOWARD,

BUT IT IS THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS

Well, I think I'm ready.  I am a little concerned that I haven't trained enough.  For past Caminos, I walked greater distances in preparation than this time around.  I'm hoping that the fact that my training at 5,500 feet in elevation will make up the difference, so we shall see.  I am not taking my drone this time, but will still take video with my GoPro.  Being somewhat anal-retentive, I have booked ahead up until Santiago.  I like knowing that I don't have to look for a bed when I arrive in a town.  Yes, it does take away from some flexibility, but for me it is a less stressful option.  I hope to walk father than Santiago on to Muxia and I will book those nights as they get closer.

This is what's going in my pack: Rain jacket, Fleece, (1) short-sleeve tec T-shirt, (1) long-sleeve hiking shirt, (1) short sleeve hiking shirt, a wool beanie, mesh bag with toilet articles and medicine, iPhone, iPad Mini w/charging cables, GoPro Camera, power bank, (2) plug adapters, ear buds, (1) pair convertible hiking pants, (1) pair boxers, (2) pair underwear, (2) pair double layer socks, sandals, 1/2 of a towel, small first aid kit, tape for blister prevention, small tube of Vaseline, for the feet, and Camino guide book.  I will add a small first aid kit, clothes pins, extra boot laces, and an extra pair of boot inserts.  This list does not include what I'll be wearing, with the exception of my sandals.  Boots will be in the pack for the trip to Spain.  This all goes in my 36 liter Osprey Pack.  I also have a balance pack, which attaches to the straps of my pack that I wear in the front.  I used it on a previous Camino and it worked well, so it's going again.  The balance pack will carry my iPad, phone, guide book, glasses and snacks.  My pack includes a 1.5 liter hydration bladder.

A word about trekking poles.  I use them and find that not only do they help with balance, but when used properly, they take pressure off your joints.  There is a lot of discussion on various web sites that cater to pilgrims about poles.  The question always comes up, “Can I carry my poles on the plane.”  The answer is no.  According to TSA, they are forbidden as a carry on and must be checked with your baggage.  That doesn’t end the discussion though, as someone will invariably say, “I carried mine on from Denver with no problem”.  Others say, "they took mine from me in Los Angeles".  It goes on and on.  A recent post on the American Pilgrims on the Camino Facebook page had about 30 comments, from it’s ok, and it’s not ok.  TSA says no.  On my last Camino, I checked them and British Air lost them, so this year I will buy a pair upon arrival in Spain.

I leave on Easter Sunday for Madrid, with a change in London.  I have 7 weeks, which should allow me to walk at a leisurely pace and include a few days off. Even though I'm a little anxious about getting there,  I plan on doing the following:

HERE I GO AGAIN

 

It was bound to happen, another Camino.  It happens every time I return from Spain.  I begin to think about my next Camino.  The last time was in 2018, 5 years ago.  I had planned to go sooner, but Covid struck and that put and end to plans for 3 years.  I spent countless hours trying to figure out how to get to Spain during Covid, but it was just too much of a hassle.  In the middle of last year, things travel wise began to open up and I made the decision to go.  Cathie wanted to go also, but back problems prevents her from walking long distances.  So, I am on my own again, to walk at my desired pace of slow.

I bought the plane tickets back at the beginning of November, which saves a bunch compared to the prices now.  Having done this before, I know how to get there and I'm familiar with the logistics of the whole thing.  There is comfort in having been there done that.  More relaxing so to speak.  And to remain in my comfort zone, I will be walking the Camino Frances again.  I have made reservations for the first third on the Camino and I will continue to "reserve ahead".  This allows me to take my time walking each day knowing that I have a place to stay at the end of the days walk.  I'll be strolling along at 10 to 14 miles most days and although not in the plans, a taxi if needed.

Training has been ongoing, but nothing too strenuous, just 3 to 4 miles most days.  I will get in better condition as I walk along the Camino.  I will be turning 75 later this year and I don't want to hurt myself.  I am motivated to go again as it gives me time to think and reflect on my life and to plan the next Camino.  Oh, and to meet new people from all over the world.  On the Camino in 2017 I met Harry, who is an inspiration for me.  Here is what I wrote at the time:

I met Henry a couple of nights ago in Viana and I along, with others, shared dinner with him.   Henry comes from California and is 87 years old, or should I say young.  Thirteen years ago, Henry's wife died, and at the age of 74 he walked his first Camino.  He has walked the Camino from different starting points twice a year since then and said he will continue to do so as long as he is able.  Besides the French route starting in Saint Jean Pied de Port, there are many routes throughout Europe ending in Santiago and Henry has walked many of them.  He has walked from London, crossing the channel to Calais and walking the length of France to SJPDP then on to Santiago.  He has walked from Paris, Le Puy, France and from Southern Spain.  And remember he does this twice a year.  Some of these routes are over 1500 miles!  Obviously he is extremely fit.  He said he started this year in SJPDP, so I asked if he spent the first night in Orrison as we did.  Told me, no.  Why would someone stop after just five miles?  He always ops to do the full crossing of the Pyrenees in one day.  Now that's inspiration.

