Camino Prep: Week 03 of 19 – 3.0 miles/day

Week of May 25 14.7 miles

It was a short week since Sunday and Monday were rained out. I don’t pay attention to steps in a day – I only count trail distance. Walking around Costco or up and down steps to the basement laundry is not what’s going to get me up the side of the mountain to
O Cebreiro!

There’s the 1.5 mile marker turnaround point.

Camino Prep: Week 02 of 19 – 2.5 miles/day

Week of May 18
Six walking days – 15.32 miles

Decided to eat humble pie and use my sticks. I could tell a few differences: didn’t need to watch the ground so closely- improved posture, cadence was more uniform, could tell pressure was less on my hip joints. And my brain perked up. Oh! I remember this. We’re walking!

Let the Training Begin!

I have 20 weeks to prepare for the Camino. Starting SLOW and finishing with three ten-mile days in the hills with my pack.

Here’s the plan.

PilgrimPass Registration

We now register via an internet form as a Spain requirement. We receive a QR code and will present the code at lodgings instead of presenting our passport.

Pilgrim Passport Registration Form

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Since December 2, 2024, Spanish law requires all users of accommodation (casa rural, Rbnb, etc. … and ALBERGUES) to register upon arrival. In order to facilitate this formality, a company has created the PilgrimPass. 

Ready to walk!

Spring is here! Temps range from day to day – 75 to 30 to 60 to 40 and it looks like up to 80 in a week. The wind has been strong enough to blow entire buildings to the next state. But.. winter is over, and I look forward to getting my Camino legs back. Slowly. Steadily. I have six months to get ready. I’m ready!

Catch-up and Update

I see that I’ve not posted since May. As of today, all is well with me! I am no longer in ongoing medical treatment – just the usual annual check-ups we all do + annual scans and bloodwork with the oncologist. Had a couple of surgeries in August and will be deemed fully recovered from those as of the first week of December.

On the Camino front, I’ve booked lodging for my fall, 2025 Camino.

  • Camino Inglés – A Coruña to Santiago (5 days) – this completes the Inglés I started on El Camino de San Antonio Missions with my friends in Texas.
  • Camino Francés – Astorga to Santiago (17 days)

Total about 326 Km / 203 miles

With travel and rest/tourist days – 30 days.

Roadblocks

After several frustrating days of dealing with Chase Sapphire travel & Air France, Air France has decided to void the voucher I was going to use for the May/June Germany trip. So, I won’t be on the Mosel Camino this spring.

It costs very little to get to Germany once I’m in Portugal/Spain, so I may still go after I finish the Camino Portuguese (from Porto) and the Camino Inglés (from A Coruña). The Portuguese is about two weeks walking and the Inglés is only 5 days. I feel my chapter of European walks is coming to a close, so I may take this opportunity. Even if I’m not up for walking the Mosel Camino – I would enjoy seeing that part of the world. Pondering.

Direct flight: Porto to Luxemburg is $43.00 USD

Day Three: San Fernando Cathedral & Dinner on the Riverwalk

“San Fernando Cathedral was founded on March 9, 1731 by a group of 16 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip V of Spain and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas.” https://sfcathedral.org/our-history

A good night’s sleep and Marie and I were ready to explore a bit of downtown. The cathedral was less than two blocks from our hotel.

In the heart of downtown San Antonio.
San Fernando Cathedral
San Fernando Cathedral
Bexar County Courthouse – across the street from the cathedral.

The Bexar County Courthouse is the largest and oldest continuously operated historic courthouse in Texas1It was designed by James Riely Gordon in the Romanesque Revival style1Construction began in 1891 and was fully completed in 18962The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 19772The Courthouse currently functions as the county seat of Bexar County

A perfect San Antonio ending. Dinner on the Riverwalk. There’s Marie, studying the menu.