A New Beginning

 So today we are 472 days from leaving for Lisbon...An extra year to wait but all things considered we really didn't want to risk all these border crossings.. But also to wait and see what the river cruises are doing and how 45 days in Europe would hold up for all of us.

Best decision we made was to push it to 2022. Today I was able to get the 1st 2 nights on the Camino set for the hotels, not what we had for 2021 but going with what we can get. The Pope extended the Holy Year to 2022 so I am sure its going to be a crazy Camino and crowded.

As I'm working on Ponte Lima where we will spend 2 nights to take a break after almost 45 miles (without any deviations) in the previous 3 days, I get a text that one of our group has gone to the ER by paramedics. His back went out last week and although he knows how to med it,  this must be different. He couldn't stand up so time for some drugs and the docs!

Ponte Limo seems like the perfect city to relax a couple days since we are in no hurry. The majority of the next 12 days will be pretty easy flow days but will have some high peaks with elevation along the way.

2022?

 So the worldwide lockdowns are becoming the new norm. The world is calling for an international vaccine passport and some are fighting that.

The president of Spain is closing their borders to UK residents u til the end of summer. Americans can’t go there now so they haven’t t said anything about the Americans not being able to visit. But it doesn’t look good.

We are in agreement to cancel and rebook for 2022. That is a shitload of work

Well, after walking past these dogs over 38 times, my time ran out. I am a dog lover and have never been bit before.  But this little guy just came up behind me and bit me pretty good. They are pretty experienced in their street walking, apparently that's what they've done their whole lives.

My plan doesn't change, today the owners were out and the dogs were distanced from me. Little beagle types with a big bark!

I guess the Camino is already helping me.

Starring the new year!

Jan 2, 2021 A little Camino training to star the new year. A brisk 6 miler!

Where to begin

 I thought since this is a hiking journey that the best way to start is to hike! So in December 2020, I jumped right in and hit the road. I managed 108.86 miles in 20 days which was a great start. I was really checking shoes/socks to start and then slowly added backpacks. I don't have the Camino gear yet but I'm starting with what we have. 

Where it began

 I’ve know about the Camino for many years. The idea of hiking it was always on my list of things I wanted to do. But the world is a big place and for the last 40 years we have travelled the world extensively. In that last couple of years  we have found ourselves taking month long journeys. If you haven’t ever don’t that and can afford the time, do it now. We can work from anywhere so there is zero reasons why we can just travel!

Already training for our August Camino but it feels good to have the plan. 

Looks like 2022

 After a lot of thinking about what the trip would be like with covid being everywhere, we all mutually decided to cancel 2021 and rebook for 2022. So we are all rebooked for the Viking river portion but it’s too soon to rebook the Camino. I hope the people of Portugal can hold on and keep their lives together. It seems so bad there and many restaurants will close if they haven’t already. Although we aren’t staying in albergue’s, I hope the best for those people so they can keep themselves alive and in business to welcome  the 2022 crowds.

I imagine things  will be very crowded with so many that wanted to hike in the holy year of 2021. But the pope has extended that and will have 2022 also be the hold year. Sometimes we are so lucky!

We will again have a  very specific and preplanned Camino with plenty of time for detours and any extras we want to see and do. 

Looking forward to the planning and the journey with family and friends