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I have stayed in 1 albergue where it was a communal shower, but it was on the Camino Portugues, women only, I don't know what the men's showers were like! The showers in Arzua and Negreira municipals have no shower curtains, the showers in Palas de Rei are unisex and very small, no room for...
There were 100 fires in Galicia on Sunday night, more than 500 in northern Portugal, many people lost their lives, many more lost their homes, some of those who died were in cars trying to out run a fire. This is a major issue at the moment, fortunately we've had rain now but probably not enough.
The other thing to consider is changing the wretched €50 notes. Think ahead about the notes you are carrying, small bars don't want a big note for a cup of coffee and if an albergue is 'donativo' it is sensible to have smaller denomination notes, particularly if it is a 'put in a box' donation...
I carry hand sanitizer in my pocket. I bought a 100ml bottle in Carrefour supermarket and I decant it into a smaller bottle before I walk; more recently I bought a smaller bottle in Lidl, that's in my car. They are called gel, they're a bit liquidy but they don't leak. Lidl is a supermarket that...
It may be that you are looking for a name you know :) Hand sanitizer is widely available but maybe not the product that you are familiar with, just look around supermarkets, even small ones, at the cleansing products etc.
When I walk 40k anything beyond 10 the next day is very hard but it does depend on accommodation. At least on the Frances there is plenty of accommodation so 40k's are never necessary, they would only be done because of an 'I feel great I'll carry on' moment, or I'm superman/superwoman moments...
If I do a very long day I have to do a short day next day, I suppose it depends on how you define long and short! But perhaps this is about listening to your body, as someone else said, and not feeling you have a commitment to be somewhere on a certain day.
Now how do you know that??
Coffee is important too! Just sitting down and taking your boots off is pretty wonderful, though I do try to sit outside a bar to do that.
I would reckon that 15 miles is a reasonable distance to walk but probably not for the first few days, if you can help it. By the...
Welcome to the forum and good luck with your planning.
When I started my first camino I was sure that I would never manage more than 15km a day but it doesn't take long to build up stamina. The best part of the Frances is that there are plenty of options for stopping, just make sure you have a...
Before I did my first camino I read a post that said: 'Don't walk the camino before you walk the camino!' There are lots of different approaches to training for a camino but in the end it is a long walk, you don't want to be bored and exhausted before you start. a few days of walking will soon...
It's fairly simple, different countries have different ways of writing and sometimes it is difficult to make out the names. Some nationalities put surname first e.g. French and sometimes Italians. Imagine trying to read Korean or Japanese names, or even Bulgarian. It is a lot quicker to ask...
Relax! 70 is young, we're going to live till we're 100, think how many more caminos you can do. Municipal and parochial albergues don't take bookings, it seems to me that it is the younger people who are panicking and booking in advance, aim to stop between the standard stages and I'm sure...
Congratulations Marigold!
I too am 70 this year and I'm also going to celebrate with a long walk but I'm going to do the Via Francigena, I start at the end of August as well so I will think of you as I walk. It's a long time since I did the Frances so I can't give any advice but I do know that...
Hi! Welcome to the camino. I can't tell you what the weather will be like in October, though it can be nice and warm! I
I did the Poruguese in October and I once walked from Samos in October. Both were warm and sunny but the Frances was busy with people who had known each other for some time and...
It is a legal requirement to wear reflective clothing when walking or cycling on a road in poor visibility, but it is also a legal requirement for drivers to carry a reflective jacket in their vehicle and to wear it if their car breaks down and they get out, regardless of visibility. Round me...
Wow .. Poor things, hardly a prayerful ambience. A preparation for the real world. maybe they have to walk up the stairs to the 5th floor :)
My room was bare, like a students room, but clean, with its own en-suite, and a lift to get there. Heaven :D
I left too early to get breakfast so I will...
I thought that San Martino de Pinario was a hotel that just gave special rate to pilgrims who say on the top floor :? :?:
The great advantage here is that there is a lift to the top floor :D
I enjoyed my night there but I did find that two of the receptionists were so busy chatting to each other that they really couldn't find the time to speak to guests, not to pilgrim guests any way. A shame because otherwise it was great.
The weather is pretty warm at the moment. I live at 890 metres, I sleep with the windows open but I wouldn't want to be without a blanket. There seems to be a heavy dew over night as well. I'm sure the meseta is much warmer but you could have some miserable nights without a sleeping bag.
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