7 days to go...

At this time (2pm Thursday, May 14th, 2015) I will be on my first flight toward my journey on the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela!

Keep me in your thoughts, prayers, and follow me!
Next post will be from St Jean Pied de Port, France!

Till soon,

14 days to go!

Wow!
Wow!
The seed to walk the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela was planted 5 long years ago whilst having a "need to travel" with my brother Robert!
Wow! Freaking myself out knowing that the time has finally come.

I have walked the Camino in my mind hundreds of times.
I have a John Brierley guidebook of The Way of St. James - A Practical & Mystical Manual for the Modern Day Pilgrim also referred to as a Guide to the Camino de Santiago.

Anyway, I have devoured this guide, page by page, map by map, as well as watching YouTube videos of others' journey on the Camino Frances.

I have read books:

• Women of the Way: Embracing the Camino
• A Million Steps 
• What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim 

I have watched The Way with Martin Sheen - a father's experience walking the Camino, it only increased my desire to walk.

I am ready, so ready!

A little bit of statistics so far this year of the amount of pilgrims or pereginos or pèlerins that have made the journey so far:

January 2015 - 1, 217 (compared to 906 in 2014)

• 64.34% men
• 35.66% women of which 4.44% were 60 and over.

February 2015 - 1, 544 (compared to 970 in 2014)

• 61.59% men
• 38.41% women of which 4.73% were 60 and over.

March 2015 - 5, 080 (compared to 3,150 in 2014)

• 55.75% men
• 44.25% women of which 8.19% were 60 and over.

April stats not yet up, I will update when it is available. So, so far this year, 7, 841 brave souls!

Quite a steady increase from 2014 and, looks like women prefer warmer weather - smarte!

Buen Camino!

(Camino: way, path, journey, road)

Video...testing...

Today I walked a route I use often.
I decided to take my GoPro along.
I filmed for 58 minutes.
This blog only allow 100mb or 1:35 clip.
I was not planning on putting a 58 minute video, however, I would have liked to have maybe a 5 minute clip.
I uploaded 1 clip at the required time and once I clicked "publish" and reviewed "live" it was horrible.
So, here I will add a link for my walk down an access point to Kempenfelt Bay and see if it works better. It is not as clear as the original, I will have to work on that - take some Tutorials or something.
Click on Kempenfelt Bay, and let's see,

Till soon!

PS: I checked it, it is not so bad! Let me know what you think!

Why?

One can answer in a variety of ways:
"Why not?"
"Because I can!"
"Not sure!"
"The Camino is calling me!"
"It is on my Bucket List"
"To find answers!" or "Find myself!" or "Discover my best self!"
"Spiritual Connection" or "Spiritual Awakening"

I like all of them and I have answered pretty much all of the above depending on my mood or how the question was asked.

Here are a couple of quotes regarding the why question that truly resonate with me:

"Le Coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas!" ["The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing."] - Pascal, Les Pensées.

Or this...which aligns with the 'no regret' lifestyle:

"Don't be the one who says, 'I wish I had,' Be the one who says 'I did.'" - Paula Morand

Hasta Luego,

21 days to go!

Snowing today. Roads are slippery (according to the news, many crashes, you'd think it was the first snow of the winter).

I have declared today a rest day...PJ day...a luxury really - because I realize that once I start my Camino, it will not be a choice I can make easily.

I am going through my things, I have been packed for months. Checking and re-assessing items to make sure I "want" to carry said items and that I "will" use them. I have learned, from reading veteran blogs, that it is just not worth the extra weight. I will check again the weekend before I leave.

Here are a few photos of things I am bringing:

Heard a quote the other day that I like and may even get it tattooed to my forearm one day:

"I am a miracle in motion." - author unknown. I will add, "Buen Camino"

I am a miracle in motion...Buen Camino!

Till soon,

Chant des Pèlerins de Compostelle/Compostela Pilgrim's Chant

Chant des Pèlerins de Compostelle

Compostella Pilgrim’s Chant!

