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  1. Rick M

    A hard landing upon returning home

    Can I offer a way of thinking about this subject that might be useful? Post-Camino syndrome is definitely a thing, and it catches most newly minted peregrinos by surprise. Besides, I think this gets a little better with every telling........ ;^) Everyone has a deck of priorities. Your mother...
  2. Rick M

    Efrén González QR code

    Ya know @trecile, that's the digital equivalent of finding a hotdog by the side of the road, and picking it up and taking a bite........
  3. Rick M

    Training on a treadmill.

    Not sure about where you live, but where I live, you are better off buying a higher quality used one than a cheaper new one. There is a robust market on the Internet for used exercise equipment in most places.
  4. Rick M

    Booking.com prices vs. Gronze

    Not many albergues will book a bunk out on booking.com, there just isn't any economic case for it. The bunk is so cheap that paying booking.com makes little sense. They DO book their private rooms if they have them though, the price is high enough that they can afford the commission. Try the...
  5. Rick M

    When to Arrive at Auberge Orisson?

    It is only 5 miles to Orisson, but this will be the longest 5 miles you will ever walk. Give yourself time to pause at Honto, drink a bunch of water, and say "Crap! Is it all like this?!" It is a steep hill. All of it. Expect to a little on the sweaty side when you get to Orisson.
  6. Rick M

    How to prepare bag for shipment to SdC via Correos

    You are overthinking it. The girls at the front desk never heard of the service, but the guy in the back showed them the screen they needed. Success here is assured. Worry about the constant up and down for the next 10 days, your bag will be fine.
  7. Rick M

    How to prepare bag for shipment to SdC via Correos

    I have shipped a standard carry-on bag exactly as is. On one occasion, I was amazed that the label had stayed with the bag, as it was hanging on by a thread when retrieved, but all was well. Put it in a box if you want to, but you don't have to. Ps....I shipped it from the Correos location in Irun
  8. Rick M

    Gite timetable ... on Camino Le Puy

    h = heure in french, or hour in english. 15h15 ,means 15 hours and 15 ,minutes., or 3:15 PM. We like a colon to separate hours and minutes, they like an "h". And yes, that's a great sign.
  9. Rick M

    Dull, boring, urban and sketchy (sketchy?)

    I think you nailed pretty well here with your full post. As Frank Zappa would have put it, the last bit is the crux of the biscuit. Those of us that hang around here and offer advice each make their own choice. Mine is to respond to those who seem to be seeking pilgrimage, and ignore those who...
  10. Rick M

    My pilgrimage in a word: extraordinary! Yours?

    I hate to be the one to say this, but in a way, you already have.
  11. Rick M

    Cooking on the Camino

    I have cooked a few times on Camino, some albergues have terrific kitchens and nearby shops. Linares, just after O'Cebreiro has no restaurant and you pretty much have to cook your own dinner there. Expect some chances to cook, but don't take any equipment. Keep your pack as light as possible...
  12. Rick M

    Is it me? (Pilgrim signs are everywhere)

    What you are describing is well known in psychology. Carl Junge wrote about it extensively in his pioneering work on human psychology. I believe he coined the word Synchronicity to describe the effect, although selective perception describes the idea pretty well. You are not going mad. Google...
  13. Rick M

    Temperatures in early Oct in O Cebreiro

    Nobody can advise you with any confidence. These places are at altitude, and weather is wildly erratic. I was there in early to October one year, and it was 20 C under brilliant sun. It could just as easily been snowing. Be prepared with layers in case of cold conditions, but hope for perfect...
  14. Rick M

    Strangest food & drink on the Camino

    Off topic, but if you walk in the spring, it has been rather common for me, although never on the pilgrim menu. At one country house, the hospitalera's father greeted us outside with a basket of fresh asparagus he had just cut from the garden. A few hours later was the best revuelto I have ever...
  15. Rick M

    What book defines 'off stage'?

    I don't think so. It's not like a ski hill or park trail where there is a definite in-bounds and out-of-bounds, according to the supervising authority. There is no supervising authority on the Camino. I assure you, when the Camino goes through a town, it makes a B-Line for that town's church and...
  16. Rick M

    Paying for albergues via Whatsapp?

    email is the LEAST secure way I can imagine to send a credit card number.....don't do it. A phone call is quite secure. So is Whatsapp. You can also call them via whatsapp to avoid long distance charges. I think our poster is a bit weirded out by an unfamiliar technology. Giving anyone your...
  17. Rick M

    Paying for albergues via Whatsapp?

    In NA, passport info is considered private, and not to be shared. Not so in Europe. Your passport will be photo'd or scanned everywhere you go. It's the law, they have to obtain a copy and keep it in their records. You even need to enter your passport number to buy bus and train tickets. I have...
  18. Rick M

    What to Order at a Bar or Cafe after Using the Restroom

    The Coca Cola Company doesn't sell Aquarius on the west side of the ocean, but they sure do in Spain. Orange or lemon flavor, it tastes like a fruit soda drink, but its lightly sugared, and filled with electrolytes. Every bar has it. Tastes more like a carbonated Gatorade than anything else. If...
  19. Rick M

    I am "gifting" the Camino for Christmas. Need advice!

    Indeed. It would for me. I'm an avowed Camino addict, and I would be very uncomfortable with receiving such a gift. Unless this gift fulfills some known aspiration that has been blocked by finances, I think it presumes too much. It's not like booking a family spa weekend. As the police captain...
  20. Rick M

    Wine geeks on Camino

    @SabineP gave you a terrific hint. Typical Rioja jug wine is served everywhere, and that's what people drink because its cheap. But nearly all bars and all restaurants will have a shelf or locker with a handful of Better Wines. A bar in a tiny village might not have options, but in any town...

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