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Camino Del Norte

September - October 2023
Walking 822km from Irun, Spain to Santiago de Compostela, Spain Read more
  • 37footprints
  • 2countries
  • 33days
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  • 6.8kmiles
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  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 6

    Pozueta to Bilbao, Spain

    September 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Wonderful stay at the albergue in Pozueta last night. Amazing communal dinner served so I was able to meet a few others I’ve been running into briefly on the trail. Guy from Iowa, Slovakia, and a guy and gal from the same city in Canada (Quebec City) who didn’t know each other until last night. There were about 10-12 in our room and it was quiet all night. Slept like a baby. We set out together this morning and walked a couple hours before arriving at the first village for food/coffee. It is really hot here. I think it got to 95 degrees, supposed to be a little hotter tomorrow but luckily we are only doing 20Km. Unbearable. I, of course researched historic weather for the whole route and found lows this time of year are 60’s and highs of mid 70’s. I feel silly for having a jacket and leggings and a long sleeve shirt in my pack!! To think i was worried about being cold on this route. We will get a mix of weather for sure but, it’ll be 80’s-90’s for the next week. We had a 300 meter climb today that about did me in and then straight down into the city. It still felt like an easy one compared to the other day where we just climbed and climbed with no towns all day. I think that day was nearly 600 meters. We were about 3/4 up the mountain and we see Iowa sitting on a bench that was in the middle of nowhere. He said he got dizzy from the hike and heat and had never had that happen to him before. He said he drank plenty of water, but, it didn’t matter, we were sweating it out faster than we could put it in. After talking to him we looked across the trail and noticed a vending machine full of several drink choices. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I thought it was a mirage! I had water, but it was warm, so this was such a nice surprise. I got an electrolyte drink, my 3rd of the day. I couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t a really beautiful hike today, we walked through towns, on pavement, exposed to the heat with little shade, so that kind of sucked.
    Bilbao is a really big city, and really beautiful. I wish i had more time here. We went to the Guggenheim, which was cool, but that is all we could fit in before it was time to feed our bodies that burned about 1900 calories today! We are definitely operating on a calorie deficiency!! There’s no way I’m taking in that many calories a day. My watch says we walked 18.77 miles and 40,585 steps. I believe it. Nathalie’s registers more, but I think hers is messed up. It always says a lot more. All I know is that it was long and hot!
    Luckily I booked a place in the old city which wasn’t located on the other end of town. Tonight we are at a hostal, but since I was booking several accommodations months ago, I was able to get a private room tonight and the other two are in bunk rooms. I really needed this. I don’t mind too much the bunk rooms, but a quiet private room is nice and I hope to do this every 5 days or so. Proper rest is super important to pull off this mileage day in and day out for a month.
    It’s 10:30 here and I need to get some sleep, good night.    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 7

