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CNN's website is streaming aerial photos from a helicopter. The pilot seems to have gotten bored with the center of town and is wandering a bit. They just flew over Monte de Gozo.
Can you try it again now? It looks like cafepress has finally deleted the duplicate items that were showing up on the page, and I think that might fix the problem. Let me know if it's still broken.
The scallop shell on the cafepress site is a photo I took of my own shell. I don't think I'm good enough in Photoshop to create something entirely from scratch.
If you look at the site again, I added an oval sticker with just the shell -- no text. Is that closer to what you're looking for?
- M
I added a fairly simple bumper sticker to http://www.cafepress.com/santiagoforum. It's down at the bottom of the page. For some reason, the site is also showing two earlier attempts I made to upload files where the images were too small. Until I figure out how to delete those, you probably...
I'm the one who set up the cafepress site linked to above. It's not anything I make any money from, though -- the prices are cafepress' base prices. It was just a handy way for people to get pins with the forum logo.
If you have a specific image you like, you can have cafepress print it on a...
I understand your annoyance with some of the early morning crowd, but I do want to say something in defense of starting early. Avoiding the heat of the afternoon is one good reason to start before dawn, but it's not the only reason. (And even in cool weather, you'll have the sun in your face...
I took only a silk liner in August two years ago. Mostly it worked, but I had a few cold and uncomfortable nights. If you can track down an ultra lightweight sleeping bag, that might be better, but you'll survive with just the sheet. You can usually (but not always) borrow a blanket -- the...
I was very careful in planning what to take with me, but didn't plan an itinerary more than a day or two in advance. That way, I could easily vary the distance walked based on how I felt at the time. I had some 10km days, and some 35km days. I doubt I would have planned either in advance...
I'm at the other extreme. I usually started the day with 2 liters of water in a camelback, plus a partially filled half liter bottle in case I ran out. I could get away with this because, in all other respects, I packed very lightly.
It depends on what you personally need. I tend to get...
Midge -
You don't need to book ahead for albergues (and with very, very few exceptions, you can't). You probably could book ahead for hotels and pensiones, but it's hard to predict where you'll decide to stop on any given night.
If the albergue is full, you'll probably still have a roof...
Just be aware that trussing your pack up too much is a good way to get extra attention from customs -- at least entering the US. They sometimes seem to view a bag that's too difficult to open as a challenge. :?
I'd suggest carrying your bag on the plane and buying a knife in Spain or...
It's natural to be worried about accommodations for your first night, particularly if you're arriving late in the day.
That said, I agree that things will almost certainly work out without much planning. You should be able to find a place to stay, even if you end up sleeping on the floor...
C-
I actually did not take a sleeping bag -- just a silk sleep sack. That said, if I had it to do over again, I would take a very lightweight sleeping bag and perhaps leave behind my thermarest sleeping pad -- which I used, but could probably have done without. Even in the middle of summer...
I don't quite agree with those who say to get a large bag and carry it half-full.
I took a small, inexpensive pack -- advertised as a day and a half pack. I think it cost about $30 U.S. I only carried about 5 kg of gear (plus water). If I'd had a larger pack, I know I would have taken...
I created the cafepress store and would be happy to change the image. I thought I used the one that won the poll -- it looks dark blue to me. If someone can send me a different image, I'll change it on the cafepress site.
I haven't seen the actual pins. I just uploaded the image so that...
On flights to and from the US, you can carry walking sticks on the plane. I carried one in my carry-on luggage two years ago. The reasoning is that some people need them to walk.
You could set up a store at cafepress.com. I don't know if they have patches, but they definitely do custom pins. And they print one item at a time. They're based in the US, but they ship internationally. I don't think it costs anything to set up a store, and it looks pretty easy.
Or you...
I think running shoes are fine. I walked from SJPP to Santiago in good quality running shoes. If they're the most comfortable, I'd say go for it. Mine were thoroughly worn out, though, by the time I finished (and were almost new when I started), so you might want to get a new pair of the same...
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