Hello, We are New!

[Imelda Fagin]

>Hello New! I walked from St.Jean in France to Los Arcos. Not very far but
>I didn't have lots of time. I arrived in Madrid and took a flight out
>right away to Pamplona, partially because I've been to Madrid numerous
>times and its a bit hectic. But if you've never seen it..... I spent one
>day in Pamplona, which is a whole lot smaller and quieter . The excitement
>of starting the camino cut the jet lag in half!. The next morning I took a
>cab from the main plaza in Pamplona to St. Jean, just over the Spanish
>border, spent the night there and started the next morning. A good basic
>guide is Alison Raju's The Way of St.James, available from
>Adventuroustraveler.com, The Confraternity of ST.James' guide to The
>Camino Frances (it lists all the refugios as well as giving the 'correct'
>distance between towns). And last, but not least, The Pilgrimage Road to
>Santiago, by Gitlitz and Davidson, absolutely fascinating historical and
>artistic info on every little town you'll go thru.
Since you are coming from so far away you may want to plan out a bit how
far you expect to walk and what parts you might take a train or bus thru.
In this way, you could finish the camino in one trip. Remember you must
walk the last 100 kilometers (or is it miles?). Enough from me, others will
have more detailed advice. Happy New Year.   Imelda
PS: Just saw Rosina's advice about staying in Roncesvalles. The good thing
about that is that if you stay in one of the two hotels there, they will
hold some of your stuff. This will enable you to go over the mountain (the
hardest part of the walk) carrying less. Just a thought.

Dear Friends,
>I'm so happy to have found this List.  In early June, my fiancé and I are
>planning to walk along the Camino as far as we can. We will be 54 years old,
>but brave souls!  I am  MaryAnn, a Jew, a 5th grade teacher, and an American.
>He is Rick,  a Catholic, a corporate lawyer, a Canadian and Metîs (Native and
>French/English with  culture and traditions all their own). We are walking the
>Camino for spiritual reasons, different and alike for each of us. We are
>absolutely looking forward to any experiences it brings us.
>
>Therefore, I would appreciate any suggestions, opinions, tips, information, or
>stories that  the list participants are willing to share with us.
>We  must leave for Europe from the West Coast: Seattle, WA or Vancouver
>(Canada). My inclination is to fly to Madrid, rest and recover from "Jet lag"
>and then...???
>
>Would love to hear from you!
>Warm regards,
>MaryAnn May