Another quick update...

Now for some more upbeat info so far....yesterday morning we had brekky with a lovely old french couple of 84 years of age....they are doing their 16th Camino....have done the walk over the pass 10 times....we said they were crazy but they just laughed at us.....we feel very inadequate.
Forgot to mention yesterday that it was only 1 degree when we woke ...very chilly. Yesterday arvo we ran into a couple of pommy girls who startded out from SJPdP just after us & got lost on the mountain...they were really lucky that a lady came along to rescue them. She had just collected her very elderly father from hospital & was taking him for a drive.
Also forgot.....thr weather when we were walking was glorious....sunny & clear....absolutely fantastic scenery....views to the Alps to the east......also lots of very cold, icy wind which blew us around a lot.
We´re in Pamplona at the moment...got a taxi here to give me some time to recover....will get a bus to Logroño tomorrow where we can start walking without too many big hills which have me spooked at the moment
Had lovely Tapas last night with some particularly delicious red wine....we were in the old part of the city on the street where they have the running of the bulls.
Love to all

I want to come home.....

We feel like intrepid travellers....what have we let ourselves in for....we were advised by other pilgims in the past not to walk from St Jean Pied de Port....but I was so determined to be a REAL pulgrim that I insisted we star there.....well now I can hardly walk....we were told that althoug we weren´t leaving until 10.30 am we woould still have plenty of time to make the 8 hour walk....it took us nearly 11 hours....& that was with John carrying my pack after the first 3 hours....I was knackered & would quite happily have spent the night on the mountain...luckily we didn´t because there was snow on it this morning. It really made me think about my ability to complete this pilgrimage....I´m beginning to feel like I am all talk but not able to complete the action.
Anyway we started out this morning & I nearly freaked out at the first hill...couldn´t even make myself walk up it....started to cry....so we ended up getting a taxi to Pamplona.hope to stay here 2 nights but they have a big May day celebration & can only get 1 night.....will have to move on tomorrow unless we get lucky with the hotel.
Yesterday was nearly all uphill at about 45 degrees then after about 9 hours of that it was almost vertical going down (or so it seemed) ...thank God for walking poles. We were so exhausted that the Hospitaleros at the albergue came out to help us in....they were our Guardian angels...gave us a cup of cinnamon tea to warm us....then took us to the old monastery to sleep as the albergue was full......insisted that we have at least a bowl of soup for dinner as we would need to have some food in us & came to escort us to the restaurant to make sure we didn´t just die in our beds.
We are so stiff today....myright hip & left knee are really sore....Johns shoulders are stuffed after carrying 2 packs for about 7 hours over the Pyrenees
Peter Rhodes....training was far from adequate for this.
Paula Mary...glad you aren´t here...you would have been just as dead as me.
Emmeline & Richard.... we are fine & will cope....especially after nice vino tinto & tapas....also a cerveca (spanish beer for dad).
Mum & Dad....sorry no photos yet....no facility for them
Budgens...you´re in the lap of luxury...we are jealous & that will be us next time
We don´t make very good pilgrims so far
Love to all at home & at work& the gym
At this rate we should be home by Christmas!!!!!

Here we are::::::

After a really long plane trip & with very sore bums we arrived in Paris 10 mins early. John had left his priscription reading glasses on the plane into Dubai so we had to spend about 30 mins at airport trying to sort out collecting them on the return trip. Then the shuttle bus took us to the Wrong Ibis hotel. Sorted that & our hotel was only a 5 min train ride from the airport. Went straight into Paris to see the Eiffel tower....said Hi from you Di & that you would be over soon to say Hello yourself.......Paris is even dirtier than I remember. We were stuffed by now so headed back to the trtain...............fell asleep so lucky John was able to stay awake!
The train trip down to Bayonne was unreal according to John....full of French countryside!! It was very flat. Been rainig here today....but Bayonne is very pretty & very old. We will get an early train to SJPdP tomorrow & may even start walking then too. Already think we have too much gear & have culled already.
This french keyboard is really weird....letters in all the wrong places & all those french acutes & graves etc on it as well. Hence this is a short msg just to let you know we are still alive

This is it.......

finally "the" day has arrived....been planned for so long & now there's no going back.  We've checked in on-line & had dramas changing our seat allocation but now it's all done.

Only need a shower now ....Paula & Kerry are taking us to the airport & will be here about 4.30pm.

Next blog from France.........

Last day at work for Tina

& only 2 sleeps to go.............getting nervous now.........hope we've got everything.........I know we can buy over there but........

4 sleeps to go....

The butterflies are starting to flutter..........

I'm over it now.......

Down to the last few days....it's Sunday & we leave next Friday evening. It all feels a bit like an anti-climax now....we've been planning & dreaming of doing this pilgrimage for so long that now it's about to happen I don't really know what to think.
I seem to have spent hours & hours on the computer researching the thing to death......now it's going to actually happen. I think I've read just about every little thing I possibly could....all the good & the bad....Now I have to hope it's not disappointing when we actually do start to walk.
This is really hard to put into words....my mind is quite "busy"....thinking, thinking, thinking....churning almost....not getting too much sleep at the moment....can't get the mind to turn off.
I can only hope things improve once we get on the plane......roll on Friday.
We will be going to the Dawn Service for Anzac Day on Fri....then Brekky with friends....then home for a few hours for the final "get ready" before heading to the airport.
This week will crawl....at the same time will also go too fast!!!! Can't please some people.......!!

2 weeks & 1 day to go.....

After I finish work today I only have 7 more days of work left....John has 9 days....

Every time I think about going away it frightens me just how quickly this pilgrimage has actually crept up on us....for so long it was in the very distant future & really only a dream....now it's about to become a reality

We're pretty much organised equipment wise....just have to get our heads around it now......especially our first day of walking.....there will be mostly uphill....for 26.5 kms...could make or break us!!!

Had a cortisone injection in my right heel last Friday....hopefully to "cure" the plantar fasciitis" which has been a scourge to my preparation....amazing just how painful the bloody thing can get.

Now we just have to worry about blisters.........