My Boots Story

I previously blogged that I was already testing a pair of Jack Wolfskin boots, which when I first tried them felt nice with lots of toe room and ankle support. Between then and now I also tried out a pair of Merrell light hikers which had more heel cushioning and also lots of toe room. I was walking around in the trails and when I got home my knees would start hurting a bit and my heels were also not so happy. I also started feeling something in my plantar fascia - a pain under my right foot which stopped me completely from running for one year.

I knew I needed new boots.

I found them in my new Lowa Renegade Gtx boots. I wore them today, and wow did they feel nice after all the little pains I felt with my other boots. First, I thought that they were a bit tight in the toe area but later, I appreciated the support that gave. You could also feel the difference in the arch and ankle support and the glove-like fit.  They cost a bit more, but I thought, better than not enjoying my hike and maybe even getting those foot problems I had before.  Actually, my husband already advised me earlier on to get Lowas as he was very happy with the one he had before.  That could have saved me a lot of time and cost, too.  Anyway, never too late. Now i am more convinced after this morning's hike and no foot pains. Yay!

Boot story over -- finally.

Training for the Camino

I have done long hikes before, but I haven't done a 31 day hike with daily average distances of from 20 to 30 kms so I want to be ready.  I read that the Camino would be mostly on asphalt roads and that also makes a difference, as I am more used to walks on packed earth, much softer on the feet and knees.

I have been walking around town with the boots, backpack, socks and clothes that I plan to wear just to get used to it and make sure there are no pressure points. Well, maybe I have a few more layers on, as it is now about 2 degrees here.

Luckily, there is a forest trail going through a few hills about a kilometer from where I live. Plus the weather is a little bit colder than what I should expect (snow on the ground). I layered with a short sleeved tech shirt, a long sleeved wool icebreaker, a windbreaker and a goretex jacket and wore my fleece cap and light gloves.  I think it was just right, maybe a layer too much as I sweated a little. Otherwise, it was a comfy leisurely hike of 12 kilometers with some stops, for which I took about 3 hours.  That means an average of about 4 kms/hr or for a 30 hour walking day - a 7.5 hour hike!  Hmmm, as long as I don't get blisters or knee pain or foot pain -- that should be doable. I have to remember though to always stretch right after a hike, and make small stops to rest my feet, and hydrate. Also, take some homeopathic  arnica montana for sore muscles- something I picked up from a super-strong ultra marathoner.

Free Android Apps for the Camino Frances

Update: January 16, 2014 !!!  New Android app!!!

I just finished my Android app!
It is called Camino Pilgrim (you can search for it in Google Play Store) and it is free.

The home website is here: Camino Pilgrim App
and the Google Play Store link is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.moemke.android.mycamino

The Camino Pilgrim app helps you in planning your Camino.  You can create your own itinerary and schedule (with dates of your trip) with stops and distances.  It also guides you by showing you the towns along the way, the facilities available, their location on a map that you can overlay with a simplified route of the Camino. The lodgings, marked either as M (Refuge Municipal), R (Albergue Parroquial or Religious Albergue), and P (Private Hostel) for each town are also shown, with costs of a pilgrim bed and  facilities indicated, such as kitchen, washing/drying facilities, wifi, etc, and their location on a map (again, you may overlay the Camino route). When accessing the map, you can also check your own location by clicking on the Show my Location icon. It is the app I wished I had while on the Camino. :-)

Here are some screenshots:

Main Page, Sample 35 day itinerary with Itinerary stages:

Camino Localities Map with Camino Route Overlay:

For more screenshots and details , please see the home website above.

Here is a link to a blog post about the app:
My Camino Pilgrim Android App

Please download, send feedback (there is a link in the app) and give a rating (a good one, I hope! :-) )

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Here are some Android apps that I found for the Camino Frances that look quite interesting.

1. Camino de Santiago Forum - a mobile version of a really useful forum for planning your Camino.  Lots of input from people who have gone on the Camino. You can ask questions in this forum. Easier to use the web version.
2. Camino 2.0 - the official Spanish government app that shows a map of the Camino Frances with distances and other information. Quite slow to load though. In Spanish.
3. Mi Camino - information on the Camino, such as roads, phones of tourist offices, links, emergency numbers. It looks like you can add pictures and tag them, but I haven't tried those options yet.
4.  Santiago - comprehensive maps and information (churches, hostels, hotels, museums) on Santiago de Compostela. In Spanish.

