Day Two: Saint Jean

Today was our day to overcome jet lag and we did it by getting up and walking all over St Jean. This picture is the view from our hostel. We went to the pilgrim's office and got our starting stamp in the credential we must carry with us showing we are pilgrims. This has to be stamped each day in the places you eat, sleep, or go to church. Next we got a knife and the scallop shells that are the traditional symbol of the pilgrim. And then we walked all over town touring the citadel, museum. And other sights here. They are very proud of their Basque history, so we saw many signs of that around. Tomorrow is our hardest day so we are going to sleep now to wake early. We are both very eager to begin.

Day One: Paris and Saint Jean Pied du Port

Our adventure began as most of ours do; at the airport in Atlanta. We decided to have lunch at the Varsity and Pei Wei, both foods we do not expect to find on the Camino. We then spent the time sitting in the outdoor lounge getting sun and earth before the flight. Everything went off without a hitch and we were several movies later in Paris at the CDG airport. Here we got our train tickets to start one of the many rides to get to our destination. Our first train took us into the heart of Paris And our first stop at Notre Dame cathedral. Here we got the pilgrim's stamp in our credential. Next we walked along the Seine river to the Louvre and saw the glass pyramid and outside of the enormous museum. The day was perfect: sunny and just the right temperature for walking. Bayonne. 

Next stop was the Eiffel Tower, where a huge line had already formed to go up. A tennis tournament was also taking place here, and they had a clay cout set up in the middle of the park and a giant tennis ball hanging from the tower. As we passed the military college, we stopped to have breakfast of croissants and cafe au lait in a sidewalk cafe called the Cafe des les officers. A short walk from there was Napoleon's grave and the museum that surrounds it. But our final destination was the Gare Parnassee where we caught the TGV tran to Bayonne. 

These trains are very comfortable and we began snoozing and reading and looking at the passing scenery. On e we reached Bayonne, we took a bus the hour and a half to St Jean. This is a quiet, tourist town aimed at the pilgrims. Our hostel, the Gite Ultreia, has lovely host. We are getting good nights rest and then plan to expire. 

Thoughts on leaving for a second Camino

We got our packs loaded last night and ran through the checklists again to make sure we had everything and had taken care of all the home to-do items before leaving for Spain. It is morning now and I am drinking my cup of coffee from the mug covered with the sellos from my first Camino with Caroline back in 2008. This mug in one way holds all the memories of the past and the hopes for our next adventure.
I have thought alot about how a second pilgrimage is going to be different from a first. Much of the trip will be new experiences, but some will be walking again in the footsteps of our trip before and yet it will all be new for David. If I compare him to Caroline, I realize he is much more prepared for this. Maybe not physically, but he knows now what the walking is like, what a refugio is, and he has seen The Way and other documentaries enough to have a good familiarity with the expectations and trials he is likely to find.
On my account, I have tried to learn from our first pilgrimage to take the time up front to get rest and to not make too many plans.
Also the second Camino with a second child is going to build a relationship that I cherish more than anything. We are so lucky to get this chance to spend time with our kids and share in something that will have an impact on their lives for the future.
I am older, tired-er, but hopefully wiser than last time. This cup of coffee is kind of a symbol of the second Camino for me; held in the expectations of my first trip is a warm, fresh experience to be enjoyed.
Please pray for us.

Packing and Repacking

All this has got to fit in the packs?

Well, the basement is cluttered with all our gear to be taken and not taken. We have reviewed everything, weighed everything, washed everything, and tested most everything to make sure it will work well. Our packs weigh about 13 pounds without water. This seems like a good weight that will allow us to walk easier and not struggle, given the distances we are covering.

The final few preparations are pretty much done. Now to just get to Europe...

A word of thanks to all those that have wished us good luck. We will pray for you along the Way.

-Len

Below is my gearlist:

Packing gear (backpack, etc.)

Backpack Osprey Tallon 23L

Water bottle holder

Sea to Summit large stuff sack

Sea to Summit medium stuff sack

Fanny pack

Eagle Creek Undercover Moneybelt

Water bottle, Powerade 1 l Guide Gear (40º)

Rain gear

Altus Atmospheric

OR running Jacket

Short gaiters

Clothes

Baseball hat

TNF pullover

Blue Tshirt

Brook Grey SS T-shirt

LS shirt, polyester orange marathon

Underpants (3 pair)

Zip-off pants (2 pair)

Bandanas (2)

Running shorts for sleeping Grey REI

Socks, Liner (3)

Socks, REI 1/4 (3)

Footwear

Obooes shoes

Skechers slippers

Smartfeet Insoles

Hygiene & wash

Eagle Creek Kit bag

REI pack Towel

Soap/clotheswash

Deo stick/roll-on

Toothbrush with cap for head

Toothpaste

Soapdish (Muni)

Comb

Contacts/liquid

Eyeglasses

Eyeglass case

Shaving cream

Razor

Rubber drain plug

Elastic clothesline

Clothes pin clips

Toiletpaper/tissues in packs

Lip Balm

Deet

Washrags Disposable

Medicine/dressings

Immodium AD Anti-Diarrhea Loperamide HCl(2 mg)

Benedryl

Creme for feet, etc. (Caswell Massey)

