Day 4 and 5, Lorca and Joel's first blister!

Leaving Pamplona Joel's walk took him Puenta la Reina. This was 24.2k.  This was a hilly walk and I read that the climb up the Alto del Perdon leaves the Atlantic Basin behind and the scenery changes after the decent to mostly crop fields.  At the top there are various status of pilgrims from the past.  The route from the top is dangerous underfoot.  The decent is steep, uneven, and is composed of loose gravel and stones.  It's reported that walkers often hurt themselves on downhill’s like this than anywhere else. This may be where the muscles in Joel's right quad got pulled. Also, the first of a possible many blisters appeared. This is not uncommon for the pilgrims. Here is the diagram from this portion of the hike and following is one of the rivers in this area on one side of the Camino and an olive orchard on the other side.

 

After sleeping at Puenta la Reina Joel's next trek was to Lorca. He had planned to walk further, but plans change.  Instead, the village looked interesting and decided to take a 1/2 day off.

                                                           Alberque in Lorca

 

                     This group is the ones Joel walked with for the first few days. Fun loving group!

When I talked with him yesterday, I had asked what his breakfast's were like and he said they consisted of toast, coffee and juice. So this morning he had a croissant and two donut peaches plus coffee that would help make his hair grow! They are 9 hours ahead of us. He wakes up about 8:30 our time in the evening and it will be Tuesday. This is the day he's taking off, get some rest, do a little sight seeing and attempt to get the international SIM card.  So, while we're sleeping he's awake and vice versa.

Here is a portion of an email I got this morning of his walk today.
"I am at the village called de Lorca. I decided to take a half day off. Just after I checked in Lisa who I last saw in Zumbiri checked in. She is a nun from Portland. She is walking in civilian clothes. I walked with a nurse from Annapolis. She was missing her husband. Only married three years. She was walking as she had recently completed chemotherapy and they,couldn't get everything in the lymp nodes. She is 52 and her mother died of breast cancer at age 52. I just listened. At breakfast they asked if I wanted my sandwich small or grande? I chose grande. It was the size of a Subway foot long stuffed with ham and eggs and was to die for. That and coffee was 4.60! For my Albergue it was 7 for my bed, 2 for them to do my laundry, 2 for large cerveza, and 10 for tonight's meal and all wine I want." All these prices are in Euros.
Until tomorrow!  If you have any questions about this pilgrimage Joel is doing,  email me and we'll get an answer for you.

Pamplona ~ not just another town in Spain

I've been trying to think how to describe this pilgrimage walk that Joel is experiencing. Because I'm not actually walking with him, I'll do my best to describe his adventure from the few emails he's been able to send and the couple of phone calls he's managed.

The first few days his walk was joined by a group of young people,  mostly gals and a couple guys. Joel says he's more then 30 - 40 years older then them.  He's very impressed at the caliber of them and their zest for life.  In one of their conversations he was telling them about his favorite singer, Janis Joplin and the song, A Piece of My Heart and 3 of them started to sing it.

Last night they stayed at Abregue Mary & Joseph inside the old walled city.  Abreque is what the call their hostels. He said the walls are a good 50 ft tall. Yesterday was a major Fiesta day so the streets were packed. He had a wonderful paella last night with Sangria. He wants to take me to visit this city together.  It must be a bit romantic & magical.

Joel has said each and every communication that this is an experience of a lifetime.  Hes not suffering from any blisters at this point, only some muscle cramping in his right quad coming down on a long path.  He did get someone to massage that out for him.  He wanted me to be sure and let you all know he's doing well. He thinks that yesterday will be his last day with international group of young friends. He will meet new Pilgrims today.

When Joel sent this picture along the way, he said this is a college in Gacilia.
Buen Camino Joel!

Lunch in Cantia, Day 2 & 3

At 2 this morning I received a Skype call from Joel however it was so weak, we could not connect. We tried for a few moments with no luck. Luckily, I just had gotten up to let Ollie out so I was awake, kind of.  I woke up this morning to a short email from him. Evidently, he did have enough power to connect long enough to send it.  This was about 3 am PST. 
"I am in Cantia having lunch. I'm half way to the second destination. Tomorrow will be Pamplona. A group of 30 is kids have taken me under their wings. I am their token old guy. They are from Australia, Sweden, France and Texas.
Love, Camino Ducky."

He's finished day 3 and is now in Pamplona.

 Some of the pilgrims he's been traveling. He's shared beer with them and then Paella with them.

 

Tomorrow he'll get a late start as he'll try to get the issue with his phone resolved. 

Update at of 4pm, Sunday, 9/27.

I (Janice) spoke to our cell phone company and we're set for Joel to pick up a new SIM card in Pamplona and he will have the "unlock" code for the new card.  There's hope yet. 

