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<DIV></DIV>>1. What do you think about REI boots? </P>
<P>As a Seattlite and long time REI member, I often buy from REI, but I am not aware that they have their own brand of boots. My personal boot preference is ECCO (my favorite brand of shoes across the board) which, alas, REI no longer sells. My wife recently purchased a pair of Lowa boots at REI, and the shoe salesperson said that was the best seller among the brands they carry. Many products with the REI label are made by well-known manufacturers and are substantially less expensive than the ones with the manufacturer's label. Check who makes the boots you are interested in (the salespeople in the Seattle REI store are quite savy, and I suspect salespeople in other stores are as well). While it is not the cheapest place to buy, with its member rebate and generally good quality products, REI is a fine source for boots.</P>
<P>>2. Is the Camino generally safe for a 50+ woman alone? (I speak Spanish) </P></DIV>
<P>Yes, and many women walk it alone or in small groups. Speaking Spanish is certainly a plus, but I encountered women who did not and still had a safe and enjoyable pilgrimage. In 1998 a Frenchwoman in her late 60s who had started at her home in central France paralleled me (same albergue every night), and she spoke nothing but French. She was but one of many single peregrinas from a number of countries I encountered that year. This year I again met women from a variety of places and ranging in age from 20 to (I would guess) near 70 walking alone. You will be amazed at how quickly friendships develop, and how quickly thereafter people begin to look out for each other. When someone does not show up in an albergue in the evening, the question "were is ..." soon passes around the room. Normal safety precautions should be taken, but in general a single woman is safer alone on the Camino than just about anywhere in the US.</P>
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<DIV></DIV>>3. What is the best practical guide book if I want to stay in simple inns along the way?
<P>Lots of room for debate on this topic (it was a subject of heated debate recently on this listserve), but a very good one to obtain and carry is the Confraternity of St. James guidebook as it is updated annually. Its listing of places to stay is not complete, but it lists at least one or two choices in almost every town large enough to have hostals. It can be obtained through the CSJ website and shipping only takes a couple of weeks.</P>
<P>4. What is weather like in Sept and Oct.? </P>
<P>In 1998 and again this year I walked in September and October, and it was a perfect time for doing the Camino. In 1998 I started at St. Jean on September 20, and this year I started in Somport on September 29. This year the weather was warmer, even though I was more than a week later, and there was even sunshine in Galicia and in Santiago itself! A couple of days of rain were part of the 31 days of walking, but only one day (up to O Cebreiro from Villafranca del Bierzo) was uncomfortably wet. It can be quite chilly in the mornings, and a polartec plus gloves are strongly recommended, but the cool weather makes walking with a pack comfortable. I shall soon be posting a daylog for this years trip with more detailed weather comments on a small website I maintain, and I shall send an email to inform you when it is posted if you are interested.</P>
<P>Hope this information is useful.</P>
<P>E. O. Pederson</P>
<P><A href="mailto:eldorpaaol.com">eldorpaaol.com</A> or <A href="mailto:eldorpahotmail.com">eldorpahotmail.com</A></P>
<P>Seattle, WA</P>
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