Was: the Mountain, now national traits

[Jeffrey Crawley]

SNORING the bane of refugio life!

Get used to it because you can't prevent it. I snore when I have a cold too
but use a strip of adhesive (Micropore or similar) tape across bridge of
nose which helps a lot. I would be tempted to record the noise and play it
back to the offender but who wants to carry the extra weight!!! Some
Pilgrims could split oak panels with the noise!

A (very) generalised (and lighthearted)note on nationalities gleaned last
year:

Americans - either brash and insensitive or deeply intense and caring - not
much in the middle ground (but things changed a lot after September 11 when
they got a lot more sympathy)

Canadians - well liked by all, amiable and helpful

Australians - noisy and exhuberant, well thought of because of their
positive attitude

New Zelanders - Doggedly determined

Scots - Independent and nationalistic - don't like being called Ingles

Irish - enthusiastic and religious - don't like being called Ingles either

English - Always apologising for the fact they can't speak
Spanish/French/German/anything but English

Spanish - welcoming and proud to be the Host nation

Brasilians - Noisy and enthusiastic, great snorers!

Italians - VERY religious

Germans - very polite and correct, "burdened by the guilt of (their)
forefathers" (from a German girl)

French - tend to hog the kitchen and patronise the Spanish

Portuguese - grateful when they are not mistaken for Spanish

Dutch - the best linguists and always encouraging/supportive

Japanese - enthusiastic, always with the best/latest camera gear

anybody I haven't upset yet? :-)

Seriously there was only one truely, extremely annoying person I met on the
whole Camino, a Spanish-Australian lady and even she had one positive side
to her - EVERYBODY found her to be a pest!

BTW you can't book or reserve beds in Refugios it's first come first
served, cyclists AFTER walkers and "supported" walkers (strollers who have
a sag waggon to carry everything) should NEVER get a place.

buen viaje!

Jeffrey