Paris Airport

One sees a lot of things in an airport in 6 hours. I took note of a few things that interested me.

• A group of 17 -18 year old girls that sat In a circle for 2 hours talking and nobody was texting. I glance over several times not not once saw a cell phone. This stuck me as the most amazing thing.
• hardly anybody was overweight
• washrooms don't appear to be an important commodity. I searched for half an hour until asking someone, only to find out that they are only in the basement and you have to pay to use them. AND there were no toilet seats.
• nobody seems to care that they're not online. There was no easily available wireless, even on the eurorail. Withdrawal.
• lot of young women in the Paris airport dress in a style that I'm not accustomed to. I'll leave it at that, not wanting to be judgmental.
I have a feeling that I have many lessons about various cultures in store for me.

9:50 pm:
After a 5 hour train ride, I have now checked into a very basic, but sort of cute hotel near the train station in Bordeaux St. Jean (that St. Jean guy was popular). A shower and a good nights sleep will be awesome. Right now some quiche and salad are looking quite amazing!

Set backs or Fate

Sometimes a chain of events just happens. My flight out of London was 45 min late taking off, THEN, after running full speed through the Toronto airport to catch next flight, my flight to Paris was 2 hours late leaving. THEN I had missed my train to Bordeaux and can't get another one until 4:30 pm. WHICH MEANS that I miss my train to St Jean Pied de Port, where I start the Camino AND where I have a reservation at a B&B and have no way of canceling. All added up, I lose a full day and spending about $180; thanks Air Canada.

I think when you're on the Camino you're supposed to view setbacks like this a 'all part of the journey' and the difference of a day may chance the entire Camino experience. Maybe soon I'll be Zen about it all, but right now, after 2 hours sleep, I'm slightly annoyed.

Onward and upward.....

Two More Sleeps!

My last day of work for 6 weeks! During the last few days there are so many things on my to-do list that simply must get done in order to leave life-as-I-know-it behind. I’m fortunate to have my son staying at the house with Daisy, and I know he will do a bang-up job at keeping the plants alive too. My training continues to go well, but I honestly don’t think there is an effective way of preparing to walk up a mountain, other than to just look up at it and say, “I’m going to walk up you mountain”.


As I meet friends who have read my blog there are several questions that commonly get asked. I’ve decided to write a brief FAQ here.

1. Number one question by far – Are you walking with a group?

Answer – No I’m not walking with a group. While some groups do walk the Camino, most people walk it alone. They meet others along the way and either walk with these new found friends or some prefer to walk in solitude. I will probably prefer to walk with people because I am a talker!

2. How much does it cost?

Answer – There’s no actual fee to walk the Camino. The main cost is in the transportation to get there and home again. There is also the cost of buying the equipment because ultra lite sleeping bags and backpacks aren’t cheap! And who knew that quik-dry travel underwear is $25 per pair! The hostels (or Refugios) are either by donation or about 7 Euros per night. Food can be another 10-15 Euros per day. Of course all of this is what I’m told, having never done it, so I’ll let you know if I experience otherwise.

3. How do you sign up?

Answer – You don’t sign up ahead of time. You just show up at the St. Jean Pied de Port pilgrim’s office and register when you’re ready to start walking. You can also start anywhere along the route and don’t have to walk the whole 800 km. In fact in order to receive the Compostela in Santiago you only have to walk the last 100 km. I’ve heard that for pilgrims who have been walking for 700 km and then all of a sudden come upon the influx of ‘newbies’ in the last 100, there can be a certain feeling of judgment about them being the ‘cheaters’.

4. When does it start?

Answer – There is no official start date; just do it!

And there you have it…. The top questions asked.

As for all the advice I’ve been getting from friends…. Well that’s another story. But I just want to say that only my mother is allowed to say, “Don’t overdo it”, and “don’t try to be a hero” (I may not listen, but she can say it). As for the rest of you who are telling me, “Don’t overdo it”, thanks for the love, but you’re too late; I’m walking 800 km carrying 18 lbs. So I challenge you to “overdo it” just a little bit and to walk at least 3 km per day while I am gone!

Buen Camino

And then there's the weight.....

