Portugalete to Castro Urdiales

One of the nice things about walking out of a town at 7 am is the smell of freshly baked bread from the panaderías. This morning that was the best thing about the walk out of Portugalete, as most of it was a long slog on a pedestrian/bike way adjacent to a highway. I finally reached the countryside with the familiar horses, cows, and sheep.

Not too long after that I reached the ocean again. Unfortunately, part of the trail along the headland overlooking the sea was closed due to (I've read) a landslide.

After the short detour I was again walking on a path overlooking the ocean. I mostly walked alone, but did meet a few other pilgrims on the way, and walked with a Spanish man whose English was slightly better than my Spanish. When we reached the village of Ontón a farrier was busy shoeing horses, and I considered an upgrade on my soles.

I took a short nap after my daily shower and clothes washing routine, so I haven't had a chance to look around town yet.Read more