Markina-Xemein to Gernika

After Deba, we had left the sea for a few days. I had assumed that this coastal route was up and down simply because it was a rugged coast, sort of like Oregon. However, this is actually a mountainous area and we've been going up and down over them continually, and today was no exception. It was a good day with a little rain off and on, but no big downpour. We walked about 16 and a half miles and got to Gernika at about 4:00. Our mileage is always a bit more than what the route says. We're not sure if that's because of different GPS readings or because we measure it from one accommodation to the next. This has been my best day yet in terms of how I feel. I actually arrived in Gernika with enough energy to go out and about. (We ate Basque pintxos for the first time!) I was interested in seeing some of the town because of the reading I had done about the tragedy just before world war II. It's an interesting mix of old architecture that survived the bombing, and the new buildings that have been built up since then.

The statue of the guitar player is posted here specially for Benjamin.Read more