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Recent content by Rmarkob

  1. R

    Cancelling Camino - Soliciting Advice

    My wife and I did something similar in July 2022 on the Coastal/Littoral. It was her first Camino (my second) and we soon learned her maximum comfortable daily distance, even with occasional bar/cafe/lunch breaks, was 20k due to long-term foot problems. Our longest day until that point was...
  2. R

    Last minute decisons - fleece or puffer?

    Marmot fleece jacket most of the time when chilled, lightweight (no lining/insulation) Outdoor Research rain jacket with hood for rain and/or wind. Combine both with a merino long sleeved base layer on colder days. I did the CF in Sep/Oct 2021 and it was close to Zero C several mornings on the...
  3. R

    Bugs / Insects on Route Frances

    The only bug issue I had on the CF in Sept/Oct 2021 was the occasional swarms of midges or gnats that would fly around my head while walking. I don't recall getting bitten, but it is unpleasant when they get into your mouth and nostrils! The ones around where I live (Pennsylvania) tend to bite...
  4. R

    How to call a US cell number from the US (when the phone is in Spain)

    ATT does the same except calling and data are at the same speed/volume as my home plan. However, it’s capped at $100/month. That was worth it to me to avoid getting a Spanish SIM and number and making sure family members knew it, not to mention additional cost to them to call a Spanish number...
  5. R

    Trash pick up

    I picked up a couple of the nylon bags in 2021 and 2022. I'm afraid I'm guilty as charged, having used them for laundry and shopping and taking them home as souvenirs! I usually carry plastic waste bags for picking up trash while hiking trails and back roads in Pennsylvania, and plan to do the...
  6. R

    Can I do the camino at 16

    In 1972 I was 17 and my brother was 16. My older sister had a boyfriend who was 19. He and another student who was 21 were driving back from NJ to Nebraska for college at the end of the summer break, but taking a detour to visit the older fellow's brother in Boulder CO. The boyfriend asked if my...
  7. R

    Chinese shops???

    Thanks Trecile. I stand corrected. It’s the rest of the Apple lineup still on Lightening (AirPods, some iPads) that I was thinking of that are expected to change eventually.
  8. R

    Chinese shops???

    Only those sold in EU countries, where it was mandated. In the rest of the world all iPhones still use the Lightening connector, but that is expected to change to USB-C eventually.
  9. R

    Chinese shops???

    Yes, and it’s just opposite a hiking store. I needed new batteries for my headlamp and the hiking store directed me across the street to “el chino”.
  10. R

    Can I do the camino at 16

    I don't know of the legalities or policies on minors under the age of 18. But as for meeting younger people, I met an 18 year old German the first day out of St. Jean Pied de Port and saw him almost every day through Santiago. He had just graduated from high school and was uncertain about what...
  11. R

    How long is the Meseta?

    I left Burgos on 4 October 2021, and it was 1°C at 0730! It warmed up within a couple of hours, but the sun doesn’t rise until around 0830 that time of year so there were many days I’d start out in the dark, and cold! It was like that for most of the meseta, and I took 7 days between Burgos and...
  12. R

    Spring Camino, where?

    If you hike from Le Puy, be aware that Ascension Thursday in 2024 is 9 May, and it is a public holiday. In 2023 it fell on 18 May, when I walked that route. It was extremely difficult to find lodging as many French hikers made it a four day weekend, or scheduled additional vacation time around...
  13. R

    Language for camino portuguese?

    I have to agree with everybody who said don’t try to speak Spanish with the Portuguese, (although I did see some Spanish visitors doing just that in Porto). I found English to be widely spoken by the Portuguese people I encountered, and on a fairly high level. I did find that my Spanish language...
  14. R

    Descent into Roncesvalles

    I took the steep forest route in September 2021 on the recommendation of Joseph from Beilari. It was indeed beautiful, and I had never experienced problems with steep descents - until that day! I developed a twinge in one of my knees that never really left me during subsequent descents on that...
  15. R

    Competition for the best hamburger in Spain

    Same! I never sought out a hamburger in Spain, but a German friend and I walked into a terraza upon arriving in Estella (just to the left after crossing over a bridge - don't remember the name), looking for a cold caña. The place was packed with all tables full, but a couple of American ladies...
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