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Recent content by JamesVT

  1. JamesVT

    Food poisoning- A personal account

    I‘ve been sick many times with food poisoning: Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan, India . . . An experience never to be forgotten, humbling, and to be feared. Blessings on all survivors.
  2. JamesVT

    LIVE from the Camino Ethics Question -- to walk or not to walk?

    There’s your answer. The cotton socks are causing her blisters and need to be changed to the Darn Tough wool socks.
  3. JamesVT

    Top tips from Frances veterans?

    Carry less than 10% of your body weight. Start slow, very slow, ease into shape. The Camino is not a race, and shouldn’t be. Use hiking poles for balance, to ease the weight on your hips, To take weight off your feet. Have fun!
  4. JamesVT

    The bad knee club

    Oh, yes, take with you or buy in France/Spain a good pair of hiking poles to ease the weight on your knees and back. I used Pacer Poles, orderable from the UK, which are great hiking poles.
  5. JamesVT

    Luggage transfer and other ?? Due to Camino jitters

    Maybe you’re overthinking things. The food in Spain is readily available and very fine. Lots of shops and grocery stores. Charming bars and restaurants. As to clothes, why not buy what you want for a change of pace and use Correos to transport your extra clothes to Santiago? Anyway, you will...
  6. JamesVT

    The bad knee club

    I walked my Camino 11 months after having a bilateral knee replacement. I was 75 and my pace was slow and steady, but the Camino and its scenery was, of course, extraordinary and uplifting. I’m a realist, too, and I’d urge you not to give up on being able to actually walk every step of the Camino.
  7. JamesVT

    How much break-in for shoes is enough?

    It goes without saying that shoes should be test driven to ensure sizing and comfort are satisfactory before starting the Camino. I vividly remember one peregrino I met who discovered while walking that his boots had been defectively sewn so that one foot was being rubbed raw by some errant...
  8. JamesVT

    Polling Fellow Walkers - Start in SJPP or Pamplona?

    A male volunteer at the Camino office in St. Jean assured me with great authority that I could not walk the Napoleon route on my chosen start date because there would be stormy, freezing weather that day. Later, I talked to another, different volunteer who checked the weather report on the spot...
  9. JamesVT

    For coffee addicts that like to walk early

    Lol!
  10. JamesVT

    About the Route Napoleon

    the Volunteers at the pilgrims office vary in terms of the knowledge and accuracy they have regarding conditions on the Route Napoleon. It is best to talk to several volunteers, other pilgrims, and to check weather reports. The weather varies, so make an effort to inform yourself from several...
  11. JamesVT

    Will we be met with scorn or equanimity?

    Yes, on the Camino I was surprised and frightened several times by speeding bikes on the trail that did not slow down at all or announce themselves as they came near me while passing. I have seen a few people run down by bicycles in accidents. The resulting injuries and shock can be serious. The...
  12. JamesVT

    Will we be met with scorn or equanimity?

    There may be a few people on the Camino who have feelings of superiority and scorn for how others make the trek, but really that is not the essence of the spirit on the Way. It is very much a live and let live world. It is far better to be on the Camino in the way that is possible for you and...
  13. JamesVT

    Trail Runners for Custom Orthotics

    I have had custom made orthotics (ghastly expensive), and they solved my crippling foot problems. Along the way, one of my podiatrists gave me as a temporary fix, some white, semi-hard foam orthotics that I have bought more of and used for years in all my shoes. They cost about $25 for a pair...
  14. JamesVT

    Trail Runners for Custom Orthotics

    I’ve done lots of hiking in heavy boots. Not a good choice for the Camino. Lighter is better.
  15. JamesVT

    Trail Runners for Custom Orthotics

    A couple of thoughts— the insoles in trail runners are pretty much never glued in the shoe. Or, if they are, the glue is minimal and the insole can be safely pulled out and replaced in the store. Yes, try on shoes with your orthotics and follow all the good advice from Dave Bugg. Do remember to...
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