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  1. Stephan the Painter

    Spanish words for sleeping mask and heating coil?

    Anybody know the Spanish for heating coil and sleep mask? I’m in Burgos walking the Camino Frances. And alas, I burnt out my heating coil. Also I foolishly decided not to bring my sleep mask. Those Albergue emergency exit lights are bright at night! I have a rest day in Burgos tomorrow and...
  2. Stephan the Painter

    Seeking a Beautiful Traditional Basque House to Sketch

    The perfect Basque house to sketch? I’m starting from SJPP tomorrow (April 3, 2024) and I’m looking for a scenic Basque style house to sketch. I will walk to Valcarlos for the night. So somewhere between there and Pamplona along the trail or in any of the Camino towns I’ll be looking for that...
  3. Stephan the Painter

    LIVE from the Camino A Sketcher's Camino Madrid

    A couple days ago I started the Camino Madrid from Segovia. Some of you may recall that I posted a few months ago looking for a relatively flat Camino to test out my body to find out if I could make another try on the Camino Frances where I had been previously defeated by shin splints. Day...
  4. Stephan the Painter

    Specific Details on using General Delivery in Spain

    I am spending some time pre-Camino in southern Spain and wanted to ship my camino equipment a few cities ahead to where I’m exploring right now. But, I looked on this board and all over the Internet and the Correos website and cannot find specific and certain details about using general...
  5. Stephan the Painter

    Considering Breaking up a Camino Frances into Two Parts

    I'm thinking about breaking a Camino Frances into two parts, and I would find some feedback valuable. This is because I'm supposed to meet some family in Tarifa in SW Spain from April 5 to April 9. I'll be in the south of Spain starting February 19. Here are my choices: 1. Start the Camino...
  6. Stephan the Painter

    Re-considering zip-off convertible pants

    I've avoided zip-off convertible pants because I found them uncomfortable. But the idea behind them is so useful, I'm reconsidering. On me, they chafe where the zipper is. I don't have especially thick thighs, so I'm not sure why it bothers me. I'm wondering if other users here have specific...
  7. Stephan the Painter

    An Alternate Route from Madrid to SJPP through Bayonne

    An all-year alternate route to SJPP instead of going through Pamplona. If you're starting your trip in Madrid, there seem to be multiple buses every day from Madrid to Bayonne, France. A direct Bla Bla bus (6 hrs.), but sometimes ALSA is listed ( 9 hrs., with a connection). Various starting...
  8. Stephan the Painter

    Sick of Merino! Bamboo instead?

    After becoming fed up with the durability issues of my Icebreaker Merino under-layers, I was looking at bamboo/poly or bamboo/cotton blends. Wondering if anybody has used this material and can comment on odor control, drying times, durability, or anything else you have to say. I was looking at...
  9. Stephan the Painter

    Camino Madrid in Early March?

    I'm thinking about starting a shortened Camino Madrid from Segovia, so skipping the mountains, in the first week of March 2024. Has anybody walked it at this time of year? Albergues? Food? Weather? It's not the warmest time of year. Average nighttime temperatures around 0 C (32F) up to about...
  10. Stephan the Painter

    Experience with waterproofing spray for cloth walking shoes?

    I’m considering using a spray waterproofer for the cloth trail runners I’ll taking with me to walk in Spain this spring. Has anybody tried this? Normally, I wouldn’t consider waterproof shoes because of the perspiration and drying times, but I live in a bit of a wet place, and even walking...
  11. Stephan the Painter

    Looking For a 5-7 Day Easy and Relatively Flat Camino

    I'm looking for a 5-7 day March 2024 easy Camino in Spain. The ideal route is walking on a soft flat trail working my way up from about 10 km a day to 20 km. It should not end in Santiago and shouldn't be too hilly. And not part of the Camino France. The mild weather in southern Spain in March...
  12. Stephan the Painter

    Hiking Poles with Angled Grips similar to Pacer Poles?

    I'm looking at buying some hiking poles. I'm thinking about Pacer polls. And when I look at pictures of them, it seems that it's the angle of the handle that makes those polls different. I'm almost sure I saw some poles in a Spanish Decathlon with similar handles, but I'm not finding that on the...
  13. Stephan the Painter

    Camino Stories or Myths

    I'm interested in reading about or researching some of the traditional stories (or facts, depending on your point of view) about the Camino. An example would be the chicken story from Santa Domingo de Calzada. I have this link about that story...
  14. Stephan the Painter

    Hoka Alternatives with Similar Padding and heel-to-toe Drop?

    Unfortunately, I have a lot of foot problems, and the only shoes that I can wear comfortably lately are Hokas. ( I already wear custom orthotics). They are comfortable to me because of the huge amount of padding and the 5 mm heel-to-toe drop. I haven't found any other shoes that duplicate this...
  15. Stephan the Painter

    LIVE from the Camino A Sketchbook Camino

    Starting April 7, 2022 from Pamplona. I started off my day waking up in the Hostal Bearan, which is a modern and comfortable space if a little thin walled. After getting some equipment together I left and briefly looked around Pamplona. This being my first Camino, my eyes welled up with tears...
  16. Stephan the Painter

    Shin Splint Help Needed!

    On the First day of my Camino it seems like I overdid it. I had planned a slow first couple days but Albergue’s were closed, so I had to go farther. My 17 km walk felt fine and everything seem to be going swimmingly. But unfortunately I woke up with a lot of pain in my shin, which I found out...
  17. Stephan the Painter

    Pamplona Late Arrival. Place To Stay? 2022

    I’ll be arriving at the Pamplona train station at 2130 (930PM) on April 6, 2022. Anybody have a recommendation for a nearby budget friendly hotel or Albergue that I could get that late? It's hard to figure out online if something is easy to get to after a long day of tiring travel. I start off...
  18. Stephan the Painter

    Where to spend Easter on the Camino Frances?

    I’ll be arriving in Madrid March 30, 2022.I had planned to spend a few days there and/or go somewhere warm in the south(Cadiz!) to spend a few days on the beach to warm my body after a cold northern winter.☃️ But then I want to start the Camino From Roncevalles. I’m quite flexible so I’m trying...
  19. Stephan the Painter

    Trail Runners for Custom Orthotics

    I am having some custom orthotics made, and then looking for some trail runners for my upcoming Camino. The assistant to the podiatrist said I should get shoes that have removable arch supports, so they don't interfere with the new orthotics. Most shoes nowadays have either permanent or...
  20. Stephan the Painter

    Inflation surge in northern Spain? (Winter 21/22)

    I’ve recently been reading a couple news articles about inflation surging in Europe. Wondering how that’s affecting northern Spain and towns on the Camino Frances? I’m hoping to do a March/April Camino start from Roncevalles. A couple years ago when I was planning I was budgeting at about 30...

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