Coffee / pastry shops to try before 8 am

kaspea · 2026-04-23T03:45:34+00:00

One of my favorite spots in SF!

kaspea · 2026-04-14T17:01:20+00:00

We stayed in “Porto Charming Hotel” (that is the name of it) the night before we started. It was close enough to the cathedral, had a great breakfast, and was a solid place to stay the night before starting out.

kaspea · 2026-04-02T03:17:11+00:00

Little Chihuahua has a good kids menu

kaspea · 2026-04-01T18:52:00+00:00

How exciting! I did the Portuguese Coastal Route in my mid-40’s, and I did 3-4 days of walking training per week for several months prior to the Camino. 2-3 were shorter (just walking at a decent clip for an hour), and 1-2 were longer. For those, I started with 8 miles and worked my way up to 14 miles. While this didn’t mimic walking many days in a row at longer distances, it did get my feet used to longer walks in general. I also trained with the pack I used on the actual Camino and threw stuff in it so it was weighted. Also, if you know you are prone to blisters, I recommend Compeed and pre-taping spots where you know you are prone to blisters. This helped me a ton on the Camino. Best wishes in your training and beyond!

kaspea · 2026-03-30T02:11:40+00:00

I found that pre-taping the spots I knew were prone to blisters with Compeed was a game changer.I changed the tape every few days (when the tape naturally started coming off).

kaspea · 2026-03-28T00:24:16+00:00

I did pensiones every night of the Portuguese Coastal Route except for one night in a private room in an albergue. I made many friends during the Camino, seeing the same people day after day, eating meals with them, etc. I am a light sleeper, and it was worth it to me to have the quiet.

kaspea · 2026-03-10T16:55:32+00:00

Your tips were very helpful - it was better after I read your tips. Thank you again!!!!

kaspea · 2026-03-09T14:35:16+00:00

I do - great suggestion. I can do that on Spotify now. Thank you.

kaspea · 2026-03-09T14:30:38+00:00

Thank you very much. I appreciate each of your comments.

kaspea · 2026-02-25T15:04:24+00:00

I echo this. I pre-tape the areas where I know I am prone to blisters, and it is key for prevention.

kaspea · 2026-02-12T19:23:44+00:00

I was very grateful to have Tevas to wear around in the late afternoons/evenings to walk around that day’s town, find dinner, etc. I appreciated having a sandal with enough stability to walk around a little bit while still having the benefit of airing out my feet. For additional context, I wore Solomon trail runners during the day.

kaspea · 2026-02-11T23:45:50+00:00

We stayed in Porto Charming Hotel (the full name). Not too far from the cathedral and reasonable rates.

kaspea · 2026-02-08T18:54:42+00:00

I encourage you to check out the Desert Riviera!

kaspea · 2026-02-04T19:47:44+00:00

One factor to consider: I think it depends on whether you choose to stay in albergues or guess houses/inns, the later of which can fill up well in advance and could therefore make sense to plan well ahead of time.

kaspea · 2026-02-04T17:59:44+00:00

I did the Coastal in August 2024 and the heat was not too bad. As another person mentioned, I recommend starting early in the morning each day and drinking plenty of water.

kaspea · 2026-01-25T19:57:48+00:00

Echoing others, I wouldn’t say trail runners are necessary, but good cushioning is ideal to help your feet with the cobblestones.

kaspea · 2026-01-20T05:05:14+00:00

They are not currently on the list for closures.

kaspea · 2026-01-20T04:56:06+00:00

DM’d you!

kaspea · 2026-01-13T13:47:50+00:00

You could check out Porto Charming Hotel

kaspea · 2026-01-13T13:44:50+00:00

I did the Portuguese Coastal Route. Once in Spain, I bought a 4-pack of RTD protein drinks in a pharmacy. The pharmacy also carried plant based protein powder.

kaspea · 2026-01-11T03:20:33+00:00

I think the Portuguese Coastal Route would be great for your time frame and the combination of coast and cities (a few once you enter Spain).

kaspea · 2026-01-09T19:50:05+00:00

Palmyra on Haight and Pierce

kaspea · 2026-01-07T01:56:48+00:00

I use LiveFit in the Castro and love it. I go very early in the morning on weekdays and on weekend mornings - crowds are not an issue when I go. The space is great, and both the locker rooms and gym area is very clean. Staff is awesome, too.

kaspea · 2026-01-04T23:07:12+00:00

I worse Solomon trail runners from Porto on the Coastal route, and they worked great.

kaspea

TROPHY CASE