all my belongings (a huge phew!) and i arrived in Paris this morning (well morning in Paris anyway) and my first day in France has been a productive one.
- succeeded in taking the Metro from the airport to the stop closest to my hostel...i love public transport that makes sense. lines with differing colors, line names that actually use the destination in the line name...even the maps and kiosiks where one buys the tickets makes sense!
- checked in and stored my luggage. this hostel does not allow you in the rooms from 11-5 for cleaning which i usually have mixed feelings about but for today it was totally fine because i just wanted to leave my bags and go
- found my way (by Metro it was so easy!) to the train station to purchase my tickets to San Jean Pied de Port. my first foray in the usage of French while actually in France. the first person i spoke with seemed kind of annoyed with me from the start, maybe i shouldn't have started with "ok...je parle un peu de francais..." i continued on but by that point she looked at me as if i was speaking anything but French and pointed me to another agent. i tried again with this agent-who according to the flags next to her name also spoke german and english- i felt the need to try and possibly redeem myself and hurray! it worked, the entire transaction in French!
- meanwhile it has been raining and cloudy all day...and it is about 50 degrees which is really cold since i was in 99 degree weather yesterday! i figured i should still get out and walk around despite the weather and found myself wandering through the streets of Paris when i looked up to see the top1/4 section of the Eiffel Tower peaking out behind the trees. soon enough i was standing in the rain looking up at the soaring tower.
- of course i couldn't truly enjoy the day until i had some sort of French-ish food item. i bought a warm and crusty baguette to munch on as i walked through the wet city, marvelling at the fact that i am really in Paris!
til later
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
on the road & in the air
i am now hours away from cars, planes, trains and buses...soon i will be in transit! just me and my backpack. the nerves are giving way to excitement as all that can be done is done and the packing-repacking game is about to end. thanks for all the advice, ideas, love and support! i will post again from the other side of the globe!
à bientôt!
à bientôt!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
i don't leave for Europe for about a week but while time is being spent with friends and family it does feel as though i am sort of like a piece of luggage that has somehow missed its final connection and is being rerouted every few days. of course i am better off each day i am in a new place versus this illusive piece of luggage that is actually worse with each day of travel and mishandling. speaking of luggage, i have never been one to worry about my luggage. two reasons- first i usually carry on so whatever i have is with me and second because i figure whatever i check i can afford to lose. HOWEVER i am now borderline paranoid about my luggage for this trip because i cannot carry on all the contents in my backpack. again 2 reasons- pocketknife/other sharp items and liquids. oh and the size limit, yes the backpack full of stuff will definitely exceed the "all carry ons must be able to fit easily into the narrow rectangular tool placed beside the podium" (this by the way was obviously designed by someone who believes we all travel with a leather suitcase a la a traveling salesman). and so, this leaves me with no choice but to check something, probably a small bag of items i can reasonably afford to lose. at this point i am not sure what those items would be but i will have to figure it out because i will not be checking my beautiful new backpack, the sleeping bag, my hiking boots or other items that took an incomprehensible amount of time and energy to find. maybe i am being dramatic. hmm, no no i am not. i spent serious amounts of time researching, reviewing, perusing, purchasing and/or procuring many items for this trip and i cannot imagine the a mad dash through Paris to replace said items. surely it would be laughable for the Parisians though. jeez, if there was ever a trip for the my baggage to go missing or be re-routed to the mountains of Mongolia (did you know they have 3 major mountain ranges?), this would be the one.
until another day...
until another day...
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Q & A
People have been asking lots and lots and lots of questions about this next adventure, the pilgrimage. i figured it's a good time to do a little Q & A using actual questions that have been asked in the past few weeks.
1. Where are you going and what are you doing this time?
I will be going to France and Spain and hiking the El Camino de Santiago...aka Le Chemin de Saint Jaques...aka The Way of St. James
2. The el cah...huh?
The El Camino de Santiago. It has existed for over 1000 years and during medieval times was a well traveled route of Christian pilgrims whose destination was Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Christian worshippers would literally walk out the door of their homes and follow or forge a path to Santiago. At that time, Santiago was considered a holy city, along with Rome and Jerusalem, as it was thought that the remains of St. James were buried there.
3. You are going on a pilgrim path? is there a path?
I am going to be walking along the most traveled of the paths, the Camino Frances. From what i gather, in parts it is a dirt path, other areas it is a paved road, there are sections that are stone...it changes and it is one of the things i will be documenting along the way!
4. How long is it- distance and time?
In general, it is said that the route is 800km = 497miles. However, there are detours one could take out of necessity or curiosity which would add to the distance. It is said one can walk it in 1 month.
