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Well, I'm all packed and will arrive in Irun tomorrow in order to begin walking on Wednesday. If anyone else is starting around then, I'll be the brunette in pink sneakers -- feel free to come say hi :)
What perfect timing! I'm going to start the Norte on Wednesday and have been scavenging online for as much info as possible :D Just off to read your blog now (and since I also plan to continue onto the Primitivo, look forward to reading your updates.) Buen camino!
Oh, gosh, no, Spain is (in)famous for its lack of good salads, especially in non-metro areas (the typical Spanish salad = iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion. Possibly corn and/or tuna.) Summer produce in Spain is insanely cheap and flavorful, so you can eat GREAT salads if you're willing to prepare...
IMO, Leon is worth visiting; it's one of my favorite small cities in Spain. The parador is breathtaking and they are famous for the free tapas they give with each beer you order (hope you like ham! :p)
I think that because we live in a world of such fitness-related hysteria and extremism, we forget biology's most basic principle: the human body was designed to MOVE!! :D Time to see what your body can do -- at a careful pace, of course, and according to your own abilities/limitations, but...
The tap water in Spain is excellent. I've drunk it all over the country, from the largest cities to the tiniest mountaintop villages, and have never had a problem (not even when I first moved here.)
Please be careful! I once fainted due to severe flu-related dehydration and ended up in the ER on a saline IV. Drink lots of Aquarius -- it's just water with added sugar and salts (sort of like Spanish Gatorade), but is good for re-hydration and available in even the smallest tienda or kiosk...
I stayed for 2 nights at Porto Lounge Hostel and Guesthouse, and HIGHLY recommend it. It's not pilgrim-affiliated, but is one of the cleanest and most comfortable hostels I've ever stayed in (great breakfast, large and well-equipped kitchen, free wifi/computers, garden terrace, outlets in each...
Just a tip: at Bellamar, breakfast is not served until 8am, but if you tell reception that you want to leave earlier, they will kindly prepare a "to go" breakfast package and bring it to your room the night before :)
Marbuck, I found it beautiful, but not in a strictly "natural" sense (for that, I'll be walking the Primitivo next month.) The beaches north of Porto were stunning, and the walk throughout Portugal was a wonderful architectural tour -- from the Romanesque to the Baroque, from medieval stone...
A friend and I stealth-camped from Leon to SdC last October, and we LOVED it. Waking up to the sun rising at 1405 m was almost a spiritual experience :) There are plenty of places to pitch a tent, though you might have to walk a few extra kilometers when coming out of larger towns/cities. It got...
Hi, all, I'll be walking solo from Porto to SdC (and/or Finisterre) beginning June the 8th. I can't wait -- I walked with a friend from Leon to SdC last October (camping along the way), and it was one the best experiences of my life. If anyone else is on the same path during that time, I'd be...
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