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  • Users: koilife
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  1. koilife

    Heart Way Pilgrim House Reopening?

    Does anyone know if Heart Way Pilgrim House will be reopening in Vila Verde? If so, when? Gronz shows it as closed, and their Facebook links appear not to work.
  2. koilife

    Best transportation options from SdC to Lisbon in July

    My son and I are walking the CP this summer. We're looking for the best way to return to Lisbon from SdC in early July, and there no longer appear to be direct flights from SdC. I checked A Coruna and Vigo, and they don't have any direct flights either. Also, even the shortest flights...
  3. koilife

    Stage After Casa da Fernanda

    I'll have a moderate day from Barcelos to Casa da Fernanda (20 km). But, the day after Fernanda seems rather awkward. I have either a very short day to Ponte de Lima (14 km) or a very long day to Rubiaes (32 km). If I stop at Ponte de Lima, my next day would be somewhere around Fontoura or...
  4. koilife

    From Vila Nova de Arousa to Santiago or Padron/Herbon?

    When taking the boat ride from Vila Nova de Arousa to Pontecesures, do most people carry on all the way to Santiago in that one day (26K), or stop in Padron/Herbon, or somewhere in between? [And, yes, I recognize the "it depends" nature of the question (timing and length of the boat ride...
  5. koilife

    Where to buy a Fado/Portuguese Guitar

    My oldest son is a music major, and his favorite instrument is guitar. I'd like to purchase and ship a quality Fado/Portuguese guitar back home. I'll be in both Lisbon (three full days), Coimbra (one full day), and Porto (one full day). I'm looking for both quality and value (and I assume I'll...
  6. koilife

    Ultralight or DIY Camera Padding?

    I'm walking with a "prosumer," travel-sized, "weather-sealed" camera with interchangable lenses (although likely only taking one 14-150mm "utility" lens). Most times it will be clipped to my shoulder strap as I walk for instant access or to my hip when about town (see Peak Design for very...
  7. koilife

    St. John's Eve along the Final Stages of the Primitivo or in SdC?

    On my first camino, I was in O Cebreiro on St. John's Eve (June 23), which was a really incredible Spanish "event" (party is too small a word for it). Then, we arrived in SdC on the evening of the feast of Peter and Paul. We felt like salmon swimming upstream while making our way up through the...
  8. koilife

    Favorite Area to "Base Camp" in Lisbon

    I plan to spend 3-4 days in Lisbon before undertaking CdP with my 16 year old son. We plan to visit a number of different attractions (itinerary still being developed) in the city and its surroundings. For those of you who know Lisbon, what area(s) of the city would you set up a "base camp"...
  9. koilife

    Curious TAP Carry On Policy

    According to the TAP airline website (www.flytap.com/en-us/baggage/dangerous-goods), the following are prohibited items in carry on: This would seem to permit the very small Swiss Army knives (www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Pocket-Knife/dp/B00004YVB2/). Also, I cannot find anything...
  10. koilife

    Best Resource to Understand Portugal

    I'm looking for resources to understand Portugal better --- history, culture, customs, arts, national character, cuisine, etc. --- as well as all the practical concerns of respect and courtesies as a visitor. Suggestions?
  11. koilife

    Things to Do : Madrid v Lisbon

    I'm walking this summer with my third son. He wants a few days up front "to rest and to sightsee" in either Madrid or Lisbon (or both) before we walk. We land in Madrid on a Saturday morning, and I want to start walking from Lisbon by the following Tuesday or Wednesday morning at the latest...
  12. koilife

    June Weather on Portugues

    Walking Central Route from Lisbon, starting end of May. Planning my element protection. My first time on the Frances, almost entire time was 20-30F lower than average and my cold weather system was stressed. Second time, almost always 20-30 F higher than average, and my sun protection system...
  13. koilife

    Tips and Caveats for Flying around in Europe

    Instead of flying from the US to Madrid next summer on one airline, I'm contemplating lower-cost long-haul options to get to/from Europe, and then use independently booked airfare in Europe to get from my long-haul city to my Camino start point and then back to my long-haul city after the Camino...
  14. koilife

    Fastest/Cheapest Way to Get to Fatima

    I am starting to SdC from Fatima. My current plan is to fly into Madrid on airline points (flying direct into Lisbon takes almost twice as many points with a much longer layover). I assume the easiest way from Madrid to Fatima is an Iberia flight or Alsa bus to Lisbon, followed by local shuttle...
  15. koilife

    Laundry in Santiago

    I'm looking for options for laundry while in Santiago, where I can get a really good clean (get rid of that eau d'peregrinos) without paying a fortune for hotel laundry service. I'm staying at the albergue part of San Martin Pinal, and they haven't responded to an email inquiry (probably still...
  16. koilife

    Best Restaurants in Santiago for Authentic Cuisine

    I have some very dear friends arriving in SdC on the Frances at the same time as my son and I are arriving from the Ingles. I'd like to take them out for a truly authentic Spanish cuisine experience (they've eaten exclusively pilgrim fare for the last 30 days). I'd like to keep things somewhere...
  17. koilife

    Smuggling Hams back to the USA

    Ok, so maybe not by smuggling, but has anyone taken a ham back to the U.S.? Wine is trivial---ship it and pay import duties. But can I do the same with a ham? The markup on buying Spanish hams on the US is outrageous by comparison to what I would pay at any carniceria.
  18. koilife

    Rioja Bodegas Not to Miss after Logrono

    I am heading west in Rioja on the Camino Frances from Logrono over the next couple days. What bodegas along the way are worth going to and shipping a case or two back to the States? I'd prefer on foot, but for something truly extraordinary I'll use transport. P.S. @dougfitz, I think I'm about...
  19. koilife

    There's another wave coming, bigger than all the rest

    On Sunday, another wave hits Logrono and by Monday it will start rolling down the Camino Frances. It's absolutely mammoth. Start booking ahead now if you're in its path. Catch the bus, take the train, run if you must, lest you be caught and swamped by it. Let the St. Jean 915 flee before it...
  20. koilife

    I Just Won the Mega Lottery!!!

    I just received a letter telling me that I won a $4.5M share in the Mega Lottery Picker 2016. They want me to send them an international wire transfer, OR I can pick up my check in person in Madrid, Spain. How convenient that I will be there in 10 days so I don't have to waste money on a wire...

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