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Camino accomodation, Camino del Norte, Camino hiking

Camino del Norte – Day 5 Ziortza Bolibar to Pozueta

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Enjoy little things – Disfruta de las pequeñas cosas.

Date: 18th October, 2021

Section: Ziortza Bolibar to Pozueta

Region: The Basque Country

Distance: 26kms

Average temp: 26°C

Time walking: 6 hrs

Ascent: 885 metres

Decent: 894 metres

Staying:

Albergue Caserio Pozueta – private albergue.

Dormatory room €15 bed, community dinner €11, breakfast €5.

Recommend, yes definitely!✔️roomy, great atmosphere, all facilities, clean, amazing hosts.

Instagram: Link to extra photos and daily caption.

Today:

For me there is no need for an alarm on a camino. The nights are early so the mornings too fall into a natural early rhythm. The preparation to begin the day is done the night before, my water bladder is full, my pack is packed, the day’s clothes are laid out and ready. I’m up just before the sun rises this morning. Without even thinking I’m dressed in my hiking gear, my laces are tied and my pack is on. I’m excited and as the first light hits I’m ready to walk.

This morning Jo is also ready and we set off together. We’re not the only ones up. As we leave the village we see the daily bread has already been delivered to the doors of the locals. Before long we make it up to the monastery where most of the pilgrims on the trail would have stayed last night.

One of the things I love about this walk is that we walk amongst everyday life. We meet the locals in their towns, see them in their gardens, on the school run, doing their daily walks and foraging for mushrooms. We walk the same medieval rock paths that have existed for centuries and will do for many more. This is home to them and for now it is home to us.

At some point I lose Jo. We start to play a game of tag. As I pass another of our friends I send a photo! Germany, Japan, America, Spain. Before long I have hiked past them all. Ha ha I’m not competitive at all. No, not me.

As I make it into the town of Gernika-Lumo I meet Fi. She has cabbed in to town today due to injury and is enjoying a day in this pretty town. It is so perfect and a classic camino coincidence that she is the first person I see as I arrive in town. We have some lunch together. Before long Jo finds us and as we leave the town we stop at the famous Gernika oak tree. Or what is left of it. There is a lot of history in this town. I almost feel guilty about walking on and not taking it all in. Alas, we are not staying here so I will put it on my list of cool towns to visit in North Spain another time. I don’t feel this is my last time in these parts.

Up and out of Gernika we hike. I do love the steepness of this trail. It reminds my heart to beat. It reminds me that I’m alive and how much I love this mountain goat feeling. Before long we arrive at our albergue and from the moment of arrival we all love it. It’s a family project. A farmhouse that has been in the family for over 300 years, generations of the same family have lived here. The downstairs of this traditional Basque Country farm house started as a barn, then it housed a wine press that produced wine for the locals to drink (on Saturdays) and now it’s an albergue that accommodates pilgrims and hikers along the camino. It is special. I do recommend staying here if you’re walking you Camino del Norte.

Slowly, all the pilgrims we’ve met along the way from Irun began to arrive here at Pozueta. We are treated to an absolutely delicious home cooked community meal. We learn a lot in conversation with our host about Basque life and traditions. Such things as secret men’s gastronomic societies, pelota games, comedy and theatre sports – it’s an incredibly rich culture the Basque culture. We chat into the night beyond a magical sunset and under the watchful gaze of a full moon.

Highlight:

Ending the day with beautiful people, in this wonderful home under these skies is more than a highlight. It is a memory I will treasure forever. And fitting as our last night along this camino for now. Tomorrow is Fi and my last day of walking. I am excited for Jo and the others who are continuing on their way.

Ho hum:

When I look at the beginning of this day until its end I am amazed by it. Days are long. There is so much room in a day for so many small things. Small things add up. Just keep moving. Ho hum this feels like a good lesson for me.

Camino accomodation, Camino del Norte, Camino hiking

Camino del Norte – Day 4 Mutriku to Ziortza Bolibar

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Nothing is forever – Nada es para siempre.

Date: 17th October, 2021

Section: Mutriku to Ziortza Bolibar

Region: The Basque Country

Distance: 25kms

Average temp: 26°C

Time walking: 6 hrs

Ascent: 711 metres

Decent: 839 metres

Staying:

Albergue Usandi – private albergue.

Shared private room with Fi €25 each.

Recommend, yes ✔️roomy, cute, chalet like, you do need to cook, washing facilities, great place to chill and relax.

Instagram: Link to extra photos and daily caption.

Today:

The reward of yesterday’s extra hiking to stay in the mountains just kept giving! This morning it gave in the form of a sunrise hike. This morning was our earliest start along this camino and it was dark. I find it so much easier to get out early when you’re in a dorm room, everyone starts shuffling early. I forgot to pack my head torch. Gosh I’ve made a few rookie packing mistakes so far, out of practice! I even forgot a towel. No wonder my pack is super light. I’m keeping notes for next time, fold away bag, a towel and the head torch because it gives you the freedom to leave early!

Once again I am caught out by the lack of infrastructure on the del Norte. Don’t get me wrong it is GREAT to not have the sounds or bustle of of people highways and towns for km after km, in the case of today 18kms of silence (and no toilets)! But for sure it would have been nice to have an extra banana or a juicy Spanish orange in my pack. I had an apple and some almonds in my pack so this kept me going. However, the morning coffee eluded me! I had to hike far to enjoy the pleasure of my breaky caffeine and tapa today.

Today I felt so strong. I powered through the walk on my sturdy legs. Post covid time they aren’t in the same shape they used to be. I so often get annoyed with my legs, but the places they can take me. I should appreciate them more. It was mostly a solo walking day for me. I enjoyed the time to walk my fast pace and to be amongst this privileged experience.

I still hike faster than most people and it always become somewhat of a joke along my caminos. Jo is determined to out walk me! Ha ha good luck, he’s not the first. 😜 No doubt the run streak has helped this time. The hiking in The Netherlands is flat and my Aussie mountain strength will surely wear thin at some point without the same terrain to train and walk in daily. For now though, I’m still a mountain goat.

I thought a lot about home (dutch home) and my family today. After spending so much time together over the past corona years I miss them more than normal when I’m away. I do however think it’s important to get out again, to begin live without fear and do physical things to shift the energy of this time. The camino with the people you wouldn’t normally meet and the expansiveness of this route certainly takes you out of small spaces and small thinking. The trail is divine today. And amongst nature, without a soul insight or any distraction all I can do is walk. After a fun night of chat, this is my jam.

Tonight we had plans to stay at a monastery with the crew. It would be a ‘something different’ experience. As the day drew on I didn’t feel the desire to stay there. It was hot and sweaty and I needed to get myself organised with some space and facilities. Just before the monastery I found a small private albergue that reminded me of a ski chalet. I decided to check in as it was early afternoon and to make use of the facilities. There wasn’t a restaurant in town that was serving dinner nor was there an open shop. It is out of season and still quiet because of corona. Luckily, there was a vending machine with some snacks, two minute noodles and dehydrated pasta dishes. Not the best of food, I know! But better than nothing when you have hiked all day.

I let Fi know and she agrees this sounds just like what we need. She will meet me here rather than the monastery. It has been a big day. I enjoyed the extra long shower, I washed absolutely everything and I pottered around comfortably getting my few things organised. The bar across the road let me bring a glass of beer over as long as I promised to return the glass. LOL. No meals or food but drinks are being served. So, I sat on the terrace with my journal and guide book as I wait for Fi.

In the meantime I hear from Jo! He is up at the monastery but he also wants a bit more comfort. He hikes back down to stay with Fi and I. We are our little crew within a crew. I return the beer glass and grab a bottle of wine for us to share over dinner. With my energy restored Fi arrives. Time for her to have the nicest, longest shower and to leave her washing to for me to put in. We are in this together. I wash her clothes and later she cooks for me.

In the end no one else arrives at the albergue and we could have taken a cheaper bunk bed in an empty dorm room. Nevermind, the vending machine food was cheap. The three of us share a meal, talk all the things, fix the world’s education system and giggle at Jo’s ‘just in case I might need it’ packed essentials. In all fairness his in case he needed it dried stock did add flavour to the packet risotto dish!

Highlight:

I am glad I didn’t push on today and made the choice to do something different to what I thought I should experience. I am sure one day I will stay at a monastery, tonight wasn’t that night.

Ho hum:

On my last camino we ate loads of big meals and pastas most days. This camino it doesn’t feel so necessary and it is definitely a more vigorous hike. It helps that there is far more seafood and tapas on offer here. I ponder this, how often do I find myself doing what I think I should or what is habit.

Handy gear tips:

Not so much gear but food supplies. Fresh food supplies don’t hurt along this camino. You never know how far you will be without somewhere to refuel or buy/pick your fuel! I’m now never without an orange, apple and mixed nuts!

Camino accomodation, Camino del Norte, Camino hiking

Camino del Norte – Day 1 Irún to San Sebastián

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Cuando el sol es perfecto! When the sun is perfect!

Date: 14th October, 2021

Section: Irún to Donostia – San Sebastián

Region: The Basque Country

Distance: 26 kms

Average temp: 26°C

Time walking: 5hrs 30

Ascent: 865 metres

Decent: 927 metres

Staying: Donostia – San Sebastián

A Room In The City – a private hostel.

Dorm for 6 people, €18 each per night.

Recommend, yes ✔️nice clean beds, lockable pack drawer, nice outdoor terrace area, clean and roomy bathrooms.

Instagram: Link to extra photos and daily caption.

Today:

After a delicious (read: two mates, pinchos, vino blanco, comfy bed and no bunks – yet) overnight in Irún we head out around 9am to begin our Camino del Norte. A quick first morning photo. It’s fair to say our eyes were sparking, our smiles rhapsodic and our steps, well, naturally they were springy with first day enthusiasm. Oh la la adventure! Yes we had those excited feels as we set off in search of our first yellow arrow.

As happens when you stop along a city street on the camino a local will guide you towards where you need to be. Sometimes (often), they will go off their path to walk you to your correct path. Today, it was an elderly Spaniard with all the hand expressions and finger pointing towards the mountains. He wanted to be sure we took the high path over mountain. ‘El sol es perfecto’ he said (the sun is perfect). I actually thought he may well walk with us!

We took the high path. The one with the sign for alpinist pilgrims, ha ha that sounds hardcore adventurous doesn’t it! Our Spanish guide was right is was a beautiful and sunny day. Perfect for climbing and walking in mountains. And there on this first day, in the first few hours we found ourselves straight into the camino mode. The birds were chirping, the space felt infinite, the air fresh and the noise of the world just faded away. I pinch myself – what a privilege it is to be able to walk a long walk. I remind myself – I really must take good care of myself so I can keep doing do this for a looooooong time.

There was a whole lot of belly laughter walking with Fi and a whole lot of (probably more) sweat! My muscles were so warm that at one stage I stretched my shoulders back and my back did a beautiful crack, my favourite Melbourne osteo would have called it a hard crunch! The most satisfying type, similar to what happens when your favourite osteopath or chiropractor realigns your spine. Hmm … possibly there’s something in that, the natural way to align your spine – just get hot, sweaty, carry a pack and add hours and hours of hiking up and down mountains.

You never know what lays ahead along the camino and we were spoilt from the beginning of the day. Not long had we been walking when we come upon a quaint 16th century church and expansive views over the Bidasoa valley. Always, I’m reminded how ancient these paths are as we wander past neolithic dolmans, medieval towers and castle ruins. Mostly though, it was the feeling of traversing the top of a mountain, descending through forest paths, taking a surprise water taxi and Spanish farm life existing alongside the camino – as it probably always has. It is humbling to walk here in Spain. We really are a drop in the ocean, us people and this moment in time.

We didn’t come across many pilgrims today along the path and we didn’t meet any until our arrival in San Sebastián. I arrived in a little earlier than Fi and found my way to the hostel. So far we are sharing with a German pilgrim (Peter) and his daughter (Jenny). Peter had walked the Norte camino before. He was here to walk this one with his daughter for her first time. They seemed very friendly but were heading out into town to explore and eat so we didn’t chat long.

After showering and rinsing my clothes in the shower I did my usual post walk, arrive at my accommodation routine. This was the routine my sister and I did every day on the Camino Frances.

