Hello
@BrianLCrabtree
*Setting off: I get up when the birds begin to sing, about an hour before first light. I set off at dawn aiming to finish by 15 00 at which time I begin to search for somewhere to sleep (I don't carry a phone and rarely book ahead). Sometimes many more kilometers are walked before a bed is found , which is terrible in the heat.
*I drink a litre of water before breakfast to hydrate and carry two 1-litre bottles of water during the day, changing the water often. At the end of the day I find I need to drink a lot, too.
*Clothing: I wear a long-sleeve linen or thin cotton blouse (extra big, loose) with collar or buttons to the neck; a summer buff to protect the neck and sometimes another summer buff on my forehead under my hat to protect from UV and sunlight. I wear full length pants, light weight. It may sound excessive, but sometimes I wear lightweight fingerless bicycle gloves to protect the skin on the back of hands from skin cancers, adding sunscreen and sun screen lip balm, too. I nearly always wear sun glasses. Most other pilgrims and day hikers wear less but as I have been walking much of the time since 2009 I am ultra cautious re skin cancer.
* Random swims!! Yes!! Dunking ones head in running water; having a dip in an old lavoir/lavadero on the outskirts of a village if no one is about; standing under waterfalls etc etc...
*I carry an orange or two. They are so thirst quenching...I eat a sizeable breakfast and dinner in the evening (if there's food to be had) but not very much during the day, mostly just fruit and nuts.
* I greet everyone I meet along the way and often pass an hour or so socialising on a shady verandar.
*Some of the coolest places in Europe during summer are old stone churches. I flake out on a pew or pass a little time doing music practice until I have energy to continue.
Cheers!
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