Day 10 — Long But Smooth (16 Miles) 18 April
Castro-Urdiales was a surprise sleeper. Beautiful setting, interesting history, good food, nice people. As I started back on the Camino, young men were putting a boat in the water. Rather than a crew of 8, this one had 12. Must be a particular Spanish boat used in competition. The colors and ruggedness of the beach…
Keep readingDay 9 — 99% Paved (17 Miles) — 17 April
Incredible! The paths on this stage were paved except for two short sections. One of those sections used gravel that was smoothed to an even surface. There were a few significant uphill sections but with paving, I could create a powerful rhythm of evenly spaced steps. No zigzagging as well. I made record time as…
Keep readingDay 8 — Deja Vu All Over Again? (13 Miles) — 16 April
This walk brought back memories when Laird Evans and I ended our 2021 Portuguese Camino sojourn in Bilbao. The boulevard that I walked out of Bilbao was the same one we followed to return our rental car. We were surprised that our return point was not the railroad station but the underground parking garage of…
Keep readingDay 7 — Easy As It Gets (7 Miles) — April 15
Lest you think that yesterday ended with the afternoon cerveza, I walked another 3 miles in the rain to reach my hotel. The Irish term for this kind of weather — a soft day. The hotel sits in the middle of an industrial complex and next to a park. Given its location, the hotel may…
Keep readingDay 6 — Living In The Present (15 Miles) — 14 April
The most important lesson that I have learned while walking the Camino is to live in the present. On this Camino, I had completed five difficult days. I felt good. My hosts and a friendly local on the road (you will meet Carmen) said that the Camino ahead will be smooth and much easier. Let’s…
Keep readingDay 5 — Last Long Mountain Stage (18 Miles) — 13 April
Today was the last hike of more than 15 miles with at least 2000 feet of elevation gain. These hikes certainly showcased the beauty of the Basque coast and inland mountains. They were also more challenging because of the rains over the last three days. Slippery mud — glad I bought my waterproof boots. The…
Keep readingDay 4 — Pure Mountain Experience (17 Miles) — 12 April
The guidebook stated that this stage was to give the traveler a flavor of the mountains. Did the writers forget the up and down experiences of the past three days? I walked south away from the ocean. Lots of greenery to be seen but no ocean. Ah. I encountered the red, white, and yellow blaze…
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