My Camino de Santiago (Decision and planning)

"I'm going to walk the Camino de Santiago next year!" This is not the best way to tell your loved one that you would like to give up your job and walk across Spain for several weeks. I know this from personal experience (you tend to spend quite some time in the dog house). Having spent twenty five years in the Police Service using tact and diplomacy on a daily basis I should have for seen the probable consequences of announcing my wish in this manner.

Luckily my wife is very understanding and after a lot of time spent watching reruns of 'The Way' and explaining calmly and rationally that this is something that I have wanted to do for many years she says "You've never mentioned it before" but gives me permission me to go anyway.

The next few months are spent on long training walks over the Forest and Downs carrying a heavy rucksack in company with Little dog (who has never had so many long walks). I read every book that I can find about the Camino, carry out research on the net, learn basic Spanish, buy new kit and make my travel arrangements to St Jean Pied de Port.

The South Downs looking towards Firle Beacon on one of my training walks.

Tea drinking training in Snowdonia (The Americans don't understand the importance of this)

As my planned departure date draws near I start to have second thoughts and doubts about my ability to undertake such an adventure in a strange country. But it's to late to chicken out now, we've told all our friends and family and I've handed in my notice at work.

Departure day is here at last. My wife travels up to London with me and sees me off on the Eurostar at St Pancras station. I head off to Paris and she goes to work. After twelve hours of travelling across France by train I arrive at Bayonne for the local connection to St Jean. We have to get a replacement bus service as the train is not running. Some one has stolen all the copper cabling for the trains electrical power supply. It's just like back in the UK. An hour later I book into my hotel and go straight to bed.

View from my Hotel window in St Jean Pied de Port towards the Pyrenees