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I would skip (by bus or by taxi) all the outskirts, suburbs, and industrial areas of bigger cities. And would cycle the Meseta between Burgos and Leon.
I don't hate music as such but I only listen to it when somebody else puts it on or plays it. On the Camino I was on my own, nobody to switch any music playing device on so I didn't listen. I remember one morning in an albergue they woke us up with beautiful Gregorian chants.
There were 2 green lizards sunbathing near the path. While I was standing quiet admiring them another pilgrim came, English speaking, possibly American. Immediately shouted "Snakes! Kill them!" I saved 2 innocent lives that day, first of all those were not snakes, second and more important, all...
The further north in Europe you go the less touch. Could be that even friends don't do handshakes. Once at introduction and never again. Although I'm fine with the Spanish friendliness too, it's natural.
Hahaha, yes, I remember sitting in albergue common room and there was the big guide book. Browsed it, toyed with thought that I could take it with me, wouldn't it be awesome to know all about the Camino at a glance. Looked at the big brick and decided not to.
I have family in Poland. Great country! Moving ahead so fast, incredible.
As for special perks of EU passport apart from no worries about length of stay, I don't know although I also have an EU passport. Freedom of movement mainly. Can easier get a job in any EU country if that's relevant to...
I carried a cheap Chinese bamboo + (fake) silk folding fan. 20 cm long, lightweight and very useful. Still have it and like it.
I have quite a collection of traditional folding fans. Bamboo/metal tai chi ones that open with a big bang, Japanese samurai fan made from Kyoto bamboo and special...
...is how you do it: go in the shop, look at the bottom of wine shelves, find the cheap (1 to few euros) bottle without any label just excise hologram*, buy it, right by the shop take out your Swiss knife with corkscrew, open the bottle, check quality by taste, pour the rest of wine into a...
Harry Potter's invisibility cloak? If you stay on the Camino there is a big chance they will see you again. Even slow walkers sometimes skip a stage and are level with or ahead of the fast ones again. Fast ones sometimes take a day off for whatever reason. Pray they don't have an elephant kind...
Valcarlos is nice. Napoleon is breath taking wonderful. If it's open go for it. Why take less if there's more?
I did, started from Orrison, not the greatest physical form but I did it. It's difficult but very much doable. Was the highlight of the whole Camino.
As far as I know mobile phone coverage in Spain is generally good but if you get lost you may wander away from the good coverage too. An old trick may help: hold any long piece of metal (walking pole, tent pole, etc) flat against the back of your phone as an additional antenna. Just hold both...
Rescue is rescue even if stupidity is the reason it was needed. Unless it becomes a tik tok trend. Police chases of criminals on the other hand should be for fee only: want to run - pay for man hours, dog hours, car wear and tear, helicopter flight, fuel, etc.
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