5. You are going to WALK the whole thing? You are going to walk 500 miles?! how many miles will you walk a day?
Yep, that's the goal anyway. as i have flexibility in time and there are villages/cities i will surely want to explore i will probably walk somewhere between 15-20 miles a day and take a few days off from walking here and there.
6. What do you take? Do you have to carry everything you need?
I will be taking the bare minimum although i am already finding that challenging as the weather along the route will change significantly. Still, i will be staying in "refugios" or "alburgues" which are essentially pilgrim hostels so i do not need to bring camping equipment.
7. So you will be a pilgrim? what the heck does that mean?!
Yep, i will be a pilgrim since i officially have the credencial, which is a special pilgrim passport that allows me to stay in the hostels for one night each, and allows me to purchase pilgrim meals (discounted meals) at local establishments that offer them.
8. Hold on, um...you have to officially become a pilgrim?
Well, you don't have to. However, getting the credencial is necessary in order to stay in the pilgrim hostels, purchase the pilgrim meals, and ultimately receive the compostela (basically a certificate of completion) in Santiago.
9. So...can i start introducing you as my friend, the pilgrim?
as opposed to my friend, the nomad??
10. I know someone to did the El Camino and they talked a lot about the blisters. Did anyone tell you about the blisters?
Indeed i have heard quite a bit about blisters and all types of foot related ailments and injuries. i will be working on a "blister prevention and treatment" pack this week.
i will add more in the next few days.
nos vemos.
1. Where are you going and what are you doing this time?
I will be going to France and Spain and hiking the El Camino de Santiago...aka Le Chemin de Saint Jaques...aka The Way of St. James
2. The el cah...huh?
The El Camino de Santiago. It has existed for over 1000 years and during medieval times was a well traveled route of Christian pilgrims whose destination was Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Christian worshippers would literally walk out the door of their homes and follow or forge a path to Santiago. At that time, Santiago was considered a holy city, along with Rome and Jerusalem, as it was thought that the remains of St. James were buried there.
3. You are going on a pilgrim path? is there a path?
I am going to be walking along the most traveled of the paths, the Camino Frances. From what i gather, in parts it is a dirt path, other areas it is a paved road, there are sections that are stone...it changes and it is one of the things i will be documenting along the way!
4. How long is it- distance and time?
In general, it is said that the route is 800km = 497miles. However, there are detours one could take out of necessity or curiosity which would add to the distance. It is said one can walk it in 1 month.
5. You are going to WALK the whole thing? You are going to walk 500 miles?! how many miles will you walk a day?
Yep, that's the goal anyway. as i have flexibility in time and there are villages/cities i will surely want to explore i will probably walk somewhere between 15-20 miles a day and take a few days off from walking here and there.
6. What do you take? Do you have to carry everything you need?
I will be taking the bare minimum although i am already finding that challenging as the weather along the route will change significantly. Still, i will be staying in "refugios" or "alburgues" which are essentially pilgrim hostels so i do not need to bring camping equipment.
7. So you will be a pilgrim? what the heck does that mean?!
Yep, i will be a pilgrim since i officially have the credencial, which is a special pilgrim passport that allows me to stay in the hostels for one night each, and allows me to purchase pilgrim meals (discounted meals) at local establishments that offer them.
8. Hold on, um...you have to officially become a pilgrim?
Well, you don't have to. However, getting the credencial is necessary in order to stay in the pilgrim hostels, purchase the pilgrim meals, and ultimately receive the compostela (basically a certificate of completion) in Santiago.
9. So...can i start introducing you as my friend, the pilgrim?
as opposed to my friend, the nomad??
10. I know someone to did the El Camino and they talked a lot about the blisters. Did anyone tell you about the blisters?
Indeed i have heard quite a bit about blisters and all types of foot related ailments and injuries. i will be working on a "blister prevention and treatment" pack this week.
i will add more in the next few days.
nos vemos.
saying goodbye...again
i gaze out over my steaming cup of tea and watch as the morning sun illuminates the carports and back alley, it is my final morning in the room that has been my home and sanctuary for the past 6+ months. i could have spent my mornings in the front room that overlooks a small park where people sit on benches, others do tai chi and still others play with their dogs. but, in the early morning i wanted quiet and solitude not people and distractions. so i sat listening to the birds, drinking tea, watching the dark sky grow light, and slightly fretting over what the day would bring. truth be told the time was brief and often required numerous reminders to wait to think about the many items on my agenda for work until i was at least in the car on my way there. this is my last morning and sitting here as i have every morning is perhaps the perfect way to officially end this most recent adventure.
