Jerri's Preparation Observations

Ha! I knew there was a reason for asking Karen along.  Normally, in any venture, I let Louisa (or, alternatively, my mother) do all the worrying and I just forge on.  Clearly, Karen is our designated worrier for this trip.  I focused on completely different things than she did and I did not keep a journal. But I do have my Project Life (picture a day project) photos.  So, here are a few of my observations on getting ready for this trip. 

I started looked for plane fares about 8 months ago (the earliest the airlines will allow you to book ahead) and was discouraged to find no convenient route and certainly nothing economical.  I was resigned to taking an obscure airline to Iceland or the hinterlands and then having multiple connections all over Europe. I finally gave up and decided to go back to the travel agency that booked our around-the world-with-six-people-and-a-wheelchair trip of 1995.

 

Jerri and Eva

The delightful Eva developed a perfect round-trip itinerary on major airlines and the high speed train in France, delivering us exactly to where we need to be at prices way too good to be true, saving us thousands of dollars.  Add in travel insurance that covers just about everything except a nuclear attack and the agency fee (less than one hour’s work for me at the Emergency Department) and we still have enough money to cover 1½ times my estimate of our daily expenses.

 
Speaking of money, I had to special order euros from the bank and they sent me brand new bills.  Even though I know they are real (and a lot of cash) they still look like Monopoly money to me.

I ordered our credencials (pilgrim passports which need to be stamped at least once or twice a day) and was pleased that they arrived promptly and unhappy that they inscribed our names already, listing us all in Ann Arbor, even though I had given all the correct information.  I went back to the Web site and ordered second copies for Karen and Beth and was delighted when Karen sent me an e-mail saying that they contacted her, apologized for the error, and are sending new ones.

 

I didn’t have to buy much new just for this trip–quick drying towel, sleeping bag liner, permethrin (for soaking the liners to prevent bedbugs), and walking sticks.  I was already due for new shoes and socks, rain jacket and hat, and a new camera (since someone-not-to-be-named dropped my old reliable one).  I borrowed a backpack and rain cover.  And I have a variety of hats for Beth to choose from.

 

 

I searched though all our family photos looking for just the right ones to bring along to show fellow peregrinos and ended up with copies of Anni’s and Julia’s weddings, and one from Carol’s funeral (I think the last time we were all together?).  I’m also bringing along photos of our two heavenly “sponsors,” Carol and Dad.

 

Jerri's Family: Ben J., Louisa J., Jerri,

Ian and Annika Squires, Julia J., Rohina J.

 

 

Rohina J., Ben J., Jon and Julia McCready,

Jerri J., Louisa J. Annika Squires

 

The James F. Jenista Family: Jim J., Kathy Davis, Sally J.,

Peter J., Mary Lavery, Beth J., Jerri J., Amy Corrieri, Barb Jensen

James F. Jenista, Jr. and Carol Jenista

I have my Spanish grammar review bouncing around the kitchen and bathroom.  I was surprised to realize I could read the whole book, but it’s clear I am going for vocabulary over grammar.  And we won’t even discuss irregular verbs, pluperfect, past imperfect, and all those weird tenses.  We will just have to “live in the moment” and speak exclusively in the present tense.

 

If there is any part of the preparation that has caused angst, it is definitely the plan for our first two nights in France.  We arrive at the Camino start ing point late at night, having spent thirty or more hours on two or three planes and two trains.  We don’t speak French and this is a very small town.  I spent about two weeks successively e-mailing each albergue (pilgrim hostel) to make a reservation for three, having to Google-translate several of the Web sites. The first ten places were all full (is there something about that date that is so popular?), but I eventually found two who admit to having beds.  However, neither has actually responded with some kind of definite reservation, so we are still at a little bit of a loss there.

All our sources seem to indicate that the first leg of the trip (across the Pyrenees into Spain) is the hardest and we will still be jet-lagged.  We have not yet hiked together, so we decided to split that journey and spend the night in the mountains at the only (and most expensive) albergue.  Luckily, we have a paid, confirmed reservation there after only 5-6 e-mails back and forth.  After that, however, we are on our own each day, waiting to see what comes.