The Pilgrim has landed in Spain, and into France. Day 1

Joel got off with no problems Wednesday, Sept 23 and arrived in Pamplona, Spain the next day on Thursday. We've had very little opportunity yet to visit, so I'm not sure how he got from Pamplona to St. Jean Pied de Port. He found a hostel, very tired from the travel and slept well.  Friday, 1st day of the pilgrimage. 
FINALLY, first report from Joel.
There is poor service for Joel's new smart phone he acquired before leaving Spokane. He was able to use someone's Skype this morning. I had not heard from him until this morning. It has been over 48 hours since he left the states. The next larger town he comes to, that will be his first order of business (after getting a bed in a hostel) will be to find a place that sells phones so that he can at least call me and use his phone to take pictures and send them to me a later date, or may have to bring them back with him and we can add those at that time. Our phone call was relatively short but I did learn, he's meeting wonderful people along the way, today was day 1 and he walked from St. Jean Pied de Port in Southern France over the Pyrenees to his first stop of Roncesvalles. I believe he told me he walked 26k today which is approximately 16 miles.
St Jean Pied de Port is a beautiful bustling French market town in the foothills of the Pyrenees, which creates a natural border between France and Spain It is the traditional starting point for the Camino Frances, the most popular of all the Camino routes.
I hope to have more to report within a couple days once I hear more from Joel.

First hostel in St. Jean Pied de Port

View from the hostel

His first bunk bed in France.

Countdown to the Camino

Dear Family and Friends: Tomorrow I fly to Spain and five days until I start waking "The Camino de Santiago".  Most of my packing is done except some last minute items. I have led up to this by working at The Interstate Fair for two weeks. I finished this on Monday, a day after the fair closed. This is my one work for pay job, since my retirement. This was my second year working the fair. The rest of my retirement jobs have been volunteer. I must admit that there is something satisfying to know I am still employable.
Janice will have the hard job of keeping the home fires burning and Ollie will have the job of companionship for Janice while I am gone. As our home is up for sale, maybe most of her time will be completing the sale and preparing for the move.
In preparation for the trip I have acquired a smart phone and have been learning it's operation. I will use it to call Janice on Skype, send her pictures  and to reading my e-mail and Facebook. Janice will keep up the blog from the pictures I send and from our conversations.
I fly out of Spokane at 5:00 AM Wednesday and will, (God willing) land in Pamplona, Spain at 10:00 AM on Thursday. From Pamplona I will catch a bus to ST Jean de Port, France. After checking in with the Pilgrim office, I will find a hostel to spend the night. On Friday morning, if al goes right, I will start my hike across the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. I will cross into Spain after about 10 miles and should make the first of my 33 destinations in another 5 miles.

Although most of the hikers will be Europeans, there will be also Americans and Canadians on the trails. I have already connected with several of them. One of my hopes is to walk and talk with many people from all over the world. Because of this, I am going on my own, rather than taking any companions. This is a bucket list item for me. I turn 70 in less than 1 1/2 years, so hope to compete the 490 mile hike when I still have the strength.
My mental state is similar from when I was preparing for Marathons and ultra-Marathons. Currently I am saying to myself, what have I gotten into and can I do this? If this is like the Marathons and the ultra Marathons like La Grizz and Western State 100, I will be anxious until I take the first steps to the goal. Once I have started, I will concentrate on completing what I have undertaken and the anxiety will disappear. Your prayers and best wishes are welcomed.
I will let Janice finish this post with her observations.
Ah, what to say? I've been having a lot of mixed emotions as I send Joel on his way tomorrow knowing I won't see him for another 45 days. I truly am happy for Joel as he goes on this adventure.  There is a part of me that wishes I could do this experience with him, but I know I don't have the stamina to walk 500 miles and sleep in hostels.  So, I will miss him very much and may even shed a tear or two as the days go on.  There is a small bit of me that is fearful for him, however I know what will be will be and everything will work out as it should in the end.  Ollie will keep me company as I will for him. He will miss Joel too.  We've all become very dependent on one another in this family. 
Joel will be giving me daily updates with pictures that I will then post in the form of a blog each morning. If you have questions for him along the way, be sure to email him jus-ducky@hotmail.com. He may not be able to answer each and every email, but if there are several of the same type of questions, he will let me know and I will post the answers for all to read that will be of interest. 
In the mean time, I will be keeping the house and yard "spotless" for perspective buyers.  I will also be on the hunt for boxes and beginning the job of packing.  Oh joy! 
For now, keep the healthy/happy thoughts and prayers coming our way for this next adventure. 
Buen Camino Mi Amore'