- Jean-Claude Benazet

Tous les matins nous prenons le chemin, Tous les matins nous allons plus loin.

Jour après jour, la route nous appelle, C’est la voix de Compostelle.

Ultreïa ! Ultreïa ! E sus eia

Deus adjuva nos !

Chemin de terre et chemin de Foi, Voie millénaire de L’Europe.

La voie lactée de Charlemagne, C’est le chemin de tous les jacquets.

Ultreïa ! Ultreïa ! E sus eia

Deus adjuva nos !

Et tout là-bas au bout du continent, Messire Jacques nous attend.

Depuis toujours son sourire fixe, Le soleil qui meure au Finistère.

Ultreïa ! Ultreïa ! E sus eia

Deus adjuva nos !

Translation:

Every morning we take the path, Every morning we go further.

Day after day, the road calls us, It is the voice of the Compostela.

Go Further ! Go Further ! And Go Higher !

God Assist Us !

Dirt road and Faith, Millennium Way of Europe.

The Milky Way of Charlemagne, This is the way of all the pilgrims.

Go Further ! Go Further ! And Go Higher !

God Assist Us !

And while there at the end of the continent, Messire Jacques waits ahead.

Always his fixed smile, The sun dies in Finistère.

Go Further ! Go Further ! And Go Higher !

God Assist Us !

I am going to hum this little tune...it is very soothing and uplifting!

When you click on the title above, it will bring you to a Youtube video of the chant...to someone else's journey...but that's okay, couldn't find only the chant!

Buen Camino my Friend - Poem by Gwen Davis-Feldman 2015

Found this poem on the forum Camino de Santiago UK - written by Gwen and dedicated to a fellow pilgrim. I fell in love with it. However, she wrote it in the third person and I decided to make it personal and will meditate on it before, during and reflect on it after my pilgrimage!

May the road rise up to meet me
As I travel on THE WAY
May the music in my heart
Untangle the worries of my day

May old dreams be tossed
Upon that pyre of strife
May personal manifestos of peace
Descend to take on life

And when the night closes in
Anxiety and bliss compete
Remember growth is hard
Some truths come incomplete

In the meantime:

May I step easy o'er the rocks
That appear on THE WAY to defy
Keep in mind my destination
To reach that far-rimmed sky

And, to paraphrase a line from the movie "The Wild",

"May I re-discover and be my best self"

Till soon,

22 km :)

What a great day!

Sometimes it is very hard to motivate myself to walk long distances because there is always a nagging "something to do..." let's leave it at that.

Yesterday, I walked 11.87km in 2 hours 25 minutes. I could have gone longer yet I had completed the trail both ways so returned home.

Today, I set out to walk to a destination following a neighbourhood road until I had at least done 10km one way and this meant I would break the total 12-15km barrier. I did better than that...by the time I got home, I had completed 22.1km in 4 hours 27 minutes at a 11 min 15 sec per km pace [the 12:07 pace shown in photo considers the stops I made]. Very happy about that.

I actually decided to walk it as if I was on the Camino. I took an extra pair of socks, water, and at the half way mark I stopped for lunch [pizza], took care of my feet, and proceeded to return home.

The only thing I find a little discouraging, is always having to walk the same path back to my home or my car. I think that walking only one way on the Camino will be more satisfying!

Till next time,

Guardian Bead!

Today, April 17th, 2015. I truly hope my blogging is more consistent from now on.
I will begin my walk in exactly 30 days. I fly out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 14th of May arriving in St. Jean Pied de Port, France on the 15th. I chose to take the following day as a day to compose myself, take in the surroundings and prepare myself mentally and spiritually for the journey ahead. I will begin my walk/camino on the 17th, at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountain, the excitement that wells up within me is truly exceptional.

