In Spain, and on the Camino

In Paris
By the time we napped there wasnt much time left, so we got a picnic and wandered Square George Brassens. It had pony rides, a carousel, a rock climbing area, a herb garden, a wading pool and beach, a waterfall, and a flea market for books on Sunday, and all in about an acre.
Travelling to St Jean pied de Port on tuesday the 22nd
We had a great trip on the train through the french contryside.. Though we could only get an unreserved seat, we got fine ones. We wandered Bayonne for 2 hours, then a bus to St Jean and our albergue. We got info from the Pilgrims office, then dinnner. He kindly made me an omelet, as the meat was veal. No eating animals for me! Of course, when lights were out, the chorus began: snorers!
Up to Orrison´on Wed the 23rd
We had a lovely day for a very steep climb to Orrison. Slow and steady, with lots of breaks for water. The farms were beautiful, perched on steep slopes, and we saw lots of sheep and a few ponies. We arrived at 11 am, after a 3 hour climb, with no injuries.I did a lot of puffing on the way up. After a shower, laundry, and a brief nap we had lots of time to get to know the other 34 pilgrims staying there, while watching those hardy souls pushing past, all the way to Roncesvalles. I finished a book, wrote in my journal, and just vegetated. Dinner was at 6:30. and everyone introduced themselves. Dinner was vegetable soup, roast pork, white beans in a tomato sauce and basque cake (I got fruit salad). Lights were out in our room by 9 pm.
Up and over to Roncesvalles on thursday
We left 7:50, and it was a gruelling day. We encountered every kind of weather. First the sun shone, then clouds formed, drifting across the paths. We saw banks of snow, still unmelted. Then it became black, and it sprinkled. Then more sun, but as we descended to Roncesvalles, the clouds opened, and both Wendy and I fell,on the muddy path as we took the steep route down, but no injuries and the laundry is done and drying.
We saw many sheep, horse and cattle, wandering, as most of the pasture is unfenced.
The terrain is as varied as the weather; paved paths, stones, gravel, mud, rocks with a river running through, and mulch as we walked through the forests. The path was as steep as yesterday in places, and the descent was about 45¨´ the whole time. We climbed to 1440 m, so were above the clouds most of the time. The valleys were filled with mist
Monks have welcomed pilgrims here at the monastery since the early 12th century. Since I was here in 2007, they have updated the albergue, and there are cubicles with 2 bunks in each, and they expect 300 pilgrims today. They will do your laundry for 3 euros. I will go to dinner at 7 and mass at 8. I missed both last time, as I arrived at 8 pm then.
So we had a challenging and rewarding day today, and after a great sleep tonight, we will be ready for another great day tomorrow.

Buen Camino! ( the monastery in Roncesvalles)

IN PARIS

We are in Paris .. April in Paris.
Im struggling with a French keyboard;  cant correct the typos, sorry.
Here is a picture of me and Cici  at Beach United yesterday: It was a last day for her too; she is off to Indonesia and Switzerland; I will be back but she wont.


The flight was uneventful but mostly sleepless.
I napped when we checked into the Arty Hostel here in Paris. Thanks for the reference, Mike. It is the smallest double room I have ever been in. You cannot close the bathroom door while standing at the sink.

We will go out and wander later and have dinner  and people watch.

Tomorrow we travel by train to St Jean arriving about 7:30.
Wednesday morning it is up the mountain.

Adieu
Darlene

One Day to Go

I'm ready to go - my hair cut, to minimize the weight, backpack on, and on a training walk.
Tomorrow we leave, and I am so excited I am vibrating.
Yesterday, we had our last training walk led by me until my return. The group will be ably led by Linda and Pat in my absence, and they have planned to walk in some new territory.
Wendy and I walked about 23 km yesterdaywith the group - from home to my church, then along the waterfront, picking up more people at  Leslie and Lakeshore, then down the Spit - a total of 10 km down and back.Then we returned to my house for tea and cookies. The happiness and good feelings in my apartment lasted all evening.
We fly Air France tomorrow, arriving at 8 am Paris time on Monday morning. We'll spend the day in Paris, and travel by train to St Jean Pied de Port, arriving Tuesday evening in time for dinner. Wednesday we'll climb up the mountain to Orrison - a short day to begin. Roncesvalles on Thursday evening, then we will let the Camino tell us where we start and stop.
The adventure, which began when we decided to walk together, begins in earnest tomorrow!

