2 Weeks and Counting

Total This Camino:	0 miles.
Total 2023 Caminos:	0 miles
Total All Caminos:	1735 miles
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350

Meaningful Moment

It's coming up on 4 years since I retired from my professional career as a software engineer.

Been taking Gimli, the 85 lb chocolate lab, downtown for some bird watching on those mornings when I'm not rushing off to the YMCA for pickleball.

It's an important addition to my life because it makes me smile when I hear him rushing down the stairs as he hears me messing around in the cabinet where his food is. He likes his morning ride, and I like taking him.

It's important for me to get out of bed and get the day started.

In an amazing coincidence, in the last 2 weeks I've come across Katie, my German study partner from several years ago while being out and about on the streets of Rochester. 

I'm not a believer in coincidence, but it seems to me like we should get our study group back together; we used to hang out at Equal Grounds coffee shop when practicing German.

Anyway with 4 years of retirement under my belt, I'm feeling an absence of purpose. Certainly covid aggravated the situation for me, as it has for tens of millions of Americans, and hundreds of millions of people if not more around the world.

Taking a job is out of the question. 

Absolutely enjoyed my 22 years in the military and my 20 or so years as a software engineer. Wouldn't change a thing. 

But I need something where I give back in an immediate way. I don't know how selfish that sounds when I say I need to volunteer in order for me to feel good.

But that makes it sound black and white, when like just about everything in life is shades of gray filled with nuance covered with possibilities and served with a mix of opportunity and chance.

Notable memories

It's been going on 16 months and I still miss my Zeke.

What Makes a Pilgrim?

Total This Camino:	0 miles.
Total 2023 Caminos:	0 miles
Total All Caminos:	1735 miles
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350

Random Thought of the Day

What Makes a Pilgrim?

Imagine you are driving in the right lane of a busy expressway. Someone in the on-ramp wants to enter the expressway. Do you speed up to cut them off? Do you slow down because the driver is unpredictable? Or do you keep a steady speed?

A pilgrim is less about speeding up and slowing down, jostling through melee of life, and more about traveling in the world in a way that helps others. On my caminos, the pilgrims that stood out most in later recollections, shared moments of contemplation, solace, companionship and generosity.

I remember fondly some of the pilgrims that I’ve met over the years.

English Mick laughed … a lot.

American Cathy struggled … and persevered … succeeded.

Bienve lit up in the joy that Marie Angeles - his camino amiga, his “camiga”, brought to his life.

My Via de la Plata in 2014 ended in physically painful consequences. It took multiple attempts to merge into the camino spirit and land me in a mentally good place.

These are the gifts I brought back to America to share, especially with the transitory people in my life. I see that they are living, with varying degrees of success, their own “pilgrimage” as they try to survive the remnants of Covid and its devastating effects on the economy, daily life, family and friends.

A new direction in my life comes with a sense of calm for the trivialities and banalities of daily living … to wit, driving. I now extend grace to those on the road who are in a hurry or inattentive. I no longer rage and fume at being cut-off or stuck behind slow drivers. Because Mick and Cathy and Bienve and all the other pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago offered me compassion and understanding, I know that the behavior of others is a reflection on their lives, and has little or nothing to do with me. As I disengage from the chance encounter in traffic, I wish them well.

Overtly religious or not, I take a deep breath or two, a second or two of reflection and momentary shivasana as a form of prayer.   … And then I go on about my business, happy in my life.

	A moment of rest, refreshment and reflection Dec 5, 2022 Along the Munchner Jakobsweg, Diessen Am Ammersee, Bavaria, Germany

Planning the Stages

Total This Camino:	0 miles.
Total 2023 Caminos:	0 miles
Total All Caminos:	1735 miles
Planes:	$ 1350
Total Planes:	$ 1350

Random Thought of the Day

Renew passport. As of this blog date, there is a 3-month delay in getting a passport, and a 2-month delay in renewing a passport. For more info, click here. Fortunately, ours are renewed.

