Day 9 &10 I DON´T WANT A FLIPPIN´ COOKIE!!!

Mileage to date: 134 miles (in 9 days)

Let me tell you why I chose the title for the post.  We have been a bit behind schedule even though we have walked for 8-10 hours a day.  Yesterday, we decided to go for it and make up the mileage.  In 10 hours we walked 31 km (19 miles) to Santo Domingo.  There came a time during the day when I was having a lot of pain in my ankle and was going very slowly.  My mom was about 30 yards ahead of me and was waving something.  As I got closer, I could hear her saying, ¨Cookie, cookie, cookie!¨ She was trying to get me to walk faster by bribing me with a cookie!  I yelled out, ¨I don´t want a flippin´cookie!  In fact, I don´t even like those cookies!¨ LOL  Needless to say, I finally made it over to her.  We were in the midst of farmland and there was a shallow cement canal.  I took off my boot and soaked my ankle in the icy water. Ahhhh!  My left ankle has been swollen and feeling very bruised for the past 3 days.  I chalked it up to long days and many miles.  With the help of Motrin, everyday I was able to move on.  Although yesterday did push my limits.  During the last few miles into the town, all I could do was shuffle.  I had to stop and wiggle my ankle about every 100 yards.  This would help me go a little bit farther.  Finally, we reached the abergue!!  I was relieved to get off my feet.  In my mind, I wondered if I would be able to continue with this kind of pain.  At some of the albergues there are volunteers who massage your feet.  At the one we arrived at, there was a physical therapist--free of charge!!  He had many people wanting his help and I patiently waited.  When it was my turn, I explained that I had no blisters or sores, but that my ankle was very sore/bruised and the tips of my toes were numb.  Right away he started to poke & twist my ankle.  I cringed and yelped at the pain.  After a thorough inspection, he said, ¨You have a dangerous injury.  It seems to be a problem with your ligaments.  If you twist your foot on a rock, you will probably break your ankle.  This is something that you don´t want to mess with.  I can wrap it, but you need to stay off it for at least 1 day.  And you should not carry your backpack for 2 days.¨  I told him that I couldn´t stop and he warned me that if I kept going in this shape, I would severely injure my ankle.  He also said that I could just ship my backpack ahead and then I won´t have to carry it.

So, we received special permission to stay in the albergue one more day.  Unfortunately, we will have to take a bus to the next city, which is Burgos.  I´m disappointed because it will take a few miles off of my total, but I guess it will be worth it in the long run.  I must say that it has been nice to rest.  I am finishing a book and catching up on the blog.  I am also uploading a video and will post some more pics later today.

Overall, we are doing great!  Having fun, meeting so many new people and enjoying good food! 

Day 7 A few photos...

Had a few mintues to post some photos....

Ensalada Mixta--This is very popular.  It´s a salad with tuna, egg, onion, olives, tomatoes and the long white veggie in the middle is a peeled asparagus.  I have not had any soda since I left home, I am drinking Agua con Gas (water with bubbles).  This is one of our favorite meals :)

This from today.  The last two days have been unusual as we have been close to other hikers.  There were many days that we hardly saw anyone.  Today was also fun because we all had plans to go 30 km to Logorno.  As it turns out, everyone was pooped when we arrived in Viana and most everyone stopped for the day.  Tomorrow we may have to make up for lost mileage :(

This is not an unusual scene.  This is what we are seeing everyday, time after time.  Isn´t it beautiful?  We were very lucky to have overcast and rain ALL day today :)

These are my two new friends, Kevin and Fichra (Fi-gra).  We had dinner with them on our first night on the trail.  They are from Ireland.  Fichra has done the camino once before and this is Kevin´s first time.  They did not know each other before coming to Spain--now they are the best of friends.

This is a shot that my mom took of me.  We couldn´t help but stop and look at the beautiful landscape.

Day 6 Feeling good, feeling tired

Buenas Dias Amigos!  Que tal?  Estoy muy buen!!  LOL!  I´m feeling a lot more comfortable with my spanish in only one week.  I find myself running words thru my mind quite a bit as I am walking.  Today, my mom sent me into a restaurant to order dinner while she reserved a table outside.  After she sat down, she realized that maybe she should have been the one to place the order.  Not necessary!!  I was able to order to plates of spaghetti, a hot chocolate and a glass of wine--and ask them to bring it outside :)  It´s amazing how little English I hear in a day.  If it´s not Spanish then it is French.  I am also enjoying all of the different accents.  Over the last couple of days, I have tried to record a few conversations.

