new list member, leaving to walk the Camino this month

[Dr. R. Michael Olson]

Just a note to say hello and to introduce myself, since I have just recently
joined the talk line.  My name is Randy, and I am leaving next week to walk
the Camino for the first time.  I will be travelling with a group of five
college students from St. Michael's College in Vermont, where I teach, and
also with a Spanish friend from Pamplona, Vicente Gainz, who is a member of
Los Amigos del Camino in Navarra.  My wife and I lived in Pamplona for a
year (1998-99), and during this time, I became fairly familiar with that
stretch of the Camino running through Navarra, though I only walked one
stage of it.  Our little group will begin walking on the 18th of May.  I am
still debating, however, on whether to start in St. Jean or in Roncesvalles.
My main concern is that I have not been able to find out much about pilgrim
accomodations in St. Jean, and what I have heard has not been encouraging;
for example, the refugio there only has room for six and that other
accomodations tend to be expensive.  Thus, I am a bit nervous dropping in
there with a few students on the first night of the pilgrimage, but
nonetheless I would like very much to walk the stage through the Pyrennes.
If anyone has any more information on this to help persuade me one way or
the other, I would be very grateful to hear it.  We will be spending the
night before we begin in San Sebastian.  From there it will be easy enough
to catch the bus to Pamplona and then to Roncesvalles, should we decide to
begin there.  If, however, we decide to start in St. Jean, I would also
appreciate any information on the best connections between the two places.
I know there is a bus that goes from San Sebastian to Bayone, and from there
a train to St. Jean.  Is there something more direct such as a bus or a
train directly from Hendaye?  Finally, if we decide to start in St. Jean, do
you think that 35 days (with a day layover scheduled in Burgos and Leon)
will be sufficient time to complete the Camino? Thanks for hearing my
questions.

Best,  Randy Olson

P.S. To Dale from Seattle.  Perhaps we'll cross paths along the way.