Basque Country ramblings

May 2017

A 17-day adventure by Nuala Read more

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- May 8, 2017, 7:23pm
- ☀️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 61 m
- Northern Ireland Lisburn 54.527157, -6.03607554°31’38” N 6°2’10” W
Day 1
Lisburn
May 8, 2017 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Nearly packed - trying to lighten the load!
Traveler Yay! Exciting to think of your adventures ahead! ☀️😎🏃🏽‍♀️
5/8/17Reply
Elizabeth Cuddy Off again Nuala, good for you. Buen Camino, otra vez. Keep us posted. I hope to walk in September
5/9/17Reply
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- May 9, 2017, 8:27am
- ⛅ 9 °C
- Altitude: 90 m
- Ireland Leinster Coultry Dublin Airport 53.426778, -6.24409853°25’36” N 6°14’39” W
Day 2
Dublin airport
May 9, 2017 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
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- May 10, 2017, 3:36pm
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Urrugne Béhobie 43.350083, -1.78386343°21’0” N 1°47’2” W
Day 3
Easy travel day
May 10, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Today's travel went very smoothly. I know that we all complain about Ryanair, but the Dublin to Biarritz flight is super-efficient. I had no problem with my slightly oversized backpack, or with taking my walking poles as hand luggage. It was great not to have to check in a bag.

Bus from Biarritz to Hendaye, followed by a stroll across the bridge between France and Spain. Then a shortish walk to the hostel in Hondarribia.Read more
Traveler Glad it all went smoothly! x
5/10/17Reply
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- May 10, 2017, 3:40pm
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 83 m
- Spain Basque Country Hondarribia Zimizarga 43.362187, -1.81489743°21’44” N 1°48’54” W
Day 3
Hondarribia
May 10, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
I had a peaceful night at the Capitan Tximista albergue. There were about nine of us, so we had good chats at the communal dinner.

This albergue is in a very good location - on the Camino and a few kms from Irun. I didn't want to spend an afternoon and evening in Irun, so it was great to be able to do a short walk on my arrival day. This also has the advantage of shortening tomorrow's walk to San Sebastián.Read more
Traveler Looks delightful. 🌳🌿
5/10/17Reply
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- May 10, 2017, 9:03pm
- 🌧 18 °C
- Altitude: 27 m
- Spain Basque Country San Sebastián San Martin Kontxa / La Concha 43.31638, -1.98539243°18’59” N 1°59’7” W
Day 3
Hobdarribia to San Sebastian
May 10, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Today's walk was about 25kms, on natural trails and country roads. It even included a little boat ride, across the river at Pasajes. My plan was to take the 'alpinista' option, but I accidentally missed the turn and took the easier (and somewhat boring) route from Gauadalupe to Pasajes.

When I arrived in San Sebastián, I had a swim in the sea to ease the aches and pains. It felt great, although the water was colder than I expected!

Blisters on day 1 - not good! Because of all the reports of rain and mud, I'm walking in my favourite hiking boots. I should have known better - my feet get too warm when I wear boots in Spain. I should have brought my lighter walking shoes.

Early night tonight - looking forward to a long sleep.Read more
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- May 10, 2017, 9:05pm
- 🌧 18 °C
- Altitude: 27 m
- Spain Basque Country San Sebastián San Martin Kontxa / La Concha 43.316376, -1.98534943°18’59” N 1°59’7” W
Day 3
San Sebastian
May 10, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
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- May 11, 2017, 5:28pm
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- Spain Basque Country Aia Mendilaueta Zarautz Beach 43.288028, -2.16277843°17’17” N 2°9’46” W
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Day 4
Zarautz
May 11, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
I'm enjoying these seaside places. I stopped for lunch today at the famous Karlos Aguinano restaurant. Thankfully they had outside tables - I would have looked very out of place in the dining room! After this little stop, I walked along the beach and then rejoined the path to Getaria. So much nicer than walking through the town.

