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As I understand it you should not need to contact any airline in advance about a CPAP, as long as you have a letter from your doctor saying you require it. I have been taking my CPAP, usually in a separate bag, on 15 to 20 flights per year for the past ten years. I have never had any trouble...
In 2010 we accompanied Kurt, a retired German engineer, on part of the Camino Frances. He built his own cart which was similar to the Trekker's Friend. His had a lightweight wooden platform for carrying his backpack. He had reduced the weight by cutting holes (approx 5cm each) throughout the...
I walk in Source Gobi trekking sandals, no socks, and carry a cheaper pair of sandals as backup. Also carry very light flip flops for shower and around the albergue.
I once checked with security at Dublin Airport and was told collapsible poles in hand luggage was not a problem. I have never experience any difficulty going out. Santiago Airport security has a different view and this was overcome by Aer Lingus and Ryanair accepting checked-in poles without...
The Guardian headline that has stuck in my mind is "Queen in brawl at Palace" - a reference to footballer Gerry Queen being shown a red card after an incident while playing for Crystal Palace.
I always wear shorts on the Camino. I did feel self conscious after I entered a convent chapel in Ponferrada for Sunday Mass and found the pews all full. We had to sit on raised side pews where my knees were on full view to the mainly elderly congregation. I needn't have worried as at the end of...
The one that sticks in my mind is San Bol, but that was back in 2010. It still didn't have electricity but it was possible to have a hot shower (gas cylinders), Donativo and communal meal.
We stayed in that school in 2017 and did meet another pilgrim. After talking to a number of people in the village we finally tracked down the keyholder. We were given the key and after depositing our backpacks went off to eat. The restaurant was some distance away so we were gone for a long...
We walked from Salamanca to Pinhel in 2017 and did not have any Portuguese. My wife has some French and that proved very useful. Many of the older people were fluent in French. It seems that back in the Salazar days, when Portugal was a very poor country, most people had to emigrate to find work...
I have been very happy with the OMM Classic 32 (Previous Generation) that I purchased some years ago. It served me well on the VDLP in 2014 and has been used on a number of shorter Caminos since then. Is is beginning to show some signs of wear but I hope to bring it on another Camino whenever it...
That is what we did. By stopping a night in Valdesalor we were able to arrive in Caceres early and had the best part of a day to sightsee. It is indeed a wonderful city.
I am going to confuse you even more with yet another option. Last year we walked the Camino Litoral and passed through the seaside town of Baiona. We didn't stay there and only stopped long enough to take some photographs, have a bocadillo lunch in a park beside the tourist office, and chat with...
Source Gobi are the only trekking sandals I remember owning. I was so satisfied with the first pair that I have been wary of trying anything else. The first pair were bought from an outdoor store here in Galway some ten years ago. After that they were never in stock when I needed them so bought...
I walked the VdlP with my wife in 2014. It was an amazing experience. There were days when we didn't meet other peregrinos and a few nights when our albergue was full. We had no time constraints and so we were on the Camino for a total of 54 days, including three sight-seeing days. We averaged...
I suffered from it once, not on the Camino, and it was rather nasty. I quickly established that it had been caused by an overindulgence in shellfish. I adjusted my diet and it disappeared after a few days, although I did have to take painkillers to get some sleep.
The subject of gout came up in...
We caught the bus from Seville to Almaden in late August 2014. It was very hot but we managed the remainder of the VdlP by generally keeping the stages short and starting early in the day. We were walking for 51 days and used three additional days to see the sights in Merida, Salamanca and Ourense.
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