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On my 2023 flights from Sydney to Madrid via Doha my checked-in backpack was trashed somewhere along the way despite being packed inside a locked hold-all with my walking poles, tips covered with rubber feet. One of the shoulder straps of my backpack was completely shredded making it unusable...
Can’t believe no-one seems to have mentioned a corkscrew!!
I took camping cutlery, bowl and cup on my first Camino but not since as didn’t use them. The corkscrew was the one thing I missed and have carried on each subsequent trip! Those with multitools probably had one included?
Makes me more...
I think it’s amazingly inexpensive when you consider the work entailed in compiling the vast amount of information and constantly updating it. I think the CF version only cost $7AUD.
I walked the CF for the third time in May/June 2023 and took many of the ‘complementario’ routes. I wouldn’t say they are all more scenic than the main route but they are definitely quieter for those who enjoy some time alone in nature. I also used the Wise pilgrim app for the first time and...
Makes sense - UK and Australian English aligning! Who was it that described UK and US as ‘divided by a common language’?? Is the term dungarees used in US?
I have only stayed at Orisson and not Borda but thoroughly enjoyed it including the communal dinner and breakfast and the huge ‘sandwich’ to take away. I stayed in touch with a couple of the people I met there through to Santiago although we didn’t walk together. There were all ages, and...
I also have some sensitivity to heights but no problems on the CF. However I walked into Portomarin with a woman who found the bridge into the town difficult to cross and asked if she could hold onto me. The water level was very low so the bridge seemed much higher than when the dam is fuller...
Another vote here for Suseia in Zubiri although it looks like you have already decided against this one? I stayed in 2023 and Sara is an exceptional host as well as a wonderful cook and I’ll go back there if I get the opportunity. I have also stayed at San Nicholas in Larrasoana back in 2016...
Interesting! I’ve always known this style (with bib and shoulder straps) as dungarees, while the full ‘suit’ of a shirt and trousers joined in the middle is a boiler suit. I wonder how many other terms there are?
I wear my ‘normal’ dog-walking clothes on Camino - cargo-style shorts and long pants with plenty of pockets and cheap tee shirts, plus a much-loved Altus poncho, probably the only piece of actual gear I’ve bought. I wear Brooks Cascadia trail running shoes pretty much all the time so no change...
My three walks on the CF were all in Spring with quite different weather so I really think it’s just luck.
The first in April/May was the coldest with ice at altitude but was dry - just two rainy days in 35.
The second in May/June was a bit warmer but was still cool and included nine...
If you are looking for something different I had a delicious vegetarian four course menu del dia in Burgos at La fauna gastro, and in Leon I was surprised to find a Japanese restaurant offering a menu del dia - Miu Japones Leon - equally delicious!
They are often signposted along the way and also shown on the maps in online guidebooks (I used Wise Pilgrim).
The maps show the main route in one colour, eg, green, and the alternatives in another colour, eg, red.
This year I started in SJPDP on 7 May and had pre-booked accommodation through to Pamplona. Every place I stayed in those first 4 days, except Orisson, had at least two empty beds despite being fully booked. People were not turning up and not cancelling their bookings!
After Pamplona I stayed...
Hi from Sydney. CF x 3 so far - love it! Considering Portuguese Coastal/Spiritual variant plus Finisterre/Muxia for Autumn ‘24 or Spring ‘25 - OR maybe CF number 4! I’m currently seeking views on differences and similarities between CF and CP Coastal if anyone has opinions to share?
I’m a bit under 5 feet, petite, with a short torso. I’ve walked the CF x3 carrying an Osprey Kyte 32/34 L in size extra small with approx 7 kg of gear. I always walk in spring so include a fleece and a pair of warmer hiking pants. This pack is super comfortable for me and has plenty of room...
On my first CF I took the following items that were never used: headlamp, washing line and pegs, spork, flip flops for the shower that I never remembered to wear, plastic plate and mug. I didn’t take any of those on my second CF but added a lightweight fleece because I was cold on the first...
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