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Merry Christmas From Home in East Wenatchee

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St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Good to see that you are in the sagebrush,Dave! You have more snow than we. I hope that you are planning your next camino,perhaps the Arles,so that I might meet you. Enjoy the holidays! B.
 
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I stared into the pictures for a long time to see why there are two pictures.....
Can you find 8 differences between the two?
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I stared into the pictures for a long time to see why there are two pictures.....
Can you find 8 differences between the two?

Ha, ha, made you look :) In reality, I somehow made a mistake and double posted the pic. I'll see if I can edit it :)

<A bit later> Drat, still can't get rid of the duplicate. I don't know just how I managed to do a duplicate posting of that pic. Sorry, guys :)
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Kind of reminds me of Moses Lake, Washington.

It is, Robert... it is very much a similar terrain and landscape. Gotta love the high desert :). The only real difference is that I have the Cascade foothills and mountain range and Mission Ridge Ski Resort just to within spitting distance across the Columbia River (pictured to the bottom of the hills in the picture)
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Looks like the perfect place to recover and spend Christmas, lovely view out your window . Blessings to you and your family @davebugg Happy Holidays

I do feel very fortunate and blessed and grateful. I have a wonderful wife who has been such a comfort during this last year of health challenges (her being a Pediatric Charge nurse just demonstrates that special level of caring and compassion), grown children who love me, a terrific Goldendoodle named Sam and a giant schnauzer/black lab mix named Max, a comfortable home, and the ability for our family to share some of our blessings with those much less fortunate.

Thank you for letting me again reflect on what I am fortunate to have in my life. Have a special Christmas and super New Year. :)
 
Ha, ha, made you look :) In reality, I somehow made a mistake and double posted the pic. I'll see if I can edit it :)

<A bit later> Drat, still can't get rid of the duplicate. I don't know just how I managed to do a duplicate posting of that pic. Sorry, guys :)
I figured there was a little "fat fingering" going on. 😄
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Davebugg, I'm so glad you're back on the forum. I'm a fellow NW'er from Oregon and I'm starting my first Camino in April. I was so saddened by your unacceptable experience at the albergue and disappointed you felt you needed to leave, but understood. Hope your health is improving greatly and perhaps I'll be able to meet you on the Camino someday!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Davebugg, I'm so glad you're back on the forum. I'm a fellow NW'er from Oregon and I'm starting my first Camino in April. I was so saddened by your unacceptable experience at the albergue and disappointed you felt you needed to leave, but understood. Hope your health is improving greatly and perhaps I'll be able to meet you on the Camino someday!

A warm welcome to the Forum, queenmarie, it is great to have you here!!!

I appreciate your kind thoughts. You must be getting very excited about your coming departure to Camino, and if there is anything I or others on the Forum can help with, please do not hesitate to ask. :)
 
Well, since you mentioned it... I'd love to hear about your favorite alburgues, restaurants, cafes, along the way...please share if you have the time, energy and desire. I realize you're still on the mend, so no pressure.
Meeting special people, laughing and personal growth are my priorities for this journey. I'm naturally skilled at spontaneity...but planning, not so much.

I only have a few questions at the moment. What guide book do you prefer? Can you recommend a good place for me to stay comfortably when I arrive to sleep off my jet lag? I know from previous trips to Spain that I'll need 3 full nights before I start walking. I considered making my way to Lourdes first via Marseille and taking rest there, then taking a train/bus to SPdP. It'll depend on ticket costs, I suppose....and time. Thoughts?

I've been reading this forum for about 6 months now, and found that there are so many lovely people with experience and insight regarding the Camino, but I felt aligned with your posts most often.

This will be my first long trip away from my sweet husband in 15 years. I think we both look forward to reconnecting with our individual selves...and missing each other. If you don't mind me asking, how does your wife handle you being gone on your caminos?

So, Army pilot? My dad was a medic in VN...1st Cav. I was a Marine stationed in Japan during Desert Storm. Thank you for your service!
 
Well, since you mentioned it... I'd love to hear about your favorite alburgues, restaurants, cafes, along the way...please share if you have the time, energy and desire. I realize you're still on the mend, so no pressure.
Meeting special people, laughing and personal growth are my priorities for this journey. I'm naturally skilled at spontaneity...but planning, not so much.

I only have a few questions at the moment. What guide book do you prefer? Can you recommend a good place for me to stay comfortably when I arrive to sleep off my jet lag? I know from previous trips to Spain that I'll need 3 full nights before I start walking. I considered making my way to Lourdes first via Marseille and taking rest there, then taking a train/bus to SPdP. It'll depend on ticket costs, I suppose....and time. Thoughts?

I've been reading this forum for about 6 months now, and found that there are so many lovely people with experience and insight regarding the Camino, but I felt aligned with your posts most often.

This will be my first long trip away from my sweet husband in 15 years. I think we both look forward to reconnecting with our individual selves...and missing each other. If you don't mind me asking, how does your wife handle you being gone on your caminos?

So, Army pilot? My dad was a medic in VN...1st Cav. I was a Marine stationed in Japan during Desert Storm. Thank you for your service!

