To MP3 or Not to MP3, That is the Question

Departure day draws near. Most of the planning and even packing are done. I got my pilgrim passport/credential in the mail yesterday from the American Pilgrims of the Camino. I am thankful that they responded so quickly to my query of only last week. But their passport is a plain little affair.

Even went to Paragon for some last minute purchases: Body Glide for possible chafing, polypro cushioned socks and some lightweight hiking sandals. I toyed with buying a new pack. For the past 6 months I have lusted for the Osprey Athos 50 which has a frame that bows away from the back and supposedly cuts down on sweat by 40%. At 200 bucks, it would not be an outlandish purchase--but they did not have a black one in my size. And I was not about to buy a red or electric blue one.

I checked out the running gear out of habit and found out that NIKE not only has brought back their smoke gray and orange running clothes but that Paragon had stock of all manner of shorts, singlets, tees both long and short sleeves and lounge wear. I could have dropped another few hundred and really created a splash on the trail. But common sense (and knowing I am out of work for another 4 months at least) prevailed.

I woke up this morning at 4:30 and was desultorily going through the NY Times Book Review when I finally decided not to take my MP3 player with me on the trip. I spent another 5 minutes in an internal debate on whether or not to do the Frederick thing (he is the French craps dealer who I met last year who travelled with a sheaf of printed songs which he would pull out in moments of relaxation). But that just did not seem very practical either--I mean, how could I limit it to fewer than the 2500 songs I have on my MP3. And I would miss all the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Turkish songs anyway. And I still can't carry a tune anyway.

So with time on my hands I started surfing and came up with some disturbing info on Le Puy and the Auvergne region of France. Seems like it is pretty rural and with pretty steep terrain. I read an account of two pilgrims who started in the beginning of May who had rain and snow. They reported 12 days of rain in their first 14 days. And pretty slim pickings on restaurants and lodging.

Though I knew that the way is very steeply hilly, I was sort of envisioning using sunscreen more than than my poncho. Spring flowers and migrating birds were to be the highlights, not deprivation. And it seems like there is very little internet access along the way. So I will not be able to bitch and complain about it here on a daily basis.

I am still holding out for liberal amounts of regional French delicacies, languid walks through rural France, and intruiging companions. We shall see. But maybe gaiters would not be a bad, last minute purchase.

Oh, by the way, there is a comment section in this. You all can add your two cents worth too.