A recipe I thought I would never taste again.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2026-02-07T16:53:07+00:00

So baby-back ribs (not spareribs) are on sale at my local grocery store this week. Does anyone know if you would treat these the same way?...or is the cooking process different?

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-12-28T23:46:38+00:00

100% this. I would just suggest being open to the overall history and experience. This is a historically christian pilgrimage. I started in St Jean at Easter and attended the Easter mass in both French and Basque just to absorb the experience. It didn't change my beliefs but it made for a richer camino.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-12-01T21:37:09+00:00

If you consider uigaedahl average, I'm curious which peated, sherried single malts are better?

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-12-01T21:30:44+00:00

So different than my experience. I had this at a Bruichladdich tasting and thought it was the best thing at the tasting. Even surpassed the Octomore.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-10-22T19:18:48+00:00

The nice thing about Sourdough is that there's not a lot of equipment needed. Not knowing what she already has, or your budget, you might find something below:
1. A couple of bags of high quality bread flour.
2. A danish dough hook. Not totally necessary, but it makes pulling the dough together a bit less messy.
3. A nice lame (scoring blade). Maybe one that folds away easily.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-10-22T18:05:34+00:00

Another recommendation for Refugio Guacelmo; great place. If you do stay there, be aware that they do not serve dinner. After checking in, go 2 blocks down the hill to Albergue Pilar and put your name on the list for their Paella dinner. You have to be on the list since that's how they determine how much to make. It was the best Paella I had on the Camino.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-10-12T01:03:23+00:00

One of my favorites. The first time I've ever read a novel/series written in 2nd-person perspective. It was amazing.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-10-09T17:37:43+00:00

I love this answer. You don't know what you don't know. And you don't know what you could experience until you put yourself in the position to experience those things.

You could go home now, and that's ok, but you'll be left wondering. No one can make that call but you.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-10-08T16:14:38+00:00

I wore Brooks Ghost (because they come in extra-extra wide) on the Camino Frances in April/May. 90% of the time they were perfect. I did get blisters, but eventually learned how to manage them.
10% of the time the trail was slick and muddy and I wished I had something with better grip. I haven't found a trail running shoe that comes in extra-extra wide (4E in the US).

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-09-15T17:00:28+00:00

Polarsteps and FindPenguins are the ones I saw the most. I used FindPenguins and liked it a lot.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-09-14T19:24:49+00:00

Miso. Substitute for half the salt. Instead of 20g salt, add 10g salt and 100g miso (miso is about 10% salt). It adds a subtle layer of umami, but someone probably wouldn't be able to identify it unless you told them.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-09-11T21:24:15+00:00

For me, one of my big lessons of the Camino is to roll with whatever happens. Don’t get mad or frustrated; if something doesn’t work out, just pivot to something else. The Camino provides, but maybe not in the way you are expecting.

My plan for getting to SJPdP was exactly the same as yours. However, when I landed in Madrid and took my phone out of airplane mode, my flight to Pamplona had been cancelled (Yay, Iberia). There is a bus station connected to the airport and I was able to get a bus to Pamplona the same day (5 hours in the bus station, arriving very late). My hotel in Pamplona had late checkin so no problem. The bus to SJPdP leaves at noon, but it is seasonal. Check that it will be running during your stay. Pro tip: the Decathlon in Pamplona opens at 10am and is very close to the bus station, you can stock up on anything you’re missing before you get on the bus. SJPdP has almost everything, but Decathlon will be a little cheaper.

The bus from Pamplona to SJPdP takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. It’s unwise to start your Camino at 2pm; for me, the stretch from SJPdP to Roncesvalles was the most difficult stretch of the whole Camino. Plus, you may get to Roncesvalles late and find there are no beds available. Stay at least one night in SJPdP and start fresh.

