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  1. Richard Smith

    Embarrassing moments

    I tried to help a small, older lady open a heavy church door just after lunch .... and received such a scolding it drove all my small Spanish out of my head. Of course she was closing it and I was the oafish tourist trying to push in and keep her from lunch. I was quite shattered for the next...
  2. Richard Smith

    Starting the walk in the afternoon

    I would recommend a short first day for you. Walking the camino is special and will quickly be finished, no need to rush.
  3. Richard Smith

    Shirley Maclaine - The Camino - Swimming place

    Molinaseca 10 Oct 2016
  4. Richard Smith

    Scam - again..

    Good general advice for all scams, which often use an artificial sense of urgency.
  5. Richard Smith

    Advice… please… 🙏🏻 (About starting time each day)

    At home I go to bed late and wake late, but I had no trouble becoming an early riser on the CF. After a day's walk an early bedtime was welcome, and it gets hot after 1 or 2pm so best to get the walking done before then. Sometimes we even started walking before the sun was up, quite good...
  6. Richard Smith

    A Camino "dry run" - what I learned from the Milford Track

    If you do walk the Milford or Routeburn, I recommend an early morning kayak tour of Milford Sound when you finish. Absolutely the best way to see it!
  7. Richard Smith

    Soft tips for new walkers

    +1 for this
  8. Richard Smith

    Soft tips for new walkers

    If you need a power adapter to suit Spain/Portugal, tape it to your charger so you don't inadvertently leave it behind. Bring some safety pins, for hanging washing on a line or sometimes on your backpack the next day. There is wisdom in the saying that goes something like :- "The first week...
  9. Richard Smith

    Are you a hiker or a walker?

    My Garmin watch has exercise categories including Walking and Hiking, and I have never been in doubt as to which one to use. But when I try to define the difference in response to this post it is not so easy. Best I can offer is that for me Hiking compared to Walking usually involves (or often...
  10. Richard Smith

    Tell me what I need to know

    Good bunch of replies above, the two things I would offer are :- * Don't do too much research before hand, let your camino unfold * Don't bring many expectations, experience it for yourself
  11. Richard Smith

    Books are heavy

    Initially I thought this was going in the direction of "what a great way to avoid the weight of bringing my own guidebook", until the rest of the sentence ...
  12. Richard Smith

    Hello raincoat, my old friend

    So good. I am saving a copy, attributed to you of course. Thank you.
  13. Richard Smith

    Lost Travel Adapter

    Asian shops were called "Chin" to my ear, I replaced my lost adapter at one of these after a big and fruitless search for an electrics or phone shop.
  14. Richard Smith

    Look behind you!!

    I have seen people forget their backpack, and then comment the walking seemed easier :)
  15. Richard Smith

    Beware of Phishing Scam Targeting Booking dot com Reservations

    This makes a lot of sense.
  16. Richard Smith

    Bad experience with Orange International Travel phone plans

    Yes, in 2016 I found out that Orange France and Orange Spain are totally different. The scratchie top-up cards in Spain don't work if you bought the plan in France (but the French ones do if you thought to buy them prior). I could have tried the on-line French top-up but back then the language...
  17. Richard Smith

    Crinkly Plastic Bags

    followed by reading in bed with a headlight
  18. Richard Smith

    First stop out of Lisbon, Camino Portuguese.

    Great term for it, and I loved just carrying the day stuff when I did it - plus it is really different walking into a new town where you already have a bed and your full pack in a room.
  19. Richard Smith

    What surprised you the most?

    How easily and quickly pilgrims shared really deep and personal stories. How I can easily live and walk without planning where I am going to eat lunch or sleep tonight/tomorrow/etc ... How little I actually need. and thank you for the question.
  20. Richard Smith

    Do I need to learn some Spanish before my camino? Yeah, you probably should...

    I know a small amount of beginner Spanish, good enough to often be able to read the signs but not enough to follow fast Spanish. I found my slow Spanish and sign language usually worked out fine. But one thing I learned in Italy, that proved true in France and Spain, is that many people have a...

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