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  1. Jan_D

    Learning Spanish Podcast - Recommendations?

    I second this. Ben and Marina are great! Ben is English, and his wife, Marina (from Madrid), helps him to improve his Spanish, all while discussing a range of interesting topics. In fact they even have a couple of conversations about the camino! (here and here - although these fall into the...
  2. Jan_D

    Ashes to Spain?

    And a beautifully poetic way to mark an act of "mourning"...
  3. Jan_D

    Ashes to Spain?

    Yes, that's why I posted a link to US Spanish Consulate's advice on the matter (second reply on the thread).. 😂
  4. Jan_D

    Ashes to Spain?

    As we all know from our Camino experiences, Spanish provinces/municipalities often have slightly different regulations and procedures - from what I've read, it seems to be generally accepted that discretely scattering ashes "in nature" is fine (although you can face a fine if you're caught...
  5. Jan_D

    Ashes to Spain?

    Found this on the Spanish Consulate in NYC website: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/NUEVAYORK/en/ServiciosConsulares/Pages/CSNewyork/Transport-of-Mortal-Remains-to-Spain.aspx In sum, it says you'll need: 1. death certificate, 2. cremation certificate, and 3. statement from funeral home...
  6. Jan_D

    Stencils for making St James Torte de Santiago

    You might have some luck ordering via Amazon.es. It gave me delivery options for the UK, no idea whether the same will apply for the USA, but if you scroll down you'll see quite a few of the reviews are from the "Estados Unidos".
  7. Jan_D

    Money saving tip...

    You could join the ministry... 😂
  8. Jan_D

    Walking a Camino is a Very Selfish Act - Isn't it?

    I'm not sure "selfish" is the right word - it has such negative connotations (greedy, egotistical, lacking of concern for others, self-obsessed, etc). It's only one extreme of the spectrum - with selflessness/self-denial at the other. We tend to think of the latter as a virtue, but actually, as...
  9. Jan_D

    Learning Spanish

    These guys are great! https://www.notesinspanish.com A free collection of conversations between English Ben and his Spanish wife Marina, on a range of interesting topics, and life in Spain (they live in Madrid). Beginners to advanced. Fun to listen to, a really nice energy between the couple...
  10. Jan_D

    Dutch custom of 'dropping'

    In South Africa we had "veldskool"... More like military camp than summer camp. On the second day we were dropped off in the bushveld, given some rations and a compass, and told to find our way back to camp. Luckily no big cats in the area, but I distinctly remember an encounter with a warthog...
  11. Jan_D

    Of little importance.....maybe

    An ice cold Aquarius...
  12. Jan_D

    Contactless debit card

    Yes "contactless" is now ubiquitous in all sorts of establishments, all over Europe. Here in Scotland contactless card readers are even replacing the use of cash for bus fares. You just beep your card on the reader and you're done in 2 seconds. Seems to be the way most people are paying in shops...
  13. Jan_D

    All of a sudden no motivation to start the camino

    A walk in your home region, suffering from heat, pain, and loneliness... yep, you're really selling it! 😂 Seriously, it's no wonder you're lacking motivation. Luckily Switzerland isn't too far away from the busier camino paths. Why not head to Irun and spend a couple of weeks enjoying the...
  14. Jan_D

    Camino del Norte GPS

    Oh dear, we're not being very helpful, are we? 😂 I'm afraid I really don't know... All I know is that you don't need to plan much to take the shoreline alternatives - you can just assume that often, but not always, there's a path that goes along the shoreline as opposed to the road. Laurie's...
  15. Jan_D

    Camino del Norte GPS

    Hi Holly, You can find a PDF summary, and GPS tracks for certain sections, on this thread.
  16. Jan_D

    The truth about Camino fashion

    I usually wear all black, because at least it "looks" clean. One year I got to an albergue late and really needed to wash everything, but had run out of soap. Asked the hospitalero if I could use a splash of the cleaning liquid in the bathroom (desperate times). He gave me the thumbs up...
  17. Jan_D

    Depopulation In Spain

    Here's an idea: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/19/sutera-italy-the-sicilian-town-revived-by-refugees
  18. Jan_D

    OMG naughty medieval pilgrim badges 😮

    That's amazing! Please tell your friend that her product descriptions are absolutely brilliant. ;)
  19. Jan_D

    Greece financial crisis spreads to Spain and Portugal

    Thanks for the link, Kathar1na! Just to add to your previous comment on the size of the Spanish tourism industry: according to this report, pilgrims only account for 2.3% of total tourist spending in Galicia. Which isn't a lot, in the grand scheme of things. The summary at the end of the report...
  20. Jan_D

    Good Friday/Easter Sunday and Monday

    I would be a bit concerned about your Saturday travel plans. First of all, you will definitely need to book your transport to Madrid in advance, as there will be many, many Spaniards heading back to Madrid after walking from Sarria to Santiago during Holy Week (everyone in Spain gets the week...

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