clothing variety

[David planning Le Chemin de St Jacques/El Camino de Santiago]

Now that was quite a comprehensive response!

> I liked Alan's ideas on having "two pairs of walking shorts with zip on/off
> legs and one pair of legs".

I'm in the minority here - I don't like the idea of zippers possibly chafing
my skin over repeated long hiking days.    But this combination is very
popular.

> Sandals.  But maybe I have really strong ankles.  As far as wearing sandals
> in the mud, I'd skip the plastic bags - just wash your feet at the next
> town's fountain.

This is an accepted practice generally?   I wouldn't want to muddy up the
fountains unless everybody did.

> And David, I don't remember walking through any "animal pastures".

That comment came from a couple of things I read - that dogs are a problem
especially when encountering sheep dogs on duty - and a sentence in one
of my FFRP guides for the Le Puy route advising hiking early or late in
the season if one wanted to "eviter les troupeaux".     Whence I gathered
there are lots of sheep on or near the route at various times and places.
After all, an awful lot of the shepherds in the western US have been
Basque!

> style.  Oh, don't forget to take off your hat.

I'd hoped it was only in the US that young men had gotten to wearing their
hats 24 hours a days indoors and out
like cowboys.   But even (old) cowboys knew to take it
off in church.

And as far as communion goes, I decided to accept if offered to all, to
refrain if the priest says anything that sounds like a qualification,
and if nothing
is said, go with the flow and avoid being the only one standing alone!