A Packing List to celebrate 6000 hits!

My blog has had 6000 views in it's short life. I had no idea when I began it, that it would be so much fun, and such a great way to spread the word about the benefits of walking and the Camino.
Thank you for reading, and commenting. I am hoping that you will sign up for regular posts, and comment, especially while I am on the Camino - I know I really appreciated the thought that someone was following my story, and so I felt connected to home.

I am assembling my backpack, though there is still almost 4 weeks until we leave. Actually, what to take is a
perennial topic of conversation on the walks with pilgrims.
Can we do carry-on only?
That is my plan.
Should we put our poles in our packs, and can we carry them on?
Apparently that is allowed on Air France, the airline we are using.
How many pairs of underwear?
3 pair - I auditioned them, and chose the 3 pair that dried the fastest.
Snacks, and gluten-free food?
I will take some oatmeal for breakfasts, and some rice cakes for the first few days. I was able to buy them in the larger towns in Spain.And maybe some of my delicious raw balls.
Merino or technical?
Merino exclusively, except for the underwear that passed the test - well worn cotton.

Here is the clothing I will take:
2 pr short sleeved merino t shirts - I will sleep in one, and wear it for the day as a base layer
2 pr long sleeved merino shirts - I will likely wear one over my other shirt most mornings
1 3/4 sleeve merino shirt for the evenings
1 long sleeved merino hoodie
1 waterproof jacket with pit zips
1 pair nylon hiking pants with zip off bottoms
1 pair water and wind resistant long pants
1 pair of part merino leggings, for sleeping in, and cool mornings
3 pair underwear, 2 bras
1 or 2 scarves
1 baseball cap
1 buff - great for cool mornings, and to keep the sun off my neck

1 down sleeping bag, 750 grams, borrowed from my son-in-law Michael
1 silk liner - inside the sleeping bag for cold nights, and alone for hot nights

I have still to decide on the toiletries and first aid elements, though I know how much face cream I will need. Most of these items can be purchased in Spain, so I take the bare minimum - one or 2 bandaids, and a small tube of toothpaste. Don't forget the vaseline - to lubricate my feet and toes every morning as a blister preventative.

A camera and battery charger, but no other devices - public internet computers are widely available for blogging and staying in touch.

So, readers, what do you think? Am I well prepared? Any questions, or topics you would like to hear more about?
Comments are appreciated.

Buen Camino

More on Training

I have upped my walking and am trying to walk further each day.
Here is what I was doing on Friday - thanks Julie for the picture, including the finger!
 
We walked about 20 km, and it was all gorgeous.

Saturday I had a pot-luck lunch near Avenue Road and Lawrence, so I walked up - about 10 kms.

Sunday I walked to church and back. Here is our website - our church is newly renovated, and a very exciting place to be. That walk was about 10 km all together too.
 http://beachunitedchurch.com/

On Wednesday I walked along Bloor street to Davenport to visit Monarch Vintage - a clothing store run by a high school friend of Aislinn's. Hilary recognized me as I walked in the door - I hadn't seen her for at least 15 years. Check it out at
 https://www.facebook.com/MonarchVintage.
 I'll be going through my closets and donating to her - and I won't have stuff in my closets that I don't wear - a win-win. And another 15 kms.

Today our walking group went down the Don Trail to Corktown Commons. The security guard there gave us a tour of the facilities - it must be a lonely job.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corktown_Common

We resumed walking, and because Jasper ( the dog) was with us, we had coffee at Merchants of Green Coffee - a dog friendly ( and people friendly) coffee shop.
http://merchantsofgreencoffee.com/.
But that wasn't enough for some of us, so we walked the Portlands, and were home in time for lunchafter walking about 14 kms.

