Follow that star
It’s that time again, when there are lists of jobs to be done, ‘t’s to cross and ‘i’s to dot, a thousand and one must dos and might dos, they are all part of getting away.
And this time there’s an added extra: training; pounding it out at the gym (when the weather is foul – it’s winter down here) and on the trails around the Bay.
I’m the one who, instead of wandering leisurely in the winter sun, is striding it out (and sometimes limping, I’ve had a blister or two – I’ll spare you the photographic evidence) under the weight of her backpack. All with the purpose of conditioning so that, hopefully, when, in a few weeks time, John and I hit the Pyrenees on the first day of the Camino de Santiago bits don’t fall off this body of mine; that it won’t protest too much, that it will hold together and keep moving ever onwards to Santiago de Compostela.
Yep, after some diversions on the way: Sydney, Paris, Agen, we’ll be setting off to walk the almost 500 miles of the Camino Frances.
And we’ll be carrying everything we need on our backs.
I’m getting a little obsessive about just what might go in my pack. Funny that! So not going along are multiple changes of clothes, it’ll be a case of wash and wear; neither is my favourite moisturiser, that’s been replaced by tinted moisturiser/sunscreen.
The basic rule is anything non-essential has to do at least two jobs. Actual books are out and so is my laptop. My camera is coming (that’s an extravagance I know but I love, love, love my Fuji) and so is my kindle and my phone.
I’d like to blog about my Camino. The joys of it, the pain of it, the moments to treasure and those I’d rather forget. Some pilgrims post daily during their Camino. I’d like to as well, depending on WiFi and energy – we’ll all see how I go.
I’ll be blogging from my phone. I’ve learned how to send photos from the camera to my phone. The photo of a Hawkes Bay orchard in winter (at the beginning of this post) is a first attempt. And this is my first ever post written on the WordPress iPhone App.
So, fellow bloggers, do you have any tips for writing posts from your phone? Any pitfalls I should avoid? Does anyone know where the in-app spellchecker might be? All advice/info gratefully received.
Categories: Camino de Santiago, Europe, France, Off-shore Adventures, On Life, Spain
Jill's Scene 
I envy you. I wish I would be able to take time off and do the entire Camino. Already planning on doing a taster of it next year.
I am new to WordPress but I find it easier to write on the Note app and transfer it to here. Burn Camino!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Typing into the Note App first is a great idea, thanks annualleaver. I might just give that a go, especially in days when I have a lot to say.
LikeLike
No advice on phone-blogging I’m afraid, but I wish you much luck and joy on your walk and look forward to reading about it in due course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks So much Su.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck, Jill. Ilook forward to the posts. I would invest in a small stylus. Sometimes, I find the “buttons” in the editor to be too close or too small for my fingers.
LikeLike
Thanks so much Dan, and the stylus is a good suggestion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful! I couldn’t do it so look forward to reading about it. Do you follow Donna who is there right now?
https://www.retirementreflections.com/post-cards-camino-trail-2017-week-two/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, Anabel, thanks so much for this link! I love following along those who are making their Camino, espcecially those who are a little older 🙂
I’m going to check her out right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Best wishes for great time on the Camino. I only walked the final week [after hiking in Austria], but Glenda walked the whole distance from St Jean Pied de Port in 2006.
LikeLike
Thanks Jonathan, I remember when you did it. Do you have handy survival tips?
LikeLike
Sorry, Jill. I hadn’t rechecked this site and seen yr reply. Biggest tip is keep yr pack under 10kgs. G has list of what she took, if you’d like it and will email. Also can lend you our Cicerone edition [pocket-size] of “The Way of St James”. Please reply to me by email to ensure I see any msg from you. Thanks and ‘Bon/Buen Camino’ J
LikeLike
Talk to text on your phone – that way there’s not much “typing” you will need to do, except grammar and punctuation.
LikeLike
Ah, Claudette, someone else has suggested that. Do you use it and is it easy?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do use it for texting (i really dislike trying to type on a phone). It is much better than tapping out letters. My keyboard has that option built in, just press the little microphone, speak and it types away. You do need to add punctuation, but that is easier than one finger pecking. 🙂
LikeLike
Hah, I just give it a go on a draft post and in fact I’m using it now to reply to you. So thanks, Claudette. I can see that it might take a bit of editing but it could be a useful way of going forward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay. Sure it will get easier as you go. I know some you can tell to put a comma of fullstop in, but that may be the computer versions. Try asking google and see what it says.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am looking forward to your Camino blog. I can just imagine the backback decisions phaw. My phone camera is good enuff just saying. And have you tried speech to text? You two do such fab things good on yis. xx
LikeLike
Phone camera versus the real thing – the debate is ongoing. As for speech to text: my giddy aunt – something else to learn. Do you use it?
LikeLike
Good luck, I have always wanted to do the Camino de Santiago. I’d leave Scooter at home though 🙂
LikeLike
Having checked Scooter out, I can’t see why you’d leave that adorable bundle of energy at home, at all 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am really looking forward to reading you blogs .. what an experience the walk will be.
LikeLike
Thanks! Nothing like putting it out there, eh, to sharpen the resolve. And I’m hoping my resolve is water resistant- typically there’s a bit of rain in autumn in that part of Spain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No pressure 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really admire you two with this trip … it will be a real physical challenge! And I can well appreciate the need to travel light … it will all be on your back all the time. Looking forward to hearing from you when you can about your progress on the trail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Gillian, am feeling comparatively fit at the moment, thanks to all that training, but the relentless day after to day business of walking will be a huge challenge, not to mention the hurdle of the Pyrenees!
LikeLike
Very interested to hear the results from this post since we are going backpacking soon as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful, where are you going?
LikeLike
We will be going on an adventure in New Zealand. So excited!! 😄😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey that’s my place!! How long for and when?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow really? 😀 What a coincedence, haha! We have applied for a Working Holiday visum and our plan is to stay for six months, starting this September. We would be travelling all over the country in that period and working as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect, you’ll be here for spring and summer, maybe even a touch of Autumn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup, that is how we planned it! 😀 Now we are certainly going to check out your blog as well for some inspiration on where to go and what to visit and such.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey thanks! I like getting off the beaten track so you’ll find a lot of information about just that. If you enjoy doing the same check out my New Zealand Road Trips (under the “Off the Beaten Track in Aotearoa” menu). Those posts will give you some idea about places to go, away from the typical tourist trail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect! We love that as well! We will certainly use some of your posts when we are planning our specific trips 😉 We are so looking forward to it!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person