I appreciate your thoughts and kind words, Marie. :)

I used the Brierley 'Maps Only' book, and the Wise Pilgrim app on my iPhone. The Wise Pilgrim app contains a huge host of information of towns along the way, as well as information on some lodging choices and other services.

In SJPdP I have lodged at several places, but I enjoyed the private room at Gite Makila quite a bit. Since you mentioned that you probably will lay over at least a couple of days to un-jetlag :), be sure to check the policy for multi-night stays with any alburgues you might be thinking of staying at. Lodging is at a premium in that tourist and pilgrim town, so if you aren't already aware, it really is beneficial to make reservations well ahead of your planned arrival.

Planning is a great way to organize for your trip.... exploring available lodgings at end of stage days ... favorite eating places in towns along the way ... what items you need to add to your 'bedroom' and 'closet' and 'bathroom' and 'storage pantry' that you'll carry in your 'house' ... budget ... potential places that you really would like to visit along the way, etc.

It is the reliance on one's plans which can become problematic when flexibility and adaptation is required as things come up which can interfere with those plans. Beginning from his first overnight backpacking trip at age three, my son Caleb and I have had a saying for when things deviate from expectations and plans: "It's all part of the adventure".

On my last trip that began in in SJPdP in the middle of September, Caleb finally joined me in Leon in early October so that we could finish together in Santiago de Compostela. He knew about my negative and disheartening experiences during my walking from SJPdP before leaving Denver. When his bus finally arrived at 2:30 am in the cold and dark and wind, the first thing he did was grab me in a big hug and say, "It's all part of the adventure, Pops".

I think that is the point where my mental outlook halted its downward slide. "It's all part of the adventure". Things happen, plans and expectations are changed, and if Plan B isn't working out there are 25 other letters in the alphabet. :)

You are absolutely and brilliantly correct that there are many wise, experienced and wonderful people on this Forum; I have been the beneficiary of their knowledge, guidance, and compassion in so very many different ways.

I wasn't a pilot, I was a Flight Medic; I just followed wherever the pilots took me and my crew chief :) I
did have cause to spend a little time at Camp Radcliff, out of An Khe where part of the 1st Air Cav had been deployed. Who knows, I might have been in contact with your dad, especially if he was attached to that base's Aid Station.

How does my wife, Jill, handle my being away? With jubilant celebration, of course :) Actually, she isn't drawn to backpacking or long distance walking and so Camino pilgrimage is not appealing to her. She is also very busy as a pediatric Charge nurse at our local hospital, as well as coordinating our areas Operation Christmas Child program with the local churches which is a huge undertaking. So her time is pretty full.

I make arrangements ahead of time to have necessary chores, like landscape and yard care, taken care of so that my absence does not add to her burden.... although I do most all of the cooking and baking so she does have that to deal with :). I also make sure that a few of our friends who have handy man skills know when I'm gone so if some problem with the house arises, Jill can call on them. I am the treasurer of our family, so most regular bills are set up for automatic payment. Those which aren't send me an email bill reminder so while in Spain, I can send out an echeck from our bank.

We keep in contact with FaceTime when available wifi can handle it, and daily phone calls otherwise. Texting and my sharing the days events and sending pictures to Jill helps her to share in the adventure. In fact, when arriving in Santiago, I was able to connect to her on FaceTime so that she could 'walk' with Caleb and me during the last kilometer as we reached the Cathedral square. Even though we have an 8 hour time difference, it was so special that she could see what we saw as we made our final steps to complete our journey.

I hope this gives you some helpful insight. I also hope that others may share some of their tips, too. :)
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Dave, Happy New Year! Question on your avatar. Did you fly Hueys? As a Navy pilot I trained in H-57s for basic helos, then Hueys (H-1s) for Advanced and later flew H-3s (Sea Kings) in the fleet. Planning my next Camino for the holy year in 2021.
 
Dave, Happy New Year! Question on your avatar. Did you fly Hueys? As a Navy pilot I trained in H-57s for basic helos, then Hueys (H-1s) for Advanced and later flew H-3s (Sea Kings) in the fleet. Planning my next Camino for the holy year in 2021.

Nope, not a pilot. I served as a Dustoff Flight Medic. :) The Navy and Marines usually have a two jet-turbine engine for their variants; which is quite understandable given the possible amount of Feet Wet flight time. :) We had dry land to auto rotate toward.
 
I appreciate your thoughts and kind words, Marie. :)

I used the Brierley 'Maps Only' book, and the Wise Pilgrim app on my iPhone. The Wise Pilgrim app contains a huge host of information of towns along the way, as well as information on some lodging choices and other services.

In SJPdP I have lodged at several places, but I enjoyed the private room at Gite Makila quite a bit. Since you mentioned that you probably will lay over at least a couple of days to un-jetlag :), be sure to check the policy for multi-night stays with any alburgues you might be thinking of staying at. Lodging is at a premium in that tourist and pilgrim town, so if you aren't already aware, it really is beneficial to make reservations well ahead of your planned arrival.

