To Santona

September 8

Santona 5km (631km Togo)

Today was a rest day and we decided to go to Santona which was a 5km trek and then a 10 minute boat ride. We were unaware that this was a religious holiday, and the tourist office was closed. This is not a big town and we were able to quickly find an apartment to rent for the night. Being a holiday the stores were closed but there were lots of restaurants to choose from. Also we found a Chinese owned store to replenish our supplies. I'm glad we took a rest-day as our bodies were hurting. 

The locals are celebrating Santa Maria del Puerto with lots of music and foods. How lucky that we were able to participate in the fiesta.

To Laredo

September 7

To Laredo 29km (636km togo)

We weren't looking forward to another long trek in two days and decided that if possible we would stop at a small town for the night. Unfortunately no such luck, hence we decided to take all the possible shortcuts to reduce the trek by 6km. This meant walking the road N634 in many sections. We met many peregrinos who were doing the same. The trail followed the coastline and the scenery was stunning. Some of this area is farm land and we had a scary encounter with a large horned goat protecting his herd. We survived without incident. There were a few small towns along the way with tapa bars that provided much needed rest stops. We arrived into Laredo without a map, but lucky to pass by the tourism office that helped us find accommodations. 

To Castro Urdiales

September 6

To Castro Urdiales 30km (665km togo)

We hadn't planned for long trek of 30km, but at  Pobena (14km) it was 10am and too early to stop. Also, this was a small town with only beach activities. As it turned out, Pobena was the start of a 200 step ascent to the most beautiful ocean views. The remaining 16km consisted of repeated ascents and descents that was so exhausting. During our trek we passed various farms with many barn cats close to trail. This was a highlight for Julie to see so many cats and kittens, but only one was brave enough to come to us. When we arrived at Castro our feet were hurting and we were thirsty. It being Sunday, the stores were closed, but there were many tapa bars to quench our hunger and thirst. In the evening we found an excellent Chinese restaurant and later went to the plaza to enjoy the music and dancing. This was a perfect ending to the day.

To Portugalete

September 5

To Portugalete  13kmo (700km togo)

Leaving Bilbao we had two choices - follow the river bank or take the longer mountain route. We chose the shorter route, following the river, however it was very disappointing as this route went through 10km of industry. It wasn't until we got closer to our destination that the landscape started to improve. The river crossing was a large tram infrastructure, which the residence call the "ferry bridge". It was built in 1942 and designed to carry pedestrians and cars. There is a tower at each end about 12 stories high that you take an elevator to the top and walk across the river and then take the elevator down. Portugalete is not a large town, and it only took a couple of hours to explore. We ate lunch in the park along the river bank, enjoying the afternoon sun. Lots visitors and locals doing the same, and in the afternoon heading for the tapa bars.

Bilbao

September 3

At the Bilbao train station

It was a pleasant 5 hour train trip to Bilbao. I got to catch up on much needed sleep!  We arrived at 1pm and received a warm welcome from the tourist office. Bilbao is in the Basque region of Spain and the locals are proud of their unique culture and language. The city is set in a valley, surrounded by mountains. The old town is in the valley along the river, and newer homes and apartments on the surrounding hillsides. The Bilbao waterfront has been revived. All the industries and docks replaced by parks and walking trails. And the construction of the Guggenheim Museum began to attract many tourists. There are cathedrals and museums to see, but it's the many tapa bars and restaurants that provide a large smorgasbord of tasty treats. We stayed an extra day to enjoy this town.

The famous Guggenheim Museum 

Tapa Treats....the afternoons are so much fun!

Madrid 2015

September 1

Getting Ready

I think sometimes God gets a little bored when things are going too well for too long. A few days prior to leaving for our camino He decided to create a big wind storm that shut down power for 400,000 homes. Okay, but why just before our trip. Now we're worried about food in the freezer thawing out. The flight from Vancouver-Toronto-Madrid is long, but a Higher Power decided to have a little more fun. When everyone was on board in Toronto, it was discovered that a passenger had an expired passport and they had to locate his luggage in the cargo hole, and then a broken seat required a technician to come and certify that the plane was fit to fly. We arrived in Madrid feeling very tired, as we didn't get much sleep on the plane. We explored the city for a couple of hours, had dinner and went to the room early to relax. 

Madrid is such a hip and trendy city, with lots to do - parks, museums, cathedrals and many bars/restaurants.