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  1. WisTom

    Sleeping Bag Compression Sack

    Just a word of caution. I had an Enlightened Equipment quilt that I stored in a compression dry sack on my first caminos. However, I didn't take it out of the compression bag when I returned home. Eventually, the down won't de- compress and loses its insulation. Remember to store it...
  2. WisTom

    Gronze Maps app in the Apple Store

    Just finished stage 26 of the Camino de Levante in Toro today (ending tomorrow in Zamora and connecting to the VdlP). I could not have done it without the Gronze Maps app. I can't tell you the number of unmarked crossroads and forks in the road that I've encountered along the way, not to...
  3. WisTom

    Chinese shops???

    Chino/a does mean Chinese and when used as an adjective is completely neutral. A Chinese restaurant is a restaurante chino (unless you're in Perú, where they're called chifas). I passed a China Bazaar today entering Medina del Campo - Bazar Chino. Chino/a can also refer to a Chinese person...
  4. WisTom

    LIVE from the Camino Live from the Camino Levante

    Arévalo is impressive for the number of monuments in a town of 8000. There is so much history outside of the large cities. I chatted with a woman and her daughter in the old plaza last night, commenting on how empty it is. We were the only ones there. She agreed that the historic plaza is...
  5. WisTom

    Ok entering the shoe debate with trepidation ...

    I have different pairs of Hokas. Last year, I wore a pair of Hoka Mafate trail shoes to walk the Mozárabe, San Salvador, and Primitivo. They were OK, but share a problem similar to what you described with the Speedgoats - the heel counter rubs the back of the ankle. Last year, I had to put...
  6. WisTom

    Chinese shops???

    The difference is the attitude about the stores. There's little question that there's a certain amount of derision in referring to these stores as "chinos". It is not a term of respect, nor are the proprietors always treated respectfully.
  7. WisTom

    Chinese shops???

    I lost a good set of Leki poles on the Mozárabe last year. The next town had a Chino. I paid about 6 euros per retractable pole. They got me to Mérida. When I had the chance, I bought a better pair at a Decathlon and donated the Chino poles to an alberque.
  8. WisTom

    Pilgrims menu/menu del dia

    It's good that there are now vegetarian/vegan options on the Sarria-Santiago segment of the Francés. In small towns on the other caminos, if you say you're vegetarian, you're likely to get the same response as in Latin America - "Then just have the chicken."
  9. WisTom

    Chinese shops???

    Arrived in Arévalo today. Checked into supermarcados. For the second time in the past week, the Coviran grocery was actually a Chino with Coviran branding. Hadn't seen this before. For what it's worth, I was in the Peace Corps in Panamá from 2014-2016. Every tiny town in the Panamanian...
  10. WisTom

    Food on the via la plata

    I'm thrilled when I can arrive at my destination by 3 or 3:30 when kitchens are still open and you can order a "menu" in the afternoon. However, on caminos like the Via de la Plata and other caminos menos transitados, the stage lengths don't always offer that option (Just did another 40km stage...
  11. WisTom

    LIVE from the Camino Live from the Camino Levante

    Just in case you're thinking that snow only falls in Galicia, I've attached a couple photos from yesterday's 41km stage from Cebreros to Ávila. Besides the cool temps, there have been wind advisories nearly every day with winds in the 25-40 km range and gusting higher. The bright side...
  12. WisTom

    Spring weather on Camino de Levante

    Currently walking the Levante. Leaving Toboso today. Temps predicted at mid 30s to high 40s F (2-10C) with strong winds out of the west gusting to 30mph. And possible rain. One of those days.
  13. WisTom

    Has the Camino lost its way?

    Lo de los cien kilómetros para obtener la Compostela no es nuevo, viene del año 1948, pero es cierto también que esa fórmula se ha ido incrementando en los últimos años, de manera que la gente no entiende el Camino como lo entendíamos antes como una ruta completa y realiza un Camino degustación...
  14. WisTom

    OK guys, what underwear?

    Currently on the Levante. Walked 41km on Monday, 35km yesterday, and 25 today (not trying to walk long - those are just the normal stage lengths per vieiragrino.com). I only bring exofficio. Both brief and boxer brief. Light, quick dry, and work for multiple days if necessary.
  15. WisTom

    My new backpack from Gregory

    I did 3 long Caminos (shortest was Camino Francés from SJPP) and the Via Francigena from Turin to Rome with an Osprey Talon 42, which I really liked. I was intrigued by Gregory. I'm now walking from Valencia to Santiago using a Gregory Zulu 40. It's more compact and I'm extremely happy with...
  16. WisTom

    Phones, Sim Cards, Choices and Questions, Oh, So Many Questions!

    If you decide to buy your sim card in Pamplona, you might want to stop at the Corte Inglés department store. Convenient location and they'll have booths for the major carriers- Movistar, Vodafone, and Orange.
  17. WisTom

    LIVE from the Camino Rain in Cordoba

    Last year when I walked from Granada in March, I also had wet, foggy conditions from Córdoba to Cerro Muriano. Nothing like what you experienced. My problem was that there was no room at the inn in Cerro Muriano and I had to double etapas and walk thru to Villaharta. The next day, I found...
  18. WisTom

    Listening to music while on the camino

    When I walk at home over terrain that I walk regularly, I often listen to podcasts. When I'm walking a camino over territory that I've never walked before and am unlikely to ever walk again, my only music is earworms mixed with my thoughts - no matter what the days stage looks like. One of the...
  19. WisTom

    Phone connection on VDLP

    When I walked the VdlP/Sanabrés/Muxia, I used Movistar. I also used Movistar last year on the Mozárabe, San Salvador, and Primitivo. Last year, the cost was roughly 20 euros for 50gb of data and unlimited calls for a month and the coverage was solid throughout all the routes mentioned...
  20. WisTom

    What is the best app to learn some Spanish for the Camino? Thanks

    I agree with the previous posts regarding Duolingo. Like Rosetta Stone, it teaches you basic vocabulary but NOT how to speak. As a former language teacher, my first recommendation is always Pimsleur - an oral approach that builds with 30 minute daily lessons to get you speaking, not just...

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