  • Find a place to hang the daily washing and hope it will dry. If not my pack will be a washing line with clothes hanging from it tomorrow
  • Tiger balm my feet, give them a little massage or roll on ball and rest them by keeping them upright until dinner
  • Fill the 1L water bladder and sip it down (maybe add a sachet of electrolytes), eat an orange or a banana
  • Write in my journal, look over my photos of the day, post something and have a read of tomorrow’s stage

I’ve been to San Sebastián before, it’s one of my favourite cities. Definitely top 3 in Europe, perhaps even number 1 in Spain. This wasn’t like a usual San Seb visit. Once Fi arrives back and is showered we head out for dinner. Normally, I am standing in the cobblestone lanes, working my way through delicious pinchos, this is not happening tonight. A. There’s the need to sit, non negotiable for feet that have just hiked 25kms. And B. There’s the real need not to have to make too many decisions! It was a long day.

Because tonight we are staying in a hostel and not a pilgrim’s albergue there’s no curfew. Still, we are tired so after dinner, a lovely sit down plated affair we head back for an early night. Everyone else is already back in the room and already quietly in bed. I’m happy there are no party animals who will arrive in later. Now I can crawl my contented body into my bunk bed, draw the little privacy curtain and close this day. Ear plugs in, eye mask on – it’s time to sleep.

Highlight:

Knowing that there were a million reasons not to say yes to this spontaneous and unplanned adventure but deeply glad that I did. The kids will be fine, traveling is happening again (we have vax QR codes to make it happen ;)) and a long walk combined with the ease of the camino, feels like right where I need to be.

Today’s ho hum:

Ok, so I thought we’d booked a female only room. When I saw Peter in the room I mentioned that to him. Then I went straight down to reception and checked. It was a mixed dorm. Did I have to say something, did it even matter? I mean honestly dorms are rarely separated on the camino or in hostels. I didn’t feel unsafe. When I returned I think he was a bit nervous, he really wanted me to know he was here with his daughter and for me to meet her. I could have handled that better, just quietly gone and checked at reception. Hmm … maybe a bit of cooped up covid tension to address.

All Camino routes (resources), Camino del Norte

A Camino In Stages, Camino del Norte

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“Not all who wander are lost.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

Yes, we’re overly familiar with this quote. And yes, it’s an overused cliché in travel writing. But as I begin packing for another camino it speaks to me. I am both parts excited and nervous as I prepare for the next stage of my adventure. Soon, I will again be traversing the north coast of Spain along the Camino del Norte. Soon it will be just me, my thoughts, the trail and all I need in my backpack. Starting each day in one place and ending it in another. Lost in the days as they unfold. Lost in my love of wandering. Lost in a long walk. A camino. Aaah. Good lost.

This long walk began one late September afternoon in 2021. A friend, Fi and I were chatting about life and how we needed something. The world was opening beyond the covid times and we needed to find who we were in this new time. We had both walked a long camino before, the Camino Frances. Fondly we had shared the stories of our camino adventures. “Why don’t we just go and walk a week along the Camino del Norte next month” I ventured. To which she replied “sure, why don’t we”! That was the moment my walk along the Camino del Norte in stages began. A spontaneous why don’t we to friend who said YES let’s!

It isn’t always easy to be spontaneous, to leave my family for a week, to find the space and to just go for walk, a long walk. A walk that follows the arrows. For me it is a call. A call I have learnt to answer. It is who I am. It has become normal in our home for mum to go and walk a camino. It has become my thing. It isn’t that I don’t enjoy other hiking, I do. Very much. The camino just makes it easy to spontaneously go. The infrastructure is there, beds, meals, the many route options. I can hike my pace and be on my own which I enjoy. There are also many opportunities to meet interesting people. Those people that just seem to find you on a camino. The ones who become part of your camino, your life story.

Sometimes, the best plans are the ones you spontaneously say yes to. The ones you don’t even have the time to second guess – because that ball. It.Is.Already.Rolling. How lucky I am it was Fi who I shared my lunch with on that September day. That ball we kicked free has brought me here, to this space. Writing and once again packing. I have been lost in my journal of the first two stages of my Camino del Norte, writing them up to share with yourselves, the camino lovers. I have felt all the feels as I’ve reflected on those days wandering the camino. The time I spent with me, the people I met and the landscapes that became a part of me. Expanding with each step I walked. How grateful I am for having found the camino. Or was it the camino that found me?!? I hope you enjoy my Camino del Norte stories as they land here daily over the next weeks.