Letters to a Muse: Solo Impendition

5/26/06 6:00 pm

I took the final step affirming my impending solo status last night. I will be escorting Ron and mom to the airport at 8 am on Sunday morning. AFter that I´ll head back into Barcelona proper to find the main train terminal. Last night I bought a ticket for the 10 pm Barcelona to Pamplona train. It´s a 7.5 hour ride so I´ll have plenty of time for sleep. It will be the first ¨legitimate¨ train ride of my life and I have mixed feelings about it.

I know I´ll be happy to be alone. I´m dreadfully sick of the tourist traps, tourist prices, and tourists.

I´ll reach Pamplona at 5:30 in the morning and at that point have to find the bus that will take me further north to a city in the Spanish Pyrennees known as Roncesvalles. From there I will begin the 776 km hike to Santiago de Compostela.

My pack is too heavy. I already know that the next two weeks are going to consist of shedding weight from both my pack and my body. I´m going to be muscle on bone at summer´s end.