Hello all.
My name is Mark and I'm from Cork in Ireland. Like so many others, I was made aware of the Camino by the movie The Way. I saw it in a cinema here last summer, and was utterly seduced by it. I know it was a fictional account and therefore shouldn't be treated as 100% faithful to the experience, but I'm willing to believe the spirit is true and that's the important part for me. If I could have, I would have jumped on a flight the next day and started walking the day after, but life is seldom that simple!
So, I made do with doing some online research, satisfied myself that the Camino was indeed for me, and pledged that if my life circumstances were compatible that I would do it this summer. With my life just about co-operating, I booked my flights last week and got my pilgrim passport in the post this very day from The Irish Society of the Friends of St James, so it's official - I will definitely be doing the Camino this summer, and I can't wait!
My plan is to do the full
Camino Frances, starting from St Jean, and I'll be flying out a few days after my 38th birthday, on May 20. I'll be flying in to Biarritz on that Sunday afternoon, and while I would ideally get a taxi to Bayonne and a train to St Jean from there, the train timetable looks quite limited, with a 9pm-ish train the only option for me on that day. I'd like to get to St Jean earlier, so I may end up biting the bullet and getting a taxi there from Biarritz Airport. I'd rather not go to that expense, but I kinda feel like I'll be getting to St Jean a bit on the late side if I wait for the train from Bayonne.
My original plan was to start around May 28/29 and walk on into early July, but a family circumstance demands I be back in Ireland before the end of June, so I booked my departure for a week earlier and my flight back home from Compostela for June 28, which gives me 38 days, excluding arrival and departure. Ideally, I would've wanted to walk on to Finisterre, but I suspect I'll run out of days on this occasion.
I hope 38 days will be enough for me to get to Compostela without having to skip any stages. I know it can be done in a month, but my fitness levels remain to be seen. I'm carrying a few pounds more than nature intended, but fingers crossed will drop a stone or so before flying out. I've been steering clear of alcohol since January 1, which, some of you may understand, is a significant sacrifice for an Irishman! It's a temporary measure, but it gives me a nice jumpstart to the 2012 health/fitness drive.
I haven't really been much of a hill-walker or hiker, but one advantage I think I have is that I am definitely one of life's walkers. On any given day, I likely walk for at least two hours or so, not all in one stretch, but I still think that offers me a solid base to work with.
With a little bit of Camino training in mind, I did a hike on New Year's Eve, up Mount Brandon in County Kerry. It was quite steep, and probably gave me a taste (no more than that, I'd guess) of what to expect on the first day in the Pyrenees. The weather in Kerry was absolutely filthy on the day, freezing and wet, so I doubt that will be replicated! I did that hike with a group of experienced walkers and took a lot of reassurance from the fact that most of them seemed to find the going tougher than I did. That said, I know it'll be in my interests to improve my fitness over the next few months.
I will be starting the Camino on my own, but look forward to meeting many interesting people on the way. I'm also learning Spanish, and am reasonably confident that by May I'll be both able to understand and make myself understood. I think having as much Spanish as possible will add to the experience. I may or may not use it much while walking, but I'm guessing it will come in very handy in the villages and towns en route.
