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  1. good_old_shoes

    Help with accommodation on Camino Francés

    The mistake might be to look on booking. dot. Most of the Camino pilgrim accommodation is NOT listed on booking. So you'll only be shown very few beds, only a fraction of what exists. On top of that, even the few albergues that are listed in that app will only sell very few of their beds via...
  2. good_old_shoes

    Appointment needed to go to health Center ?

    I went to the centro de salud several times over the years (Fromista, Carrion, Piedrafita, and Triacastela), and never had an appointment. It was no problem. Ask the hospitaleros, they can tell you where to go and what's the opening hours! Get well soon!
  3. good_old_shoes

    To those who brought a tent: How do I keep the total weight down?

    Even if you do not wild camp, there are ~ 20 official campsites on the Francés or within reachable distance from it. They're reasonably priced (~ same as albergues) and offer hot showers, sometimes a restaurant/ bar on site or even a good swimming pool! What's wrong with using them? Plus the...
  4. good_old_shoes

    To those who brought a tent: How do I keep the total weight down?

    My clothes are already lightweight, and I carry very few clothes to begin with (some of it is Decathlon - I agree that they have lightweight, good quality for not much money). Sleeping bag is 1kg+ but for the warmth it offers, probably light (and it was very expensive!). With a different tent...
  5. good_old_shoes

    To those who brought a tent: How do I keep the total weight down?

    But you probably use expensive, specialized ultralight gear, I'd guess? I get down to 10 (8 in summer when I know weather will be very good) with water and snacks with a very heavy backpack and a 1,5kg tent. And that weight also includes one can of emergency beer 😂. Good enough for me. 12kg...
  6. good_old_shoes

    To those who brought a tent: How do I keep the total weight down?

    I bring the same things I bring when not walking with a tent. The only thing that is added is the tent. I'm a cold sleeper so I always carry a warm sleeping bag, anyway. And I like to take naps during the day, so I always bring my sleeping mat. I don't really do packing lists, so can't give...
  7. good_old_shoes

    Heavily pruned trees

    Probably plane trees I think (if google translate is doing its job correctly - "Platane" in german). They get very big leaves. The way they're pruned, they're like a living roof or umbrella in summer, giving lots of shade.
  8. good_old_shoes

    Social anxiety on the camimo

    True. But it is still a massively different situation to what many people experience in normal every day life at home. It's a certain kind of people who go on that kind of pilgrimage, and the pilgrimage situation makes many people more open than they'd be at home. At least the "overall pilgrim...
  9. good_old_shoes

    Social anxiety on the camimo

    I have social anxiety. Before my first Camino, it was quite severe. After several Caminos, it is still there, but much much better, and sometimes I barely notice it anymore. Most of the time I am not afraid of people anymore. I even changed my career for a few years, working very closely with...
  10. good_old_shoes

    Getting topical steroids in Spain? (prescription strength)

    I'd probably just go to a centro de salud. One year I had very bad bed bug bites and went to the pharmacy to buy a cream. The pharmacist told me, if it doesn't get better, I need to go to the urgencias. The over the counter cream didn't help at all, but I was lucky and another pilgrim had a...
  11. good_old_shoes

    LIVE from the Camino Current big wave at beginning of Francés

    Well, I've certainly kept mine, which I brought to every Camino since 2017, even when I didn't camp...
  12. good_old_shoes

    LIVE from the Camino Current big wave at beginning of Francés

    Yep. I now always bring my tent. Not because I'm worried about accommodation, but it certainly means more choice of where to sleep at night, especially when walking longer days / well into the evening. The campsites also have good, hot showers. And I can leave beds to those who do not have the...
  13. good_old_shoes

    LIVE from the Camino SJPdP “Completo” tonight!

    I've been reading a bit in some facebook groups, and the impression I get is that many (!) pilgrims starting right now are completely oblivious to the fact that april/may are high season for a start from St. Jean, and also have no clue that there are many holidays in may that bring not only many...
  14. good_old_shoes

    Accommodation worries

    I am also a solo walking female and don't book if I can avoid it. If you prefer not to make reservations, you could try to walk off-stage until Pamplona, which usually makes it easier to find a bed. Most pilgrims will walk St Jean - (Orisson / Borda) - Roncesvalles - Zubiri (or Larassoana) -...
  15. good_old_shoes

    Nervous first timer

    Maybe try to walk off-stage right from the beginning. I'd say, book a bed for your first night in St. Jean, and then maybe until Pamplona. By then it should be easier to find beds without booking. Most pilgrims will walk St. Jean - Napoleon route to Roncesvalles - Zubiri or Larassoana -...
  16. good_old_shoes

    Lost and found

    Craziest thing I found on a Camino so far was not from a pilgrim. Walked through Estella looking for a place to have a beer. Saw something in the middle of the road that seemed to be a passport / ID. Thought maybe a tired pilgrim has lost it. Grabbed it from the street and it turned out to...
  17. good_old_shoes

    Alert Theft at Roncesvalles

    (Off topic, but as an explanation: that year I had walked from home and had spent two months almost exclusively sleeping in my tent. Zubiri was my first albergue that year and it was a bit difficult to re-adapt to albergue life 😂. So, that was not meant as criticism towards dormitories in...
  18. good_old_shoes

    Alert Theft at Roncesvalles

    When I stayed in Zubiri in '22 their doors wasn't locked all night. Local youth walked in and out of the albergue at night to use the toilets and the vending machines. I only noticed because I couldn't stand the noise in the dorm and slept on a bench in the dining room. Perfect setup for...
  19. good_old_shoes

    LIVE from the Camino SJPdP “Completo” tonight!

    Good to hear that the town is so kind to provide shelter for the stranded pilgrims! Also, a good example why bringing a warm sleeping bag and maybe even a lightweight sleeping mat might still be a good idea... You never know for sure where you'll end up sleeping!
  20. good_old_shoes

    LIVE from the Camino The massacre of a dear resting place.

    That was my first thought, too.

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