Yesterday, was the 24th Wedding anniversary for me and Carlos.  I think this makes 3 years in a row that we have been apart on our anniversary.  We tell people that´s why we´ve been together for so long! LOL  I was able to call him and spend about 20 minutes talking.  I miss him and the kids.  I wish they could be here to experience this with me :(  Carlos said that one day we will come back together.  Carlos did get to celebrate our anniversary--my dad took him out to dinner! LOL  Thanks Dad!

I did not write over the last couple of days for two reasons.  First, I was just too dang tired on day 4 and there was no computer on Day 5.  I decided today that I may have to limit my computer time as it is getting very expensive.  It costs me 2 Euros for 40 minutes.  If I use the computer everyday, that would be 14 Euros a week, which is about $20.  Over 6 weeks, this is $120!! Aye, ye, ye!

We are still feeling great!  We have been making good time and getting into town each day about 2 or 3pm.  This gives us plenty of time to handwash our clothes and hang them out to dry.  We shower and take a nap for about 3 hours.  Then it´s time for dinner at 7:30 and off to bed.  We have been trying to get up and out the door by 6:30am each day.

We arrived in Los Arcos today and have covered approx 137 km or 85 miles!!  All of the maps take into account the acsending trails (which are very steep) and will add to the distance.  So it may be closer to 90 or 95 miles.

Here are todays HIGHLIGHTS:

• We were almost hit by a biker!  He was coming down the hill at amazing speed and seemed to be out of control as he skid towards us.  I didn´t know what else to do except grab a tree! LOL  Fortunately, he missed us.
• If that wasn´t funny enough...We were walking along and a car was coming towards us.  We have learned that it is safer to turn facing the road.  This eliminates any possibility of your backpack being hit by a side mirror.   So as the car approached (closely and quickly) I turned to face the road.  As I did so, I took a step backward hoping to get further from the road.  What I didn´t know was that there was a DEEP ditch behind me hiding in all of the overgrowth along the road.  I went sliding down, but fortunately was able to hang onto the tall grass before sliding all the way to the bottom.  My mom ran towards me and I was laughing histerically!  She was trying desperately to pull me up and all I kept saying was, ¨Take my picture, Take my picture!¨  She wasn´t interested in looking for her camera at that moment.  She finally pulled me and my heavy pack back out onto the road.  And then we both were laughing so hard, we could have pee´d our pants!  Luckily we had just visted the water closet (bathroom) in the last town :)
• We had incredible weather  today!!  It was completely cloudy for about 90% of our hike.  This could have been unbearable as there were very few trees along the trail.
• I did some more house cleaning and dumped even more items from my backpack.  I squeezed out half of my moisturizer and half of my toothpaste.  I also trashed several odds and ends.  I hope it helps with the weight of my pack.

My mind is starting to clear and I am able to focus on everything around me.  I realized today that I am no longer thinking about work or church assignments.  However, I am constantly thinking of Carlos and the kids.

We heard today that Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez have produced a movie about the Camino.  Everyone here is talking about it.  Apparently, Martin Sheen had another son who tried the Camino.  He lost his life on the Pyraneese mountains (the ones we covered the first day).  The story is that Martin & Emilio came to Spain to collect his body.  They had him cremated and then carried his ashes on the Camino to Santiago.  I have been told there is a trailer on Youtube, but I haven´t found it.  The name of the movie is called The Way.

Okay, that´s it for now.  It´s almost time for bed.  We´ve got a long hike tomorrow--almost 30 km (18miles)!

Day 3

Here we are today on Day 3.  We are leaving the albergue in Zubiri about 9am, which is a little late for us.  I decided to lighten my load by leaving behind a few items.  Maybe lost 2 lbs of luggage :)  Made a big difference going up the hills today!  We walked 7 hours and 14 miles.  Still a lot of up and down.  I´m actually enjoying the uphill :)  I think I am turning into a mountain goat!  We had a nice surprise today.  We came into Pamplona and hour early!!  We were very excited to see the big wall around the city.  We found an alburgue and settled in.  Tomorrow we are headed to Puente La Reina which is a little longer than today.

