What to bring
Before reading the list below please ensure that you have Insurance for the duration of the pilgrimage and to bring your E111 card with you. Insurance for the pilgrimage can be obtained from travel agencies or through your health care provider.
Of course E111 should read European Health Insurance Card or EHIC. To order one, go to http://www.ehic.ie Right now they issue them for four years, but for your first one, you have to apply to your Health Service Executive Area, but ever after you can renew on-line. And the card itself is available in Irish or English.
If you are normally resident in Northern Ireland, the relevant link is: http://www.dh.gov.uk/ en/ Policyandguidance/ Healthadvicefortravellers/ Gettingtreatmentaroundtheworld/ EEAandSwitzerland/ DH_4114795 But if you are a Northern resident, you can actually apply online: https://www.ehic.org.uk/ Internet/ home.do
- Walking boots -good quality as terrain can be very uneven.
- Walking socks.
- White cotton socks -to prevent friction these should be worn inside walking/climbing socks.
- Raincoat -it does rain in France!
- Knapsack.
- Plastic bags -to prevent condensation wetting your clothes and to keep the rain out of your knapsack and suitcase/ When packing your suitcase/rucksack make sure that you line it first with a plastic bag into which you place all your clothes etc.
- Warm jumper -mornings and nights can be cold.
- Sun cream - sun hat.
- Do not bring jeans as they are hopeless when wet -long shorts/skirts or combat trousers are preferable.
- Coffee/tea/hot chocolate are provided in the morning and soup in the evening. All other food on the pilgrimage you must bring yourself.
To prevent dehydration bring plenty of salty foods such as crisps, peanuts. Foods that people bring include tins of tuna, cheese /ham, salami etc.
Remember that you need enough for 3 days. Chocolate is good for energy as are lucosade energy sweets. As we walk, water is provided all along the way.
- Remember the longer one walks the heavier your bag becomes so make sure that when putting food etc into your rucksack for the day not to overload the bag.
- Rosary beads -missal
- Money for train journey back to Paris and for metro to and from the airport- about €30.
- Sleeping Bag
- Gound Sheet
- Floor mat-ground can be very uneven and stony.
- Torch (there is no lighting in the tents!)
- Nights can get very cold so make sure you bring something warm to wear at night.
- Accommodation is provided in large tents -men in one and women in an other -usually English speaking pilgrims are put together.
- We bring our luggage with us to Notre Dame on the Saturday morning and it is taken and put in trucks which then bring all the luggage to the first campsite -usually all our luggage is in a truck marked -Etrangers. As the bags lie on the ground until we arrive at the end of the first day it is vital that they are waterproof.
- Plasters -for potential blisters.
- Anti-histomine for allergies
- Motilium for upset stomach or something similar
- Nail brush
- Tissue wipes
- Towel and soap
- Cup
- Spare bootlaces
- Toilet roll - sometimes runs out in Port-a-loo.
|
