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Recent content by JoEllen

  1. J

    What do you wish you had worried less about?

    I honestly wish that I'd worried a bit more about my footwear. I bought a pair of low ankle boots, thought I'd broken them in enough, but by Puente la Reina, my heels looked like raw meat. Thankfully, there was Caminoteca back in Pamplona (which, unbelievably, is open on Sunday!!) and I...
  2. J

    Valcarlos Accommodation

    I always use the aemet app when I'm in Spain. It's linked to the Spanish national weather service. You can specify regions, municipalities, etc. I always felt it was reliable. The regular website is aemet.es.
  3. J

    Caminos for cycling that are not very hilly.

    The Camino Portuguese is good for cycling, but the portion from Lisbon to Porto is hilly and the last leg into Porto can be quite rocky. However, if you are okay with starting in Porto, you can cycle the Senda Litoral (beach route) and/or the Camino Coastal. The Senda Litoral and Coastal are...
  4. J

    Lisbon airport, and not to be missed in Lisbon?

    Monuments and cathedrals are great, but we did a wallking food tour and I would - "hands down" - recommend that if you only have one extra day. You can sample the pasteis de nata, the bufana, some of the eastern and african foods, and the wines and drinks that you won't get anywhere else. We...
  5. J

    cycling from Santiago to Lisbon?

    Wow....I typo'd the heck out of that!! It was Coimbra to Santiago, and the Litoral and the Coastal become the same a few times.
  6. J

    cycling from Santiago to Lisbon?

    We rode mountain bikes (not electric) from Coimbra Santiago via the Senda Litoral (after Porto). The Litoral and the Coastal because the same a few times. From Coimbra to Porto was extremely hilly and we ended up walking the bikes way too much - and it cost us a lot of daylight! From Porto...
  7. J

    Mt. Trega - A. Guardia taxi

    I'm sure you will enjoy it....not only the ruins, but the view from the top is phenomenal!
  8. J

    Mt. Trega - A. Guardia taxi

    We stayed last September at the Hotel Convento de San Benito. The front desk called a taxi for 6 of us. The driver took us up there, did a little bit of "tour guide" to explain some of the history (we had one native Portuguese speaker and another person who spoke fluent Spanish), stopped at 2...
  9. J

    To carry or not to carry an hair dryer?

    Hmmm…..it was definitely a “valid” issue for me. One just needs to determine their level of needed creature comforts. The positive aspects of carrying a hairdryer outweighed the negative.
  10. J

    To carry or not to carry an hair dryer?

    So, I commented above about taking a hairdryer on the next Camino. I walked the Frances in 2017 and wished I’d had one - for hair, for clothes, for the inside of wet boots. Well I bought a small dryer, with European plug, that folds. It’s tiny, light, and frankly, when I would use it in the...
  11. J

    Accommodation recommendations for Baiona

    I would also recommend a splurge at the Parador. The hotel and grounds are exceptional, but the restaurants in the hotel were mediocre. There is a lovely terrace for a drink, but walk into Baiona for dinner - there are lots of restaurants.
  12. J

    Sending backpacks ahead to SJPdP

    I have shipped my backpack numerous times within the U.S. and used UPS. They do deliver to France, if you're traveling from the U.S., but it could cost a bundle! Shipping from Florida to Oregon was about $125 last October.
  13. J

    Queues at the Cathedral?

    We attended the early Mass (7:00am?) in September 2022 then the noon Pilgrim Mass in September 2023. In 2022, the Cathedral was nearly empty, but the Mass was lovely - not a "Pilgrim" Mass, but it was wonderful for this Catholic Pilgrim and not a tour group in sight. In 2023, however, my...
  14. J

    Lisbon recommendations for the first night stay.

    We stayed at the Hotel Santa Justa. It's on a pedestrian street with an easy walk to restaurants and down to the waterfront. Wonderful breakfast and they have a restaurant as well.
  15. J

    Starting in A Guarda but how to get there?

    Just a comment, we did the CP the last two years. The municipal ferry is no longer in operation. You need to use one of the small boat services or Xacobeo transfer (https://xacobeotransfer.com/es/home_es/) to get across. Where you disembark from Xacobeo is a bit of a walk into A Guarda but...
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