So, you know that we are walking and walking.  Let me give you an idea of what we are feeling like...
Our hair is silky soft, either from the shampoo or the water :)  We haven´t come close to being sunburned because it is cloudy and cold.  I´m starting to develop a callus on my hand from gripping my trek poles so tightly.  Our legs are sore and stiff only when we stop.  I was having quite a bit of trouble with my knees from all of the downhill, but they are feeling much better today.  I learned to release the straps on my pack and it took all the weight off of my knees.  We haven´t gotten any blisters yet.  I was feeling some tenderness on my big toes and wrapped them with duct tape.  We are hoping to stop by the pharmacia to buy some Compeed. It´s like a skin or callus that you can put on your feet.  Works very well.  When we stop for more than a few minutes, I can feel the tightness in my quads and calves.  I´m sure it is from all the hills that we have climbed.  I  cannot believe how we seem to go up them with ease.  We are slow but steady.

I have to tell you more about our trip over the Pyraneese mountains on the first day.  The weather was cold and it never stopped raining, but we were mostly warm and felt great.  We have talked to many other pilgrims that went over on the same day.  Some suffered from hypothermia!  Everyone has been talking about how unusual the weather is right now.  We are greatful that it is on the cold side rather than too hot.  The hills would be even harder.  Many people said that they have never seen the kind of weather that we experienced on the mountain.  We were very lucky to make it thru without freezing!

We just finished a spaghetti dinner down in the square of Pamplona.  There are a lot more people here and it is very busy at night.  When we arrived there was not a soul in sight--kinda weird.  But, it was siesta time and everything was closed.

We have met so many people from all over the world!  All of the hikers are friendly and say hello.  The common phrase as you pass someone on the trail is BUEN CAMINO!!  That means have a good camino!  Let´s see if I can name some of the other countries... America, South Africa, Canary Islands, England, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Spain, France, Italy, Canada and the list goes on and on.  My mom is not shy about talking to people.  She will go right up to them and ask what language they speak and where they are from.  Then it´s a big game as we try to communicate.  Most people are fluent in Spanish & French with good English.

Well it´s 9:30pm and I´ve got to get my pack ready for tomorrow and then hit the sheets...uh I mean, sleeping bag :)

Love to all!  Adios!

Day 2 We go UP and We go DOWN

After paying 10 eurosWe settled last night into our bedrooms and then headed to our 8:30pm dinner appt.  Many of the restaurants offer a Pelegrino dinner (for pilgrims/hikers only) which is a set menu of maybe 2 choices at a discounted rate. You have to choose a time--either 7:30pm or 8:30pm.  And they seat you at a large table or assign you to sit with people who speak the same language.  We were assigned to sit with two young (25 yr olds) from Ireland.  Boy they had thick accents!!  One was named Kevin and was his first time to try to Camino and the other was Frigra and it was his second.  We had great conversation and they were very interested about Arizona.  Their was only once choice for dinner--trout.  Everyone except Kevin was not excited.  We asked if there were any other choices.  The waitress brought us 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices of cheese and french fries.  Oh ya, we also had soup.  The meals are very simple and very small.  It reminds me of how much we over eat in the states!

We had a good night´s sleep and headed out at 7:30am--with no breakfast.  We made our way to a small town called Biergetz where we had a nice little breakfast made up of thinly sliced ham, cheese, orange cake and Cola Coa (hot chocolate). We headed out the door and planned to walked to Lorasona.

I don´t think we walked more than a mile on flat road today.  We went UP and we went Down.  The hills are VERY steep.  We were HOT and then we were COLD.  We stopped several times to put on and take off our jackets and long sleeve shirts.  It never rained, but the wind what icy.  Several times along the road we could see our breath.  I didn´t have any gloves to wear because they were soaked from yesterday´s rain.

Anyway, after 8 long hours and 15 miles, we finally made it to Zubiri.  We did not go to Larasona because we were exhausted and our legs were giving out.  My knees are really aching and I hate going downhill.  We decided to find a place to stay and rest for the day.

We found another beautiful albergue--actually quite fancy.  For 27 euros they include breakfast and dinner.  It´s a little pricey, but by this time we didn´t care.  We just wanted a hot shower and clean bed :)

After a 3 hour nap, we had a wonderful dinner with some great company.  Everyone spoke a different language, but we seemed to overcome that.  There was a couple from Argentina, who spoke 4 languages!!  They helped alot with translation.  There were 2 American ladies besides us.  A french couple.  A man from Austria, who served in the military with Arnold Swartzeneggar!  A man from spain and a man from Germany.  We laughed and had a great time!

We finally got to bed about 10pm.  We shared a room with 8 other people.  Normally, everyone is up early but our group seems to be lazy this morning.  I couldn´t sleep so I got up at 6:30 and came down to use the FREE computer.  I am going to have breakfast now.