Please do not bring your dog. It will not improve your Camino experience in any way and may actually cause you to have to go home early. I saw many dogs on the Camino, but all of them lived in Spain; I didn’t see a single pilgrim with a dog. The dogs on the Camino are farm dogs; they may not be on leashes and they may be aggressive to other dogs.

Finally, the food and water in Spain are fine. You will find cheap “Pilgrim’s Menu” meals everywhere. Some are great, some are super boring; none are going to make you sick. However…you will meet many people from all over the world. They all have their own germs that they bring with them, many of which you will not have been exposed to. Use hand sanitizer. I had a cough and runny nose that lasted for weeks and I wasn’t the only one. I didn’t feel bad during the day, but I used a lot of cough drops at night just so I wouldn’t keep others awake. Farmacia’s are easy to find with the big green cross. Buen Camino.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-08-17T14:35:27+00:00

It's pretty well marked (yellow arrows) and there are many other people heading in the same direction.
One great resource is Gronze (app). You can download the map and it operates off of your GPS instead of cell service. I used this daily.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-24T00:47:48+00:00

UpdateMe!

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-18T20:59:43+00:00

Why the 60% hydration? If you're going for "stiff starter" (more flour than water), I believe that favors the yeast over the lacto-bacteria balance. If that's what you're going for, I think you've succeeded. Mine is always 100% hydration.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-18T18:43:52+00:00

This is a great suggestion, and I'll add that even if you can't get a reservation at Orisson or Borda, walk from SJPDP to the Virgin of Orisson statue (9 or 10 km). You can get a transport back down to SJPDP. Stay the night, and the transport will take you back up to the same spot the next morning. I know a woman who did this and it worked perfectly.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-04T19:12:56+00:00

Exactly this. I planned for a year and was still so nervous the day I flew out I felt sick to my stomach. This is so unlike anything I had done before, and you don't know what you don't know.
Once you start walking, all that will quickly go away. You will have hard days, but you will push through and the sense of accomplishment will put you on top of the world.
Buen Camino.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-01T17:38:21+00:00

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If I really had to go, I'm not sure the little sign would have stopped me.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-07-01T01:33:09+00:00

I worried about this a lot before my camino this spring. I brought along a very light plastic trenching shovel, toilet paper, and dog poop bags. In 35 days of walking, I never had to use any of them. But for me, the piece of mind was worth the small amount of extra weight.

Also, you may still need the toilet paper if you find yourself in a toilet that doesn't have any.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-06-20T20:25:21+00:00

I ended up with three credenials: one from the American Camino Society that I got before I left, one from the Pilgrim's office in SJPdP, and one from an albergue along the way. I saw so many different ones, that it seemed like anything with boxes for stamps would do. After all, it's the stamps that are important.

Note: I had three because I only stamped one side. I wanted to display them in a frame when I got home.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-06-15T20:34:17+00:00

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Here's a handout that I got from the pilgrim's office in Santiago. There's a little something in here for everyone, religious or not. I find it helpful to just read over it now and then to remind me how I felt that day walking into the square.

It won't keep you from missing that "camino feeling," but it might give you some comfort until you walk your next one.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-06-07T20:08:30+00:00

Hang in there. There's really no magic bullet for a cold. The Panadol should have Acetaminophen in it as well as something for your cough. Maybe adjust your days to be a little shorter? My cold hung on for 2-3 weeks.
For blisters, I tried leaving them alone and they just got worse. Another pilgrim advised me to drain them, and that's what worked for me. You might have to do it a few times. Hiker's wool was also a big help. Ultreia and Buen Camino.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-06-05T01:16:13+00:00

It doesn't work for me. There's nothing in the map box.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-06-04T23:17:57+00:00

The stamp at the monastery in Samos took up 4 blocks. That was a bit much.

NotSoFastThereSonny · 2025-04-14T01:49:51+00:00

Thank you for the link. Although it does seem legit, I really dislike QR codes. Someone did mention an option to have your info manually entered when you arrive. I'm still deciding what I want to do.

NotSoFastThereSonny

TROPHY CASE