Day 21: Markina Xemien to Guernica

A quiet day on generally dry paths, only some mud, so a big improvement on the previous days. Pretty hilly, with a cold start (below 10 degrees), but it was sunny all day, so it soon warmed up. I met a lot of follow walkers including a Dane who now lives on Vancouver island in…
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Day 20: Deba to Markina Xemien

โ€œMake at least one path in your life a dirt pathโ€, is a saying I have heard every now and then. The problem with dirt paths, is that sometimes they become muddy paths and over the past days I have seen many muddy paths and they are very tiring to walk on, progress is often…
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Day 19: Getaria to Deba

A very short day today, only 18km and breakfast had to be taken before 9am, so I was on my way relatively early for such a short stage. Despite the short length, there were still quite a bit of climbing – 650m elevation. One of the things that I find most difficult when walking, is…
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Day 18: San Sebastian to Getaria

When it rains, it pours. Over 30mm fell during 24 hours. And the result; mud, mud and more mud, plus parts where there wasnโ€™t even mud, only water. 26km, mostly on road/pavement and 790m elevation. I waited to leave until 10.30 hoping that the worst of the rain was over. Thatโ€™s when the heavy rain…
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Day 17: Hondarribis to San Sebastian

Back in Spain and back on the Camino del Norte. The Camino del Norte runs along the northern coast of Spain, through the large towns of San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander and Gijon, many smaller towns and villages and lots of beautiful coastline on its way from the French-Spanish border on the Atlantic coast to Santiago…
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Day 8: Bagneres-du-Bigore to Lourdes

Today I experienced the great and worst of walking. Spectacular (an understatement) views, good walkable paths and clear signage. But also paths so overgrown and often muddy that one could discuss whether they can be considered paths at all, and worse, paths in the middle of nowhere that were closed – without warning and without…

Day 6: Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges to La-Barthe-de-Neste

Van Morison sang โ€œThere will be days like thisโ€ and Paul Simon โ€œSlip sliding awayโ€. They pretty much sum up my day. Although a short day, 24km with 650m elevation, it was a day of challenges. It rained through the night with lightening every 5-10 seconds. Even the French had never seen anything quite like…