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Recent content by mikebet

  1. M

    Disfrutar named best restaurant in world.

    Best dining experience in my life was many years ago in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, on my motorcycle. Long day riding and it had gotten dark -- no towns or lights in sight and it was getting colder and colder. I was exhausted, shivering and more than a little depressed. But a flicker of...
  2. M

    Camino by Coach

    Although the Camino follows an ancient pilgrimage route there is certainly nothing wrong with thinking of it as just a scenic stroll through a nice part of the world. My wife and I did the Cotswold Way in UK a couple of months ago, and there isn't a whole lot of difference in the experience even...
  3. M

    Goretex is a waste of money?

    I have had several Gore-tex and other supposedly "breathable" garments and they don't work very well for me, either. They may work to remove limited perspiration in vapor form, but they don't help with actual sweat. A better way is to keep air flowing into and through the garment any way that...
  4. M

    REI Sale

    I'm old enough to remember how REI started with famous mountaineer Jim Whittaker as CEO. The idea was to provide a source of quality climbing gear, and that was all they carried. Living in Bolivia in the 80s and climbing in the Andes I got almost everything from their catalog -- ropes, ice axes...
  5. M

    Bus to/from Oseira Monastery? (Sanabres)

    Usually reliable Rome2Rio website doesn't show a bus route which runs close to the Oseira monastery, but Google maps shows a bus icon there. Does anyone know whether there is or is not bus service to the monastery, and -- if so -- route and schedule? Thanks.
  6. M

    Poles in Ourense

    Thanks much.
  7. M

    Poles in Ourense

    Anyone know where to buy trekking poles in Ourense?
  8. M

    Sprint cell plan

    I have found the included T-Mobile international service to be great everywhere we have gone in Europe and Asia. I was astonished to be able to use Google maps for driving around in the remote Carpathian mountains of Romania.
  9. M

    Water availability Sarria to Santiago

    On that heavily trafficked part of the most travelled Camino you will rarely be more than an hour from a bar, restaurant or village with a public water source. A small bottle carried between these should suffice.
  10. M

    Walking the way with a 6year old

    Carrying a stroller or something like that would be a burden as great as schlepping the child himself. Knowing 6-yr-olds (I used to have three of them) they will walk when they want to and sometimes not. If and when the inevitable balking sets in make sure you have a card with the number of the...
  11. M

    “March or Die”

    Makes me want to tell a war story (LOL). At basic training (1967, Ft. Dix, NJ) my company had to march out to the rifle range every day for two weeks or so, about an hour's fast march. It was done with full pack, gear and weapon -- the old M-14 was pretty heavy -- and at a militarily brisk pace...
  12. M

    RENFE idiosyncrasies & Interesting knife store in Madrid

    They may have been distracted by my full Templar uniform. Chain mail is cold on chilly mornings.
  13. M

    RENFE idiosyncrasies & Interesting knife store in Madrid

    Interesting. I bought a replica Templar dagger in Toledo and had it in my carry-on bag on the train back to Madrid. No problem, even though it was pretty lethal looking.
  14. M

    Madrid Hotel Recommendations

    Agree. And there is that great tapas emporium just by the Plaza Mayor. Hot tip: if you are an early riser you will not fin many restaurants or coffee shops open. However, McDonalds will be open. I'll never turn up my snooty nose at the arches again. When you need that first cup of joe it's a...
  15. M

    Deodorant Preferences

    Ah, don't bother. Just take a nice bath at Lavacolla like the pilgrims of yore used to do, and then in Santiago try to get as close to the botafumeiro smoke as you can. Stick to tradition, pilgrim.
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