If you want to have an idea  where you are on a map, here are some other GPS apps that you can load on to your phone for offline map information.   This means that you can use these maps as long as your smartphone has a GPS, even if you are not connected to the web. These apps use Open Street Maps information.

1. Navfree -  very nice GPS application.
2. Osmand - another nice GPS application.  For the Camino Frances, you will need to download the following offline maps: France aquitaine europe and Spain europe.

 

Camino de Santiago Forum App

Camino 2.0 App

Mi Camino App

Santiago App

Navfree App

Osmand App

An Itinerary for the Camino

I've been working on our itinerary. I feel I may have been over-preparing and somehow, I am worried that some of the magic and serendipitous moments might be lost. However, bottom line is I can't help it. I have to prepare.

For this trip, I looked at quite a number of itineraries for ideas on scheduling our trip.


Itinerary 1: 32 days

I first worked with the general itinerary given by the Spanish government which I found in the Camino Frances 2.0 app which I downloaded into my Android. The Web application version is in http://www.ign.es/ign/layoutIn/csantiagoportada.do, however, since I have an Ubuntu OS, that didn't work for me.  This itinerary is scheduled for 32 days, starting from St Jean Pied de Port.

Day 1:    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncesvalles (24.7 kms)
Day 2:    Roncesvalles - Larrasoaña (27 kms)
Day 3:    Larrasoaña - Zizur Menor (19.7 kms)
Day 4:    Zizur Menor - Puenta La Reina (18.7 kms)
Day 5:    Puente La Reina - Estella (22.6 kms)
Day 6:    Estella - Los Arcos (22.1 kms)
Day 7:    Los Arcos - Logroño (27.6 kms)
Day 8:    Logroño - Najera (28.4 kms)
Day 9:    Nájera - Santo Domingo de la Calzada (20.8 kms)
Day 10:  Santo Domingo de la Calzada - Belorado (22.6 kms)
Day 11:  Belorado - Agés (23.7 kms)
Day 12:  Agés - Burgos (24.9 kms)
Day 13:  Burgos - Hontanas (31.1 kms)
Day 14:  Hontanas - Boadilla del Camino (28.4 kms)
Day 15:  Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes (24.8 kms)
Day 16:  Carrión de los Condes - Terradillos de los Templarios (26.3 kms)
Day 17:  Terradillos de los Templarios - El Burgo Ranero (30.3 kms)
Day 18:  El Burgo Ranero - Mansilla de las Mulas (18.7 kms)
Day 19:  Mansilla de las Mulas - León (18.4 kms)
Day 20:  León - San Martin del Camino (24.5 kms)
Day 21:  San Martin del Camino - Astorga (23.6 kms)
Day 22:  Astorga - Rabanal del Camino (20.2 kms)
Day 23:  Rabanal del Camino - Ponferrada (32.2 kms)
Day 24:  Ponferrada - Villafranca del Bierzo (23.2 kms)
Day 25:  Villafranca del Bierzo - O Cebreiro (29 kms)
Day 26:  O Cebreiro - Triacastela (21.6 kms)
Day 27:  Triacastela - Sarria (17.2 kms)
Day 28:  Sarria - Portomarin (21.7 kms)
Day 29:  Portomarin - Palas de Rei (24.2 kms)
Day 30:  Palas de Rei - Arzúa (28.3 kms)
Day 31:  Arzúa - O Pedrouzo (19.2 kms)
Day 32:  O Pedrouzo - Santiago de Compostela (19.4 kms)


Itinerary 2: 31 days

This itinerary comes from a terrific resource, the Eroski Consumer link. This one is for 31 days. This website gives basic information as well as nice reviews on albergues to stay along the way.  It is in Spanish but Google Translate takes care of that. Compared to the itinerary above, Day 2 to 7 also covers Roncesvalles to Logroño but the stops are different, i.e. Zubiri, Pamplona, Puenta la Reina, Estella, Torres del Rio.
Day 18 -19 is compressed to 1 day, from El Burgo Ranero - Leon with a 37 km distance. Day 21 in Astorga stops in Foncebadon instead of Rabanal del Camino. Then from Day 23 in Ponferrada onwards, the itinerary is the same as that of Itinerary 1.

