Related question:
I know that on Easter weekend itself, hotels in cities will be booked up and trains/buses will be full as people travel to meet family.
But is that true for the rest of the Semana Santa as well?
Does anyone here have anything good or bad to report about specific rain jackets / windbreakers available at Decathlon?
I'm wondering how their better ones stand up next to the name brands.
In particular, the Quechua MH500 and MH900 rain jackets caught my eye because Decathlon's own comparison...
Well, this makes me sad: my favorite camino guidebook series, the "Village to Village" guides by Dintaman & Landis and collaborators, will not have printed updates for the 2024 season.
That's according to email I received from David Landis in December. His words: "We are planning digital-only...
Shipping to Portugal is a no-go. The Portuguese customs bureau is notorious for delays and outrageously high import duties. Part of the price we paid for moving to this lovely country is that we will never order anything from outside the EU, not even care packages from family unless they're...
This is weird: I'm living in Portugal and trying to find a copy of the 2023 edition of the Dintaman & Landis guide to the Camino Francés.
Local stores don't carry it. Ivar's Camino Store doesn't list it. Amazon.com has it but I need a source in the EU. Amazon.es doesn't have it. Amazon.de has...
Thanks for asking! No, I haven't. What's more, last I looked the "left fork" sign had been torn down and I've been meaning to contact the organization to ask whether that's intentional or just vandalism.
In your shoes I might hinge my decision on studying the map and finding accommodations. I...
This is why I still haven't made it to Santiago but I've been to Pamplona and Logroño I don't know how many times.
https://www.theonion.com/dog-takes-pilgrimage-to-holy-site-where-it-once-found-r-1838909375
One more data point: we walked by the municipal in Barcelos and they had people sleeping cheek by jowl on mattresses on the floor! So maybe my assessment of crowding on the Central is too optimistic...
Traditional diaper pins are still available on Amazon. We use them to hang laundry. They're lighter and more secure than laundry pins, and heavier-duty than simple safety pins.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2LHWNPB?tag=casaivar02-20
One reason to put some money in the decoy wallet is that it's the one you use for small purchases. No sense revealing where your serious cash is every time you buy a snack.
The other reason is if you might use it as a "throw-down wallet" in an actual robbery. You can make your getaway while...
So we were sidelined a bit by illness and some business back in Porto, but we're on the trail again! We picked up where we left off, taking it slow.
Data points regarding the Great Caminho Panic of 2023:
We just did two short days from Rates to Barcelos. We never saw more than a few pilgrims...
This thread gives me pause, as I just moved to Porto and use the metro every day.
I asked a couple of Portuguese friends about the precautions they take. They shrugged and said they don't do anything beyond put their wallets in a front pocket. Which supports the idea that thieves target...
At last I've found a clear answer! Over on Facebook, Kevin Donahue writes:
"There are at least three routes to Rates from VdConde: the "official" yellow arrow route, the aquaduct route, and the ecopista. You can receive a paper map with all three routes at the VdConde tourist office. The...
Yes, I'm using Google Maps with Flannery's map inserted in it. I'm a little fuzzy on why this works, but click this link on your phone and Flannery's map will get added to your Google Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1OHcmFSbyQXpti9d2X_UTqriNgISvQVO1&usp=sharing
This site is run by Ivar at in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon