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  1. michal.don

    A few quick questions before departing on the Francés

    I do. I know :) It's just the pre-camino nerves. Thank you :) Hi Jarrad. Mi name is Michal and I guess we are quite alike :D Thanks, it will be fine, I guess you can not not have a bed and have bedbugs at the same time, right? :D I did, good information, thank you! Yes, "start on a tuesday...
  2. michal.don

    A few quick questions before departing on the Francés

    Yes, I booked the first few nights, so no park benches at least until after Pamplona for me :) I'm just curious what I'm heading into, I guess the pre-travel overthinking mode is firmly on :) Thanks, Michal
  3. michal.don

    A few quick questions before departing on the Francés

    Hello, I would be grateful for some advice from the ones of you who are walking/have recently walked from SJPdP :) 1 - How busy is the first part of the camino right now? I read some reports of a busy beginning of the season, but plenty of beds all around - is it still the case? 2 - re Covid -...
  4. michal.don

    Poles or No Poles?

    Hi Claire, I was unsure about that before my first camino as well. I'm just a bit older than you, but had some minor knee issues before, and decided to play it safe and get some walking poles for the walk. It was the best decision I made in quite a while - I'm not sure I would have been able to...
  5. michal.don

    First day - Route Napoléon, or Valcarlos?

    Thank you all. I'll go the way the people in Pilgrim's office/my common sense advise, but it's great to know that whatever way I happen to walk, the scenery is going to be great :) And, it's an amazing thing that there is a place on the internet, where one can get numerous pieces of personal...
  6. michal.don

    First day - Route Napoléon, or Valcarlos?

    From what I've heard, the dirt trail might be especially unsafe in poor weather conditions - muddy, slipery, etc. I also like to avoid unnecesarry risks, so if I have any doubts when I reach the top, I'll opt for the tarmac road as well. If the weather is nice and I feel good and fresh though, I...
  7. michal.don

    First day - Route Napoléon, or Valcarlos?

    To be perfectly honest, I'm more worried about the "up" part than the "down"one.... :) But I am aware of the alternative that @trecile mentioned, if my knees feel iffy on that day. Yes, that's the site I've been watching dayily for the last week. The one that shows a temperature drop "just...
  8. michal.don

    First day - Route Napoléon, or Valcarlos?

    I noticed your thread just after posting mine :) Yes, these don't look like very pleasant walking conditions, but it does not look too "unsafe", either.... I definitely will, and will respect their advice - just wondering if they will be able to provide definite information the day before I...
  9. michal.don

    First day - Route Napoléon, or Valcarlos?

    Hello again, starting next tuesday from SJPdP, and looking for a bit more advice. The weather forecast is not as optimistic as I would have liked, and from what I saw, there is snow on top of the mountains again, as of today. I still hope for it to clear until monday, and to be able to walk the...
  10. michal.don

    Atypical/memorable albergues on Camino Francés?

    Thank you all for the next round of suggestions, I think I'll have to walk the Francés several times to try them all out, not possible in one go, probably :D Michal
  11. michal.don

    Atypical/memorable albergues on Camino Francés?

    Thank you all - I'll note all of your suggestions, and I hope I'll be able to stay at at least a few of the places you mention. I'm quite curious how the situation with albergues will look like, and how busy the Camino will be. :) Michal
  12. michal.don

    Atypical/memorable albergues on Camino Francés?

    Yes, that is the one, thank you so much :)
  13. michal.don

    Atypical/memorable albergues on Camino Francés?

    Hello, I'm walking the Camino Francés beginning the 16th of April from SJPdP, and would appreciate tips from the seasoned walkers amongst you :) Do you have tips for "special" accomodation option along the way? I remember reading about a small albergue in a convent without hot water and...
  14. michal.don

    Time for more compostela type certificates?

    Necessary? No. But I have my compostella framed in my living room, and every time I happen to look at it, it reminds me of all the great experiences I had and wonderful people I met on my camino. Sure, the credencial is a great "souvenir" as well, but not as "framable" as the compostella, so I'm...
  15. michal.don

    Queues at the Cathedral?

    There are also lockers at the pilgrims office (the place you'll go get your Compostella) just a few minutes walk from the cathedral.
  16. michal.don

    Duo Lingo or Something Else?

    Hi Robo, a quick disclaimer first - af all the apps mentioned, I am only familiar with Duolingo, so I can not compare it to the others. Yes, Duolingo has it's shortcomings, and might not be the "best" for learning Spanish, or any other language. But it makes keeping the habit of studying very...
  17. michal.don

    USA - So I just got a start date on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

    Damien, first of all - "Buen PCT" to you :) If you decide to write some sort of a blog, or just post photos somewhere, would you let us know? I enjoy reading your posts here, and the PCT is kind of a "would love to do one day, but probably won't for many reasons" thing for me, so I would love to...
  18. michal.don

    Norte from Santander

    there is a link to the track in this wonderful thread, along with more coastal alternatives on the Norte: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/coastal-alternatives-to-the-nortes-asphalt.49578/ or you can have a look at mapy.cz (and their app), the path is marked there, as well....
  19. michal.don

    Norte from Santander

    There's an absolutely stunning coastal variant from Santander to Boo de Pielagos, one of the highlights of the whole Norte for me. The path is a bit rugged in a few places, and it's quite a long one, but you can cut it a bit short by walking through the city of Santander to the northern coast...
  20. michal.don

    Solo walkers - what kinds of food do you buy at grocery stores?

    On the Norte last autumn - where not that many "Menu Peregrinos" or "Menu del Dias" were available - I mostly lived off the supermercados, walking solo. For the more reasonable foods, I bought a baguette, which lasted two days usually, with a pack of cheese, some kind of chorizo or jamón, and a...

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