We are going to follow the river to Larasona today, but then will go on to the next town.  Not sure how far it is, but it should be shorter.  Possible only 13 miles.

That´s it for now!  Adios!

DAY 1 UNTITLED AND THE REASONS WHY

I´M NOT SURE WHAT TO TITLE TODAY´S POST BECAUSE THEIR ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.  LET ME GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.... A NICE LEISURELY WALK GONE WILD.  THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE INN.  HOLY CRAP!  KEEP ON WALKIN´.  BAPTIZED BY FIRE!!  DANG, I´M IN GOOD SHAPE!, RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN!  WE WALKED HOW MANY MILES??

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT I HAD MANY INTERESTING TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM.  WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO ARRIVE SAFELY IN ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT YESTERDAY.  WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO REGISTER FOR THE CAMINO AND RECEIVE A CAMINO ¨PASSPORT.¨  AFTER THAT WE NEEDED TO FIND AN ALBERGUE (DORMATORY) FOR THE NIGHT.  AS WE WALKED DOWN THE STREETS, A NICE ELDERLY LADY ASKED US (IN SPANISH) IF WE NEEDED A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT.  WE SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING--BUT FOR AN ALBERGUE.  SHE INVITED US INTO HER HOUSE AND OFFERED US AN INVITATION TO STAY.  IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOME WITH 4 LEVELS AND MANY ROOMS.  SHE SAID THAT WE COULD STAY AND SHE WOULD PROVIDE BREAKFAST AND A SACK LUNCH FOR THE NEXT DAY!  WE ACCEPTED!  THEN WE WALKED AROUND TOWN (IN THE RAIN) AND WAITED FOR THE RESTAURANTS TO OPEN.  NOBODY OPENS BEFORE 7PM---NO EXCEPTIONS!

WE HAD A GOOD MEAL AND AND GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP.  WE AROSE AT 6:30 AND HEADED DOWN STAIRS FOR  BREAKFAST.  WE WERE JOINED BY 2 SPAINARDS, 1 AMERICAN & 1 CANADIAN.  WE HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION AND MY MOM ACTED AS TRANSLATOR AS NOT TO LEAVE ANYONE OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. lol!  WE PACKED UP OUR THINGS AND HEADED OUT.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF A DAY WE WOULD HAVE...

WE WENT TO THE CAMINO ENTRANCE AND TOOK A FEW PICTURES BEFORE WE STARTED.  WITH EXCITEMENT WE TOOK OUR FIRST STEPS ON THE TRAIL.  IT HAD BEEN DRIZZLING ALL MORNING AND DIDN´T LOOK LIKE IT WOULD STOP.  WE HAD OUR RAIN JACKETS ON AND FELT GREAT!  MY MOM ASSURED ME THAT WE WOULD DO A SHORT JAUNT TODAY--ONLY 3 HRS.  I WAS GAME :)  NOW REMEMBER, WE WERE STRARTING OUR JOURNEY OVER THE PYRRENES MOUNTAINS.  MY MOM TOLD ME THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME STEP CLIMBING, BUT FOR SHORT DISTANCES.  YES, IT WAS STEP AND I CONCENTRATED CAREFULLY ON EACH STEP BECAUSE IT WAS MAINLY IN THE MUD.  AT LAST WE MADE IT TO ORROZON (SP?).  WE EAGERLY WENT INTO THE ONLY BUILDING IN TOWN AND THE ONLY ALBERGUE.  WE WERE GOING TO GET A BED AND REST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY.  WE WOULD FINISH OUR CLIMB OVER THE MOUNTAINS TOMORROW.  OH NOOOOOO!  THERE WAS NO ROOM IN THE INN!  WE WERE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY WERE COMPLETELY FULL.  OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO KEEP WALKING TO THE NEXT TOWN--RONCEVEUX.  THE INN KEEPER TOLD US THAT WE COULD PROBABLY MAKE IT IN 6 HOURS.  HOLY CRAP!!!! DID HE SAY 6 HOURS??  YES HE DID!  WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO IT.  WE TOOK OFF OUR PACKS, PULLED OUT OUR SANDWICHES AND HEADED OUT.   IT WAS A NICE WALK IN THE RAIN.  THERE WAS FARMLAND ALL AROUND US AND BEAUTIFUL COWS AND SHEEP (YES, I SAID BEAUTIFUL).  THE GRASS WAS BEAUTIFUL, THE TREES WERE BEAUTIFUL AND MY SANDWICH WAS YUMMY!  (HAM & GOAT CHEESE)