    Bilbao to Portugalete, Spain

    September 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Tomorrow we leave the Basque Country and enter Cantabria. This trail will cross 4 regions, which is cool. All so different in their own unique way. We will be in Cantabria for about a week.
    I’ve debated whether or not to share a little story with you about last night, but decided I will. You deserve the good, bad, and the ugly, right? Wouldn’t want you to get bored 😂 Since I started doing these Camino trails 10 years ago I’ve done a ton of research. One topic that has always freaked me out was the reports of….here it goes…100% honesty…BEDBUGS. So remember last night I told you I booked a private room all to myself? It had beautiful white crisp sheets, so I didn’t need my sleep sac. The place wasn’t a USA quality hotel or anything, it was a hostal that had bunk rooms and private rooms. I woke up at 1:30 to use the bathroom and tuned on my side lamp, flipped the covers back and to my surprise, I wasn’t sleeping alone. 😬 There were bugs in the bed, on my pillow, under the bottom sheet. Probably a dozen. They come out in the dark and hate light, so I surprised them. I got up so fricken fast and went to the other side of the room where my backpack and packing cubes were and started getting my stuff together and looking through everything for any sign of them (don’t want to pick up a hitchhiker and take it with me), but didn’t see any. Still. When you see that you think they are everywhere and crawling all over you. None were on me, but I went to the shower and scrubbed the hell out of my head and body and checked myself out for bites. No sign of bites. I gathered all my things and went down to the lobby. No one was there. I sat in the corner, on a chair, knees bent, feet on my chair like someone who’d just seen the worst scary movie ever. I wanted to run. I didn’t care that it was pitch black, or that my hanging dry clothes were locked out on a balcony drying that I couldn’t access. I sent a WhatsApp group a message, thinking maybe they were being feasted on while I sat there. No answer. So there I sat. A long time. Called Sterling, grossed out and freaked him out (why is my wife calling me at 2am Spain time, what the heck happened), and then decided I really needed to sleep an hour at least, so I got my permethrin treated (twice treated) sleep sac out and covered my entire body, head and all, inside and tried to sleep. Ya right. That didn’t happen and pretty soon it was 7:00 and lady who helps run the place walked in. I peeked my head out from my sac and said “Buenas Dias, I slept here since 1:30, I was in room 51, and”before I got out the word bedbugs she knew. SHE KNEW. She immediately said she would give me a full refund. Big woop. I’m traumatized for life. They definitely know they have a problem and have yet to shut down and address it. There’s protocol for this. Close down. Fumigation. Clean. Notify other hostels down the road to watch for them to be spread. Anyways I asked her to unlock the balcony so I could get my things, the only things that were truly safe because they weren’t in that room, and she promptly did. Probably wanted me out of there quick as to not alert the others pilgrims. But, then I awkwardly sat there for a half hour until the girls came down. Nathalie saw the message and was mortified. Holly hadn’t checked it yet so I told her. I felt like quitting. I was mentally tired and pissed. I did a ton of reading about them and bites can take up to two weeks to show up. Not typically, but there’s a chance. I turned my attitude around and got on with the walk. What could I do? Although my pack was not near the bed and didn’t see any near it, I still wanted to protect my friends and other travelers who share space with me so I washed everything I have in the laundromat when I got to Portugalete. As I pulled my things out I examined everything closely, looked at the seams of my pack, everything. No sign. But, I did go to the pharmacy after laundry and got cream for it in case I discovered any bites in the coming days. Awesome. This trip has had some sort of challenge since before I left home. Frustrated, but for now, hanging in there. I’ve seen people before who have been bitten and they are covered in sores quickly. I’m hopeful and don’t want to let my thoughts go crazy and get to the point where I stop. If I’m covered in bites in the coming days, I’m definitely going home. It’s too hot and sweaty to deal with itchy bites everywhere. But, for now, I’m ok and I’m still in.
    OTHER THAN THAT, the walk was pretty flat today through industrial Bilbao and then along the beautiful Nervion River. Went 2km past where I needed to at the end of the day in 90 degree weather, so there was that. On to tomorrow. It can only get better right…….? 🙏🏻    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 8