hasta luego!
hasta luego!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
a photo documenting the preparation
it's madness around here with all the stacks and lists and books and countdowns!
it is March. almost 2 months since my last post and things are shifting again in my world. a heavy and heady decision has been made and shared, the aftermath is being felt and it is a bit overwhelming. i should be planning or at least sorting out all the possibilities that are bouncing around in my head but for the moment i am rather weighted down with the words and emotions that have been handed to me since sharing my decision.
as always, more to come.
as always, more to come.
a month of change
today is the first day of April, i am now officially in the month of change. in the next few weeks i am ending a job, leaving the state, visting others, leaving the country, and beginning a pilgrimage that will keep me quite literally on the road (or path, or chemin or camino or ruta...whatever you want to call it, you get the picture).
now i play the packing game. i don't own much but what i do own is currently spread all over which requires me to remember what is where and then figure out how to get all the things i think i will need in one place. it is almost laughable because when do we ever really know what we will need? my room now contains sections: items for now, items for next week, items for Oregon, items for Arizona, items for France-Spain, questionable items- will i or won't i need them and for which trip? then there is the ever growing pile of stuff to be given away, this has become the default pile.
of course there is the on-going travel book review and internet research...towns, trains, weather, hostels, maps, lists, beaches, bikes, hikes...many many hours have been spent pouring over details. many more hours have been spent pondering the oh-so-important (?!) pilgrim packing lists and the conundrums they present:
hiking shoes or hiking boots? and should/shouldn't they be waterproof?
...ultimately i decided on mid ankle hiking boots, not waterproof
rain jacket or poncho?
...i have a water resistent shell (see below) and will also purchase a poncho
fleece jacket or shell?
...compromised on a thin fleece running jacket and a shell
hiking pants vs. hiking pants w/zip off shorts vs. shorts vs. capris?
...ugh i am currently dealing with this one, i hate hiking pants...
42 liter backpack vs 50 liter backpack?
...still debating...literally debated with a guy at REI, a customer not a sales rep!
sleeping bag vs sleep sac vs nothing
...after weather pattern research and reading reviews of "cleanliness" in the hostels/alburgues where i shall lay my head i opted for a
sleeping bag
i am guessing there are other decisions to be made and i am confident some will work out as expected and others will not. such is life, especially when traveling!
now i play the packing game. i don't own much but what i do own is currently spread all over which requires me to remember what is where and then figure out how to get all the things i think i will need in one place. it is almost laughable because when do we ever really know what we will need? my room now contains sections: items for now, items for next week, items for Oregon, items for Arizona, items for France-Spain, questionable items- will i or won't i need them and for which trip? then there is the ever growing pile of stuff to be given away, this has become the default pile.
of course there is the on-going travel book review and internet research...towns, trains, weather, hostels, maps, lists, beaches, bikes, hikes...many many hours have been spent pouring over details. many more hours have been spent pondering the oh-so-important (?!) pilgrim packing lists and the conundrums they present:
hiking shoes or hiking boots? and should/shouldn't they be waterproof?
...ultimately i decided on mid ankle hiking boots, not waterproof
rain jacket or poncho?
...i have a water resistent shell (see below) and will also purchase a poncho
fleece jacket or shell?
...compromised on a thin fleece running jacket and a shell
hiking pants vs. hiking pants w/zip off shorts vs. shorts vs. capris?
...ugh i am currently dealing with this one, i hate hiking pants...
42 liter backpack vs 50 liter backpack?
...still debating...literally debated with a guy at REI, a customer not a sales rep!
sleeping bag vs sleep sac vs nothing
...after weather pattern research and reading reviews of "cleanliness" in the hostels/alburgues where i shall lay my head i opted for a
sleeping bag
i am guessing there are other decisions to be made and i am confident some will work out as expected and others will not. such is life, especially when traveling!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
a new year means new adventures!
i feel fairly confident in saying that this new year will be as unique and interesting as the last...and i am grateful for a life that has provided new and interesting things each and every year. as usual there will be local (national) travel- to see friends and family. the question remains what about international travel? spain, france and other countries in europe? africa would be amazing and australia would be fun but the list could go on and on so i suppose it will come to me in time. for now i plan for the pilgrimage, an adventure unlike anything i have done so far...hurray for 2012!
oh i ran across this video (check out the link), it is astonishingly beautiful and i guarantee you will watch it more than once. it is a time lapse video of kien lam's round the world trip. enjoy :-)
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