Deba to Markina-Xemein

It is half  past 10. I have walked 10km from Deba thru the hills to Olatz. The others have been reorganising packs so I have had a snack and started this post.

It was a tough climb up the hill..almost 400m up via roads, tracks, forest and valley.  I am a karst area now so lots of very old limestone and many telltale signs of caves. A lot of this mornings walk has reminded me of NZ..lots of cows and sheep. A lot of them have bells so it is quite noisy.

The sun is shining today -the best day so far. Shortsleeves and shorts-very comfortable to walk in and the pack is great. You know it is there but it is not heavy or uncomfortable at all...at this stage.
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Well, the next stage was tough! Over 2km I climbed 300m on a concrete road thru a pine forest. Then another 3km just up and down until I found others at a rest stop..Arno... It was at a saddle by a farmhouse and I sat by a communal wash place. A big pool for clothes with a large rock for rubbing the clothes and beating them damp. All covered -a bit like a spa pool shelter. Lunch was great..salad, bread and salami. Then it was off..9 more km to go.

I found some extra functions in 'my tracks' -it can put markers at intervals (1km) and it can tell you your distance and pace while walking. So I increased my pace to try to lift the average k rate...was 3.5 before morning tea and by the end of the day I got it to an average of 4.9km per hour over the day. The 6 km after lunch were largely level with smaller climbs so it was easy to keep the pace up. The last 3kms were downhill. ..concrete path...300m descent across 2km.

It was great fun and I don't feel any worse for wear...probably will be stiff tomorrow.

As i entered the town of Markina-Xemein I saw a hexagonal church. I thought I could do with a break and some shade. I slung my pack off by the door and was just overpowered by what I saw inside. After today's walk I was not expecting to see a huge rock face or cliff and grotto inside the church. The church had obviously been built around the grotto...the rocks were 6m high and 6m wide. In the grotto was a very simple rock altar and a Madonna statue. San miguel de arretxinaga was the name of this church. .it is worth googling it.

ZARAUTZ

I am sitting on a huge premonade watching surfers try their luck in the water. 15 degrees witb a strong onshore breeze. A group of surfers have just asked me to take their photo before they pack their gear up.

Affter I arrived and got washing done I went for a walk and the town was all quiet. I returned to the hotel to have a little sleep. .came back out and their are people everywhere.  Hundreds if people. On this promenade they are all wrapped up but a couple of streets back -out of the wind- they are not. Soccer, racquet ball, playing on swings and just mooching around. After the siesta everyone has come out.

It's a bit cold so I headed in to a kebab place for dinner.  It's a bit tricky working out the restaurant menus at many places so this is easier. Many places have a set price.. €9 or 10 for 2 courses..but there are like 20 choices..usually in 2 languages. .catalan and eskuan. So my kebab by pictures is easier!

The walk across ws good but tough. Oria was a favorite spot of mine....it even had a pilgrimage museum that was  free to peregrinos.

Leaving Zarautz

It is frustrating not having the data access. I'll look for an Internet cafe today on my walk.
Today is 24km according to the guide book...so I am all packed and ready to leave. It's 730..time to go.
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Walking into Geteria I met  Leon who camped overnight above that town. Had a look around the old church and then we met Hugh and Rob again. They are posting stuff home to lighten their packs. Leon and I headed to zamaia.

What a great walk over. I've just had lunch in Zamaia in the shelter of San Pedro..15th century church..the new church. We past the old one ..C13th on the way in with a monastery  around it.
After lunch headed down to the town for a hot drink. .coffee still too complicated and too strong so tea is easy.
12km will take me to  Deba to a small albergue. .only 8 beds....

Well the 24km day turned into 30km. Passed thru' some beautiful places including Atizar before reaching Deba.

Just above Deba was the church of San Roce...all  wooden and simple sandstone inside no glass in windows -just beautiful.

The turismo at Deba was great.. map of the village, where to stay, where to get breakfast, where to have dinner..just brilliant. I managed to get washing done, showered and changed before attending mass at 7 with 5 others..to find the church packed.

Well...to go have breakfast

Kaixo San Sebastian

(Kaixo-hola-hello  in the basque language.)

