LIVE from the Camino Finally started from Irún

[David with new Kit!]

Summary - What did we learn?

I'm at the airport with a bit of time on my hands, so.

Yup - It's hard alright. Day 1 is especially hard if you go over the hill instead of around it. Having gone over, I agree with the assessment in the guides - if it's raining it's safer to go around.

If you manage the first 4 days then you have cracked it. Enjoy the rest of the walk.

In high season the North coast is a magnet for, especially, Spanish holidaymakers. This means that accommodation is tight and that prices are high compared to the Frances.

Everywhere seems to be a surfing venue, add that to general tourism, Peregrinos etc .........

Accommodation and prices ease a bit after Llanes.

It's hard to get a "stage". On the Frances it was quite easy to arrange 20-24km days. Not so on the Norte as there is a good chance there is nowhere to stop at that distance. Or if there is, it will be a small place with competition for beds.

So, it's not uncommon to have a 14km day or a 32km day to make stages work.

There are a lot of unsupported stages so planning is more important than on the Frances where cafes seem to be every couple of Kms .

A lot of asphalt/road/tarmac sections. Sometimes, it's hard walking most of the day.

Way marking is not so good in a lot of places so you have to pay more attention. There are a LOT of options and following the yellow arrows might actually take you away from your planned route.

Lots of ups and downs, not much flat in the first ten days, so it hurts. There seemed to be a lot more injuries to Peregrinos on the Norte so don't rush the coastal paths. Take it a bit slower (perversely) on the tarmac sections or your feet will hurt, a lot.

Consult your GPS map regularly.

We had to make use of the ALSA website for buses due to shin splints. It's easy to use and it worked through the villages too. But check timetables as some buses run once a day and you wouldn't want to arrive 5 mins late.

On the plus side, the scenery is absolutely stunning, with many, many beaches of different character and size - That's why we do the Norte, right?

If you can drag yourself away from menu del día you will find a wonderful assortment of seafood.

And for the vegetarians and vegans out there, I found a lot more options on the Norte. Heck, I even tried it myself a couple of times .

Weather apps have their place, but only as a guide, they are regularly wrong. My app regularly showed storms looming but in the 37 days we took to Santiago de Compostela it only rained on the last day. Unbelievable, but true. Make your daily clothing decisions based on what you see out your window in the morning. .

Enjoy

 

[Suz2022]

We did. Only 20 ahead in the queue for the Compostela when we arrived on Wednesday.

Got to the evening mass and saw the botofumiere in action.

Heading home today

You were two days behind, did you catch up a day or are you arriving today?

Either way, congratulations on your own Camino. Well done

Good for you on all counts! I arrive Saturday, as my last few stages have been less distance than usual - more in the +/-20km range. So, I lost a day or two somehow. Sorry to have missed you.

 

[David with new Kit!]

Good for you on all counts! I arrive Saturday, as my last few stages have been less distance than usual - more in the +/-20km range. So, I lost a day or two somehow. Sorry to have missed you.

I'm pleased that you are on your penultimate day.

Another tip, if you didn't already know it, is to drop into Pilgrim house, a drop in for Peregrinos. (It's not the Pilgrim Office!)

Google and yea shall find

 

[botvot]

Pobeña to Castro Urdiales

We bought a couple of pan aux chocolate para llevar from the restaurant last night for breakfast. We taped up our feet and set out on the Via Verde coastal route.

The views were wonderful with a nice breeze too. There is a short tunnel enroute, shored up with wooden Barton's and as we exited were were surrounded by about 12 goats, which seemed to be semi wild as there were no tags, string or bells on them, and they were all her black. The big Billy goat had an impressive set of horns, about 1m across.

We got to Onton where the route splits between the longer original route or the shorter coastal route. It's well marked in town.

If there is a cafe here, no-one found it. Outside town is a service station named "Easygas" it's well named as it only sells fuel. No refrescos of any kind.

But, the attendant told me of a cafe about 1 km further along the same road, on a curve. It was a long hot climb out of Onton with no cover, but eventually it drops down the other side to go under the autopista.

Just as it goes under, you will spot café Saltacaballo on the curve.

What a little oasis, menu del día, Zumo, breakfast beer!!

The views from the patio are superb as you can along the coast to where we started from. Also, I can see the service station in the distance, so the attendant was correct.

We arrived in town along the seafront and immediately found a bar for a couple of cold Coka Colas so that we didn't arrive at our accommodation sweating too much.

So, we checked in early today as we only had 17kms to cover and went straight to the laundromat as the C del N is not helping with my plan to do the laundry every second day.

Our accommodation tomorrow has no facilities, hence why having to do it today.

The good news is that every laundromat so far has had a bar beside it. I'm now sitting with a glass of Crianza waiting on it to end.

And, this bar has a small restaurant and I managed to reserve the last table for lunch.

We bumped into a couple from Argentina in café Saltacaballo and they had done the CF 3 times and this is their 2nd Del Norte.

We had a great conversation with them trying in English and me trying in Spanish.

With eating our main meal early, we hope to get to be early tonight as tomorrow is a 20+km day.

I recently did a few stages including this one. Thanks for your notes! I too went into "Easygas" to find empty refrigerators and no refrescos. It felt like, once I turned right in Onton, I was on my own, hardly any arrows, and not a pretty road at all. I was elated to find Cafe Saltacaballo, based on your notes! And I too, went through the (very) supported tunnel and found goat dung everywhere, but no sign of the actual goats! Btw, the stretch from La Arena to Onton was spectacular, on Via Verde...

 

[David with new Kit!]

I recently did a few stages including this one. Thanks for your notes! I too went into "Easygas" to find empty refrigerators and no refrescos. It felt like, once I turned right in Onton, I was on my own, hardly any arrows, and not a pretty road at all. I was elated to find Cafe Saltacaballo, based on your notes! And I too, went through the (very) supported tunnel and found goat dung everywhere, but no sign of the actual goats! Btw, the stretch from La Arena to Onton was spectacular, on Via Verde...

Thank you, I'm pleased that my notes were of use. Enjoy your Camino