Global Entry: I was able to renew on-line, and it only took a few weeks. Sure makes getting back into the country easier.

Travel Insurance: made sure to get emergency medical coverage and return of remains. Also includes trip delay, lost luggage, some coverage in case I can't travel.

Covid Entry: no longer required for the European Union and/or Schengen Zone,

Travelocity: all passenger info up-to-date

Yet to do:

Notify bank for credit card.

Hold mail.

Planning the Stages

Camino de Barcelona and Camino Catalan

 -> from Barcelona to Montserrat Monastery to Burgo de Ebro (320 km / 190 mi. Total: 16 dys)

Barcelona -> Montserrat (50 km = 30 mi @  3dy)

Montserrat -> Tarrega (80 km = 50 mi @ 4 dy) (The Zaragoza var does not go thru Zaragoza.)

Tarrega  -> Lleida -> Candaznos -> Burgo de Ebro :: Camino Ebro (190 km = 110 mi @ 8.5 dy) 

(not taking) Tarrega -> San Juan de la Pena :: Camino Frances (200 km @ 10 dy) 

 

Barcelona -> Montserrat (50 km = 30 mi / 3 days) 

Barcelona -> Palleja (22 km)

Palleja -> Olesa de Montserrat (24 km)

Olesa -> Abbey of Montserrat (14 km)

Elevation Change: 0 to 2400 ft

Abbey of Montserrat -> Tárrega (80 km = 50 mi @ 4 dy)

Abbey of Montserrat -> Castelloli (20 km)

Castelloli -> Igualada -> Santa Maria del Cami (25 km)

Santa Maria del Cami -> La Panadella -> Cervera (20 km)

Cervera -> Tárrega (12 km)

Elevation Change: 2400 ft to 1200 ft

Tárrega -> El Burgo de Ebro (190 km = 110 mi @ 9 dy)

Tárrega – El Palau d’Anglesola (23 km)

El Palau d’Anglesola – Lleida (25 km)

Lleida – Fraga (33 km)

Fraga – Candasnos (26 km)

Candasnos – Bujaraloz (21 km)

Bujaraloz – Pina de Ebro (38 km)

Pina de Ebro – El Burgo de Ebro (23 km)

Elevation Change: 1200 ft to 300 ft

Seven Weeks and Counting Down

Initial preps started

Date	Apr 6, 2023
Total This Camino:	0 miles.
Total 2023 Caminos:	0 miles
Total All Caminos:	1735 miles
Planes:	$ 1350 Newark -> Madrid -> Newark
Total Planes:	$ 1350

We have renewed our passports, chosen our camino(s), and bought our plane tickets.

The both of us being in relatively good physical shape, we still need to ramp up our training. Neither of us are proponents of intensive pre-Camino hike training, but prefer to achieve a higher level of overall physical conditioning. It's just more fun that way, LOL. 

Meaningful Moment

Hearing in the news of the extensive backlog in passport renewals, my partner and I submitted ours for renewal at the end of February. Current estimates are 3 - 4 months. Somehow we got lucky and our renewed passports back at the end of March, but I would not advise other travelers to expect that kind of turnaround time.

Bought our round trip plane tickets from Newark, New Jersey to Madrid, Spain. From Madrid, we'll take the train to Barcelona.

Random Thought of the Day

Feels so good to have the preps on the way for another Camino. 

 

Deb and I have reviewed our different possible caminos in Spain, and we've made our selections .

Weighing the weather against the geography against the time of the year, it seems like hiking in Catalunya and Galicia are good choices.

For a more detailed breakdown of our camino through Cataluna and Aragon, click here

So we will start in Barcelona and follow the Camino de Barcelona until it meets with the Camino Catalan and from there we will hike across this beautiful and interesting region until we reach the Camino Ebro, somewhere on the Rio Ebro.

From there we'll catch a bus to Santiago de Campostella and walk the  Camino Finisterre to the end of the world, well actually to Finisterre and then to Muxia - along the Costa de Morte, and possibly back to Santiago.

Here is our start point in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona: