You can watch videos and read blogs but the 5 senses are squared as you take your first steps out of Irun and climb towards Guadalupe.
I did this walk twice
The first time I got lost and on the second day with Rich it was easier, still magnificent marauding without sticks and it was tough
The rewards are the views.
Vista upon vista and we loved it
The climbing is tough with the views very much the reward.
The highlight both days was Paraia.
A small town which you cross by boat
The location is just so remote.
400 steps offer a climb to the lighthouse and it's easy to see why this would be the 6km short day if you felt the whole thing too tough.
Next day Zarautz and what about the views on the way.
Then zamaia and Deba with great views of other coastal towns on the way.
Toughest yet Deba to Markina.
We dodged markina to Guernica as we walked to lezema.
Rest day and the Gernika museum.
We took the mid afternoon train to Bilbao and did some walking and then checked into the flat. It was quite a whirlwind week and when Simon lost his fight with the stanley knife we knew we were into new options now.
To sum up the Monday and Tuesday were great reminders for me on my own travelling. I usually lose things and my cashmere left my hand while I walk/ran from Poitiers airport to train station. The good thing was I made it and my passport was in my jacket which I didn't drop. Tuesday morning I was in despair about losing my glasses. I spent 6am to 7am scurrying around looking for them in the donativo albergue where I gave 20 euro so grateful wasI for a bed. I left my boxer shorts hanging on the peg in the shower room or maybe elsewhere but I was so preoccupied by my glasses I wasin bits. I'd sensibly put them on my bag but somehow never saw them until I'd conceded defeat. What elation as I left with no idea where I was going. Normally you see pilgrims but I was just so relieved I made up a direction and was 180 degrees wrong. Google maps straightened me out and by 8am I saw a pilgrim. The rest was much easier but I did really enjoy the freedom of being on my own with no rush. I bought sun cream in Paraia and had a menu del dia, all very sensible and leisurely. I continued on up the tough climb but with a great sense of plenty of time. I needed to arrive by 7pm or even later. The fun finally arrived as my hotel had two sides of the building for checking in and there were major roadworks outside. When I finally navigated around them I found that the door I needed was from whence I'd come. On this occasion looking up for hotel signs was wiser than fixation with google.
All was well after I showered and chose a bed and rearranged everything. We were there for two nights so no problems in the morning packing. I got the train along met Rich got the train back and 4 mins from the station was perfect. In the morning we'd make the 7.45am train no problem and Rich would re-unite himself with the famous steps to the platform he'd slept on 40 years earlier, a typical camino moment!
Wednesday we walked and in the evening Stu arrived. The usal chaotic plans of agreeing a time then changing it over the course of a few tapas leaves one confused. Rich and I woke quite sharp and after our day before were raring to head off. Stu was 10 mins away so we went down and woke him up and headed for a cafe. I just remembered the bizarre please look after my bag and drink conversation from the night before. Some dude explained he was dying as he ventured out for his fag and gave us our minder role. Traditional camino moment that has just returned. We had a great coffee in the bar, stu arrived and we soon headed off around the big bay and then up the steps and hill. It was amazing up the top. Views and pictures non stop. This kind of walking isnt exercise as you feel like a moving part on someone elses canvass and its just stunning. The initial part by the road was not much to our liking and the spray from the cars as the rain fell lightly would pt a few off but it was worth an hour or even less of that nonsense to enjoy the beauty that followed.
We hadn't arranged the same deal for Thursday in Zarautz of doing 2 nights but as soon as I saw the place I said to the guys another 180 euros seems a lot but it is a bedroom each and the shower was perfect. At the time I also thought we would be 15 mins back on the tram from Deba but that changed when we learnt of the station work. Who knew we would pay 225euro for three of us later on in Leon for 3 nights but this area around San Seb is expensive. You make all sorts of excuses in your head driven by laziness, convenience and I'm a sucker for a washing machine. The head also really enjoys a break from the question where are we staying, oh and the kicker is not packing up and moving on. A day off these things helps so much and so enabled a bit of planning on where to stay next. On my own I am happy rolling into town but when there is 3 you can usually get a decent accomodation with someone getting a single or even as we had 3 bedroom places. My next flat trick was a bit of folly. We knew Markina had limited accomodation so when the opportunity to get another 3 bed place in Guernika appeared it seemed a no brainer. We could bus or tax from and back to Markina. We forgot it was Saturday and we also didn't realise that this was to prove the hardest walking day. By the time we got to Deba with the bus/tram we were heading off about 11am. It can be the downside of a two night stay leaving slower as you linger longer and then with the Zarautz tram station renovations we got the 9.20 bus to connect with the 10.40 tram, missing the earlier hourly train by 10 minutes. Happily we cold have a cortado or two at a nearby cafe in Zamaia. Cola Cao and Cortado look and sound very differently but trust me, not the way I or Stu speaks. I started adding an australian lift to Cola Cao, chocolate, and they looked at me in that pitying way reserved for clowns who couldn't wear the shoes or speak the language. Escotia, Stupido, perdone.
The walk was undoubtedly our toughest yet but possibly because the heat had also been turned up as the rain was turned off. We also had our back packs and the terrain was always going up, then down, then back up. We were cutting through the interior to Markina and it was tough. There were a few falls on the really steep bits and it was all about going slowly enough to keep your feet.
When we were walking we passed a few albergues that never feature when you're pushing the Booking button. Trust in St Jacques I say but apart from arriving at the albergue in Irun we were mostly packaged up. I'll put the prices below including when Rich & I headed to the Camino Frances.
Irun - Donativo - $20
San Sebastien - £40 pppn - £166.07 for 2 nights
Zarautz - £55 pppn - £166.07 (187$)+180euro for 2 nights
Gernika - £37.50 pppn - £223 for 2 nights (256.50$)
Bilbao - £36.50 pppn - $252
Vitoria Gasteiz - £19 pppn - $64.80
Estrella - £28 pppn- £224 for 4 nights - $257.05
Hostal Mexicana Santander - £21.50 pppn £64.50 for one night $71.82
Burgos - $168.30 - 2 nights (3 rooms in flat if you slept on sofa 2 bathrooms but leaky showers in one with bath)
Cardenuela Rio Pico $22 pppn - $66 including menu del dia (3 lower bunks in dorm)
Amanecer - Poblacion/Fromista $40pppn - $120 (3 ensuite rooms)
Carrion de Los Condes - $27 pppn -$80 (Quadruple room with big bath/shower room)
Housing Leon - $224 for 3 nights (3 bedroom flat with 2 bathrooms)
Gijon - $22 pppn Hotel Castilla $66 (small triple room with ensuite)
Santander - $20 pppn - $60 (big triple room with ensuite)
I dissappeared down the accomodation rabbit hole there but it shows that there are often many options to go big or keep it simple.
For me the bargain basement Leon is just so good. Its next to the cafe Epsolon in the part of Leon I always tend to try and go. My only complaint is I rarely get the train or bus back to terradillos des los templarios or Sahagun and walk. I have once made it to Astorga had a session and got bus back but I get lazy and walk to the Babu Africa bar or just around town but I digress.
Having arrived on Saturday about 7pm in Markina we had to get a taxi. We had no idea how tough it would be but luckily Stu struck gold and we were in the apartment for 8pm and out by 8.45pm with the washing on the line. The taxi had cost $55 including tip so we were delighted but as the night wore on walking out of Gernika was winning the vote and Markina to Gernika would wait for another year. Markina was really busy on Saturday night and is a basque mecca as it is alone in the mountains a good 20 miles from the train stops to the South and South west. I think I'll book a hotel next year once I have my plans pinned down.
So when we awoke on Sunday we had a leisurely walk to Lezema in mind and if it was too easy we'd carry on to Bilbao. Compared to the day before it was pretty easy mountanous bits and then the heat hit when we had the 4km roadway into Lezema. Train station won. We never even got a drink, or a toilet, we just got a ticket and jumped on 10 minutes later. Again an hourly train so worth taking it straight away. The journey was also a lot longer than expected. Lezema train comes in from the east and does a loop before you can then change onto a train slightly more SE ot of Bilbao to Gernika. Perfectly simple on the map. We go into Bilbao at 2 and leave at 5 on the clock face. Luckily the time wasn't that long but the toilet was in short supply and I'd drunk a lot of water. Suffice to say we should've got the train to Bilbao casco viejo, got off had a drink then got the train to Gernika, but we didn't. I held my bladder and then ran from train station to flat and finally got relief.
More washing followed and as I kept mine inside it was dry while the others went for leaving it outside in the overnight cloud. It was a proper cloud when we woke up and you couldn't see the town for it.
We were signtseeing today and took in the museum before a tram to Bilbao and a stroll around. Its obligatory to go to Cafe Iruna and so we did and then we went for a menu del dia. We got refused at the first place so went next door and were delighted. Serendipidy indeed. Finally we went to the flat where the guy met us gave us the keys and i took one look and thought, Dancer! The twin room and double room were to the front but an interior box room grabbed my attention so having had the doubles I took the box. The kitchen/living room was huge. A bit like the cockroach we saw on the morning we were leaving. I threw it out, arms up its back but it was over an inch long so put up a struggle on meagre me. We had a siesta then a drink on our balcony then headed into the old town. We had a great night then planned our strategy for walking around the town. Up to the bus stop via the river and guggenheim and then back down to town going up the hill away from the river and in and around all these wee bars and boulevards. Bilbao always has cheek by jowl new and old, merged at times, juxtaposed at times and stark contrast other times. All good for sight seeing.
Then we climbed the big hill behind our flat and got to the top before coming down and having another excellent menu del dia.