On the approach to Zarrautz, I looked back and saw a natural trail leading down to the coast. I think it probably started somewhere near the campsite. This would have been a better alternative to the asphalt road into the town. Next time!Read more
Elizabeth Cuddy What are you eating?
5/11/17Reply
Traveler Pintxos - big tapas. That one was roasted cod. I also had prawns. Very very nice.
5/11/17Reply
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- May 11, 2017, 8:39pm
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 20 m
- Spain Basque Country Getaria San Anton mendia / Cima San Anton 43.304576, -2.20302243°18’16” N 2°12’11” W
Day 4
Getaria
May 11, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
A 26km walk today from San Sebastián. Very enjoyable, some good chats along the way. I'm staying in Getaria tonight - a really nice town with a busy port and two beaches. Another little swim today - great for the aches and the blisters.

I'm having a hotel night tonight at the Hotel Itxas Gain Getaria. It's a family-run hotel and the people are so helpful. They recommended that I have dinner at the harbour - the cafes grill fresh fish each evening. Fantastic!Read more
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- May 13, 2017, 8:01am
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 263 m
- Spain Basque Country Mutriku Kardalamutur 43.293663, -2.3862543°17’37” N 2°23’11” W
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Day 6
Albergue Izarbide - Barrio de Ibiro
May 13, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
About 23 kms from Getaria, with some challenging ups and downs. The hard surfaces (stones, asphalt and concrete) are tough on the feet and the joints. My blisters are sore, but alternating between boots and hiking sandals helps a lot.

I took a few breaks along the way and met lots of familiar faces in Deba. I 'cheated' by taking the elevator down into the city - a great alternative to the steep descent on a hard surface.

All in all, a nice walk with some fantastic views. I'll miss the seaside, but the mountains are beautiful too.

Albergue Izarbide is really good - it's probably one of the best I've stayed in on any Camino. It's very well run, with male & female dorms, lockers, lights & plugs at each bed and an excellent communal dinner. Most of the people I met on my first night in Hondarribia are here, so it's lovely to see them all again.Read more
Traveler Alternative transport - the lift down into the city. It avoids a gruelling descent on concrete and stones.
5/13/17Reply
Traveler Breakfast in Zumaia
5/13/17Reply
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- May 13, 2017, 9:34pm
- ⛅ 15 °C
- Altitude: 422 m
- Spain Basque Country Markina-Xemein Larruskain 43.259113, -2.429143°15’33” N 2°25’45” W
Day 6
Muntibar - Albergue Lea
May 13, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
A long and challenging walk today, 30 kms up and down mountains. It was very beautiful and not at all crowded - apart from a mountain bike race in the early stages. The trail was quite muddy in places, but the weather was dry and very pleasant.

I left Izarbide at around 7.30ish, after a nice bowl of porridge. People laugh at me for carrying porridge in my backpack, but it's great hiking fuel! A big advantage of staying in an albergue rather than a hotel is that the facilities are totally geared towards walkers. It's great to be able to do laundry and use a kitchen.

I took a few breaks along the way, including a long one in Markina. It was first communion day in the town and it was fun to watch the families celebrating. I had no fixed plan for how far I would walk today. I knew that most people were planning to stay in the monastery after Bolibar, but when I arrived there I had enough energy to walk a bit further.

I phoned Albergue Lea in Muntibar to make sure that they had a bed, which thankfully they did. This is another great albergue, run by the most helpful couple ever. There are just 3 of us in a 10-bed dorm. Laundry and breakfast are included in the €15 price - the lady washed and dried all of my clothes. Such luxury! Dinner was great and very reasonably priced, with a 'half menu' option that suited me perfectly. I had a huge portion of lentil soup/stew, crusty bread and some home-made cake.

I soaked my feet in a big basin of ice, which helped my blisters and swollen ankles. I'm very tired, but happy and comfortable. Life is good!Read more
Traveler Sleep well!
5/13/17Reply
Traveler I did!
5/15/17Reply
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