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  1. sun is shining

    The Pilgrim’s Guide to Etiquette

    Not sure if this falls under etiquette but it’s a nice thing to use the upper bunk if you are able to / don’t mind / arrive early and leave the lower bunk for the ones that arrive later (and might be much more exhausted than you). On our recent Camino Primitivo the municipals would fill up...
  2. sun is shining

    What do you wish you had worried less about?

    Sadly this confirms my worry that they are increasingly becoming an issue in Southern Europe because of climate change. Do you know what the correct course of action is in Spain / Portugal if you encounter them? In Germany you are meant to take a GPS reading of the affected tree and contact...
  3. sun is shining

    What do you wish you had worried less about?

    Oak processionary caterpillars 🐛 Their little “hairs” are venomous and can cause skin irritations and trigger asthma attacks in people susceptible for that. If you see them (they are easy to spot even from a distance) avoid that area. I don’t think that they are a big problem in Spain though...
  4. sun is shining

    The one thing I should have done before I left for the Camino

    Hydrate incredibly well during the week before leaving - drink lots more water than usually (ideally your pee should be clear during the entire week). You’ll probably be dehydrated because of the flight / long travel and most people (that aren’t used to it) take a few days to start hydrating...
  5. sun is shining

    Duo Lingo or Something Else?

    Book a private (online) tutor once a week for an hour. Apps a great for memory based learning but not situational conversations. My tutor selects a topic (usually Camino related like food) for the next week and provides a vocab list and homework. We then talk about that topic (often role...
  6. sun is shining

    Trends in 2023 - Gronze article

    That would hugely inflate the numbers because you'd also count the Spanish people that use these very same parts for their daily exercise or take their dog for a walk. Your food truck idea might work better but I feel for that poor person sitting there at 4am in the summer to start counting :)
  7. sun is shining

    Nicknaming the People You Walk With

    I’m sorry if my post came across as harsh, that was not my intention and I apologise for that. Cultures differ tremendously and trail names are important in your culture - and what’s more important - yours has significant meaning for you. While many people here will not be accustomed to them a...
  8. sun is shining

    Nicknaming the People You Walk With

    For context: I‘m an experienced long distance hiker mainly focusing on challenging trails in Europe and Africa. Trail names aren’t a thing here but some (younger people) might be aware of that concept through US media. I personally don’t care what name you (anyone) go/goes by but one advice...
  9. sun is shining

    Don't put off going back to Camino - count your remaining weeks!

    @David, you (and anyone else longing for an existential crisis) might enjoy this article: https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/12/the-tail-end.html Your post (although I’m a long way off that age group) hits close to home. My mother dreamed of walking the Camino for a long time. She passed before she...
  10. sun is shining

    Drinking water @hotels

    Does this get rid of the chlorine taste? I’m very spoiled when it comes to tasty tap water and really struggle with the high chlorine content in Spain. Not worried about the chemical composition but purely the taste aspect.
  11. sun is shining

    Mental Health on and AFTER the Camino

    I think most people responding here come from a place of well-meaning. Going into the Camino - or any other experience - with the strong intention that it is going to a transcendent experience is setting yourself up for failure. Pointing that out to someone who’s clearly very excited and...
  12. sun is shining

    Mental Health on and AFTER the Camino

    I think you might be falling into the trap of survivor bias here. Most blogs / YT / social media accounts are for profit (views, engagement, adverts) so having a profound end to their walk (positive or negative) is part of the deal. Or see it the other way round - if you did have a profound...
  13. sun is shining

    Donating in donativos

    @Antonius Vaessen people who *can* afford to pay but don't, yes they abuse the system. People who struggle to pay are the ones you help substitute. They are benefiting from Camino hospitality as to allow them to experience this walk. If it wasn't for that, why should donativos exist? Give what...
  14. sun is shining

    Donating in donativos

    A person cannot afford a bed if it would mean not walking the Camino at all if they had to pay the going rate. Hence the donativos that say very clearly „give what you can“ and - once you are in a different position - pay it forward. That is where the extra money we are meant to give at...
  15. sun is shining

    Donating in donativos

    Following this logic means that donativos should stop to exist. Because they *do* offer a free bed for people that cannot afford to pay for one. That’s the whole point of them and arguable one of the *most important* things about the Camino.
  16. sun is shining

    Donating in donativos

    I think one thing that trips people up that are on a budget is the difference between bare-bones „cheap“ donativos and the more luxurious variants. I’ve only ever stayed in donativos where you got a bed, a shower and - with luck - a kitchen. So calculating a per-night donation comparable to...
  17. sun is shining

    Donating in donativos

    Hi @pilgrimera - I walked my first Camino during second and third year (way over a decade ago) so I very much get where you are coming from. UK student accommodation prices are absurd and even though I had two jobs, saving money is hard when you are first starting out in this world. During that...
  18. sun is shining

    Finally a camino tattoo

    My shell from my CF in '13. This is the most Camino picture that I have - shell and lots of blister treatment just before Salamanca in '19 😅
  19. sun is shining

    Crinkly Plastic Bags

    Sharing spaces with others always means a certain degree of compromise. They might like things you don’t like while you do things they find puzzling. Finding common ground with others can be one of the great lessons the Camino can teach you. Take the „early riser“ debate. My last Camino on the...
  20. sun is shining

    The “new normal” isn’t necessarily bad

    Isn't that the point of the whole thing? I've always been grateful about the things I was "provided" with that helped me grow, challenge me and force me out of my comfort zone while walking the Camino.

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