So now I’ve got something definite to work from..

I have plans and flights booked. All that is left is booking a train from Madrid to Leon. I am glad to have this done now so I can park it, get my exam in March out of the way and then get the last bits over with. May 24th is the day I head out. I’ve attached my agenda and while some days are tough, I reckon I’ll be prepared. Hopefully.

Big thanks goes to Garry Budin from Santiago who has planned most of this for me. He organises self guided trips for folks or groups on the Camino. He walked with our group last year and is a pure gent. You can look at some of the things he does here www.spanishadventures.com.

Now that I have that out of the way..here’s to Life Assurance, part one of the QFA..mind numbing stuff.

So I’ve decided..
Last June I traveled to Spain to walk the final 100km of the Camino de Santiago. I have written about it before in past posts and the general opinion was I enjoyed it. It was painful on the legs but I came home with an over riding thought…I’m going back there again.
So here I am today. January 2012, 7 months after and after much humming and hawing, I’ve made my first enquiries. I’ll be starting at Leon and walking to Sarria. I plan to take to bus to Santiago and stay there for a night before I come home. Ten days in total from my flight out to Madrid and my flight back from Santiago.
In June, I walked as part of a group which was great. But everything was planned and there was no lee way to do my own thing. If I met people on the road, I would say goodbye within ten mins as I could not match their pace. This time I’m doing it alone.
A lot of people have asked me if this is wise, is it a good move, and why not hold back a few months until you meet someone else who may be interested in going. It’s not going to happen if I wait. Once the seed has been sown, there is no escaping it.
I’m having difficulties with the folks who will always see me as their 20 year old son. This will never change.
I don’t have much planning to do being honest. The flights need to be booked, and a place in Leon and Santiago need to be arranged also. Other than that, it’s anything goes. I have ten days, for a stage that “could” take me 6 days. So I can take a rest day in between, or stay in Santiago a day extra.
Loads of people on Twitter have been helpful and have given tips on what to see and where to stay.
Another thing I need to mention is I have been in contact with a guy from Canada called Randall St Germain (@CaminoMyWay) who has written about his time on the Camino. He crazy thing is he did it in 20 days! You can find his book here: http://is.gd/QjyYzx. Give him a follow on twitter if you can. Even after reading his book, I have no idea how he did it.
So I’m going to finish up now. I”ll post again soon