Two people whom I admire greatly dropped by to see me today to wish me well and to present me with the most wonderful gift - a beautiful little bead, they picked up in Bisbee, AZ [knowing that they thought of me during their travel, well, simply overwhelms me] designed by a woman named Kate Drew-Wilkinson - "Kate's lively lamp work beads are made predominantly with recycled stained glass which lend very nicely to the flowing, organic, nature-inspired designs that she loves"- she called this one 'the Walk' so appropriate! They gave it to me to take with me while I walk - to attach it to my backpack - a 'guardian bead' - not unlike the 'guardian bell' one attaches to one's motorcycle [we are riding buddies so I get it :) ]. Incredibly thoughtful. I am very grateful indeed! Thank you Brian and Penny!

It's a go...committed...booked...deposit made...

I can say with so much joy in my heart that I have made my reservations for the Camino. I booked through Macs Adventures in the UK. "

My Camino:
"Full Walk - St. Jean to Santiago (41 Days and 40 Nights) booking confirmed."

Beautiful Words!

I will arrive in St. Jean Pied de Port, France on May 15th, 2015 -- I will spend the remainder of that day and the next to settle down and explore St. Jean before starting my walk on Sunday, May 17th.

My "journey" will look like the following:

St Jean Pied de Port / Santiago de Compostela - 790km in total.

15 May DAY 1:    Arrive St Jen Pied de Port  16 May DAY 2:    Extra night St Jean Pied de Port 17 May DAY 3:    Walk to Roncesvalles - 23km 18 May DAY 4:    Walk to Akerreta - 27km 19 May DAY 5:    Walk to Pamplona - 15km 20 May DAY 6:    Walk to Puente la Reina - 22km 21 May DAY 7:    Walk to Estella - 20km 22 May DAY 8:    Walk to Los Arcos - 20km 23 May DAY 9:    Walk to Logrono - 27km 24 May DAY 10:  Walk to Najera - 27km 25 May DAY 11:  Walk to Santo Domingo - 21km 26 May DAY 12:  Walk to Belorado - 22km 27 May DAY 13:  Walk to Atapuerca - 29km 28 May DAY 14:  Walk to Burgos - 20km 29 May DAY 15:  Extra Night in Burgos 30 May DAY 16:  Walk to Hornillos and transfer back to Burgos - 20km 31 May DAY 17:  09:00 Transfer to Hornillos and walk to Castrojeriz - 18km 01 Jun   DAY 18: Walk to Fromista - 27km 02 Jun   DAY 19: Walk to Carron de los Condes - 19km 03 Jun   DAY 20: Walk to Calzadilla de la Cueza - 16km 04 Jun   DAY 21: Walk to Sahagun - 22km 05 Jun   DAY 22: Walk to El Burgo Ranero - 18km 06 Jun   DAY 23: Walk to Mansilla de las Mulas - 19km 07 Jun   DAY 24: Walk to Leon - 17 km 08 Jun   DAY 25: Extra Night in Leon 09 Jun   DAY 26: Walk to Villadangos del Paramo - 21km 10 Jun   DAY 27: Walk to Astorga - 26km 11 Jun   DAY 28: Walk to Rabanal del Camino - 19km - no link 12 Jun   DAY 29: Walk to Molinaseca - 24km 13 Jun   DAY 30: Walk to Villafranca del Bierzo - 30km 14 Jun   DAY 31: Walk to Herrerias de Valcarce - 22km - no link 15 Jun   DAY 32: Walk to O’Cebreiro - 9km 16 Jun   DAY 33: Walk to Triacastela - 22km 17 Jun   DAY 34: Walk to Sarria - 18km 18 Jun   DAY 35: Walk to Portomarin - 24km 19 Jun   DAY 36: Walk to Palas de Rei - 24km 20 Jun   DAY 37: Walk to Arzua - 28km 21 Jun   DAY 38: Walk to Rua - 19km 22 Jun   DAY 39: Walk to Santiago de Compostela and overnight - 18km: 23 Jun   DAY 40: Extra Night in Santiago "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOI" 24 Jun   DAY 41: Onward Travel Buen Camino... Till Soon! Till Soon!