    Portugalete to Castro Urdiales, Spain

    September 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    What a beautiful day!! We did 27.5km (17 miles) and made it to this charming little city. I’m sitting at the port writing and the temperature is perfect right now. It was blazing hot today, walking in 85 degrees is dang hot to walk in. But it’s pretty amazing, we are practically dead when we arrive to our destination. Then shower, no make up, no fixing hair, no perfume, no nuthin but clean clothes and wet heads that dry naturally. Ya I never do that. Maybe that’s why I like it here. Such a freedom. I’ll admit, I did put on a little tinted moisturizer to tone down my sun drenched face! Then we hit the town, find a town square and go over what is for tomorrow’s walk. And of course a €1,90 glass of vino blanco is in order to relax the muscles. We never get drunk. It’s one or two then rest and wait for that damn 8pm dinner. That’s the most challenging part to the evening, waiting for a good meal so we can go to bed. Everything is cheap. I ate breakfast for €3 this morning that included a tortilla (it’s like a frittata in a way, but no crust, just egg, potato, cheese and ham in a pie shape) and cafe Americano. I can’t get a croissant for that price at home, let alone a coffee. That part is nice. I spend so much less here. I’m not filling up my truck for $150 a week, not shopping, not buying expensive lunches and dinners. Full on 3 course dinners here are €10. It’s nuts. I actually save money by coming here. That’s what I tell myself anyways 😉
    Tomorrow is a bigger day, today was a big day, but we will go a little further so we have a short 15km day to Santander day after tomorrow, where Nathalie will go back to Belgium.
    I talked to a lady from California last night and she reminded me of an app that I have downloaded. It’s an interactive map that works without WiFi. I’ll never get lost again or go too far. This route is not like the Frances. I didn’t have to even think much on the other routes. Locals helped more, it was so much easier. I feel like I’m always needing to pay attention on this route. I don’t like that, it doesn’t allow me to just walk and let go of concerns and let things unfold. I’m hoping that gets better now with this app. I used it all day and it worked so well for us. What a relief. It’s absolutely too hot to mess up.
    Still no bites have surfaced. I’m praying that continues. I’m not freaked out anymore because if I would’ve reacted terribly to it, I would’ve by now. If I find a couple bites in the coming days, ohh well. Nothing yet though and it was an act of god I didn’t. I can’t believe I didn’t get bit. They were surrounding me. I woke up for the bathroom at the perfect time. I should’ve been feasted on. Last night at about 2am my eyes popped open, I grabbed my phone, turned on the flashlight in my sleep sac and nothing. I’ll probably do that every single night. The trauma is real.
    We’ve already done about 200km!! Woo Hoo!! Only 640K to go! What an experience so far, I can’t imagine what is to come. I’m feeling stronger. Fitter. My legs and butt are damn strong. I’m taking hills better and my endurance is way better. It’s amazing what walking, day in and day out does in hot weather!! Plus the food here is healthy. It’s not shit food with tons of condiments. Simple, but sufficient. I rarely see overweight people here. The old people walk all over the place. The portion size is just what you need, not like home when you go to dinner and have enough for lunch the next day.
    I think that’s it for now, we will walk around this beautiful town (what’s a few more kilometers?!) and then find dinner. I see a cool church in the distance I’d like to check out. Love you, miss you, peace be with you.    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 9

    Castro Urdiales to Laredo, Spain

