FOUR AMIGOS!

Guess it would make sense to start off introducing the cast of characters!

The Samuli, Karin and Ray, Adrianne B. and Joseph P.

We are four friends who meet thru a biking club. However over the course of the last year, our friendship has grown far beyond the road biking that brought us together in the first place. Over the winter we discovered hiking, and one afternoon during an online conversation Adrianne and I chatted about the idea of doing something really wild and different. Adrianne forwarded an article from a German news magazine Der Spiegel, about this pilgrimage thing, called the Camino De Santiago, or the Way of St. James. What she didn't know was, I'd already been thinking about it off and on for nearly ten years, but had never met anyone who'd either heard of it or would be willing to try it. One thing lead to another and soon Joe was on board too. This left me heading off to Europe to go backpacking with my friends and not my husband.....so with a little help from my friends (cue the Beatles music here) we finally had our rather reluctant fourth pilgrim. I must confess I had some doubts as to whether he really would come along, until he bought his backpack before I'd found mine. When he finally plunked down money for the airfare I knew we had him!

Since then we've been hiking as often as we can, walking at work, and just generally trying to make sure we are as physically prepared as possible. Between us we have a smattering of Spanish...about two words of Portuguese and a little German. That and a good little travel phrase book! So on May 22nd, 2008 we fly off to Lisbon, Portugal to work our way north to the city of Santiago de Compostela via one of the lesser traveled routes, the Camino Portuguese.

Friends tease us, about whether or not we'll be talking at the end, but I don't think that will be a problem. I think not taking that hard right turn in Santiago and continuing east to ?? that could be a real problem!