Planning is a great way to organize for your trip.... exploring available lodgings at end of stage days ... favorite eating places in towns along the way ... what items you need to add to your 'bedroom' and 'closet' and 'bathroom' and 'storage pantry' that you'll carry in your 'house' ... budget ... potential places that you really would like to visit along the way, etc.

It is the reliance on one's plans which can become problematic when flexibility and adaptation is required as things come up which can interfere with those plans. Beginning from his first overnight backpacking trip at age three, my son Caleb and I have had a saying for when things deviate from expectations and plans: "It's all part of the adventure".

On my last trip that began in in SJPdP in the middle of September, Caleb finally joined me in Leon in early October so that we could finish together in Santiago de Compostela. He knew about my negative and disheartening experiences during my walking from SJPdP before leaving Denver. When his bus finally arrived at 2:30 am in the cold and dark and wind, the first thing he did was grab me in a big hug and say, "It's all part of the adventure, Pops".

I think that is the point where my mental outlook halted its downward slide. "It's all part of the adventure". Things happen, plans and expectations are changed, and if Plan B isn't working out there are 25 other letters in the alphabet. :)

You are absolutely and brilliantly correct that there are many wise, experienced and wonderful people on this Forum; I have been the beneficiary of their knowledge, guidance, and compassion in so very many different ways.

I wasn't a pilot, I was a Flight Medic; I just followed wherever the pilots took me and my crew chief :) I
did have cause to spend a little time at Camp Radcliff, out of An Khe where part of the 1st Air Cav had been deployed. Who knows, I might have been in contact with your dad, especially if he was attached to that base's Aid Station.

How does my wife, Jill, handle my being away? With jubilant celebration, of course :) Actually, she isn't drawn to backpacking or long distance walking and so Camino pilgrimage is not appealing to her. She is also very busy as a pediatric Charge nurse at our local hospital, as well as coordinating our areas Operation Christmas Child program with the local churches which is a huge undertaking. So her time is pretty full.

I make arrangements ahead of time to have necessary chores, like landscape and yard care, taken care of so that my absence does not add to her burden.... although I do most all of the cooking and baking so she does have that to deal with :). I also make sure that a few of our friends who have handy man skills know when I'm gone so if some problem with the house arises, Jill can call on them. I am the treasurer of our family, so most regular bills are set up for automatic payment. Those which aren't send me an email bill reminder so while in Spain, I can send out an echeck from our bank.

We keep in contact with FaceTime when available wifi can handle it, and daily phone calls otherwise. Texting and my sharing the days events and sending pictures to Jill helps her to share in the adventure. In fact, when arriving in Santiago, I was able to connect to her on FaceTime so that she could 'walk' with Caleb and me during the last kilometer as we reached the Cathedral square. Even though we have an 8 hour time difference, it was so special that she could see what we saw as we made our final steps to complete our journey.

I hope this gives you some helpful insight. I also hope that others may share some of their tips, too. :)


Hi again, Dave. How is your healing coming along? I hope, very well!

I never got back to thank you for your insight and helpful tips on lodging and supporting your spouse while you're away. Thank you! I find your writing to be heart centered and logical.

I have to say that your last response brought tears to my eyes because of your story of connecting with Caleb after the "ordeal", and your thoughtfulness with Jill while you're walking.
Anyway, my husband is not interested in walking the Camino either. But he's began walking with me several times a week and says it feels good! So who knows? Maybe someday.

I'm picking up tips on the forum almost daily, but usually prefer learning from one person I've come to trust, otherwise so many opinions become overwhelming. Heart centered, logical, detail oriented and experienced...is my observation of you via your posts. I'll try not to become a burden, but I've come to value your opinion.

A couple more questions if I may....? Should I try to pack my poles, send them ahead of time, or purchase on arrival? I already have a great set, but I don't really want them to be a problem at the airport. Same question for a pocket multi-tool. I don't intend to check my backpack in flight.

I remember a year or so ago reading your advice about keeping feet healthy. Could you send me a link to that post? Is there a non-friction salve or cream you'd recommend? What's your opinion on wearing 2 pr of socks. I'm planning on wearing very light, breathable trail shoes over thin waterproof socks over thin synthetic socks, when it's wet out, and sans the waterproof socks when dry out. The shoes are lightweight and fit my very unusual feet. I decided on comfort, lightweight and quick dry shoes. I'll also take short gators to keep water out of the top of my shoes. I thought about boots, but too heavy. I'll also take chacos or tevas for warmer weather. I'm 115 lbs. so I'm trying to keep carrying weight down as low as possible. Hoping for no more than 15lbs. I have a 2 liter H2O bladder that is 4lbs when full. That only leaves me 11 lbs for gear. Yikes! Also, do I need a sleeping liner and sleeping bag?

Can you share your thoughts regarding these questions? If this is too many questions. No worries. Just ignore. No expectation for reply, unless you feel like it.

PS: My name is Regina (queen) Marie, and I go by Gina. I don't really like the Moniker queenmarie, but I was trying to be clever. It just sounds silly now.
 
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.

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