    September 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Wow. We hit it hard today. We did over 30k. Nathalie’s watch says 23 miles, Hollys watch says 21 miles, mine says 20. Let’s just say we hiked a looong way, 10 hours. Had a couple stops that were about a total of a half hour. The sun was bahlazing again, so getting to Laredo was priority.
    The landscape was so beautiful. Along the beach, caught another sunrise, through pretty villages, and up and down TWO mountains today. Needless to say we high-fived big time at the end. We killed it. Right at the end of the day there were some very fit Spanish people we had crossed paths with off and on and one of the guys puked it was so strenuous. However instead of electrolytes or water at breaks, they get a beer! Note to self, no matter how good that cold beer looks 7 hours in, don’t. I saw it on the pavement. No food, just liquid. He looked bad, sick, and miserable. Me, I just looked miserable and everything on me was soaking wet. Biggest regret of the day was that we couldn’t do our laundry yesterday and I had thrown my lovely washcloth in the dirty clothes bag so I didn’t have it to use. I can’t believe how much I sweat. I can hardly get through the day without it, and here it was the longest day yet, and I didn’t have it.
    Still no bites, by the way. I have come to believe God woke me up at the perfect time for the bathroom. There is no other explanation. I was so tired and I haven’t been getting up at night for the bathroom. I sleep HARD, when street noise allows. It was a blessing and there’s no doubt about it. Guess what I do when we get to albergues first thing? Check baseboards and mattresses!! I don’t care how good the vibe is, how ‘clean’ it looks, show me the mattress. Show me behind the baseboards. By September all these places have had so many people through them. The proprietors are so exhausted. Imagine doing this 7 days a week from April-October. Not an easy job. No excuse though, this is their job and laziness can affect every other accommodation all the way down the road to Santiago de Compostela.
    Ahh Santiago. It’s a long ways away. But today I got really strong-minded and had a moment of resolve where I was like, I’ve endured way too much to give up now. I’ve conquered mountains, hot weather, aching body, bed bugs, calorie deficiency every single day, warm water (but I’ve never run out), and tears of sadness and joy. I’m doing it and I’m going to keep doing it.
    My watch says my weekly summary is 10,334 calories (average of 1722/day), 224,911 steps, 105.57 miles, 450 flights climbed. Not saying this brag, but more for my own record to look back on..and honestly it doesn’t seem like it’s very much compared to how I feel right now!
    Laundry is now done, all clean clothes to start with tomorrow. I’ll have one set soaked by 15 minutes into the walk tomorrow.
    But..guess what..Holly and I get a private room tomorrow night in Guemes. It has a pool!!!!! Looks nice and it’s €65. In the states it would be at least $200. A little indulgence after another 18 mile day. I’ll take it.
    Austin (my son) called me right when I got here today. I thought of him this morning and cried. Tried to hide it from Holly, but didn’t do a very good job of it. Walked alone for awhile and choked back the tears because I just didn’t have the energy for a full on breakdown. Love that beautiful boy. My heart breaks in a million pieces thinking of what he’s been through, what we’ve all been through, and how far he’s come. I’m so proud of him. But damn, what a hard couple years it’s been. He’s good. He’s working on himself and doing what he needs to do. So glad he called. God I needed that.
    Onward I go. Time to find food. Much love to you friends and family, know you are ALL in my thoughts and in my heart.    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 10