Day 1:    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncesvalles (25.7 kms)
Day 2:    Roncesvalles - Zubiri (21.5 kms)
Day 3:    Zubiri -Pamplona/Iruña (20.4 kms)
Day 4:    Pamplona/Iruña - Puenta La Reina/Gares (24 kms)
Day 5:    Puente La Reina/Gares - Estella/Lizarra (22 kms)
Day 6:    Estella/Lizarra - Torres del Rio (29 kms)
Day 7:    Torres del Rio - Logroño (20 kms)
Day 8:    Logroño - Najera (29.6 kms)
Day 9:    Nájera - Santo Domingo de la Calzada (21 kms)
Day 10:  Santo Domingo de la Calzada - Belorado (22.7 kms)
Day 11:  Belorado - Agés (27.4 kms)
Day 12:  Agés - Burgos (23 kms)
Day 13:  Burgos - Hontanas (31.1 kms)
Day 14:  Hontanas - Boadilla del Camino (28.5 kms)
Day 15:  Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes (24.6 kms)
Day 16:  Carrión de los Condes - Terradillos de los Templarios (26.6 kms)
Day 17:  Terradillos de los Templarios - El Burgo Ranero (30.6 kms)
Day 18:  El Burgo Ranero - León (37.1 kms)
Day 19:  León - San Martin del Camino (25.9 kms)
Day 20:  San Martin del Camino - Astorga (24.1 kms)
Day 21:  Astorga - Foncebadon (25.9 kms)
Day 22:  Foncebadon - Ponferrada (27.3 kms)
Day 23:  Ponferrada - Villafranca del Bierzo (24.1 kms)
Day 24:  Villafranca del Bierzo - O Cebreiro (28.4 kms)
Day 25:  O Cebreiro - Triacastela (21.1 kms)
Day 26:  Triacastela - Sarria (18.3 kms)
Day 27:  Sarria - Portomarin (22.4 kms)
Day 28:  Portomarin - Palas de Rei (25 kms)
Day 29:  Palas de Rei - Arzúa (28.8 kms)
Day 30:  Arzúa - O Pedrouzo (19.2 kms)
Day 31:  O Pedrouzo - Santiago de Compostela (20 kms)


Itinerary 3: 34 days

Here's another itinerary for 34 days, based on the Stage Profiles pdf file. This adds 2 extra days to the 1st itinerary above.  Differences are in Day 7 to Day 9, where an extra day is added here to cut up the Los Arcos - Najera leg into 3 days instead of 2. Day 12 stops in San Juan de Ortega instead of Ages, to shorten the next day's hike to Burgos. Day 14 stops at Hornillos del Camino, and adds an extra day before Carrion de los Condes. Day 17 to 18, stops at Bercianos del Real Camino instead of El Burgo Ranero to even up the hiking distances. Day 22 to 23 stops at Villadangos del Paramo instead of San Martin del Camino. There are different stops from Day 25 onwards, i.e. stops at Molinaseca, Cacabelos, Vega de Valcarce, Alto de Poyo, Calbor, Portomarin, Ponte Campana, Ribadiso, Arca de Pino.

Day 1:    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncesvalles (27.1 kms)
Day 2:    Roncesvalles - Larrasoaña (25 kms)
Day 3:    Larrasoaña - Zizur Menor (20.7 kms)
Day 4:    Zizur Menor - Puenta La Reina (20.4 kms)
Day 5:    Puente La Reina - Estella (22.4 kms)
Day 6:    Estella - Los Arcos (21 kms)
Day 7:    Los Arcos - Viana (19.5 kms)
Day 8:    Viana - Navarrete (21.5 kms)
Day 9:    Navarrete - Nájera (16.5 kms)
Day 10:  Nájera - Santo Domingo de la Calzada (21.2 kms)
Day 11:  Santo Domingo de la Calzada - Belorado (23 kms)
Day 12:  Belorado - San Juan de Ortega (24.3 kms)
Day 13:  San Juan de Ortega - Burgos (26 kms)
Day 14:  Burgos - Hornillos del Camino (21 kms)
Day 15:  Hornillos del Camino - Castrojeriz (20.5 kms)
Day 16:  Castrojeriz - Fromista (25.5 kms)
Day 17:  Fromista  - Carrión de los Condes (20.9 kms)
Day 18:  Carrión de los Condes - Terradillos de los Templarios (26.6 kms)
Day 19:  Terradillos de los Templarios - Bercianos del Real Camino (23.8 kms)
Day 20:  Bercianos del Real Camino - Mansilla de las Mulas (26.3 kms)
Day 21:  Mansilla de las Mulas - León (20.4 kms)
Day 22:  León - Villadangos del Paramo (20.4 kms)
Day 23:  Villadangos del Paramo - Astorga (26.4 kms)
Day 24:  Astorga - Rabanal del Camino (20 kms)
Day 25:  Rabanal del Camino - Molinaseca (25.5 kms)
Day 26:  Molinaseca - Cacabelos (23 kms)
Day 27:  Cacabelos - Vega de Valcarce (24 kms)
Day 28:  Vega de Valcarce - Alto de Poyo (21.8 kms)
Day 29:  Alto de Poyo - Calbor (27.5 kms)
Day 30:  Calbor - Portomarin (27.5 kms)
Day 31:  Portomarin - Ponte Campana (28.5 kms)
Day 32:  Ponte Campana - Ribadiso (22.5 kms)
Day 33:  Ribadiso - Arco de Pino (22 kms)
Day 34:  Arco de Pino - Santiago de Compostela (20 kms)


