Sadly the program that I am using to blog is not phone friendly (contrary to what I was told before I left). My posts may be sporadic and likely with lots of spelling mistakes and written more terribly than usual!
My first week has become a blur and I have reached the point of not knowing what day it is or where I am.. it’s perfect! Now that I have found my rhythm I will hopefully write more consistently but here is a recap of the past few days and that brings me to day seven.
https://youtu.be/UhVRVpiO-hs?si=83YFx8YmOK-SIXag
Irún – San Sebastián (27km)
Irún is the official starting point for the Camino Del Norte so for many pilgrims this was their first day. This first stage (each section of the walk is considered a stage) is not a gentle start to this pilgrimage and consists of climbing two mountains and a boat crossing. The scenery is worth the effort with coastal views you walk through lush green landscape. Roughly 2 hours after departing I could hear singing which seemed very strange as it seemed I was in the middle of nowhere but when I turned the corner I came across a church with quite a few people standing watching a service. It seemed so incredibly beautiful but random. This is where I met Christine from New Zealand and we continued through some single track and at times rocky terrain. Shortly after we met Catherine from Russia and my old friend Nicolas from Belgium. My Camino family was forming! Finally we arrived in San Sebastián which is a beautiful city and a major tourist destination showcasing a beautiful beach which is where Christine and I headed as soon as we arrived! We both took turns swimming in the ocean followed by many glasses of wine, which at the cost of 2 euros per glass is easy to do!
San Sebastián – Zarautz (22km)
I decided to walk alone which was short lived as 30 minutes later I met Andrew from Switzerland. We continued on trail alternating between country roads and single track pathways. We stumbled across a donation based snack shack offering juices and home made baked goods. The person who was volunteering there said the place has a sister restaurant in Vista, CA?!! I did not understand all the details and will have to research when I get home! Another couple of pilgrims joined myself and Andrew (Rachael and Brad from Seattle) and later on we met up with Nicolas. In Zarautz we all celebrated our successful stage completion with the meal of the day and more wine! It is so inexpensive to eat here, the meal of the day consists of three courses and often wine is included with an average cost of 14 euros.
Zarautz is amazing, I stayed at the Klein Hostel which is run by a surf coach who had just returned from San Clemente, CA and he kindly gave me a mini private tour of the town. I learned his son is professional surfer Keoni Lasa (ranked #10) and he had coached the French team during the Olympics. In the evening I sat chatting with other hostel guests, the most fascinating was a French guy who was living at the hostel. At 65 years old he had gotten the surfing bug and was living in Zarautz to continue his surfing journey along with hiring a private surf coach. He used to be an art dealer and owns luxury homes in Valencia, London and Paris but for now is having fun living in Zarautz. Having felt lonely living in a hotel he moved into the hostel so he could chat with the guests while building a home close by. My experience in Zarautz is one that I will remember especially since I now have a waterproof rain jacket that I acquired from my new French friend!
Zareutz – Deba 23km
Today I decided to walk alone and chose to take alternative routes. It is clear that I love to chat with people so frequently I end up walking with other pilgrims but when you couple that with sleeping in dormitories, alone time is hard to find. I put my ear phones in, turned on my music and went on my way.
The downside with taking an alternative route is not knowing what to expect and I ended up high on a bluff. I had amazing views of the coastline but with recent rain it was incredibly muddy. My shoes accumulated so much mud it was like walking on black ice … at one point I realized if I fall and get injured/die I will likely not be found. It was slow going and I knew that the hostel in Deba was on a first come basis so I was getting nervous but also had to be careful and take my time. Thankfully I secured a bed but soon after bumped into Christine who had made the same route choice as me and found herself with nowhere to sleep. We celebrated surviving the crazy trail with wine and finding her an airbnb!
The hostel I stayed at in Deba is part of a train station, it was super cool and most of my pilgrim family were there….my Camino family is growing!
My first week has been amazing!