I think sometimes as humans we're delusional. Actually, for me it seems to happen often, where I get an image in my mind of how some situation will be, and then there's reality. I had an idea in my mind about how I'd feel carrying 17 lbs on my back. I know I said before about my backpack weighing a bit over 14, but that was because I was also delusional about the weight of water. I thought "how hard can it be to carry 17 lbs?" I remember carrying babies around for hours that must have weighed at least that. I guess that's why the universe doesn't typically permit women over 50 to have babies, because as shocking as this may seem, I am not as strong now as I was when I was 30.

Today I walked for 12 km carrying 17 lbs on my back. I hope that I'm not being delusional thinking that when I'm overlooking the beautiful scenery in Spain and trying to speak Spanish to locals alone the road that, while that back might feel as heavy, I will at least be having more fun. It is really hard to be enthusiastic about trying to train for distance and weight by walking in my own home town. And surely after a few days I'll start to get stronger (secretly wishing I'd been a bit more serious about those core strength exercises when I went to the gym).

12 days to go before I leave. Fun or not, I will put some effort into this training, in the hopes that it will decrease the suffering going over that mountain.

The Preparations Continue...

.... And the results are in! The backpack weighs 14.6 lbs. with no water. I’m not sure this is too good, but it’s not too bad either and will have to do for now. I may end up leaving stuff behind in hotel rooms and pouring shampoo down the sink out of desperation to lighten the load!

The other part of preparing for my Camino is the physical training. If anyone in my hometown sees a lady in hiking boots, backpack, a Tilley-knockoff hat and using hiking poles walking down Richmond, it is probably me. It may appear obvious that the best way to prepare for a long walk is to just walk, but we’re talking about very serious walking here. So I joined up with a group a very serious walkers; the Running Room’s half-marathon walking group.

I have learned that there is a difference between hiking (what I’m doing) and marathon walking. These wonderful people walk fast. For them it is as much about time as it is distance and I am finding it challenging to keep up, but so far I’m doing pretty well. We walk three times per week and this morning did 16 km.  And there I was, bring up the rear, trying not to complain too much about the fact that it was pouring rain and my backpack was so soaked that it was getting heavier by the minute. But despite the rain and the heat and my hips seizing up regularly, this is just the greatest group of people. It’s been so much fun getting to know them as we walk and talk and walk and talk. Looking forward to doing 18 km next Sunday!

I would like to say a bit on the value of hiking poles. Mine are called ‘Pacer Poles’ and they really make a big difference, especially going up and down hills. Almost everything I’ve learned about how to walk the Camino has been from the Camino de Santiago Forum (Link on the right of this page) and almost everyone there says that hiking poles are a must. Going up hill they give you four legs instead of two and when going down steep hills give you stability and balance. In some areas it could be dangerous to not have them, especially on trails that are close to a drop-off.

For the next three weeks my challenge will be to focus on work and to not constantly be thinking about getting on that plane! Yes, only 3 weeks from today I will be in St Jean Pied de Port, France, ready to embark on my 5-week journey!

How Much Does Your Life Weigh?

In the movie Up in the Air, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man whose job is to travel around firing people. On top of that, he gives “motivational” speeches to other companies called ‘The Backpack Speech’.

“How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second you are carrying a backpack. I want you to pack it with all the stuff you have in your life.”

In about a month from now (Sept 3rd) I’ll be boarding a plane and on my way for my Camino de Santiago adventure. I’ll be walking 800 km from a small town in France called Saint Jean de Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela, near the north-west coast of Spain. The Camino consists of pre-defined hiking routes that pilgrims have travelled for over 1000 years. The route that I will be taking is the most popular, called Camino Francis and I will need to walk about 25 km per day in order to complete my adventure in 32 days. I will be staying at hostels along the route that have been set up specifically to accommodate pilgrims. Some of these are public and some private and many have volunteers working at them. I’ve been told that most cost about 7 euros per night (your only allowed to stay one night) and the ‘pilgrim’s fare’ evening meal is available for purchase.

People from all over the world are walking the Camino everyday. They carry a credential or pilgrim passport, which gets stamped at each town that is passed through. Upon reaching the Cathedral in Santiago the Compostela is received (certificate from the church to say you’ve done it)! Of course by that time I’m sure any true reward will have already been received, otherwise the whole point would have been lost.