Our planned itinerary: 31 days, 22 days Logroño to Santiago de Compostela

For our itinerary, since I arrive earlier, I am allotting 9 days for my first leg from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port until Logroño, after which I meet up with my sister, and we hike together from Logroño to Santiago de Compostela.  We plan to finish this second leg in 22 days instead of 24, thus making for longer hiking days. The below itinerary was planned with Camino Planner. Here, we try to shorten the Najera to Burgos schedule into 3 days instead of 4, then follow the 12 day Burgos to O Cebreiro schedule of the 31 day itinerary, after which the last 6 days will be from O Cebreiro to Santiago de Compostela with stops at Samos, Ferreiros, Airexe, Melide, O Pedrouzo.  In this schedule, average hiking days will be about 25.8 kms with a very long hiking day from Villafranca de Montes de Oca to Burgos of 37.7 kms.

First Leg: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Logroño (9 days)
Day 1:  Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Honto/Orisson (5 kms)
Day 2:  Hontto/Orisson - Roncesvalles (22.1)
Day 3:  Roncesvalles - Zubiri (21.8 kms)
Day 4:  Zubiri -Pamplona (20.7 kms)
Day 5:  Pamplona - Puenta La Reina (23.5 kms)
Day 6:  Puente La Reina - Estella (22.1 kms)
Day 7:  Estella - Los Arcos (21.1 kms)
Day 8:  Los Arcos - Viana (17.9 kms)
Day 9:  Viana - Logroño (9.9 kms)

Second Leg: Logroño- Santiago de Compostela (22 days)
Day 10:  Logroño - Najera (28.7 kms)
Day 11:  Najera - Grañon (28.6 kms)
Day 12:  Grañon - Villafranca de Montes de Oca (27.3 kms)
Day 13:  Villafranca de Montes de Oca - Burgos (37.7 kms)
Day 14:  Burgos - Hontanas (30.8 kms)
Day 15:  Hontanas - Boadilla del Camino (28.5 kms)
Day 15:  Boadilla del Camino - Carrión de los Condes (24.4 kms)
Day 16:  Carrión de los Condes - Terradillos de los Templarios (26 kms)
Day 17:  Terradillos de los Templarios - El Burgo Ranero (30.4 kms)
Day 18:  El Burgo Ranero - León (37.2 kms)
Day 19:  León - San Martin del Camino (24.8 kms)
Day 20:  San Martin del Camino - Astorga (23.4 kms)
Day 21:  Astorga - Foncebadon (25.7 kms)
Day 22:  Foncebadon - Ponferrada (27.2 kms)
Day 23:  Ponferrada - Villafranca del Bierzo (22.3 kms)
Day 24:  Villafranca del Bierzo - O Cebreiro (28.6 kms)
Day 25:  O Cebreiro - Samos (30.7 kms)
Day 26:  Samos - Ferreiros (28.1 kms)
Day 27:  Ferreiros - Airexe (26.5 kms)
Day 28:  Airexe - Melide (22 kms)
Day 29:  Melide - O Pedrouzo (32.8 kms)
Day 30:  O Pedrouzo - Santiago de Compostela (20 kms)

Third Leg: Santiago - Finisterre (3 days)
Day 31:  Santiago de Compostela - Negreira (21 kms)
Day 32:  Negreira - Olveiroa (33.4 kms)
Day 33:  Olveiroa - Fisterra/Muxia (34.9 kms/32.5 kms)
Day 34:  Fisterra/Muxia - Santiago de Compostela (bus)

I think that should be enough itinerary planning for now.  We will try to follow this schedule as much as we can, and hope it works out!

