SIXTY DAYS AND COUNTING

What have I been doing?

         Studying Spanish – My good fortune has connected me with a Spanish Conversation group at my town’s Council on Aging.  I have been attending this weekly program since March.  I think I am the only one in the group who has never had any exposure to Spanish.  All of my fellow estudiantes are experienced speakers and travelers in Spanish speaking areas of the world.  The group has been enthusiastic in encouraging me in my quest to embark on this adventure.  Our formal sessions have stopped for the summer, but la Profesora has loaned me books, workbooks and flash cards to work with.  My nephew has loaned me a series of “listen and speak” CD’s that are also helpful.  I am spending about an hour a day with some form of study.  And when I walk, I try to recall the vocabulary and simple sentence structure I am learning. Hopefully my effort will be rewarded with compassion and understanding when I start my Camino.

         Searching the Web – It is my good fortune to live in the age of the internet!  A day does not go by that I do not glean some really good information through web searching.  Among my latest finds www.seat61.com .  This is a website run by Mark Smith, a European railway wonk. Smith, known as the man in seat 61, has made it possible to search out routes, learn the ins and outs of European train travel and link up to reservation and ticketing sites.  So in addition to finalizing my airline tickets, I have reserved and printed my Eurostar ticket to Brussels.  I have also, with help from the man in seat 61, assessed the route from Brussels to St. Jean Pied de Port, France and from Santiago back to Brussels.  I think they will all be doable. 

         Training – The goal is to be able to walk a minimum of 12 miles a day with a 10 to 12 pound backpack in tow plus a half gallon of water.  What I have succeeded in doing over the past six weeks is two 10 mile walks and a series of shorter walks in the 4 to 6 mile range with weighted backpack.  Somehow my regular life seems to have gotten in the way of completing a 12 mile hike.  Last week I joined friends in Northern Maine and managed to get in some significant walks (Also did some moose watching!).  But the hot weather -90+ has set me back some.  So I am making sure I do some other things.  I try to go to a Yoga program 3 times a week, I try to do daily the 7 minute exercise routine published in the New York Times a couple of months ago, but  the best workout session is the one led by Ellen Cohen-Kaplan at the Council on Aging.  The program is only once a week, but she has given us a series of routines to do at home.  When I do them I think I am achieving my 12 mile goal! As soon as the heat wave fades, I’ll be back on the road. Ellen has a blog at ecokap.wordpress.com. 

Yet to do – Get Votzy ready to go to Pennsylvania where he will do his Camino. Pack, weigh and practice living out of the backpack.  Organize my home and my life files for my journey.  Make sure I am connected to my friends with this one way form of communication. Complete three 12 mile hikes by mid August.