My first day of walking will be 25 km UPHILL over the Pyrenees. Needless to say, this is the day that worries me the most, but I have a few other worries too;

• What if I get blisters and can’t walk?
• What if I get sick?
• What if I get lost?
• What if I snore? – I will be staying in special Hostels for the pilgrims along the route.
• What if my pack is too heavy?

Packing is an important consideration for anyone walking 800 km! I literally have to ask myself the question “How much does my life weigh?” And another very important question I must ask, “Are the things I’m putting into my pack, things that I’m really going to want to carry on my back for roughly 35 days?

When I first started thinking about this trip, there was much technology I was going to take with me. On my list were my Kindle, a camera, and iPod Touch, as well as chargers for all these devices. I thought it would be a good idea to take a couple of pairs of shoes besides my hiking boots and what about my tea mug? What was I going to do about my hair? And after all….. there are certain things that we should not have to live without like makeup and anti-wrinkle face cream.

After reading that the total suggested weight a person carry should be no more that 10% of their body weight I began to be concerned. How can this be accomplished? According to my calculations I can only carry 13 lb including pack, sleeping bag and water!
It was time to re-assess! I have just made my list and I can’t imagine how all this stuff will only weigh 13 lbs!

Things I DON’T have to carry on my back:
• Pacer Poles
• Hiking Boots
• Hat
• Passport, Driver’s License, Credit Card, Debit Card, Money, Pen (worn on body)

Things I DO have to carry on my back:
• Ultra lite Back pack
• Ultra lite Sleeping bag
• Platypus water bag - Did you know that one liter of water weighs 2 lbs?!
• 2 pairs of ultra lite Columbia zip off pants
• 2 dry wick t-shirts
• 1 dry wick long sleeve shirt
• 1 lite water repellent hooded jacket
• 3 pairs of non-cotton underwear
• 2 sports bras
• Headband
• 3 pairs of wool hiking socks

Toiletries
• Toilet Paper (who knew?)
• Toothbrush
• Travel size Toothpaste
• Small bottle 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner
• 2 in 1 soap for body wash and laundry
• Hairbrush
• Deodorant
• Chapstick
• Sunscreen
• Toiletry bag
• Ultra lite travel chamois-like bath towel
• First Aid Kit – needle and thread for blisters, Band-Aids, a couple of homeopathic remedies like Arnica (for injury) Ruta (for joint pain) Nux Vomica (for travel sickness), Tylenol (just in case)

Extras
• 1 small water bottle with clip (for extra supply)
• Back pack rain cover
• Rain poncho
• Pillow case (to stuff with clothes for pillow)
• Ear plugs (for snorers)
• Nail clippers
• 6 diaper pins (for hanging wet clothes)

Non-essentials
• iPod Touch for blogging (with charger)
• Spork (spoon and fork in one)
• Notebook
• Guidebook

Things I DON’T HAVE in my backpack are
• makeup
• hairdryer or flat-iron
• THE REST OF MY LIFE!

I do believe that all my preparations are almost in order and I have purchased everything on my list except a couple of minor items. I’ll let you know the results of the final weigh in, but I suspect all of this together is more than the recommended weight.

The other VERY important part of all this is the physical preparation required. I have read accounts of people who do nothing prior to walking and most say they suffer a great deal for the 1st two weeks until their body becomes conditioned. Hopefully some of the measures I’ve taken will cut down on suffering time and I’ll be able to enjoy my experience as pain free as possible. I’ve taken all kinds of advice about what kind of footwear, raingear, clothing and backpack to get. I’ve even taken Spanish lessons, but I’m afraid I will be performing a lot of hand gestures and my lifesaver will be an app on my iPod Touch called iSpeak Spanish. The #1 thing I’ve been doing is walking. For a year I’ve been walking, walking, walking and recently joined the Running Room’s Half Marathon Walking Group; a great bunch who teach and motivate and cheer you on. Tuesday night we did hills and last night another 6 km.

My plan is to be blogging along my journey so please check in and follow me on http://becomingawalker.blogspot.com/ . OK I’ll admit it…. I’m getting a little excited now that the time for leaving is so near!

Cool iPhone / Touch app!

Since I'm planning on blogging when I go to Spain for the Camino, I figured I'd better find a way to do it from my iPod Touch. I need practice to get faster with this crazy keyboard!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch