I write this while icing my knee in a town called Santander and feeling a little sorry for myself! My injury is self induced as I did not listen to the warning signs my body was telling me. Hopefully I have learned my lesson to slow down and be kinder to myself. My Camino is on pause for a couple of days but I do believe things happen for a reason and I also feel Keith is guiding this Camino so weirdly I’m ok with taking a short break! Tomorrow I tentatively plan to get going again.. fingers crossed!
I now have my daily routine dialed in. Most pilgrims like to walk alone at the beginning of the day and we seem to start our journeys staggered, we also sometimes take different routes but invariably catch up with another or meet at the next albergue. Then it is time to shower, wash clothes, have dinner and head to bed hoping our clothes dry. You would think that this routine would get monotonous but I can tell you after being stuck in one place for two days, I can’t wait to get back to it!
Bilboa to Pobena (16.5 miles)
I had a rough night, a girl in the dorm was coughing all night and I could not sleep. At 5am I got up and at 6am I started to walk to Pobena in the dark. Today was the first time I felt a little nervous being alone as I walked through a large industrial area where there were young people partying on the side of the street and clearly had been drinking the whole night. Nothing happened but I did pause for a moment as the environment was eeery in the dark. After many kilometers of walking along streets I crossed the river by an unusual method.. a “vessel” that was suspended from a bridge by cables and transports people along with vehicles. Soon after I found myself going up hills in the city of Portugalette on exposed moving sidewalks like the ones you see at airports, the Camino offers surprises at random times. I was happy to see the beach when entering Pobena and I was also greeted by a festival, the town was one big party. I secured a bed at the hostel by being the first one there and by arriving three hours early. After another delightful “menu del dia” we hung out listening to the bustle of the festival.
I am very excited for tomorrow as I have decided that with every 10 day increment I will treat myself to a hotel… tomorrow is day 10!!
Pobena to Islares (16.3 miles)
None of us got much sleep as the festival went on to the wee hours of the morning and the band was set up right next to the hostel. The Spaniards know how to party, they also do not eat dinner until 9pm so at 10:30pm they are just getting started with their evening entertainment!
I walked most of today with two ex-military men and it was fascinating to hear about their experiences, one had been in intelligence and the other was in combat in Iraq. Both had different responsibilities but felt the same way on many issues and struggle sometimes with their feelings on war, politics and the aftermath of their experiences.
Today’s hike was relatively easy and much of it was on paved pathways or streets. The day started with rain but it soon turned into a gorgeous day and I soon found myself in an amazing town called Castro Urdiales. It was the perfect place to have lunch by the harbor along with a beautiful church as a backdrop. I continued on to my hotel in a town called Islares where my private room was waiting for me. I had the most heavenly shower and was able to ice my knee without bothering anyone. Weirdly I miss the hostel life but looking forward to a good nights sleep!!
Islares to Berria (17.5 miles)
My knee is bad, I’m so bummed. I departed early as I was awake anyway and I knew it would be a slow day. I walked in the dark on roads, my headlamp died within 10 minutes so the only light I had was from my phone, it was a little sketchy. Finally the road turned into hilly countryside, I did not see one other pilgrim the whole way. I entered the small town of Laredo and quickly found a pharmacy where bandages and high dose ibuprofen was promptly purchased. Laredo has a lovely Long Beach which I walked (hobbled) alongside before catching a ferry to Santoña. I continued to make slow progress to the hostel where we had a dorm reserved exclusively for my Camino family, it was fun having us all together that night, it felt like a family campout!
Berria to Guemes (13.3 miles)
I had a late start but had already decided to take a short route to the next Albergue. It was not very scenic as I chose a more direct route along roads that were relatively flat and little more knee friendly than the alternative. I finally arrived at the most amazing donation based albergue and soon after arriving they fed me lunch and wine. This albergue is known to be one of best on this route and it is easy to see why.
The albergue is run by Ernasto and a small group of volunteers. The building was originally built over 100 years ago by Ernesto’s grandparents who had 15 children! The history is fascinating and worth reading about History . The grounds to the albergue are beautiful with many rooms to explore and full of pictures, books, journals and momentoes, dinner and breakfast was also provided. There is no fee to stay here as it is donation based.
Guemes to Santander (11.8 miles)
I woke up and quickly realized my knee injury is serious. My accommodation for Santander was already secured so I had the luxury of walking slowly. The trail between these two towns is beautiful with much of it high along the edge of a cliff looking down at the coastline. Eventually you scramble down and walk along the beach which is busy with surfers. A blissful ferry crossing takes you across to Santander. As soon as I reached the hostel I quickly changed my reservation from two nights to three, I found a pharmacy that gave me extra strong meds and I started icing my knee!
The saddest part of the day was saying goodbye to my current Camino family who will be too far ahead for me to catch up with. I am so grateful for meeting every single one of them and I know our paths will cross again in the future.
