Finally - a full day's hike but with only 14 lb pack

We are delighted to report we survived our 12.6 mile hike with an overall moving average of 2.2 miles per hour and overall average of 1.9 mph (our goal is to have that at 2 miles per hour but not there yet). We were walking for 5 hours and 44 minutes and 55 minutes of stopped time. Total assent was 498 meters and we kept our 14 lb packs on the whole time. We had some rain so had a little drill of putting on our backpack covers. We did not put on our own rain jackets as the rain was not that hard and the humidity was high. Overall the temperature was much better than the other day and the Real Feel was only in the mid 80s. For snacks we have our gorp and then also we are making protein shakes and keeping them in a cooler in the car. We don't expect to have an opportunity to hike over the next few days but next week will plan a trip to Harper's Ferry and there is some real elevation there.

The yahoo group Santiagobis has been a wonderful source of information to us. I sent an email asking how to send care packages to ourselves along the way and below is the reponse I got!

"Every Correos - Post Office - (excepting the small agencies) has a Lista de Correos Service where you can post things to yourself. If you go onto the Correos website you can find out the post office and postal code to send your stuff to. They will sell you a packet or a box and you write your name (as it appears in your passport) and the address of the post office. EG:
Jones M. A.
Lista de Correos
15780S antiago de Compostela
A Coruña

Here are a few Postal codes on the Camino Frances:
31080 Pamplona (Navarra)
31100 Puenta la Reina (Navarra)
26080 Logroño (Navarra)
09080 Burgos
24080 León
24700 Astorga (León)
24400 Ponferrada (León)
27600 Sarria (Lugo)
15780 Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña)

Most Post Offices are open from 8h30 – 20h30 on working days and 09h30 – 14h00 on Saturdays. Parcels sent ahead take 3 – 5 working days.

Some costs:
Small box 230 x 140 x 80 mm €1.55: Medium box 317 x 215 x 125 mm €1.95
Large box 390 x 280 x 190 mm €2.45: Extra large* box 590 x 390 x 390 mm €3.05
Trapezoid box €2.45: Adjustable box €2.40

Postage: Up to 2kg €5.29: 5kg €6.15: 10kg €7.25: 15kg €10.08: 20kg €12.30"

We couldn't ask for better information! I have also reserved our pension in Pamploma and also Roncevalles (which is the start of our journey). The reservations I requested in Bilbao have not come back confirmed yet so we may have to look for another place in the old town.