Plans taking shape

     I have my plane tickets, and now I have a reservation for my first night, not in Biarritz, as I first thought, but in Bayonne. I arrive in Paris on September 4 at 6:45 a.m.  Then I'll make my way to the Montparnasse Station, unless I leave from the station at Charles de Gaulle airport (TBD), and will take the train to Bayonne. As of today I have a reservation at a small hotel in Bayonne near the train station, the Hotel de la Gare. I've reserved a room with a private bathroom and shower, for a few extra euros, worth it for one of my last nights of privacy.
     At this point in my planning, I've had a host of decisions to make, and one was whether to spend a night in Paris or instead to go directly to Bayonne. Since my plane arrives so early in Paris, and since I've lived in Paris for the better part of a year and don't feel the need to be a tourist there, it made sense to me to keep going and hope to sleep on the train a bit before Bayonne. The hotel is near the train station, so while it is a low budget hotel, I'm hoping that it will meet my needs. At the beginning of nearly two months spent in hostels, I won't need luxury at the beginning of my pilgrimage. I might consider that at the end, however!
     Then on September 5, I'll catch a train or bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I have a reservation at the albergue that has the best reputation in Saint Jean, Beilari (previously l'Esprit du Chemin). I asked for two nights, knowing that most albergues will only let pilgrims stay for one night, unless there are medical reasons to stay longer. I thought it was worth a request, and they've replied that I can stay two nights. I want to stay an extra day and night in SJPDP to recover from jet lag and gear up for the beginning of my pilgrimage, the greatest endeavor of my life. And I have a reservation too for my first night on the Camino, at Orisson, on the way up the mountains towards Spain and the rest of the long pilgrimage.
     All of this is still a plan in my head and on paper. It's still not real. But it's already invading my dreams. There, I'm often already on my way. The reservations begin to make it real for me. They give me something to hang my hopes on. After that first night at Orisson, there will be no more reservations, no firm plans at all. From there onward, I'll be trusting in the beneficence of the Way. Or, to put it more bluntly, I'll be flying by the seat of my pants.