    Laredo to Guemes, Spain

    September 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Another crazy difficult day! We clocked another 30Km day! No blisters for Holly and I yet, we have a system that’s working for us and we are sticking with it. Toe socks with Darn Tough Merino socks on top. I know it sounds overkill, but it has worked for me for years and I’m so glad Hollys feet are happy with it too.
    Today was pretty cool. We all walked a few kilometers and then had to take quick 10 minute ferry across and start hiking again. We did have a pretty scary little stretch from one end of the beach where we hiked straight up, very technical, no room for slipping. At one point I was on all fours dropping my foot placement just perfectly in order to make the next step. I also thought having poles were not a good idea and quickly realized that I definitely needed them to plant to test the ground before stepping. Before we headed up a local said it was very dangerous and that the trail slips away sometimes, so to be very careful. He wasn’t over exaggerating!! What made it more difficult was a group of like 8 who were older, not hikers, painted toe nails in sandals trying to maneuver in front of us. No place to pass. They were on a little day trip we think. We had 30k to knock out and they mine as well been in walkers they were going so slow. One fell, saw a couple other dirty butts, so they did too, I assume, but they were taking forever and it was so hot. We were getting a little anxious and finally Nathalie (of course she did!) shouted, “Hey move over, we have a long ways to go today”. A man shouted back “They are elderly, be patient” and she replied, “I’m not patient, come on”. Then she started saying “beep beep beep coming through on the right”, God I love this girl!! She made her point, got through the masses, and then they got a clue and moved over for several others that needed through. It was tough!! Really tough. I’m not sure why they were on that hill. A lot of other pilgrims took the road route because of the danger of falling off or slipping and getting injured. We made our way down to this huge beach and we walked for about 3 or 4km on it before getting back on a trail. I’ve never spent much time on the beaches in Spain..and coming from a puritanical society in the USA, I was a little taken back by what I saw! We were strolling along in our sexy hiking cloths, dripping in sweat, while families with kids and dogs, and couples young and older were enjoying their Sunday afternoon. I always notice dogs first and then the people they are with. I was checking out this dog playing around and here comes an older couple strolling along and they were naked. His stuffs just swingin, hers too, and it’s so natural for them. All I could think of was at least put some sunscreen on? Wouldn’t want all those parts getting burned!! I noticed it the first day in San Sebastián too. Women topless sun bathing. Such confidence! Here I was hotter than heck and I thought about taking my shirt off, soaking it in the water and then putting it back on but didn’t want to flash anyone with my bra!! Seriously! We come from a very different place, indeed. However I could do without seeing anymore old dingers swinging around.
    After we got through that stretch we walked through town and found the yellow arrows again that would lead us to Guemes. A lot of road walking after that. We were getting rummy and a little giggley. We were walking down this street and this younger man was walking towards us. He had nothing on but shorts that were tucked into the built in underwear. And I said ‘Here comes another naked man”. We all started laughing so hard. He must’ve felt so small after passing us because we were all losing it.
    We finally made it to our destination, Holly and I got our own private room, a lady washed our clothes and delivered them to our rooms. I had a shower and then a nice relaxing bath. It was perfect for the muscles!! Then Holly and I went for a lovely dinner at the place attached to this Posada. Unbelievably wonderful. Best meal yet on the Camino.
    It’s 11:30 now & need to get some rest. ❤️    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 11

