Stopped walking!

After having walked two hours yesterday, I decided today that I wouldn't do any more walking until actually starting the camino next week on 28 August. As with marathon training, there is no benefit to be gained from "pushing the envelope" at the last moment. This is giving my tendons, stiff joints and muscles a break from the (almost) daily practice I've done since mid-june. There really is no point in arriving at the starting line tired from fanatic practice.

It's going to be busy days ahead. My sixtieth birthday is on the 25th, and festivities start this evening, going to a reportedly excellend "world food" restaurant with my sister Anne and her husband Herman, and my brother Mike, and of course my dear wife Irène.

The time is also arriving, this weekend, to extensively prepare my backpack. I will weigh each item individually, and the total weight will determine to what extent I have to drop items from the packing list. I'm aiming for a maximum weight (on the back) of 7000 grams, excluding drinking water and food (which are variables). Keeping the backpack weight as low as possible is of extreme importance.

Tomorrow (saturday), Irène and I am going to Antwerp, to go buy my birthday present (which requires my presence...) and have a bite and a drink at a local festival. And on sunday, were going for dinner at my friend Paul and his wife Myriam. This Paul (same name as mine, I'm "grand Paul" and he's "Poppol") has been my running partner for many years; we must have run thousands of kilometers together. He would beat me in every race over 10 kilometers in length, except twice, when I beat him (in the sprint) in a 20 km race, and one particular 30 km run in which, that day, I ...flew and thrashed him with a large margin. Never been able to repeat that one, ever.

Monday and tuesday off to the job, for a token visit, and wednesday 26th, off to Charleroi airport to enjoy Ryanair services.