You might think, dear reader, that I just grabbed some stuff from around the house to get ready for our little walk. Untrue. This 20-pound collection is the result of months of research, visits to stores, conversations with Wendy, and a small amount of fussbudgetry. What I'm Taking Pillow cover and down jacket 2 pairs of convertible pants Compression bags and stuff sacks Hat Towel and flip flops Toiletries, sun block, medicine, laundry detergent, moleskin Long underwear top and bottom 1-liter water bottle Sleep sack and down blanket 3 merino wool shirts Passport and money belt 3 underwear 36-liter Osprey backpack Rain jacket and swim suit Keen sandals (for around town) Battery charger, converter, phone cords 4 socks Trail-running shoes (main walking shoes) Hiking poles Not Pictured iPhone Portable fold-up keyboard What I Strongly Considered Taking and Left Out Rain poncho Rain pants Laundry clips iPad Sleeping bag Travel pillow Book
The version of the Camino we’re doing starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, so we took a 4-hour train from Barcelona to Pamplona and then a cab ride to St Jean in France. I had been under the impression that most people start the Camino there, but at least half the people in the hostel had already been Camino-ing for weeks, and some were ending there. At our community dinner of lentil soup and vegetables, the host was welcoming us all to the experience. He wanted to get us all involved by throwing an invisible ball to each other. When you caught the imaginary ball, you said your name and threw it to the next person. At one point, one of the French travelers glared when the ball was thrown to him. The host asked him to respond, and boy, did he respond! He growled and spat invectives in French. The only word I caught was mierde , which he said at least four times. I was deeply impressed. I often get upset in similar situations, like when I’m taking a Meyers-Briggs exam, but I hold off t...
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