Getting ready is half the fun! Well, sort of...
Trip Start
Apr 27, 2008
1
27
Trip End
Jun 05, 2008
Portland,
Oregon,
United States
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
It seems like we have been getting ready for months because we have been! Not unlike a college course we have studied the country and its history, geography, architecture and foods. We have read books written by those who have hiked before us. No one says the Camino, the walk, is easy. What it is is a journey and it differs for everyone. We will let you know how it was for each of us as we go along.
Then we attacked the backpack. New packs (rain covers, travel duffels) were purchased. The key is light weight and not much stuff. Are you listening, Sue? Several hundred dollars later (thanks, REI) we are set. Sleeping bag (down), rain gear (it is guaranteed to rain), comfy boots, blister-prevention socks (mine have individual toes in them so they qualify for cute, too), some convertible pants (the bottom of the legs fall off), a couple of shirts, some sundries, a water bladder, etc. This is not sounding light! Now let's try it out. So we have been. We have hiked well over a hundred miles over Portland's streets and trails to be sure we can do it in Spain. But wait a minute! In Spain we have to hike everyday for two weeks, 12 or so miles a day. Hmmmm...
Then the plans/hostals/albergues/hotels for the post-hike trip. Those have eaten up hundreds of hours on the computer, phone and even snail mail. Will our accomodations be perfect? Doubtful. But they have all been well-researched. Two rooms each with "matrimony beds", facing a garden or patio, and not the street (= noise). Are the walls thin? Are the rooms cleaned well? The stories will tell what really happened. Oh, and no smoking in the rooms or the hotel! In 2004 Spain passed a no-smoking law (not as strict as in the U.S.) Evidently few pay any attention to it.
Well, this is the end of my first entry. Getting ready is half the fun! Love, Sue.
"Buen viaje" from former Spanish students!
Comments
How proud I am...
That's right Sue - your first blog entry, and apparently without (much) outside help. I'll be home this weekend, so let's tackle the pictures next... :)
Oliver