When are you truly committed?

At a friendly meeting in Portland, Oregon, two friends, John and Robin Pigott, told of their planned adventure to walk the Camino Frances in Mid Winter. That peaked Joan and My interest. John gave me the famous Camino Frances Web Site: http://www.caminodesantiago.me/. I singed up for daily news and have read them faithfully for months finding then fascinating.

The resource books I have studied most thoroughly are:
2011, Confraternity of Saint James, Camino Frances. http://www.csj.org.uk
2010, Brierley, John, Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago
2011, Brierley, John, Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago, Maps
2009, Brierley, John, Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Finisterre

The question is how many do I want to carry.

More influential than any reading was following John and Robin's journey. http://agoodwalkunspoiled.blogspot.com/.

Google Earth is a must. there are so many pictures taken of the entire Camino and all the towns along the way. http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

I also purchased Rick Steves' Spain 2010 travel guide; and watched his DVDs on Spain. He suggests great places to stay at reasonable sites along the Camino. http://www.ricksteves.com/

Following the daily Camino updates, I started purchasing gear. Though you walk almost exclusively in Spain the gear is from all over the world, ponchos from Spain, soap from England and back packs from New Zealand.

Joan and I walk religiously with and without our packs. As the days whizz by we will increase the hills and distances.

I just purchased our round trip tickets from San Francisco to Madrid.  We leave for our "caminowalkabout" at 10am PST on April 12th to return on May 31st. One night in Madrid, train to Pamploma, taxi to St, Jean for the night. We start the Camino the  morning of April 14th for Valcarlos.

Once you buy the plane tickets, one is truly committed......