---
Update:
After more reading, I realized that on Day 25, going from O Cebreiro - Samos means veering off the regular route.  The idea is to visit the Benedictine Monastery in Samos, although this would mean going through a longer route (by about 6 kilometers).  An alternative schedule for Days 23 to 30 follows:
Day 23:  Ponferrada - Pereje/Trabadelo  (27.8/32.3 kms)
Day 25:  Pereje/Trabadelo - Hospital dela Condesa (29/24.5 kms)
Day 26:  Hospital dela Condesa - Sarria  (38 kms)
Day 27:  Sarria - Gonzar  (30 kms)
Day 28:  Gonzar -  Melide  (30 kms)
Day 29:  Melide - Santa Irene/Rua/O Pedrouzo  (30.7/32.1/32.8 kms)
Day 30:  Santa Irene/Rua/O Pedrouzo - Santiago  (21.4/20.8/20 kms)

What to bring to the Camino? A Packing List for the Camino de Santiago

Please also see my updated packing list: Pinay Pilgrim's Camino de Santiago Packing List.  I updated this list after my Camino pilgrimage.

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I have researched quite a bit on what I should bring to the Camino for a late March to April hike.  I checked yearly weather conditions and generally, during these months, temperatures range from between about 6 to 18 degrees Celsius -- not exactly warm.  Weather is also reported to be unpredictable, with possibly, rain, wind, even snow.

I also read that one should bring just 10% of one's body weight to have a reasonably comfortable hike.  This means that I can only bring about 5.2 kilos, and need to carefully consider the weight of each piece of equipment and determine the function to weight ratio for each.

I spent quite a bit of time agonizing on what footwear to bring. I considered using my old hiking shoes, but they were a bit clunky, and with bottoms a bit worn.  I read that most of the Camino would be on asphalt roads, and not really trails, so I also thought about using trail running shoes or lightweight hikers, such as Salomons.  After much research and time trying out shoes at different outdoor stores, I settled for a pair of Jack Wolfskin Texapore hiking boots***. Okay, they were on sale, but they also gave the proper support for my ankles where I always encounter problems.  I am still breaking them in and testing them out.

Another thing I am spending a lot of time thinking about is whether to bring a sleeping bag or a silk liner.  It is necessary to bring one or the other as one will sleep in albergues/hostels.  Since I read that some hostels might not have enough heating, I will bring a sleeping bag even though it is much heavier. I had previously even considered bringing a down bag, but I think a lightweight sleeping bag rated to +10 degrees and wearing my wool thermals if it gets really cold should be enough.

I was planning to bring my Swiss knife but since I will be getting on a flight with only carry-on luggage allowed, I bought a folding Opinel knife with a 6 cm blade (per some suggestions I read on camino forums).  According to EU regulations on hand luggage, a knife with a blade of more than 6 cms is not allowed as hand luggage on air flights.  I could try to bring the knife as a handcarry and technically, it should be okay, but as it was less than 7 euros, I could also just leave it after the hike.

I looked at a lot of packing lists suggested on the web and came up with my own list.

Here then is my packing list:

Equipment:
Backpack with 2 liter water bladder and rain cover (28 liter Deuter)
Ortlieb drybag with compression valve (12 liters)*
Hiking boots with ankle support***
Small Opinel folding knife
Spork (spoon/fork)
Folding mug
500 ml Nalgene bottle
Lightweight travel towel (Drylite Sea to Summit)
Lightweight sleeping bag (+10 degrees rating at least in cold weather)
Lightweight headlamp
Whistle
Tying Rope (for making a clothesline)
Small tweezers (from Swiss knife)

Clothes (all lightweight wool/synthetic material and quick drying):
Hiking pants (with belt)
Extra lightweight pair of pants
1-2 long sleeve tops for hiking
2 short sleeve tops
1 set of wool thermals, top and bottom, for sleeping**
2 sports bras
4 underpants
3 hiking socks
1 Teva sandals, for showering and changing into at the hostels
Fleece sweater
Lightweight polypropylene gloves
Lightweight polypropylene cap
Hiking hat (for sun/rain)
Rainjacket
Rainpants
Light windbreaker
Buff
Sunglasses
Reading glasses and small screwdriver

Important Stuff:
Money belt
Passport/residence card (and photocopies)
Health insurance card
Cash/credit card
Cellphone and charger
Journal (write emergency numbers/contacts)
Pen/Pencil
Travel Documents (booking certificates/train and flight tickets)
Guide to Camino (itinerary, distances, hike profile, list of albergues)
Pilgrim Passport
Pilgrim shell

