Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[pjdine]

Welcome back, Howie - I hope your plan of booking accomodation worked out well for you. I would say that the only thing that marred my trip was the awareness of a certain competitveness about setting off before dawn (with much rustling and fuss, thus waking everybody else up) seemingly in order to nab space at alburgues by midday. The days in mid-May were not hot enough to justify such early starts. We saw the dawn, enjoyed our walks, then caught up with the racers in the evening, all with their laundry dry, the top bunks nabbed (and no chance of them surrendering them to anyone less able to climb - I saw a French lady in her 70s having to clamber up with arthritic joints to sleep above a chap in his 20s).

So, I hope you were able to clear your mind of such trivia, and concentrate to your journey!

Yes, Xm is a sad (but I hope temporary) loss. What is wrong with posting a lot? - not as bad as my tendency - too often I seem to be the last comment - as though I have shut everyone up - that is much worse.

Tell us about your Camino.

Best wishes,

Pip

[KiwiNomad06]

I would say that the only thing that marred my trip was the awareness of a certain competitveness about setting off before dawn (with much rustling and fuss, thus waking everybody else up) seemingly in order to nab space at alburgues by midday. The days in mid-May were not hot enough to justify such early starts. We saw the dawn, enjoyed our walks, then caught up with the racers in the evening, all with their laundry dry, the top bunks nabbed (and no chance of them surrendering them to anyone less able to climb - I saw a French lady in her 70s having to clamber up with arthritic joints to sleep above a chap in his 20s).
Pip

I intend to take things slowly and enjoy the view. But I guess my biggest worry is that I will arrive somewhere later in the day, too exhausted to walk further, only to find there is no bed available. I guess it might be something I will have to learn to cope with. I am not leaving NZ until April 2008 so I still have time to save for a hotel room where that exists at not too expensive a rate. And I have noted what quite a few people have said here on the forum about staying at less 'used' villages etc as perhaps they will not be so full. We'll see.

I am just finishing a university paper that has kept me very busy for the last few months on top of work. I am really looking forward to building up my walking fitness again over the coming months!

[pjdine]

Dear KiwiNomad - good luck with the paper, getting it done will make your Camino feel even more like liberation!

[Howie]

Folks - I have been in Europe for quite a few weeks (Athens, some greek islands, Rome, Tuscany, Venice, Switzerland, Germany - all about friends & family) . I did NOT walk the camino. Yet. That is in the pipeline for next year.

[Dawn of a new Day]

welcome back Howie, wondered what happened to you. Did you meet any dogs on the way??
dawn from victoria
completing the camino norte

[John H]

Xm, please do come back. I have just started contributing to these boards but I have been reading them for months now and always admired, not just the content of your contributions but also the spirit in which they were sent and your devotion to the comino and other pilgrims' welfare. So don't be upset by individual comments but think of all the good people you met on the camino and those who will benefit from your experience in the future.

[lillypond]

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because
it has a song.

Chinese Proverb


The woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best. ...

lillypond.