If friendship is a treasure, thank you for being part of my fortune – si la amistad es un tesoro, gracias por ser parte de mi fortuna.

Date: 16th October, 2021

Section: Getaria to Mutriku

Region: The Basque Country

Staying:

The Izarbide Hostel/AlbergueIizarahide – private albergue.

Shared dorm room €30 including bunk bed, dinner and breakfast.

Recommend, yes ✔️roomy, mountainous, bar and restaurant on site, pilgrim meal and breakfast available, washing facilities, great vibe to sit and chat or enough space to chill on your bed.

Instagram: Link to extra photos and daily caption.

Today:

Another day of climbing mountains and spectacular views in rural, green North Spain. It has been quite a physical walk so far. I am enjoying the challenge but I can’t say I expected this. I’m glad I spend most of this year collecting days in a run streak! My streak started early in the year when I was missing home. Due to restrictions, getting back to has been Australia hard, impossible actually. I had this wacky idea I’d run (minimum) a mile or 1.6kms a day until I could return home to see my mum. I was inspired by Shiva who had been running everyday since 2015. Yes! Every.Single.Day. She’s still going. I ran a total of 223 days until a rolled ankle (the casualty of living in a renovation) ended my streak. Those 223 days opened the door to this hike. Once my ankle recovered I was ready for a new challenge and to move.

I digress, back to the camino! I walked with Jo a bit this morning and also some of the trail alone. We walked a strong pace and we chatted about big things in a relaxed way. It was a nice morning. After some of our chats I would take the time walking alone to ponder what we’d talked about.

Fi and I have a loose plan of staying in Deba this evening. Just before Deba I met up with Jo again and we walked into town together. He has such an interesting and layered story as to why he is walking. Once again I am reminded just how little we can know someone until we actually talk, really talk to them. It can be so easy to think you can know someone even by the briefest of interactions. I am so good at putting people in a box! The camino always reminds me how often I get this wrong. The camino has this way of cutting out the crap talk and just getting close to people. #CaminoMagic

Once we arrive in Deba, a classic 1343 historical, gorgeous and European feeling town. Jo and I take a break in the lively plaza to have a coffee and some lunch. As we soak in the atmosphere sitting out in the sun amongst the locals, we are still pilgrims/hikers. 😂😂😂 Jo starts to change his socks and do his foot care routine.

We all have our own routines. Me, I never take my shoes off until the end of the day’s walking. I am sure I wouldn’t want to put them back on if I did! While we are sitting there we meet two Dutch pilgrims. These poor guys were looking at a ‘camino over’ on account of debilitating blisters. They were only here for a week to hike but after three days their feet are in bad shape. In this BIG world, what a SMALL world the camino can be. One of these guys comes from a village next to mine in The Netherlands, his wife works for the school group my kids go to! She is English. #CaminoMagic

Coffee, tapa and foot care sorted, we head out of town to look for the Deba Albergue. It has good reviews and sits above the train station. We can’t seem to find how to get in or where to find the hospitalero. Then, as it happens on a camino … we see Jenny and Peter. They are now walking with Ulises from The Canary Islands. They’ve all booked an albergue 5 kms up the mountain out of Deba. Ulises phones for us to see if there are 3 more beds, we are in luck. I call Fi, luckily she is in within network range. I explain the situation and I’m sure I can hear her eyes rolling. An extra 5kms can be a lot if you’re not planning them and it is a hot, hilly day. Fi loves a camino experience and knowing our new friends will be there and the albergue serves up a pilgrim meal she rolls with the change. A day that continues to unwinds itself in its own way. #CaminoMagic

Once we arrive up at our albergue I know we’ve made the right choice. It’s past life was a dairy barn so it isn’t the fanciest. But my gosh it has those luxurious after hike, chill out vibes. We are in the countryside with an expansive landscape, the beer is cold and the showers are warm. I nab myself and Fi a bottom bunk. Ha ha the joy of arriving early. I always try to avoid the top bunk! After the post hike rituals shower, washing, foot care, organising water for tomorrow etc I settle down with my journal, a cold beer and some chat with my new mates.

As the afternoon progresses Fi joins us as well as a few new friends from around the world. Ricky from Japan who is on a gap year, he is here to practice his Spanish. Lydia from America (originally Poland) also arrives. I have seen her on the trail before but I haven’t met her yet. She is actually the life of the dinner. She has walked tons of caminos, dreams of retiring in Spain and is attentively interested in everyone. She is also very good story teller, Fi thinks she has a secret story, maybe a Hollywood actress or something. I like indulging in this intrigue.

Highlight:

It is hard to pick one, so I won’t. These past three days have been nothing I expected and everything I needed. So yeah that is the highlight for me, a day where all the magic unravels.

Ho hum:

How little I need. A backpack, a few essentials, great trails, the right people. At the moment, I do carry more than I need in this life.

Handy gear tips:

I didn’t bring a spare bag to take to the shower or for towns. Fi does this, an ultra light shopping bag that rolls into a small pouch. It is a good idea and one for next time!