Tomorrow is the walking group, with a visit to the Distillery (likely)  and a visit to the waterfront and Cherry Beach tacked on for more distance.
Wednesday, I am walking back to Monarch Vintage, then an appointment at Yonge and St Clair. I likely won't walk home.
Thursday, the Waterfront Trail ( on streets, not the beach) from home to Rosetta McClain park and back to the church for choir practice.
Friday, from home up the Don Trail to Nostalgia coffee shop at O'Connor and St Clair, then lunch at Camino Bistro and home along the Danforth.

I think I'll be ready for the Camino!

Training for the Camino

 
 Hiking in the Don Valley in January


We are about to book our tickets, with less than 3 months to go, and I am wondering about training.

My goal each week is to walk 150,000 steps, though I don't always make it. That is about 90 km per week.
On the Camino, I hope to average about 25 km per day, or 150 per week.

So, how do I get to the Camino, prepared to walk that distance day after day, carrying a pack which will weigh about 8 kg plus food and water for the day?

Here is what I am doing right now:
On Fridays, I lead a hike of about 15-20 prospective pilgrims and returning pilgrims, and anyone else crazy enough to want to hike about 20 kms. And I walk 10 to 20 kms on the other days, especially on Monday and Tuesday when I lead one hour hikes, and Thursday and Sunday when I walk to church and sometimes back, carrying a 5 km backpack each time. I also go to a 90 minute yoga class each week.

Is that enough?

Or do I need to walk back to back days of 20 or more kms?
Do I need to practice with the loaded backpack for those back to back hikes?
Do I need to go up and down hills repeatedly to build up my leg muscles?
Should I be lifting weights and doing squats every other day?

I think I am in as good as or better shape than I was on my first and second Camino.
Can I trust that my body will be up to the challenge?

The proof is in the pudding - I think I will only know when I am there, doing it.

Here is a blog post from the Camino Forum with specific goals for each week. As I look at it, I think that I am almost there.
http://www.caminoadventures.com/getting-walking-fit-camino/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

What a great adventure my life is!

COOKING WITH SOUL

Cooking With Soul at Beach United Church, Saturday November 30, 2013

Beach United Church offers lunch on Thursdays to approximately 60-70 visitors. We offer a nutritious meal and fellowship to low income, homeless friends and anyone who is hungry. Then, one Saturday a month, those who love to cook and learn get together  and cook up a storm. We taste test our creations, and then on Thursday the guests get a home cooked meal.

Last Saturday I was the guest chef, and my theme was Cooking along the Spanish Camino. There was a diverse group of church members, neighbours, friends and pilgrims who worked on the menu. We made Arroz con Pollo ( chicken with rice and tomatoes, garnished with roasted red peppers and olives)
 Ensalada Mixta ( a plated salad, with romaine, carrot, tomato, cucumber, hard boiled eggs, tuna, roasted red pepper and olives, plus bocconcini),
Caldo Gallego ( a soup from Galicia, with potatoes, rutabaga, kale and white beans, seasoned with smoked paprika), and
Arroz con Leche ( rice pudding).

We talked food, cooking, Spain, and the Camino. We shared stories, photos, recipes, and tips on how to walk the Camino. We all had a good time, including Oliver, who spent the morning in a sling on Mom and Dad, and Kingston, who came disguised as the Green Lantern. Kingston is 5.

There are pictures of past Cooking with Soul events- including me as The Frugal Chef -  on our tumblr blog -  http://cookingwithsoul.tumblr.com/
and pictures of our cooking on Saturday on Beach United Church facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/beachunitedchurch/photos_stream.

Here I am, with a big smile on my face, holding a platter of Ensalada Mixta.(photo taken by Abigail)

Buen Provecho!

Darlene