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Second (third?) vote for Altus Poncho. We just got back from the Norte and used Altus for the first time. They were wonderful. Very lightweight. Easy on/off. Kept us dry. (This was in cool weather. Can't say how they'd be in hot weather. But you don't have to zip them up. There are velcro...
Tap water everywhere is safe and delicious. That would include bar bathrooms and albergue and hotel taps. I think it tastes a lot better than the water from plastic bottles. Certainly more environmentally friendly. I think water at fountains is safe as long as you don't see a sign that says it...
We stayed there in early March two years ago. We were the only ones there. We had been there twice before (2013 and 2014) when it was quite full. They were such welcoming hosts. (Photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uwiLE845SNNEfD8X9 )
They told us they did not own the albergue but work for someone...
Unless things have changed, bus service on the Meseta is spotty. I remember one town (Fromista?) where the bus only came through one day a week. But I imagine it's easy to find a taxi. Ask in any bar.
We walked the last half of the Frances in March year before last and found many many albergues and hotels were closed. Wherever we called, they would tell us they would not open until Easter which was April 17 that year.
Yes, the meseta is one of my favorite parts. It's not just flatness. Lots of rolling hills, green in the spring. And one of the steepest parts of the whole Camino is the walk out of Castrojerez with incredible views at the top. Wonderful wonderful villages along the way.
Oops, I need to...
We have walked many times in April/early May and weather has mostly been great. Pleasantly cool and not a terrible amount of rain. We also walked late September and October and weather was great then as well. But ... weather can be so unpredictable.
It has worked well for my husband and me to eat a hearty lunch around 2 or 3 and then skip dinner or have a light snack or maybe some tapas. Lunch is typically served late in Spain so that is perfect for stopping around 2 or 3. And I believe lunch is typically the biggest meal of the day for...
We've walked through there twice on caminos and have always found the church impressive. We tried to go inside the second time but it was locked up tight. In the tour publicity photo, the pilgrim does seem to be going in the wrong direction! Here is photo we took of it approaching Castrojerez.
One other advantage is that if a dog goes for you the poles might help (?). Luckily I've never had to see if this works. But they do add a sense of security.
Amen to all. Downsides to having them are:
1) Your hands aren't free to take photos, carry a fan (see another recent forum thread), etc.
2) You have to worry about getting them through airport security if you don't want to check your bag.
3) They make an irritating noise on pavement if you...
You can now get Brierley's guides as ebooks and use Kindle app on your phone. Not sure how easy to use on phone, but no weight at all. Perhaps try a sample first?
Yes, my husband and I got lost on the camino from Santiago to Finisterre. It cost us a few extra kilometers that day. Here's what we wrote in our blog about it.
https://wynchar.com/c14/2014/10/22/estamos-perdidos/
I wonder if others might have gotten off-path at this point as well.
@JoeF, I...
Don't you just love it? It's always such fun when a local puts us right. Has happened so many times. This is a post I wrote in our blog this spring on the Camino Ingles:
Three times today, we were told we were off the Camino. Twice by people in the street before we even got out of...
We recently returned from 5 weeks in Galicia. We used a Capitol One debit card and used Abanca ATMs and we were never charged any fees. We paid about 90% of our expenses with credit card (actually via Apple Pay). But we didn't stay in any albergues. I imagine many of them would prefer cash...
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