Toiletries (all in a Toiletries organizer, bring only small packs of maybe 100 ml of the disposables -- you can resupply along the way):
Deodorant
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Moisturizer
Soap (in a soap case, or if liquid, in a 100 ml refillable plastic bottle)
Shampoo (in a 100 ml refillable plastic bottle)
Comb
Nail clipper
Toilet paper (half a roll, usually there is ample supply in the hostels)
Sunscreen
Sanitary Napkins
Disposable razor
Hand Tissues
Laundry soap (liquid soap is easier to use)

Medical Kit:
Blister tape
Blister stick/Foot ointments (Compeed blister stick, Voltaren gel, Hirschtalg/Milchfett)
Ibuprofen (Alvedon, Voltaren)
Paracetamol (Biogesic, Tylenol, Advil)
Antihistamine (Anti-allergy medicine)
Anti-diarrhea medicine
Betadine
Katinko/Anti-itch cream
Bandaids

Miscellaneous Items:
Waterproof bag
Sewing Kit
Safety pins (to pin wet clothes onto backpack to dry)
Earplugs (important to get a good nights sleep)
Extra Ziploc bags

Food to carry (just buy along the way):
Bread and cheese
Dried fruits and nuts
Energy bar
Fruit
Chocolates

*This was one thing that was not in my original packing list but added at the last minute -- I found it to be very useful in my camino.  It was an Ortlieb drybag (12 liters) with a compression valve.  This allowed me to just stuff all my clothes and compress them so that it fit into my small pack.  It was also great to have a toiletries bag so all of my toiletries were in one place.

**wool thermals for cold weather, but shorts and a shirt for sleeping would be great in warmer weather.

**I did not use the Jack Wolfskin boots as they felt a bit thin-soled and uncomfortable after a few days of testing.  I finally used a pair of Lowe Renegade Goretex boots which were quite good (after a few days to a week of breaking in).  I appreciated the ankle support it gave.  I also saw a lot of others using Salomon Goretex trail runners XA Pro 3d Ultra2 -- I think this might be my choice if I were to walk the Camino again, but will look for some with more ankle support. It is a good idea to invest in a good pair of shoes, and break them in well!

Note: Updated after my camino, these were the things that I had and needed during the walk. I think it is better to have a lightweight sleeping bag, whether in cold or warm weather. Remember to choose equipment with lightest weight and maximum utility.

Note 2: I rewrote the above packing list into a tabular form for easier reading. Refer to: Pinay Pilgrim's Camino de Santiago Packing List

Scheduling the Hike

I have now bought all my rail and flight tickets. I plan to be at the Camino de Santiago for a total of about 35 days with 2 days for travel.  The great news is that my sister joins me for around 20 days of the trek!  After learning that I was planning to do the Camino this March, something she had also wanted to do -- she was able to tweak her previous travel plans (which included a trip to Dublin), to join me in a portion of the Camino.

Here is a rough itinerary:
Day 0: travel to St Jean Pied de Port
Day 1 - 9: Start Camino: St Jean Pied de Port to Logroño (meet up with my sister)
Day 10 - 31: Logroño to Santiago de Compostela (21 days)
Day 32 - 35: Santiago to Finisterre and back by bus (if there is time)
Day 36: travel back

My sister and I plan to do the Logroño to Santiago leg in 21 days as this is the only time she has available.  This would mean daily hikes of about 30 kilometers or so, which we hope to be able to do. After that, she flies back home. I set aside some extra days to do the Finisterre leg of the Camino, and hope that works out too.

Helpful Links to the Camino Frances

I have been doing quite a bit of research on the Camino Frances, and found quite a lot of good online material.

General Information on the Camino Frances and the Camino de Santiago:
Camino Frances
Camino de Santiago Community
Camino de Santiago Forum
Eroski Consumer Camino Frances
Camino Maps
Camino Planner
Camino de Santiago Blog
Camino Frances Day by Day

List of Hostels along the Way:
Pilgrim Hostels on the Camino Frances
All Albergues in 1 pdf
List of Albergues on Camino Frances with Reviews

Suggested Lists to bring when traveling without a guidebook (to save weight):
Read about it in the Camino Forum on traveling without guidebook
Profile of Camino Frances Stages
Distances between towns in Camino Frances