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I rarely contribute, and have only walked the Frances once, but I find this a very interesting thread. It has clearly touched a raw nerve in our-- I mean this site's-- collective unconscious. My private definition of pilgrimage is "Walking with a metaphor." It is contemplative and...
The natural vaseline is called Waxilene made with soy oil. It works great, smells nice and I took it on the Camino as an all round moisturizer. You can use it on your face as well... hypoallergenic.
1. Don't wear any sandals or flip flops. Switch to closed shoes with socks all the time. 2. Don't get pedicures, as they will file calluses away.... you want to keep the protective thickening of skin but without the cracks. 3. Use all the remedies people suggest in your socks/shoes all...
If you get the Brierly, you can tear out the pages as you go along and put the pages for your route for the day in your pocket. Keep it until you are done with it, then discard. Very handy.
Walk in light pants during the day for comfort and sun protection, bring both superlight shorts or a running skort AND light leggings . YOu never know when it will get really cold even in summer. With this system you can layer. It can get really cold in Galicia in high summer, down into the...
I used poles and would never go without them. I had NO ankle, knee or hip pain with them, and I had an ACL ligament operation on one knee. But please please learn how to use them before you go, well before. Months before. Practice and practice. It takes a while to get used to them-- it is...
I carried a light nylon running skort-- very comfy-- and a long tank, both black. Together they made up my sleeping outfit, my "play outfit", my swim outfit, my town outfit, and, with a silk scarf, my "good" outfit. I didn't wear them on the road, usually. I also liked a very light bra that I...
This may be sexist or age-ist, but I only heard "creep" stories from the younger female pilgrims. Attractive young women attract attention anywhere. Humans are on the camino, but it feels to me far safer than any other kind of travel. A couple of times drunks were annoying, but that was it.
Hi... I got a lightweight rather ugly khaki colored Altus for around half the price of those with better colors or newer models. Don't hestitate to buy an older model . They work great. Try on first if you can, with your backpack on, for sizing. I would just buy one from a store in France or...
I want to point out that I got my phone in the USA. If you have Tmobile from another nation it might be different. My husband and I talked every day with Face time (for iphones) between California and Spain and there just were no extra charges for the whole holy trip!
I had no problem in June-July 2014 with my Tmobile phone.... data was fine. It just picks up on whatever local cell company is around: Moviestar or Orange. It was amazing actually. No new sim card and no extra charges. It worked well enough for my blog with pictures, right from my phone...
Me too. They just collapse and go in your pack, which you can carry on. On the way back from Spain I just checked the whole pack, as it would no longer be a disaster if it were lost. I just put the whole pack with the collapsed poles through the xray. But just skip the knife and buy one in...
I took one and it was fine. If you can't find a bag, just buy one in Europe. Their bags are made for such walking adventures... all small like the Marmot Nanowave. We have supersized everything in the USA.
I took Brierly and tore out the route map every day and kept it in my shirt pocket. Very handy and you know a lot more about where you are. I avoided the electronic versions as it was so easy to ask directions with the piece of Brierly map in my pocket. It felt like a little friend... and you...
I had a variety of socks.... REI, and some I bought in Spain.. Any higher quality sock made today won't unravel. Thank god I carried little sharp scissors with me to do "the operation." NONE of them unraveled. Just cut the cuff off an inch or so from where the sock part starts. Avoid hot...
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