CSJ Guidebook

[dandekay]

I second Martin's recommendation regarding the Pilgrim Guides to Spain: The
Camino Frances put out by the CSJ of London.  It sits well dogeared on my
desk right now.  I found it invaluable during my walk last fall from SJPP to
Santiago (and Finisterre) and then back to SJPP.  Buen Camino!
(ps: I am 55 and found it no trouble at all... it is indeed a walk)
Daniel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Ray" <brermartinaWEBTV.NET>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 5:56 AM
Subject: beginning the Camino


> Hello Antonio da Silva and others --
> Antonio, the single best resource I've discovered since joining this
> chatroom is a small book put out by the UK organisation www.csj.org.uk
> that I plan on using as my Camino "bible" during this walk.  It's called
> "Pilgrim Guides to Spain -- 1. The Camino Frances".  95% of the
> questions you may have before the walk, and 95% of those you may have
> DURING the walk later on, are carefully gone into, in an organized,
> simple fashion.  Believe me, I know how many necessary details there are
> to cover in advance, not having done the camino yet myself, but now I
> finally feel confident in my preparation, knowing this guidebook will
> accompany me.  Footcare, guidelines as to the proper gear (& no more!),
> first aid kits, thumbnail descriptions of the available resources in
> each town & village, distances, warnings, alternate routes, etc, etc,
> are discussed in just enough detail.... get this guide and read it
> before you leave, you will not regret it!  (order online for about 7
> Euros)
>       Then you can discover the many other benefits the wonderful people
> at THIS site will share with you -- like Sue's miracle, the personal
> revelations many peregrinos experienced on the fierce, lonely plateau
> called the meseta, avoiding the industrial outreaches when approaching
> Burgos, leaving a stone from home (and one's own obsessive cares) at the
> Cruz de Ferro, taking salt! as well as enough water, & much much more.
> But first get your main course, the framework of details (the guide),
> and then you can add the gravy (and the dessert) here....
>        Antonio, I am also 57.  My name is James David Martin Ray (go by
> Martin), live in Raleigh, NC, and have booked a ticket leaving here on
> April 9 to Madrid.  I now plan to begin in Roncevalles, rather than in
> St Jean PdP (thanks to thoughtful advice given here), and now feel
> (again, from here), that this pilgrimage may take longer than I
> originally planned.  As a further suggestion, have you given thought to
> starting much further back (like in Roncevalles, Somport, or even le
> Puy) and doing only what you can do?  Then you would really have
> something to look forward to for next year, and be further prepared in
> ways you can't even guess at yet.  This would also take out the very
> real pressure to finish!, and to finish from an arbitrarily selected
> beginning, which may be confusing to you at the moment (& even up to
> your departure!).  Please give some thought to that, Antonio.  Having a
> goal constantly in mind may also cause you to make some decisions that
> you are likely to regret ("have to push on, even though I'd like to look
> around this town, it's raining hard, and I'm injured and exhausted!").
> You thereby allow yourself to be just where you are, and space for the
> unexpected -- which you will certainly encounter!
>      Whatever you decide, ultreya! and buon Camino!  (That goes to
> everyone here, too)            Martin
>