Selecting the Dates

I have my dates pretty much in place, but I’m still having a hard time hitting the “purchase” button on my plane ticket.

It looks like I’ll leave Germany around June 18 to train to St. Jean Pied-de-Port. That means my trek will start June 19! Due to time constraints and a wedding on the back end, I most likely will not walk the whole thing. From all accounts, it could be done if I walk 30 km at least per day and have no days of rest built in. So … I’ve decided I’m going to bus across a middle section. Thus, my stages will looks something like this:

1. Walk from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Burgos in roughly 10-11 days.
2. Bus from Burgos to Leon on a day of rest. 
3. Walk from Leon to Santiago de Compostela in roughly 11 days.
4. Walk from Santiago de Compostela to Finesterre in 3 day.

#4 is a little bit up in the air since I have not yet booked my ticket home and also because there might be a friend joining me for the last legs of #3 and into #4. At the latest, I’ll fly home July 18. Thrilled to be nailing down details! Now time to actually commit online ….

Preparation: Just Walking

Not too much is happening on the preparation front at this time. I'm trying to get mount the kilometers by getting as many walks in as possible, which can be a challenge at this time of the school year. March is wild.

Mid-February, however, I did manage to squeeze in a lengthier walk on a Saturday morning: 23 kilometers from my hometown in Kandern, Germany to visit a friend in Basel, Switzerland (the wonderfully brave Laura). The first half of the walk saw me on several woodsy paths as I left the foothills of the Black Forest and entered the Rhine valley. The industrial parts of Basel of the second half couldn't quite compare. The best part of it all was being surprised by this sign:

A Camino sign! I had to look it up when I returned home, and yes, apparently an off-shoot of the German Jakobsweg does pass from Freiburg down through Basel. Now I have a bit more wandering to add to my preparation here.

(It was a bit of a chilly day, thus the red cheeks.)