 food". The ground floor restaurant and the lobby bar are also very good, although complaints of some reviewers here about the smoking zone are quite justified: while I'm totally supportive of smoking/non-smoking zoning at public places to accommodate various groups of guests, Intercontinental should've done a better job separating the two as, for example, the non-smoking restaurant is really getting a draft of smoke coming from the smoking section of the lobby bar. It's not pleasant. But this also depends on the time of the day and the number of visitors, of course.
The only disappointment for me was the "gym". For a hotel of this class, it was definitely underwhelming - not even a gym in a proper sense, but a tiny exercise room with a couple of treadmills and a Smith machine/pulley rack stuffed in the farthest corner of a deep basement.
Location-wise, hard to beat: one of the central locations, next to a few world-renowned landmarks and in an absolutely safe zone (between the Ministry of Inferior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
All in all, an expensive but pleasant, high-quality stay. Definitely recommend.
Достойный отель и идеальная локация. Дорого, но это плата за безопасность, чувство которой не покидает во время проживания. Чистые номера, отличное бельё и меню подушек. Восхитительные букеты и прекрасные пианисты в холле по вечерам. Достойная спа зона. Завтраки вне конкуренции по ассортименту и персоналу. Так держать!I always have...just a warning though: DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL WITH IT!

I'm sure you know how nasty and gag-inducing kratom is...I ended up drinking with it one night (a LOT) and got sick the next morning. Instead of just puking and getting it over with like normal, however, I got trapped in a cycle of puking and gagging because the kratom was brought up into my throat. 

This was literally hell. I can't even describe it...I mean, have you ever gagged uncontrollably for 5 hours straight? No breaks...I mean that seriously. I ended up calling my friend in tears, barely able to talk between crying and convulsions, begging him to bring me some weed.

Luckily he did, I took 5 hits, felt fine, and fell asleep. haha.

Still one of the worst experiences of my life, though.[JUR contractor charged by the military since it was granted jurisdiction over civilians accompanying US troops in a combat zone by a 2006 amendment to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) [text]. A new date for the hearing has not yet been set. AP has more.
Prior to the 2006 UCMJ amendment, contractors working in Iraq were exempted [PDF text] from prosecution in that country. The amendment, found in Section 522 of the 2007 defense authorization bill [2 2766 materials; LawReader backgrounder], significantly changed the military's jurisdiction to bring civilian contractors within the military's jurisdiction during a "contingency operation" rather than its previous requirement that Congress actually declare war..It may come as no surprise that the design of a winning soccer jersey has transitioned from simplicity to the hiring of top world designers. There is a certain flair that needs to be expressed in a soccer jersey, and it should include a blending of the team colors, the sponsors and the fit.
Some of the world’s best soccer jerseys have fused elegance and panache, to create a memorable look. Argentina is one example of a soccer jersey that reflects both action and style. Wales took a more retro approach with a vibrant shade of orange and a single golden stripe. The Ukraine stepped up to the plate as the first team to include ghosted image graphics, potentially setting a new trend. Scotland added the ghost image of their national flag on deep rich blue.
The addition of subtle graphic images as part of the soccer jersey is becoming more popular, and Gabon has added the panther, their national animal, in a bold image. France has taken a step back to the classic white with striped sleeves and may be a smart move, as the white stands out with the reflection of the outdoor sun. Senegal has taken graphics to the next level with a subtle embossed baobab tree, their national tree, on white. Camaroon uses a deep green soccer jersey with an intimidating lion graphic on the front. China’s brilliant red soccer jersey has just a hint of a graphic of a great dragon.
Another trend in the soccer jersey world is color fading. Algeria used the green to white fading, pulling off an excellent look. Ghana selected a fading choice in colors that represent the African sunrise. Impressively designed, for a unique color scheme that can also be displayed on an electronic scoreboard.
Other countries, such as Belgium, made the choice to stay-the-course with their traditional colors and no changes. Belgium continues to use their flag colors of red, yellow and black. Portugal uses a base white soccer jersey with a blaze of their national cross, boldly displaying across the front. The Ivory Coast uses a combination puma and elephant graphic on a boldly orange-toned jersey. Brazil maintains its soccer history with their bright deep blue and golden yellow accents on the arms and collar.
Spot color has historically been noticeable and eye catching in the marketing world. Poland uses a white soccer jersey with a large red stripe and multiple logos in matching tones. Austria joins the classic look with a base white and a touch of black with logo on one shoulder.
Looking way too cool, Northern Ireland made a choice of solid black with rich green striping on the shoulders and arms. While Slovenia selected a brilliantly bright blue combined with the Nike color stripes. Australia also has a look that is more trend setting, with a deep navy blue, donned with a thick golden stripe down one side, shoulder to hip. The Dutch have joined the fray with a new base black and a touch of orange on the shoulder and the Dutch Lion logo. New Zealand jumped way out in front, with a redesign in black and silver; definitely a take charge look. Uruguay goes the opposite, with white and just a touch of sky blue on one shoulder; classic styling.
Greece’s base white has been combined with a simple, yet attractive combination of side cross fading blues, complimented with darker blue accents. Spain has a rich sky blue with cross action, shoulder to hip graphics that appear akin to a sash.
I am wondering if someone can please help me.
I am travelling to Santiago in Septmeber and arrive by air at 2.15pm, all going well with no delays.
According to the alsa.es website the next available bus is at 21.30 arriving Ponferrada the following day 1.30am.
This sounds most unfortunate, and wonder if it is true - maybe it wil change?!
Is there perhaps another bus/coach company whose timetable I can look at or is there perhaps another way to get to Ponferrada from Santiago?
It would seem a pity to have to catch the bus the day after we arrive in Santiago by air and then travel by bus the following day, only to start the +- 220km pilgrimage two days later.
I called the bus station and it seems like ALSA is the only company with busses between Santiago and Pontferrada.
Then I called ALSA to check the bus schedules. Here is what he told me. There are several busses between Santiago and Ponferrada each day. The first buss leave the bus station in Santiago at 8.00 (then there is one at 9.00 and 10.00). There is also a bus at 14.00. The last bus is at 21.30 as you say. Between 14.00 and 21.30 there are no busses.
I also did check the train option (http://www.renfe.es). There is a train leaving Santiago at 9.00, so that does not help much.
A rental car would be another option...
Anyone else have any other ideas on this one?
Looks like quite a good service to me! Although Santiago is the regional capital, it is not a major population centre and so not a major public transport hub. Ponferrada even less so. It's simply not realistic to assume there are going to be frequent buses/trains from Santiago to anywhere in Spain you fancy going. If you want to start your walk somewhere that's easy to get to from London, don't start in Ponferrada - simple as that. On the Camino Frances, the meseta stretch is reasonably accessible from Valladolid; the Ebro valley from Zaragoza; coastal airports like Santander, Bilbao, Oviedo offer other possibilities. But if you insist on starting in a small remote town like Ponferrada (or Sarria, or Roncesvalles, or...), you must expect it to be time-consuming to get there.
Thanks Ivar for re-affirming the times of the busses and trains.
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