Volunteering At the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago

I am really happy to let you know that I have been accepted as a volunteer in the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.  I will be one of those happy faces to greet you when you come to receive your Compestella or to ask for help in any way.
I heard about this opportunity last year when I was walking to Finnesterra from Santiago.  A woman I met had just finished her 2 weeks.  It sounded like a great idea and I applied to Johnny Walker on the Forum  (the Camino de Santiago Forum) and was accepted.  I was sure that wouldn't happen as my language skills (Spanish) are almost non-existant.
So on July 17 I will be at my post for 2 weeks.   I will be one of 4 for those 2 weeks and I am really looking forward to it.

I will report back in August.

Know Your Pilgrim Partner

Hello dear Pilgrims.  Haven't posted in a while as you can see.  I have been back to the Camino though.  2012 I walked from Pamplona to Burgos with some friends.  I then took the bus to Santiago and at last walked to Finnesterra!
My latest news is that I will be in Santiago for 2 weeks this year as a volunteer at the Pilgrim Office.  If you are there between July 17 and August 2 look me up!
The Camino continues to be a blessing in my life.  I turned 65 this year and I know that the walking has contributed to my health and well being.

Last year's walk was quite an experience.  One of the men that was with us was truly unprepared for the trip.  He had researched the walk and his packing needs very well, however, at the end of the day his decisions were not good.

First of all he is a severe type one diabetic but he neglected to tell us about how bad he was before we left.  On the first day out of Pamplona, we were very afraid that we were going to lose him, that climb is pretty strenuous.  Second, he had a 36 pound pack.  We left alot of clothing, etc in Pamplona because he had brought 2 of everything "Just in case..."  We had difficulty finding a place to stay that first day out and by 7 p.m., he was is such pain and anxiety that he cried when we finally found a place.

He only walked 4 part days after that, taking the bus and meeting us at our daily destination point.  He suffered greatly from his first day. 

Thankfully he was o.k. after 2 weeks but cut his walk short and changed his flight for home.  It was really hard on him as you can imagine.  We were greatful to him for taking the bus daily as we were able to enjoy our walk. 

I mention this as a caution to those of you who will walk in the future.  It is so important to pack light, really get to know your walking partners before you go and to make emergency plans should anything go wrong.

On my first Camino, my sister-in-law and I agreed before we left that if anything goes wrong, the other would continue walking once the problem was in good hands.  As it turned out, her shoes were too small and she suffered really awful pains.   She stayed in Lyon for a few days, took the bus once or twice and we were able to meet up a week later and finish into Santiago together.

Do pay attention to packing lists.  Check out my book "Planning Your Camino" on Amazon as part of your research and enjoy!

Buen Camino
Beverley

On the Road Again

So here I am one month to the day I head back to Spain.  I know I said that I was done but after finding some folks wanted help with their planning I invited myslef along.  We will be starting in Pamplona.  I will walk with them for 2 weeks then bus to Santi.  I will go to Finisterra this time out of Santiago by foot. 
I am looking forward to getting my boots back on and feeling the freedom once again of walking every day.  I swore that I would not go alone again as I found it terribly lonely even though I walked with others much of the time.  The 4 days to The End of The World will be wonderful I know.  I will be taking my buffs with me, or at least some, and will try to sell to the Pilgrims in Santiago (I know where to find them!)

So loving readers, send your blessings and I will report back in the end of September.

Now What?

It has been many months since I posted. It has been many mosre months since my last visit to Spain.  Walking the Del Norte by myslef, all be it meeting people along the way, is enough solitude.  At my age, 64, I am still wanting adventure but not alone.  I have had enough of being by myself, I want someone to share my adventures with.  My husband is not willing to get out there but at least we agree that it is o.k. for me to experience the life I want.

I think I am done with Spain.  But now what?  There are other sacred walks in places around the world and it seems that I mush begin to find company on those journeys.  There are web sites that help single travellers find other single travellers or groups to share journeys with, I think I will start there.  Here's to meeting new friends on the travel sites.

Memories of Getting to Deba

I finally got to a computer after reaching the del Norte but not until Deba, day 4 and 8 days away from home.  I left Toronto and flew to Barcelona which was amazing to the end.  I spent most of the last day at the Picasso Museum.  What a great display.  There was, just by chance, a special collection on view of his works from Paris and a few private collections.  The show was about his years in Paris starting in 1900.  He was young and learning from the artists of the day.  The main gallery shows his works from the 30s on.  He appears to be quite a character. 


I left Barcelona by train at 7:30 in the morning and got to Irun by 1in the afternoon.  It was sunny when I got to Irun, had a hard time finding the Albergue only to discover it didn't open until 4.  The next day it was raining like crazy.  (No real raincoat, remember my last post!)

It has rained since Irun,  through San Sebastian and through to Zarautz the next day.   But the sun came out in Deba.  I am walking with a woman from Ireland who is really a lot of fun with the Irish humour etc.  This is her 3rd Camino too so we have a lot to talk about.  My god the hills on the Del Norte so far are amazing.  No gradual climbs,  - straight up and straight down and many of them.  I am so greatful that I am fit. 
As ususal our average walk is 20 to 22K.  We usually are at our destination by 1.30 but  we didn´t get to Deba until 3.  The hills were steep but also many muddy trails that were slippery.  I couldn´t wait to get my boots off.  Yesterday and today are beach towns and the water is beautiful.  I got into the ocean for a swim yesterday and today our day was so long that I had to take up the time getting a bed, finding food and writing to catch up with everyone. 
Deba  is an very interesting town.  It has elevators!  Right in the middle of the town, there are elevators to move people up the various levels that the town is built on.  Why I didn't take a photo I don't know.  Anyway the presence of eleators in a small town like Deba might give you some sense of the steepness of the hills around there.

Photos are, Irun, Leaving Irun in the Rain by Boat, Zararutz beach where we swam and the Picasso posted in Barcelona. So much for now.  Stay tuned.

I hope I haven't lost you

I have been absent from my blog for far too long.  I hope to make it up to you, dear readers, by getting back into the swing of writing.  There is so much that I have not written about Del Norte or about my reactions to walking there.
I will try not to let my ego get out front, but I have to say that in many ways the Del Norte was harder than either the Frances or the Portuguese and I made it!  What made it difficult?
First, the 10 days of rain through the mountains was tough.  I was so confident from my previous Caminos that it never rained hard enough for a serious rain coat, that I didn't take anything but a disposable!
Well that changed by day two and a half and lucky for me Donostia-San Sabastiaan had a few great out-door shops.  I bought a rain coat that I had been looking for in Canada.  Yes, the exact one that was not available at MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) and for the same price they were selling it for.  Wow, I was ready now.
I stepped out of the store in my newly aquired red, red, red zipperd coat with additional closers in case I didn't want to zip up and with a properly fitting hood and last but not least an expandable pouch in the back that fitted over my pack without exposing the back of my knees to the weather!  Wow, it was great to be dry.
 So let that be my first lesson on the Del Norte.  Don't take Mother Nature for granted ever.  Be alert! Be ready!
Stay tuned for another entry to this blog any day now.

After Portugalete

So now the route levels out, thank St James.  In addition the sun is breaking though more often as we have left the Basque country.  Now into Cantabria we are dealing with asphalt, every step of the way.  Oh that is a big shock to my bad knees.  I am greatful that my boots are good to my feet at least.  Still no blisters.

So on through to Pobena and Cobaron.