NOW THIS IS WHERE MY BAPTISM BY FIRE COMES IN.... WE WALKED ABOUT 15 MILES---UP HILL ALL THE WAY!!!  AND WHILE DOING THIS, WE CARRIED BACKPACKS THAT WEIGH ABOUT 35 LBS!!!  DANG, I AM IN GOOD SHAPE!!  I HAD NO IDEA THAT I COULD DO THAT!  THE TRAILS SEEMED TO GO ON FOREVER AND IT CONTINUED TO RAIN.  I FELT LIKE WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS AS THE FOG WAS SO THICK.  WE COULD NOT SEE MORE THAN 20-30 YARDS AROUND US.  WE COULD HEAR THE COWS AND THEIR COWBELLS, BUT WE COULD NOT SEE THEM.  ONCE WE EVEN CAME FACE TO FACE WITH SOME ON THE ROAD AND THOUGHT THEY MIGHT CHARGE AT US.  THEY ARE HUGE!!

SO, I WE ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD AND FEELING PRETTY PROUD.  THE WIND IS BLOWING AND THE RAIN IS COMING DOWN HEAVILY.  THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL YOU, BUT MY METER IS RUNNING SHORT.  I´M GONNA HAVE TO WRAP THIS UP.  WE DID HAVE TO STOP AND PUT ON ALL OF OUR RAIN GEAR AND MY MOM CHANGED HER SOCKS.  THIS WAS A CHORE IN ITSELF!  WE KEPT WALKING --UPHILL--UNTIL WE CAME TO THE LAST 5 MILES.  IT ABRUPTLY CHANGED AND NOW IT WAS STRAIGHT DOWNHILL!!  IF YOU HAVE EVER RIDDEN A SKI LIFT AND SEE HOW STEEP THE SLOPES ARE--WELL THAT´S WHAT WERE WALKING ON.  MY KNEES WERE STARTING TO ACHE.  AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO EASE THE STRESS, I FINALLY FOUND A GOOD SOLUTION.... I WALKED BACKWARDS!  THE PAIN WAS GONE!  I CAN´T TELL YOU HOW FAR THIS LAST 5 MILES WAS.  IT FELT LIKE 20!  WE WERE COLD, WET AND HUNGRY.  

IN THE END, WE WALKED 20 MILES--ALMOST ALL UPHILL--CARRYING 35 LBS--IN 10 HOURS!  WE FOUND A BEAUTIFUL NEW ALBERGUE AND HAVE A DINNER RESERVATION AT 8:30PM.  AFTER THAT I´M SURE WE WILL DROP DEAD FOR THE NIGHT.

I HAVE TO CLOSE FOR NOW.  LOVE TO EVERYONE!!  YVETTE & YVONNE :)

We're getting closer

So, I was lucky enough to find internet access at the hotel we are staying at.  We made it to London after a long flight!  I think I've had enough of trying to sleep while sitting up!  We did have good company and plenty of laughs.  I sat next to a man from Maryland who is retired from the airlines and flies everywhere for free.  He and his wife and been to many other countries and I enjoyed hearing about their travels.  When we switched planes, we were lucky enough to sit next to another mother and daughter team from Philadelphia.  They were headed to London for a wedding.  They had us laughing the whole way!  The daughter had recently seen a TV show about the Camino trail and had lots of questions for us.  She is very excited to try it herself someday.  It was amazing at how curious people were about our trip.  Some had overheard our discussions and it started a chain of questions from everyone around us.  One of the most common questions was WHY?  We just chuckled and said, "Why not?!"  My mom explained that when she decided to go for the first time, it was because she felt like it was calling her.  She had read one of Shirley McClain's books where she mentioned going on the Camino.  After that, my mom could not get it out of her mind.

I'm loving the British accent here in London.  It's so fun to listen to.  I keep thinking that I might  be running into a member of the Royal family at any moment! LOL

Yesterday, we were exhausted and could hardly keep our eyes open.  When we firgured out the time, it was because we had basically stayed awake thru the night (AZ time)!  When we finally made it to our hotel, we both voted for a nap.  We had about 3 hours before dinner.  Then we met down in the bar area and had traditional Fish & Chips!  It was great!  We ate and decided to bed for the night--and it was only 7pm local time.  I felt like it was 3 am!  As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out--until 12 midnight.  My eyes opened and I was wide awake.  I decided to stop fighting it and turn on a movie.  Finally at 2:30am, I was ready to go back to sleep.  Woke up at 6:30, bright eyed and bushy tailed.  I was showered and packed even before my wake up call came in at 8am.  So, now I'm down in the lobby and my mom has joined me.  We are going to have breakfast and then make our way to the small airport nearby.  We are flying to Biarritz France today where we then catch a cab to St. Jean Pied de Port.  This is where we will find a place to spend the night before our official first day of walking tomorrow!  I'm ready to get on the trail and forget all this travel stuff.  Although, it has been really nice not to have any luggage to carry.  My backpack is heavy but easy to carry.

