Today it was forecast to rain but not one drop appeared, although there was another downpour in the night. The air perfect for walking, Neill, John and I set off through the town.
The route again had a variant, the easier path via the coast and the harder route. I chose the difficult one leaving my campions to follow the coast.
It was a brutal accent, made worse by the lift that taunted me two thirds of the way – I didn’t cheat and persevered. The urban outskirts quickly gave way to vineyards and a rural setting, that presented lofty views of Getaria.
Before I knew it I was on the descent to the village. As you enter there is a statue of Juan Sebastian Elkano, who is from this small port town. He was the first person to circumnavigate the world.
I stopped at a cafe for some zumo de naranja and pan chocolate, just as John and Neill passed. I beckoned them in to join me for breakfast.
From here it was a steep ascent and an equally steep descent into Zumaia. This small seaside port is dominated by the church, standing tall above the buildings. Too early for lunch I didn’t stop.
A two hour undulating route with muddy and steep paths lay ahead of me. However the views didn’t disappoint. By the time I reached Itziar I was flagging.
Dumping my pack at the first bar, I got myself a tortilla y patata and a Kas Limon. It hit the spot for the horrendous down hill stage to Deba – I ran more than walked to save my knees.
I booked into the municipal albergue that is situated above the Deba train station. €8 a bed, can’t argue with that. A lot of familiar faces arrived and eventually John, Neill and Eugene.
We found a restaurant in the main square for food, not many places were open on account it’s Sunday. The 100km mark today has been broken, having walked 115km in total.
Stu's Camino 