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  1. HeidiL

    Alternatives to walking if injured

    The huge albergue in Ponferrada used to accept ad hoc volunteers who didn't speak Spanish - has anyone been there lately?
  2. HeidiL

    How to decide how long to walk for

    People are different. We walked for 19 days the first time, and for me, the last week was dull, painful, and felt a bit pointless. Yes, it was nice to get to Santiago, but for me, that didn't feel like the point of the whole thing. Since then, we have walked between 7 and 15 days many, many...
  3. HeidiL

    Few questions - advice

    I carry a light plastic bowl with a lid - if I have bought cheese or something like that, I keep it in the bowl, and otherwise, use the bowl to make soup and the lid for a cutting board and plate...
  4. HeidiL

    Walking with a baby or young child

    12 seems quite arbitrary. Our son was 8 the first time, and it went very well. I know 18-year-olds who are definitely too young.
  5. HeidiL

    Accommodations near Madrid airport?

    Hostal Viky consistently gets good reviews - and include pick-up/delivery at the airport. I've slept there many, many times.
  6. HeidiL

    Backpack size

    I bought a bigger pack some years ago - the 60l pack itself isn't much heavier, and I don't have to take everything out to get an item at the bottom. And I can buy loads of cheese, chorizo and olives to take home after each camino... I carry around 6 kilos plus water, occasionally a bit extra...
  7. HeidiL

    Showers

    Personally, having a shower in the morning when walking long distances is a no go. I want completely dry feet in the morning, otherwise, I get blisters.
  8. HeidiL

    Walking with a baby or young child

    I had a long talk with someone who was walking with a very young child, and she said they were always booking private rooms/hotel rooms, in case the child would get loud at night.
  9. HeidiL

    LIVE from the Camino Current big wave at beginning of Francés

    Every time I have volunteered in Grado, which is the first stop after Oviedo for most people on the Primitivo, we were full very early on Saturdays. A lot of people start walking on Saturdays; if you can hold back and start a couple of days later (or walk non-Brierley distances) you will...
  10. HeidiL

    Small juicer, vegetarians and heating element?

    There is a thread about the cult of the heating coil. Stray thoughts: Not everyone is a hardcore fan of ultralight packing. If you are happy walking with the weight of your backpack, go for it. Spanish supermarkets, even quite small ones, have lots of vegetable options, not to speak of the...
  11. HeidiL

    Cancelling Camino - Soliciting Advice

    Excuse me, but are you walking with or without poles? Many people find them indispensable, including me...
  12. HeidiL

    Packing - edition one

    I like having a long charging cable so I can have the phone in my sleeping bag (in albergues) or on my bedside table (in hotels). I also carry more food and adjacent things than you are planning to do, since I'm generally walking remote caminos where there may not be bars or other places to...
  13. HeidiL

    Experiences from my coastal Portugues Camino 2024 with my son

    Watch out - he may demand that you do it again. We walked with our son at Easter when he was 8, again at 11, and now he's 28 and says it is a family tradition and that we have to do it every single year. Not that we mind - we're also addicts.
  14. HeidiL

    Single room auberge accommodation

    When I have volunteered at donativo albergues, sometimes people who were staying at a private albergue or a hotel have befriended pilgrims staying at the albergue - and have visited the communal room in the albergue for a couple of hours before everyone retires. A memorable visit was from a...
  15. HeidiL

    Pilgrim rates for Hotel Accommodation?

    The lowest pilgrim rates I have ever been offered was when I walked into the reception on the same day, wet and bedraggled but very polite, and asked whether there were pilgrim rates. Hotels would rather fill the rooms than leave them empty. Got me a suite at the parador in Santiago for €100...
  16. HeidiL

    Walking a camino after knee replacement

    We walked (according to my phone) a tiny bit over 150 km at Easter. Short stages, but a lovely time on the Levante. My knee is still a bit stiffer than the original one, but apart from running, it does what I need it to do. 6 months from the operation today...
  17. HeidiL

    Another piece of the Camino de Levante...

    It did get chilly - and very, very wet. Wading in deep mud is probably not recommended for 5-month-old knees. But we had a lovely walk, ending in Almonacid de Toledo, which is where we'll continue walking from next Easter. We used motorized transportation into Toledo, where processions awaited...
  18. HeidiL

    Last minute decisons - fleece or puffer?

    Fleece for me - it dries faster.
  19. HeidiL

    Need help deciding to bring or not to bring

    Personally, I'd skip the headlamp - you can use your phone to check for the stuff you forgot under your bunk, or to light your way to the loo at night.
  20. HeidiL

    Suggestions for walks in France accessible by bus or train

    Last month, my husband and I walked out of Paris on the official route towards Orléans. There were SO many train stations and bus stops...

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