Henry would me 92 now and I bet he's still walking.

So, I leave on Easter Sunday, fly to Madrid where I will spend a couple of days recuperating from the flight.  Then take the train to Pamplona where the following morning I will began walking. Not crossing the Pyrenees this time as I have done that before.  If I get an itch to walk a portion of one of the many other paths to Santiago, I hop a bus and go do it.  It is my intention to be flexible.  I have never walked from Santiago to the coast as many pilgrims do.  I am hoping to walk to Muxia even if I have to "skip ahead" in order to do so.

Go ahead and follow along, make comments, ask questions.  I will be posting as I walk, when I get the urge say something.  If you're reading this you may have notice in the upper right a place to send me a message.  Don't be shy.  Or click the Follow Button.

OK, ONE LAST SHORT VIDEO

Just a short photo montage of Walking My Camino

WALKING MY CAMINO: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Here you go, Enjoy

THE VIDEO: PART THREE

PART TWO IS ON LINE

AN UPDATE AND PART ONE IS ON VIDEO

Here's a little update of sorts of things I forgot to tell you about and perhaps a final post. (We'll see about that).  If you followed on Facebook you might remember this guy on the left.  

I kept running into him along the way.  Almost everyday we would bump into each other.  At first I thought he was from Germany, but another pilgrim told me he's from Belgium.  I would walk into a town bar and there he would be.  It happened so often it became funny.  We would each feign displeasure of having run into each other once again.  We rarely spoke, but just shook our heads.  One day we actually sat at the same table for breakfast and there was hardly any conversation.  I asked his name, but he suggested that upon arrival in Santiago that we should tell each other our names and have dinner together.  Since we saw each other everyday, I said I would plan on it.  Well, the last time I saw him was when I took this photo.  I had another day off in the works and I think he just kept on going.  Before any of you say that I should have introduced myself, understand that he was not in the getting to know one another mood.  Anyway, we had a few laughs over several weeks acting with disdain each time we met.  Sad I never saw him again.

When I walked the Camino in 2015, I had lunch in a bar/albergue in the small village of Fonfria.  I left my pack outside and sat inside enjoying my empanada  and ice tea.  It's typical when you eat in a bar to order your food at the bar and pay when you are done eating, again at the bar.  On this day I forgot to pay.  I went outside, put on my pack and started down the hill.  After about an hour, I realized my mistake.  After some consideration I decided that I just didn't want to walk back up the hill and pay my bill.  When I arrived at my next overnight spot, I sent a message to a fellow pilgrim who was a day behind me asking her to stop and pay my bill.  Well, I later learned that she didn't stop.  So, I figure on this Camino, it was time to pay up.  So I stopped, ordered an empanada and an ice tea and sat down.  Using translate on my phone, I told the bartender, who was the same guy of my earlier crime, that I wanted to make amends.  He laughed and laughed.  He then told his mother, also working behind bar, what I had said, and she too laughed and laughed.  He told me it wasn't necessary to pay them back, but then I told them how I had come to Spain and walked over 300 miles to pay my debt.  He finally acquiesced by charging me double for my meal.

As you probably guessed, walking 440 miles takes a lot of footsteps.  Placing one's foot in front of the other day after day gets sort of memorizing at times, especially on long straight stretches.  Got me to thinking about Kurt Koontz's book about walking the Camino, A Million Steps.  Is it really a million steps?  I really didn't want to start counting, but it came to me one day that an app on my phone was doing it for me.  So on the plane ride home I opened the app and added up all the steps on the days I was walking.  It came to 1,217,037 steps.  Quite a bit more that Kurt's one million, but he's a big tall guy and probably covers more ground with each step.  Now, some of my steps were probably attributed to my taking the longer road several times and of course there's always walking out out your way looking for bars.  Anyway it's a lot of steps.

I published on YouTube part one of this Camino.  Turns out I've got lots of footage so I'm breaking the video up into to 3 or 4 parts.  Part one is below, and future installments will be published as I complete them.  Might be a week or two between installments, as editing the videos is very time consuming. Anyway, enjoy Part One.