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!