One of many lists...

I am the type of person who likes to have a plan.  I keep countless highlighted and crossed off to-do lists on my desk.  When it came to planning my Camino, I was no different.  I know many people who walk this trail recommend going in without a plan.  They say to walk each day and only go as far as your body will allow.  Part of their enjoyable pilgrim experience was their lack of a plan.

I, however, have a return flight booked and am on a deadline.  In my last post, I explained our plan for while on the Camino (including distance walked each day as well as our stopping point each night), and today more lists are on my mind.  Maybe putting my current list here will free up some space in my brain for my upcoming Pathogenic Microbiology exam (yuck).

So my current TO DO BEFORE THE CAMINO list includes:

Book flight arriving in Paris
Book flight departing from Barcelona
Book hotel in Paris
Book hotel in Barcelona
Book train ticket from Paris to St. Jean
Book flight from Santiago to Barcelona
Reserve hostel in St. Jean (We went with the popular L'Esprit du Chemin)
Compile packing list
Shop for items needed
Request pilgrim passport
Figure out health insurance while abroad
Figure out phone use abroad
Fix Abe's iPad screen for blogging abroad
Practice walking long distances with pack on
Finalize sightseeing list in Paris
Finalize sightseeing list in Barcelona
Book tickets for going in the Eiffel Tower

Camino Itinerary

My name is Anna and I am the Kentucky Girl on the Camino.

Several of my friends and family have asked me to write a blog for my upcoming hike on the Camino de Santiago.  This will be the place where you can find out about our preparation for this trip, as well as read about my experiences as I eventually hike the Camino. 

On May 11, 2013 I will graduate from Eastern Ky University with my Masters Degree.  The next day, I will be departing from Cincinnati, OH and flying to Paris, France.  From May 12, 2013 to July 8, 2013 I will be traveling abroad with Abe, his Uncle Steve and his brother Jacob.  If you haven't heard of the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, here is a brief Wikipedia synopsis:

The Way of St. James is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Northwest Sapin, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.  Today tens of thousands of pilgrims and many other travelers set out from their front doorstep, or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela.  Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey.  In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, the majority are travelers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. 

After months of debate, we have finally nailed down our schedule for the camino.  We will spend four full days in Paris before catching the train to St. Jean Pied de Port.  This small town nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains will be the starting point for our Camino.  From May 17 to June 29 we will be walking until we reach our final destination in Finisterre, Spain.  When planning we allotted 4 extra days with no walking in case we need days to rest or feel like exploring a city further.  After completing our Camino, we will fly to Barcelona and spend three full days there before hopping on a plane to come back to the states.  Below is the complete itinerary for our trip.

The length of our hike is around 850 km total, quite a long way.

Now that it is almost the end of February we have begun researching what we need to pack for our trip.  In my next post I'll let you all know what our packing list is looking like!