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I don’t have biking experience on the Frances, but I do remember many people who rented bikes to cross the meseta. They rented the bike in Burgos and dropped off in Leon. I do have experience biking the Portuguese and there were many rental companies who will do one way rentals. Not sure if...
I bought a nice pair of Salomon trail runners at Caminoteca in Pamplona on a Sunday a few years ago. I don’t remember the brands they carried but the trail runners worked for me all the way to SdC. They were the only place open on Sunday and the guy was from Ireland so no language translation...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
Just a. note.....I found that Mass in Portugal on Sunday was generally in the evening. You may find something earlier in the day, but it seemed that the Portuguese were not inclined to early Mass on the weekend.
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