* Over this trip I used 8 GB of data though my purchased Orange SIM was 10 GB. Smaller is just fine since most places have great wifi. But a SIM is important for those days without. Connectivity is too important to go without.

* Alex is not a big fan of hills.

* Alex prefers the social aspect of more personal B&Bs to meet the hosts rather than a hotel. I will go one further to say I'm not a fan of humanless hotels with auto check-in.

* Especially when  you haven't loaded up with food, don't pass by a grocery store without stopping and ensuring you have enough food. Better still, have some breakfast food rather than getting stuck and not finding a restaurant or supermarket.

* Gore-Tex does not seem to like the hot wash cycle.

 * Though the only option for night photos, my digicam was a bit of a bother to both lug around when on foot and when switching back and forth between it and my tablet to take photos. Possibly tablet-only for the next tour.