Deba to Markina-Xemein, part 1

An entry of random thoughts:

Yesterday was an epic journey! Taking the variants and seeing the Flyche was crazy and memorable, but it expended a lot of energy. The route was much different than the traditional path, and I think it took a toll on Bonnie and me. We were grateful for the overcast weather, as the previous two days were hot and sunny. Last night, it rained, so our path today is damp, muddy, and the rocks and pavement are slippery.

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I’ve done a lot of planning and scouting for this trip, but I’m also letting each day come as it is. Yesterday, I was focused on that route and the entrances to the variants so that we didn’t miss them. I didn’t pay attention to today's section until last night when I checked in my guide books. We noticed that today is marked as "hard" in terms of effort, like one of the hardest on the Norte, which neither of us were prepared for after yesterday.

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Bonnie and I were so thankful for our accommodations last night. They were difficult to find because a Bruce Springsteen concert had everything booked from Deba back to San Sebastian. Months ago, I attempted to book a room from a pension and was told none were available, however they did have an apartment for rent. I put a deposit down, and it was so nice to have not only nice beds but separate rooms, separate bathrooms, and a beautiful ocean view (as we had no energy to walk down to the ocean at the end of the day).

Funny story: when we arrived at the office to get our keys, the manager told us the apartment was back up on the hill we had just struggled down. Bonnie basically lost her religion coming down that slope, and when the lady pointed back up the hill, we both said, "Hell no!"

This town has actually built a series of two outdoor elevators to get people up the hill, but even the walk to the elevator at that time seemed like more steps than either of us had left. So, even though we had intended not to get into a moving vehicle until we were finished with this Camino, we did accept a ride back up to the apartment. We only came down once for groceries and dinner yesterday evening.

The apartment also had a washing machine, which was so nice to clean our clothes after yesterday. We laughed about how appalling it must have smelled in the car with the apartment manager. Earlier in the day I had sat down on a bench for a break next to a lady who appeared to have been picking up dog poop in a field. No sooner did I sit down than she stood up, walked across the street, and just stood there. Bonnie laughed, saying, "Dad you must smell pretty bad; the poop scooper is trying to distance themselves from you!"

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The restaurant that looked good to us was closed for no obvious reason, but that can be expected on the Camino. We found a kebab shop that gave a nice deal: kebab, french fries, and a drink. The only annoying part was the TV that was blaring this god-awful song in the background over and over and over. The whole time we were there, it was my turn to lose my religion. Bonnie just laughed at me.

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When we got back to the apartment, we put out our laundry to dry, and I set to edit photos, which I fell asleep between almost every other one. We went to bed early and both rested well. We did talk about the coming day and how there would be a long stretch, about 17 KM, unsupported by any towns, facilities, or food. So, we would have to prepare for that.

When faced with a difficult challenge I tend to put my head down and just push through it. Bonnie reminded me to keep my head up today, be present with the moment, and even stop often to look behind us to see where we had just come. While today was challenging, it was a beautiful, mostly forest walk through mist and clouds.

We ate anise flavored mini-cakes from this town, as it is one of their specialties, and we shared the box of them with the other pilgrims at the community meal this evening.

No one else at our table is walking all the way to Santiago.

We are one day and 40,000 steps closer to it ourselves.Leggi altro