Boy, I Have to Carry that Weight

There are two pieces of gear that I want to get early: my backpack and my shoes. Why? Because I want get used to wearing them both under load.

I had read some things and decided that an Osprey backpack was probably the way to go. Looking them up online, I saw that Eastern Mountain Sports was one of their authorized resellers, with special equipment to help them size you to a pack. Awesome!

So one day last week I stopped by the store after work. Sure enough a young lady was buying a backpack, and the employee was helping to fit her to the pack by adjusting straps and such to give her a good fit. This is the kind of service that I’m willing to pay for rather than just buying online. So I stood around a bit, but he was busy with her, and I really had to pee, so I left.

I went back today and stood around the backpacks for a long time before someone finally came over to me. She talked to me for a few minutes, and I left with a Osprey Talon 44. While she was helpful in selecting a pack, in no way did I get the custom fitting help that I was hoping for. Maybe I should have been more assertive and asked.

I’m thinking I might go back with the pack in hand during lunch this week and asking someone there to spend the time to make sure this is the right size for me. I’m going to be wearing this thing everyday for a few weeks; I think it’s important to make sure it’s a good fit.

Update: I went back and they took very good care of me!

Got My Passport

My U.S. passport arrived in the mail today. While it was originally ordered for a trip to Canada that I had planned, it will be needed to travel to Portugal and Spain for the Camino.

Note that this a “normal” passport, not the so-called “pilgrim’s passport”.  That document, also known as a credencial, is carried by pilgrims as proof of their journey by being stamped at various points along the path.  I will order that next year.

Someone to Walk Beside Me

In my last post I mentioned that my paternal grand-parents were Portuguese. Family dynamics being what they are, I actually relate more strongly with my the Irish side inherited from the maternal branch of my family. On the other hand, my brother has a stronger connection to the Portuguese side (or so it seems to me). Having decided on the Camino Portugués, it would seem a shame to go and leave him behind.  So I decided to invite him to join me.

Of course there are more reasons. Like Shrek’s onion, the motivations of most things with the Camino have layers. The one given above is the surface layer. I’ll spare you from reading the deeper layers.

So how does one invite someone else to spend weeks trudging through foreign countries on the way to a Cathedral? By text message, of course!

“I’m thinking about a very funky vacation next year,” the text said, “and I think you should go with me.” After a series of texts and phone conversations, he agreed to go with me.

The Second Step: Picking the Path

As I said in my first post, there are lots of ways to walk the Camino, with many common starting points. Here’s a map showing the various paths:

The path shown in red is the Camino Francés (The French Way), which is (by far) the most common route. Indeed, before I started earnestly planning for the Camino, it was the only route I knew of.

The problem with the Camino Francés, though, is that it’s long.  At 500 miles from the most popular starting point, it takes most pilgrims over 30 days to complete.  As much as I would like to do that, I’m not sure I can get 30 consecutive days off work, especially the second job.  While I could begin at a closer starting point, the completionist in me doesn’t like that.

I was looking at all the other routes when I noticed the Camino Portugués (The Portuguese Way, or Caminho Português in Portuguese).  This not only has the benefit of being shorter, but it also speaks to me because my paternal grandparents were all Portuguese.

So right now, I’m thinking I’ll be walking the Camino Portugués.  Whether I’ll start in Lisbon or Porto, I’m not yet sure.  Maybe there’s anther appropriate starting point between the two.

So the second step is largely complete.

Map credit: Map by Manfred Zentgraf, Volkach, Germany. Used under license. Original image and more information can be found in Wikimedia Commons.

The First Step: Deciding to Take the Journey

I have decided to walk the Camino de Santiago.
This blog is my personal, though public, journal about my pilgrimage. It's about my preparations, my research, and my thoughts. Once I'm on the Camino proper I may even update this blog a few times from Internet cafes on the route. If you're reading this, and if you're so inclined, I welcome you to join me (in a sense) by following my postings and by leaving comments.

The Camino is an ancient pilgrimage that leads to the (Catholic) cathedral in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain where the remains of the Apostle James are believed to be interred.

Over 200,000 people will walk the Camino this year, and I estimate that the number will be close to a quarter of a million in 2015. Everyone has their own reasons for walking the Camino: some still walk it for religious reasons, but most do not. My own reasons will be a topic of a future post.

The most common route starts in France, and is about 500 miles of walking. There are other starting points and other routes depending how far you want to go, and how much time you have, though it seems that 100 km (just over 60 miles) is the minimum to be considered an actual pilgrimage by the Cathedral. As of right now, I am not sure where I will start.

I've also decided that the late Spring of 2015 will be the time for my trip. I want to give myself time to prepare, both physically and financially. The extra time will also allow my employer to better plan to cope for my extended absence.

So that's it. The metaphorical first step has been taken. The only thing to do is to take the next step.