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Recent content by Tandem Graham

  1. Tandem Graham

    From just before Burgos - 47 friggin kms to find a bed!!!

    'I want to walk across a country carrying a bare minimum of goods on my back, to continue a many-centuries-old tradition of long, risk-laden journeys to visit remains believed to be of a treasured saint?' Tick! '.... therefore all people and authorities along the route must take all steps to...
  2. Tandem Graham

    From just before Burgos - 47 friggin kms to find a bed!!!

    You are tired and have overcome a personal challenge, but please don't spoil your achievement by overplaying your hand! You are correct that personal responsibility is the default. Coping with uncertainty and managing some discomfort are part of the experience of camino, though there are...
  3. Tandem Graham

    Snoring. AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

    I am a light sleeper and frequently disturbed by snorers and other nocturnal noises. So I pack earplugs and I use them whenever I am in shared dorms. They are not 100% effective but they help. I occasionally seek out a private room, just to guarantee a decent night's sleep once a week or...
  4. Tandem Graham

    Are there any Thermal Springs along the Camino Frances

    Three days walking *before* Saint Jean Pied de Port, in France on the Voie de Tours, Dax has very impressive thermal baths, enjoyed since Roman times. Dax is reachable by train from Bordeaux.
  5. Tandem Graham

    Solo woman cyclist Camino Del Norte

    Cyclists on the Camino Frances can sometimes share the path and, the rest of the time, be close to the path on parallel roads which grew from the original, mediaeval camino routes. The Camino del Norte has more hilly, rocky and single track sections which would require considerable skill and...
  6. Tandem Graham

    One week and I start in Le Puy en Valey

    Just a further note: France is 30 or 40% more expensive for accommodation and food than Portugal or Spain. However, some pilgrims get around this by camping - there are quite a few campsites on or within a couple of kms from the GR65/Voie du Puy. Of course that means carrying camping gear .....
  7. Tandem Graham

    Hamburg-Santiago hostels list

    Hi, quite a journey you are planning! There is no one information source for that whole route. However, the German Jakobsweg associations and the Belgian and French regional Compostelle associations all have websites which include lists of pilgrim-specific or pilgrim-budget accomodation for you...
  8. Tandem Graham

    One week and I start in Le Puy en Valey

    If you can, I would book a bed/room at the old Seminary, just a block from Le Puy Cathedral, in light of the bank holiday. There is (or was in 2019) a soiree each afternoon, in the local pilgrim association room - again very near the cathedral - for pilgrims to meet each other and take advice...
  9. Tandem Graham

    Cycling SJPP to Roncesvales

    We took our tandem over the Napoleon route in 2017, carrying it where necessary once we left the asphalt. You need a sturdy frame, chunky tyres and a willingness to give way to walkers and push/carry the bike over boulders and between rocks close to the border. Walkers will likely not be...
  10. Tandem Graham

    Parking at SJPP

    Another option to those above may be to store it at a Campsite somewhere near Bayonne or Cambo les Bains (both a short hop by train to SJPdP). If you end up walking during the camping season, many caravans and motorhomes will have vacated their seasonal storage, so there ought to be a deal to be...
  11. Tandem Graham

    Small juicer, vegetarians and heating element?

    In rural Spain and much of Europe, the availability and choice of vegetables in restaurants and shops is more seasonal than in a UK (and I suspect US) supermarket. In spring, my experience in Navarra and the Basque country has been a great choice of fabulous fresh salad vegetables, whereas in...
  12. Tandem Graham

    Need something to do before Camino

    Bayonne is a lovely small city. Try lunch near the riverside market hall and do visit the cathedral. Oh, Bayonne's chocolate makers have a deserved strong reputation too! There's an Albergue/Gite d'Etape and a decent range of other afforadble accomodation.
  13. Tandem Graham

    Backpack is 2 kg too heavy TwT

    You're feeling nervous just before you go, but if you've already got your pack down to 7kg, you're doing better than many of us. The 10% guidance is unfair on smaller, lighter people! Nevertheless, whatever "the rules" may or may not say, lighter is always more comfortable. As others have...
  14. Tandem Graham

    €12000 fine on Route Napoleon?

    As a fellow UK national, actually the systems aren't that different. Many of the costs of rescue and treatment which would be met by taxpayers (ie NHS services) for a UK citizen are now supposed to be billed to foreign nationals, presumably to be covered by travel or medical insurance, if it...
  15. Tandem Graham

    Water, water...

    I carry a 660ml bottle (about a pint). I get into the habit of taking a good swig as I enter each hamlet or village, and refill it every time there is a source. At Carrion los Condes (or similar places on other Caminos where there is a known gap between fountains) I buy an extra small bottle to...
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