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I get my sim from https://simcard.spainsur.com/ its sent to you at home and activated when you insert and turn on the phone. Best to do that when you land.
You are limited when roaming under EU laws, so if you buy a Portugues card, you are limited when in Spain. If you buy a Spanish card, you...
The cabs are lined up in Pamplona waiting to take pilgrims to SJPP. It’s a booming business for them. Just hang out until you find enough people to fill a van and split the cost between all of you.
The bus can be hit or miss depending on the your arrival time.
I've taken the bus and taxis. By far the taxi is the easiest, and the price can be close to the bus depending on your negotiation.
There are usually many pilgrims standing around wondering how to get to SJPP, so I just gather...
Our plan is to go to Matasinhos from the airport, which is on the Coastal, and stay for the night. Then start on the Coastal to Vila do Conde, where you can turn to Sao Pedro de Rates for the rest of the central route.
Here’s ways to get from the airport to Matasinhos...
While that is an ingenious system, I will maintain that filling a bottle from the faucet and putting it pack in your side pouch IS easier than filling a squeeze pouch, disconnecting your bite me, then connecting to your draw tube, pushing the water into your pouch, reconnecting your bite me...
Oh, and a few days later, just past Astorga, is a small brewery in Castrillo de los Polvazares that makes some excellent herbed and spiced beers from local gardens.
Don’t forget about the Four Lions Brewery just around the street from the Cathedral.
After miles and miles of fizzy, yellow, albeit refreshing, golden lager, Four Lions brews up a whole menu of excellent craft beers. From rich, toasty brown ale, to IPAs and all in between.
They also have a full...
My winter beard keeps the face warm on the mountains in CO, but goes back to the Van Dyke in Spring. I carry a razor on the Camino and shave the cheeks and neck.daily for discipline. Just a dry shave in the mirror. No need to carry shave cream.
I took a rest day in Leon and regretted it. I walked 10km around the city anyway. Saw everything at least twice. And lost my posse, never to catch up with them again.
Consider this. You will be taking 35-45,000 steps per day. This is a lot of strain on the muscles that operate your foot.
Many people walk with their foot flat to the ground when bringing the foot forward for the next step. This requires tensing the muscles in your shin to keep the toes...
5 Caminos in Chacos (toe loop). In the rain, and down to 40°F. A couple times in the 30s for a morning start I donned a pair of Injinji toe socks.
I carry a pair of boots as backup. I’ve put the boots on a couple time during bad weather, or to give the dogs a change, but back to the Chacos...
...rain. I use a pair of Buff fishing gloves. They are light enough to not overheat in the mornings, and warm enough for hiking down to about 25-30*F (with no wind).
They breath to let out the sweat, have dexterity to open a can of beer, magic fingertips to dial your mom on your smartphone (60%...
No doubt that SJPP to Roncesvalles is a tough day.
I’ve done it twice. Once with family in tow, and once on my own. Both times, very “doable,”
The beauty of the path is breathtaking, with the fog and clouds in the valley as you ascend in the morning. And the mountain meadows echoing the cowbells...
I regularly hike up mountains in CO (10k feet and above) with my ham radio. With winter gear and radio, the pack runs around 30 lbs. The hikes are shorter than a Camino day, but the heavy pack at altitude, and ascending/descending 2-3000' makes up for it.
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