I haven't found a way to upload any videos or pics yet.  Hope to somewhere along the way!

Love to our family.  I miss Carlos and the boys already.  Wish they were here.

WONDERFUL & THOUGHTFUL FRIENDS

As I have prepared for this adventure, I have had some amazing support from family and friends!  So many have expressed words of encouragement and excitement for me.  I was especially touched when some close friends gathered together for a Bon Voyage dinner party in my honor.  We had a great night of company and conversation.  My generous hosts and dear friends, Brian & Sandi,  hired a personal chef for the evening and  he prepared a fabulous prime rib dinner!  Let me tell you... I felt so special :)  But, I was brought to tears when they presented me with a gift from the entire group.  They explained that they knew I was very limited as to what I could carry with me on the trail.  So after much thought they came up with this....

It was a beautiful box and inside was a rock and also a poem printed on a weathered piece of paper.  I mentioned once that there is a stop along the trail called La Cruz de Ferro where pilgrims (camino hikers) leave momentos.  It consists of a wooden pole about five feet high topped by a cross of iron , a replica of the original.  Over the years the base has been forming a mound. A legend says that when the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was being built, pilgrims were asked to contribute by bringing stone. Today, the tradition is to leave a stone, brought from the place of your origin.  So, my friends and husband signed the rock and asked me to carry it and then leave it at the site to remind me that they would be there with me in spirit.  We should arrive at the place about 24 days into the hike.

This is the poem they included with my rock...

Think I'll journey out some day

To wondrous lands afar,

Or even chart a journey to

A distant blazing star.

But rest assured

That where my journey sees to take me to,

Always know that when I go,

This journey takes you too.

And so our journey goes by foot

To conquer mountains tall:

But when we tire,

Let's rest our journey,

Stretched in fields of flowers,

And bathe atop the mountain from the journey--

Oh, autumn showers!

Refreshed, our journey takes a turn-

We'll venture back for home,

But first we'll let the journey

Take a tangent just to roam.

And in the winding route,

This journey's bound to bide content,

But most of all take heed-

Let's make our journey life's event.

Thanks for your love and support. ~Yvette

I'M READY!!

I'm lucky to have an experience Camino hiker going with me on this trip.  My mom has already hiked the Camino two times and knows all the ins and outs.  She came over this morning and gave me some tips for packing my backpack.  As you can see, there's not much to take--especially for 6 weeks!  I already know what I'll be wearing when I leave this weekend.  Although, it's not hard to choose as I only have 2 outfits. The only real variety I'll have will be the 3 hats that I'm taking! LOL  If you're interested in knowing what exactly is in my pack, take a look at the previous entry.  I have a video to go with it.

We're excited to get started, but also are grateful for these last few days at home.  My mom woke up on Friday and discovered that she had been bitten by the flu bug :(  She has been feeling pretty bad and has a terrible cough.  With lots of rest and vitamins, she's hoping that she will be in tip top shape by the time we leave.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't catch it!

Camino Countdown:  5 days

Time to Pack

I'm hoping to upload videos--either when I'm gone or when I return.  You can find these on the TOP RIGHT side of the blog.

Here's the first one :) Time to Pack video

The Countdown...8 days

In one week, I will be leaving for what I hope will be one of the most amazing experiences of my life!  My mother & I will be walking 600 miles across Spain in just over 30 days.


We'll be following the Camino de Santiago which is an ancient pilgrimage trail that has been in use for over 1000 years.  There are several options for distance when walking on the Camino and we have chosen the longest!  We will start in St. Jean Pied de Port, France and end in Finisterre, Spain a.k.a THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.


We will be carrying everything on our back and if all goes well, we will never use any other kind of transportation besides our own two feet.


I have started this blog, because so many of our family and friends want to be able to follow our journey.  I'm not sure how much access we will have to the internet, but I hope to post as much as I can during our trip.


Enjoy :)