    Guemes to Santander, Spain

    September 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Today was a perfect start. Cool, crisp morning makes for easy walking. The Posada we stayed at had a simple breakfast, but really good coffee. They didn’t open until 8, so we didn’t need to rush for once. Holly FINALLY got gluten free bread for breakfast and she was super happy. We only had about 20Km to walk today and much of it was along the jagged coastline with waves crashing below, surfing lessons in full swing, experienced surfers waiting for that perfect wave, and beach goers taking in their last sweet days of summer. The breeze was slight, with the refreshing saltwater air flowing right when the sun started heating up my face and I needed it the most. I took photos knowing they would not paint the picture I was seeing, but, it’s all about the memories, and thinking back to this perfect moment in time when everything felt right and good. At the top of the ridge there was an outlook with benches to soak in the views. There was Nathalie, who had started earlier from her albergue, waiting for us on the bench, blonde hair in disarray, showing signs she had weathered 11 days on this challenging Camino. It’s her last day. She does 2 weeks a year, so I knew this was coming. Bittersweet. I’m happy she completed what she set out to do, but my selfishness didn’t want her to go. We walked her final 5-6km together along the beach, and caught the ferry over to Santander. Once in Santander, it was too early to check in so we dropped off our things at the Hostal and went out to explore this beautiful city. First stop was for tapas and then we needed to find the bus station so she could buy a ticket out to the airport and Holly and I could buy our tickets for tomorrow. We are skipping ahead a few stages to Llanes. I really wanted to see the towns we are skipping, but our flight home is for the 4th and we would need to do some very long days (a couple 38km days, and a couple 30km days to make it work) and we would only get one day in Santiago. It’s Holly’s first time there, and I very much enjoy that city, it deserves a real visit. So, by doing this skipping ahead, it will lighten our daily demands quite a lot, and get us to Santiago with 2.5 days to visit it properly, celebrate Holly’s birthday, and bask in our completion. From the bus station we went to the cathedral to have a look, but unfortunately it was closed. Then as we headed to check out another plaza we were waiting to cross the street when we were approached by a Spanish guy who kept pointing to his phone and talking to Holly directly. She wasn’t understanding him, thought he wanted a charger or something, and was giving him the “I don’t understand, leave me alone”reaction as she kept walking. He kept on her. Nathalie had a good feeling about the guy, remembered seeing him at the bus station, and wanted to try and understand him, so she stopped, forcing all of us to stop and listen. Another lady (English speaking) got involved and it was finally communicated that a phone was left back at the bus station where we bought tickets. He had turned it in and followed/looked for us for at least 15-20 minutes. It was Holly’s phone. 😬 You lose your phone here, you mine as well go home. We need it for booking hostals, flight info, checking in at home, Camino maps, directions all over the cities, everything is on it and it’s a necessary part of this journey. Holly had an angel today. He was persistent, even when she was firmly trying to blow him off. It was amazing the kindness he had in his heart, I’m sure he had better things to do than run around a city looking to find her to let her know he left it with the ticket agent. Amen. Thank you Lord. Nathalie was nearly scolding her, in a way only Nathalie can do, telling her she needed to be more careful and to wear it around her neck or figure out a different spot with her phone. I have a feeling Holly will never do that again, not that she meant to, but after a scare like that, I think we all were reminded to be more aware, especially so far from home.
    Nathalie just left. My little ray of sunshine. My Camino friend from 2016 whom I have now shared the Frances, Primitivo, and the Norte roads with. What a blessing to have had her company once again. She’s so funny, kind, strong, and self sufficient. I truly love this woman. When we see each other each time it’s like no time has passed and we pick up where we left off, on the road, putting one foot in front of the other, day in and day out. We hugged hard, and I cried as she walked out of the hostel. Holly was on the phone with Ron, working on stuff for her grandson and felt bad she was only able to do a quick goodbye before getting back to it with Ron. I told her I am sure she understood what she was doing was important.
    For me, I’ve learned this Camino only works for me if I can truly let go. No chasing emails, phone calls, texts, or all the responsibilities I have 365 days a year. My only job here is to walk, eat, sleep, laundry, and do this little blog. I am fortunate to have a husband, children, clients, colleagues, and a boss who fully supports me letting it go for a month. I give my all when I am home and at work all year long. I need to check out in order to be better for everyone when I return. I gotta work on me. I lost my dad last year. I didn’t grieve. My mom needed me to be strong, it was in August, so work was busy, and I couldn’t stop and process that I had just watched my dad die within a month of finding out he had cancer. It all happened so fast and unexpectedly. I am forcing myself to be selfish with this moment in time because the second I hit U.S. soil, it all begins again. I welcome it and am excited for it to resume in a few weeks. I love my family, friends, job, clients, all of them, with every ounce of my being. While I love this break, I sure love coming home to the life my husband and I have built together over the last 27 years. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am feeling a bit sad right now, missing Nathalie, but we always manage to find a way to see each other again. It’s a small world, and when you find someone who brings out good in you, encourages you to be strong and gives a fresh perspective on life, you seek them out and they seek you out. Now I will turn my sadness into gratitude. What an awesome experience to share with someone so special and dear to my heart. Until next time, Nathalie, Buen Camino ❤️🎒👣    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 12

    Rest Day Bus Santander to Llanes, Spain

    September 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Cutest little city I think I’ve ever seen. It was a big surprise to arrive here by bus from raining and gloomy Santander. Luckily we were able to enjoy the city with Nathalie yesterday because today was not the day to explore. We hopped the bus at 11:30, got to Llanes around 1, dropped our things off at the hostal and had a fabulous day exploring this beautiful town. It’s full of little shops, pastries, chocolates, and restaurants that don’t adhere to siesta. We were able to eat at a normal time (for us), visit a church, walk around the entire town that was full of tourists. It’s one of those towns that are quaint, straight out of a fairytale, but had a vibe like a little city full of all the options you could ever want. I was able to get churros and thick hot chocolate to dip them in, they were fabulous. Holly and I needed this break, while we still managed to clock 6 miles, it was all done with joy and truly felt like a break from the grueling heat and endless roads. We were both in a little funk yesterday after Nathalie left and the rain didn’t help, so today was an absolute blessing and recharge for us both. Sometimes taking a break, giving our bodies some rest and love is just what is needed on the Camino so we can continue full force tomorrow. 30km tomorrow, won’t be easy, but we gave our bodies thanks for getting us this far so it can get us further. Looking forward to following those arrows tomorrow morning.Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 13

    Llanes to Ribadesella, Spain

    September 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    34km today. Lovely walk until the pain started setting in the last 5. Perfect cool weather, overcast, no rain, slight breezes. Part of the day with a view of the sea and the rest inland on rolling country roads. I made a comment to Holly at one point, “We must’ve done something right in life to be blessed to be walking here, in Spain, along the most beautiful coastlines and a beautiful shaded countryside.” I’d like to think so? Then we got to the end of the day, drained as hell, dehydrated, because, well, we weren’t getting scorched, and we weren’t feeling the need to drink our water. Mistake. One we won’t make again. I only drank about 24oz of water..bad Tammy. You know better. Also this is the first time I had to use the restroom on a break because I wasn’t sweating profusely. I think the weather may be changing. That jacket I’ve been packing around, leggings, running jacket, maybe they will start to get used instead of being wasted space/weight. I’m not the bad ass you may think though. We have been having Mikel and Miguel transporting our backpacks every day for about €10. Sorry but my little baby pack that holds my important stuff, rain poncho, water, couple bananas, etc is such a relief. If I were packing my pack every day, it may kill me. I’ve done it before, but lately this heat, these damn hills, and high mileage has made me justify this decision. Come on. €10/day to save my back and knees, minimal cost. I still need to function after this. And it is still very difficult. We hiked TWENTY MILES today. We have about 20ish days of walking left, we want to make it, so we are going to accept what the Camino provides. Another thing the Camino provides is super cheap wine (usually $2/glass), and private rooms ($30!) from time to time. Why not? It helps traveling with another person. We split the cost of a private room that makes it very comparable to the price of a bed in a dormitory. Hmm do we pay $25 for a bed in a big dormitory of sharing bathrooms and snoring or $35 for a private room the two of us share? Easy choice!
    Our laundry just finished in the laundromat, time to go back to the room, regroup, and find dinner. All is well, our muscles are happy to be resting for a few hours now. We can get up and do this again tomorrow! Actually tomorrow feels like a cheat day after the last 12 days demands. We only have 11 miles!! Maybe we sleep longer, eat a proper breakfast, and enjoy this journey a little bit more tomorrow, because the next day is 32km..    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 14

    Ribadesella to Colunga, Spain

    September 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Nice day passing little beaches and quaint villages that were definitely old, old Spain. We were walking mainly on dirt paths through forested areas, a little pavement, but not too much. 20+Km/12.78 miles is what the watch says. Tonight we are in Colunga, a small village, where we are staying in an adorable pension. The proprietress exudes pride in her little place with attached bar/restaurant. The room is charming and comfortable. I’m finding I am appreciative of the little things, I noticed a little refrigerator in the room, opened it up, my eyes lit up and I said, “Holly, look, there’s COLD water in the fridge!!”. Cold water is gold. Not only to have a refrigerator in our room, but to have a place to keep our water cold at night, absolutely first class!! Our laundry is doing it’s thing next door and we are enjoying a glass of wine before figuring out dinner and relaxing in that room of ours. There is a tub in the room, while I’ve already showered, I’m having thoughts of a nice bath later. Get it while I can.
    Today we met a man and his adult daughter from Nebraska. Sweet people, we ended up having lunch with them at a really cool outdoor beach restaurant. Best looking tacos I have seen in Spain and I finally got my pizza fix! It was nice to easily speak English with people. I remember whenever Nathalie or Luba would meet someone who spoke their native language, they were always excited to talk to them, I see why. It’s easy. It flows. You hear home. Missing home, my people, and of course my crazy dog, but I am absolutely loving this too. I feel fortunate, even during the moments of unbearable heat and endless roads.
    Today a tour bus of about 15 Koreans were dropped off on the trail with their clean shoes, and fresh legs (every inch of their skin covered of course-wouldn’t want to look like they are “lower class” with tanned skin, indicating they worked the fields). They mostly had a quick pace until they’d stop to take a photo every 5 minutes and slow down. There was no consistency to their stride, so we were passing and following them all day..until they got to Colunga and boarded their big air conditioned bus. Maybe I’m doing this wrong!!
    From what I’ve seen of Colunga so far it is pretty unimpressive, but honestly I prefer the smaller villages to the cities. They are easy. Finding a laundromat, food, supplies, easy. I left my shampoo & conditioner in Santander in the shower, so I found a salon and bought some more. Talk about cheap. Really good brand and it totaled about €30. I would’ve paid 3 times that at home for this brand. Our exchange is very close, unlike in the past where coming here was quite a bit more expensive. Laundry is about done, so off we go. Love and miss you my friends and family, talk tomorrow ❤️    Read more

