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  1. J

    Bronze Scallop Shell…Carry-on?

    Flying home after a salmon fishing trip in Maine, my connecting flight in Newark, New Jersey was cancelled. I was required to claim my luggage and spend the night on a bench until the next day. The next morning I went back through security with my bag full of fishing gear that I decided to...
  2. J

    Last min questions

    Disclaimer: I am not a psychotherapist, just some random dude on the interwebs. If you are depressed or think talking through your emotional situation would help, definitely reach out to a therapist. And I'm not answering your question, but your comment about your ex doing all the planning...
  3. J

    Reflection in anticipation of the Camino

    Oh the anticipation is so sweet. I look forward to hearing about your Camino version 2.0 experience! New friends, new food, new blessings? Did your familiarity with the Way of St. James open new doors? May luck be with you on your next Camino, and your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that...
  4. J

    Did it make a difference

    Yes to all three questions. In my personal experience, I think it helped to be open to change. But my recommendation is to go with no expectations for such change and you will not be disappointed. Regarding the soul, that's a pretty deep question and hesitate to share overly much for fear of...
  5. J

    Walking with headphones?

    No judgement here. On the very first stage of my first Camino I walked with a lovely young lady who chose to wear ear buds most of the way. Perhaps they helped her block out my ramblings (Mrs. Jarrad could certainly relate to that). However, she really missed out on the sounds of the flock of...
  6. J

    Best / Recommended Pizza places on the camino?

    El Horno de Irotz, just before Zabaldika, was a cute little place to eat pizza outside. I believe they are only open seasonally because they only have/had outside seating. I tried their pizza in 2014 and it was pretty good, although it helped that I was famished when I stumbled upon the place...
  7. J

    Gronze Maps app in the Apple Store

    Downloaded it with iOS and cannot stop playing with it! Great maps, nice display of lodging options. Would love to see the interface in English (my apologies if there's an option to switch it to English, I could not find it), but it's so intuitive that it's not difficult to use as-is. Well done!
  8. J

    Pilgrims menu/menu del dia

    Don't forget Second Breakfast! A stop between 9 and 10 a.m. is necessary for cafe con leche and chocolate croissants or some other pastry. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so I prefer the coldest Coke I can find on hot days and a Cola cao on cool days (it's a highly-processed sweet, cocoa...
  9. J

    Niggling hates (dislikes) on Camino

    Here here!! In that spirit and with a somewhat contrite heart, I confess to bag rustling in dark, crowded and otherwise quiet albergues; excessive use of hot water; and no end of singing in the shower.
  10. J

    Niggling hates (dislikes) on Camino

    Ugh -- that blasted group from France that left the only sink in the albergue covered with crusty and bloody toe bandages. Worse, they were so damn nice to me! :)
  11. J

    Possibility for floating (tanks) along the Norte?

    You are AMAZING! I searched every possible term related to floating in tanks, bath salts, etc. and there's not one post in the history this forum closely related to yours. Just when I I thought every topic had been covered to death, Milena from Norway gets me thinking about how incredible...
  12. J

    Reserving albergue with a credit card

    I don't reserve in advance very much, but I have found that a few places requested credit card info via email. I admit that it made me uncomfortable, but have done it a couple of times and had no problems with identity theft, etc. That said, whenever possible I call and ask if I can give them...
  13. J

    A busy April?

    Thank you for sharing that deeply personal experience and I am very happy you are here to share it. To those who are open to it, the Camino can work miracles.
  14. J

    Soft tips for new walkers

    10. A pilgrim is grateful for all things.
  15. J

    Which are the most 'traditional' routes from a Historical perspective?

    Yes! When I first saw the original post, I reached for this book and you beat me to it. If you only get one book on the history of the Camino, this is the one. Get it in hardcopy so you can enjoy the street maps. Dave Whitson's podcast interview with co-author Linda Kay Davidson is enjoyable...
  16. J

    Need Advice on Route Change

    I concur with Mr. Tallan. Some might say the Portuguese starting in Porto would give you some new views and a much bigger window to finish, but I personally would recommend sticking with your plan for all the reasons you mentioned. And I probably have a personal bias towards (affinity for?)...
  17. J

    Spanish beaches

    I second the A Coruña recommendation! It's a very interesting and relatively quiet corner of Spain, not a far drive from Santiago de Compostella, and the breezes can be quite cool even in hot weather. Relatives who live in A Coruña gave me the grand tour of beaches when I first visited and...
  18. J

    Family Guy, or not

    I blame the English language. We lack a word that captures the whole range of relationships and and quality of bonds (acquaintances to life-long friends to something even more). Family is loaded with freight, inadequate, and better than any other word I can think of. Camino relations? Camino...
  19. J

    Rest Days/Stops

    If time is limited, I would narrow it to Burgos and Leon, with the potential to swap out Astorga for Leon if you are more interested in a smaller town. IMHO, Pamplona is so early in the walk, you may have that itch to keep pushing through -- I've been terrible about that and hoping I can...
  20. J

    Best Surprise of 2023 Camino

    I am sooo happy to hear that! On my 2014 camino, there was a period of several days from Foncebadon onwards where I saw a constant stream of freshly used Kleenex along the way. I'm convinced that I somehow got behind a wave of litterbugs with runny noses.

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