Well it took me 9 hours but I managed the walk. 32.5km from Irun to the far side of San Sebastian. What a walk!

SS is a beautiful seaside city with the most beautiful beaches. It's a shame that it didn't rise above 12 degrees all days...except inside my raincoat..maybe 35 degrees in there.

I walked on all sorts of track..footpath
Country lane
National park duckboards
Road
Open meadow
Well formed track
Very rough mountain goat track
Ferry boat
Ancient viaduct
Boulevard
Golden sands
...to name but a few!

A highlight was the town of Pasai where we got the ferry. A real seaside village that looked medieval.  From the other side it was ok..but while walking through it ..magnificent!

The hostel here is on the western side of the city very close to our walk tomorrow.

After dinner I hope to walk to the Jesus statue that looks over the city.

I spent most of the day alongside Leon from Berlin and Rob n Hugh from Devon.

I find it hard to believe I walked that far today..with almost no issues apart from sore shoulders.

It was sleep Jim, but not as we know it!

I stumbled upon a pilgrim mass before dinner.  The local church had a sign up at the albergue but no map. As I walked past it I was asked if I was a peregrino..pilgrim..and invited in. It was nice..all in basque. .but they gave us a special blessing at the end. Strange being part of a service that you could not understand anything but knew exactly what was going on.

Dinner was great...3 course for €7. Apparently lots of places offer a menu peregrino. .a full but simple meal at a good price. I joined Akio from Osaka, Christine from Florida and Bob and Mark? from Devon.

  After dinner it was time to get to bed. There are about 40 sleeping in this albergue. .a penzion/apartment. People started getting ready for the days walk from 4am. It's now 6 and they have just unlocked the door so those noisy early risers can leave.

I am in the kitchen watching their prep to leave. If I want to get an early start from one of these albergue places.. I'll need to be ready the night before. Just dump in the sleeping bag and leave. None of this mucking around in and out of bags and rooms.

I will use one of my waterproof bags as a bunk bag..to hold torch..glasses. .passport. .phone etc... from tonight.

I just popped my head into my dorm..they are all asleep still..so I am sitting here until it's breakfast I feel.

Summary Post

Greetings folks.

I am here. I think.

Here is Markina-Xemein a beautiful little town in the mountains not far from the coast. I left Deba this morning on the coast and today´s trail (trial???) was 28km to this place. It took me just under 6 hours of hard walking but it means my strength and endurance has built up enough to handle it - so far !

My pack is going very well - not too heavy and fitting very well - which strangely means I forget about it being on my back. I have it sitting at about 17kgs, but it depends on the amount of food at any given time. I am carrying enough for 3 meals in case I get stuck somewhere on the way.
I have other updates on my phone that I will upload in order when I can, so this is a summary of the trip so far.

Day 1(June 1st) was from Irun on the border of France and Spain - and I walked in from France to this town the night before. This day was 32km to Donostia San Sebastian, a beautiful seaside resort (in the sun!) (Of which we had none!)

Day 2 (June 2nd) was from Donostia to Zarautz - a measly 22.85km - pphh! Zarautz was another seaside resort that would have been delightful IF it had been fine and sunny.

Day 3 (June 3rd) took me from Zarautz to Deba - 29km. We had some sun on the walk but none at all as we descended in this...beautiful seaside resort with yet another great golden beach.

Day 4 (June 4th) and I left Deba and headed on the trail inland. And of course, the sun came out ! It´s currently 22 degrees and not a beach in site ! 28km and I finished at the most amazing church -  it is built around 3 gigantic rocks. Coming off the last 3.7km steep descent it really took my breathe away to step into this church.

So far I have managed 111.85km. If this was in NZ and I was walking south from school, I would have just reached the Oringi Road State Highway 2 intersection south of Dannevirke.

Tomorrow sees another walk -funny that- and I am hoping to stay at a monastary where they have been hosting pilgrims for over 1000 years. I bet the cook will be tired !

Tim

I am in spain

Walked into a vodafone shop  with me carefully worded request for an  unlimted data sim..and the bloke spoje beautiful english.

So I am here in ìrun about to find the hostel.