  • shefollowsarrowsCamino Del Norte
    Day 15

    Colunga to Villaviciosa, Spain

    September 15, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    What a day. While a short waking day, it offered me a challenge, that’s what the Camino is all about. Rain. I fricken hate hiking in rain. Give me a mountain, a steep downhill, but please don’t add rain. When the rain comes, I’m ready to throw my hands up and call it a day. Everything is harder in the rain. But I did it. It wasn’t a downpour, but enough to remind me it’s there and it sucks. But the blessing is that it’s not scorching hot. It is stretching me past my comfort zone and showing me I can power through. I am capable of more than what I think. Far more than I think. I’m kinda hard on myself, I think I can always do better, do more, etc. Is this a human thing or just a Tammy thing? I like this about me in a sick way. It means I am always trying to do better, because hey, I can. We all can right? I want to keep learning. I want to continue to grow, as painful as it is sometimes. I still haven’t ‘arrived’. Not to Santiago or in my career or as the wife, mother and grandmother I want to be. As someone in my 20’s and 30’s I thought the whole goal in life was to ‘arrive’. I remember seeing a license plate on a fancy car many years ago that said ‘arrived’. I thought that was fantastic at the time. What an achievement! Go you!! What a sell out. I’ve come to believe if you think you’ve come to that place in life where you can just stop trying, you’re foolish. You’re selling yourself short. I can’t sell myself short. It ain’t in me. I’ve noticed that here. Every mountain, every steep decent, every beautiful view, every delicious little coffee, conversations in broken English, or very broken Spanish, it’s always a push. Life is a push. I love the push. Maybe that is why I love love my career. There is never a slam dunk. It always takes a ton of work to get everyone happily to the closing table. It’s never ‘sold’ until
    it’s recorded and the challenge is real. Usually a home is people’s most valuable asset I am dealing with. I need to be my best. Those who see my quick little posts on FB saying ‘just sold’ or ‘just listed’ may think it’s easy what I do, but it’s so not, and I welcome the challenges they all bring. During that process I am developing relationships that last forever. My clients are my friends. I love them. And they come back to me. That’s the blessing. It’s proof that if you work hard, enjoy the process, work through the hard, you are basically blessed with more challenges and opportunities. Yes, blessed.
    Here I am, hiking through Spain, feeling like a vagabond most days, and hoping my clients and family know, this is for them. And me. You get a stronger, happier me, every time. Allowing myself to step away from my family and work is harder for me than walking 500 miles. Every time I do it I come back better. Healed more. Stronger. And thinner 😆. And I am ready to dive in to it all as the plane touches down. It’s my passion. I am grateful.
    Not sure why I am going deep here with this tonight, maybe it is the cider I just slammed down the street, maybe it is because I am a couple weeks in and this is when my emotions start surfacing, or maybe it’s just what is in my heart today. It’s what you get. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve had a couple easy 10-12 mile days and I am about to do 20 tomorrow. Freakin out a little. Those big days push me so damn much. I have often said before anyone makes a big decision like getting married or divorced, starting a business, closing one up, retiring, do a Camino. Find out who and what you are committing to, who and what are you are leaving, and what choices you’re about to make. You need clarity? This is the place. Who are you under pressure? Who is the love of your life when things get hard? Do they quit? Do they cry? Are they angry? Are you? Am I? Is the little child in them (or you, or me) going to run or fight? What do you need? What do you need to let go of? How do you grieve loss? Ya. It’s real. It’s revealing. God this is revealing. Maybe that’s why this path isn’t packed with people. Its hard to do these things and look straight into they eyes of scary. To reveal who you really are under the nice clothes, shoes, and makeup. It’s easier to drink, eat, workout excessively, and forget about deep personal growth, prayer, and becoming the best you can, the happiest you can be. I’ve felt pure happiness, the truest love, abuse, neglect, failure, embarrassment, good and bad decisions. Here, I’m taking the steps, not towards perfection, but towards a better me, a stronger me. Obviously, after 8 times here, I am a huge work in progress 😂.
    ANYWAYS, that’s where I am at right now. I will get back to talking about pretty flowers, amazing sea views, and incredible food tomorrow, hang with me. I do this blog more for reflection later for me, so if this is too much, I get it. We aren’t in the same mindset. But I have vowed to keep it real and not sugar coat it every day with my “fabulous adventures”, because that’s not why I am here. I don’t do superficial. I love and appreciate you all. Really. ❤️    Read more

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