Band aids

Advil Anti Inflamatory/Pain Ibuprofen (600mg) Ibuprofena; Nurofen

Albuterol

Nail clippers

Compeed

Sunscreen, 30 ml soft tube

Wool thread for blisters

Pro Glide

Papers

Brierley Guide

Journal Moleskine

Book

Pen

Passport

Health insurance

Drivers license

Visa card

Wallet

Cash

Coin purse

Spanish mass parts card

Credencial

Zip-lock for papers

Other

Sunglass straps

Eyeguards for sleeping

Ear plugs

Sun glasses

Sunglasses case

Swiss knife w/corkscrew & scissors (will buy in St Jean)

Rosary

Watch

Repair kit

Diaper pins

Duct tape

Pebble for Cruz de Ferro

Electronics

Canon Powershot A-800

MicroSDHC card, 32 GB class 6+

Extra AA batteries

iPhone

Case

Headphones

USB Charger

Converter plug

Charger cable

Extra SDHC card, 32 GB class 10

Reader for SD cards

zip locks for storage

Headlamp

Food & drink

Trail food

Water, 1 l This is based on the packing spreadsheet provided at the Camino de Santiago Forum. You can find it here. -Len

A Blessing from Father Dye and our last (first) practice hike

This weekend has been filled with final preparations for our trip next week to Saint Jean and the beginning of our pilgrimage. On Sunday, we received our first blessing from Father Dye at our home parish of Mary Our Queen. Fr. Dye, who recently had returned from his own Camino, was very enthusiastic about our going and asked that we pray for the parish when we arrive in Santiago.

Today, we went into the north Georgia mountains for a short hike to test our packs and shoes. Caroline and Irene joined us for a walk along the Amicalola River. Except for the spring rain shower everything went well and we met our friends the Priedes for a fantastic BBQ lunch. The rest of this week will be spent with final details till we pack up and head to the airport.

Polvo, Barro, Sol y Lluvia

There is a poem attributed to Eugenio Garibay that is written along the Camino near Najera. 

I think it sums up the Way.

Polvo, barro, sol y lluvia
es el camino de Santiago
millares de peregrinos
y más de un millón de años.
Peregrino, ¿quién te llama?
¿qué fuerza oculta te atrae?
No es el camino de las estrellas
ni las grandes catedrales.
No es la bravura Navarra
ni el vino de los Riojanos
ni los mariscos gallegos
ni los campos castellanos.
Peregrino, ¿quién te llama?
¿qué fuerza oculta te atrae?
Ni las gentes del camino
ni las costumbres rurales.
Ni es la historia y la cultura
ni el gallo de la Calzada
ni el palacio de Gaudi
ni el castillo de Ponferrada.
Todo lo veo al pasar
y es un gozo verlo todo
más la voz que a mi me llama
lo siento mucho más hondo.
La fuerza que a mi me empuja
la fuerza que a mi me atrae
no sé explicarla
ni yosólo el de arriba lo sabe.




Dust, mud, sun and rain, is the Way of Saint James;
thousands of pilgrims and more than a thousand years.
Pilgrim, who calls you? What dark force brings you here?
It's not the Way of the Stars, nor the grand cathedrals.
Neither is it the courage of Navarra, or the wine of the people of La Rioja.
It's not the seafood of Galicia; it's not the countryside of Castilla.
Pilgrim, who calls you? What mysterious force attracts you?
It is not the people of the way or their rural customs.
Nor is it their history and culture.
It isn't the cockerel of la Calzada, Gaudi's palace, nor the castle in Ponferrada.
Everything you see in passing is a joy;
and the voice which calls me, makes me feel much deeper.
The force which pulls me, attracts me,
I cannot explain it. Only he above knows why.

Our next Camino in 2014

Much time has passed since the last time this blog was updated and I thought it good to share a bit about how our family has grown and our plans for 2014.
Caroline is soon graduating from Furman University and will be starting her teaching career. We are so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. It is ironic to me now to think that the blog she wrote here about her lessons learned on the Camino became a paper in high school for her that developed into her college entrance essay she used to get accepted into Furman. Funny how the Camino can have such a lasting impact to your life.
Here in Atlanta, a very active Friends of the Camino chapter has begun and is looking to grow and spread the word about St James Way through lectures, hikes, and social events. Our parish priest, Fr. Dye, that had been so supportive of our pilgrimage in 2008, just finished his own Camino last year and came back to be so enthusiastic about the trip and its impact on his life. He has been a big proponent of the Atlanta chapter.
As most people here also know, Emilio Estevez's movie The Way has brought great focus in the US to the Camino and drawn interest from lots of Americans in making the trip.
For me, I am looking forward to again picking up the pack and going back to Spain with my 16 year old son this summer. For him, it has been a promised adventure that he has anticipated and learned about through his sister and the increased popularity of The Way. He knows much more about it than any of us did back in 2008. But the goal for us is the same that I had with Caroline, to spend time together as he is reaching maturity and to build a bond that will continue to grow.
I just finished re-reading our blog posts from 6 years ago and remembering the excitement and misery Caroline and I shared. It brought tears to my eyes to think how that little girl has grown into such a fine woman and how our son is about to embark on the same coming of age pilgrimage.
Not a day has not gone by that I have not thought about the Camino. And as we prepare again for this version in 2014, may David and I be blessed to have the same great experience as Caroline and I shared those many years ago.

Stay tuned for the newest chapters in the Savini's Pilgrimage to Santiago...