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| Looking out to the Atlantic Ocean from the port town of Passai, Spain as I cross the bay on the ferry boat. |
The beds were firm and were it not for earplugs, the combination of traffic noise and the constant sound of people tossing and turning would have kept me up. The Albergue alarm sounds at 6 am, a rooster crowing. Nice! And it begins. I look around, and the early risers are hustling to and fro. Everyone is trying to beat each other out the door. I look around, and Karen shakes her head; she didn't sleep a lick last night. All I can do is chuckle. I have had the experience of visiting several hostels in my travels, so I know it can be hard with the noise and heat. I reach into my bag and give her a pair of earplugs for her trip. I bought a pack of 20 in Bristol, the smallest quantity I could find. Fortunately, they don't way much.
At 630 am, breakfast is served. Coffee or tea with toast and jam. Hardly breakfast. I think to myself, good thing I grabbed some bananas and breakfast bars last night. I'm not in a hurry to leave this morning and let the Peregrinos filter out ahead of me. There are a lot of miles to cover, about 18 mi (29 km), and I am not leaving without stretching this morning. Today's stage is approximately 18 mi (29 km) and climbs to a height of 1,640 ft (500 m).
At 730 am, I head out the door. This gentleman is biking the Camino and heads out after I do.
I notice a little church up the hill a few hundred yards from the Albergue. It is easily discernable against the grey sky this morning.
The trail climbs immediately out of town. Once it opens up, I hear church music starting above me. I pause to look back on Irun and see this brilliant ray of light poking through the grey sky. I continue the trek uphill and feel an immense sense of gratitude overwhelm me. I am finally here on the Camino!
As I crest the first climb, a crowd is gathered at the church for Saturday morning mass. The mass is in Euskara, the official language of the Basque people. I stop for a while and listen before pressing on.
I pass an older French couple. The old man asks, how I slept last night? I let him know I did well. He tells me he got 2 hours with all the noise. I offer extra earplugs, but he tells me he can't sleep with them. Shortly after we part, the rain starts. I pull out my rain gear and trekking poles to give me extra assurance if it gets muddy. I feel good this morning and enjoying the start of my day. Then it happens. I step down with my right heel, and before I can react, my right foot is now behind my left foot. I start laughing as I fall to the ground.
The trail this morning is covered in green spiny husks of chestnuts. The rain lasts a few hours. When it finally ends, I carry my wet rain gear inside my bag.
I enjoy the solitude this morning and am glad I left late. Great start to Camino!
I finally begin the descent into the outskirts of Passai, Spain. I'll stop there and eat before crossing the bay.
As I arrive in town, I stop at my first fountain and fill up my water bottle. These fountains are standard across the Camino, and I plan to carry only one liter of water with me at a time.
The produce catches my eye as I pass this grocery store, specifically the carrots. I love carrots, and these are beautiful. Unfortunately, they are in a bundle of 12. So I decide to try my luck inside. Bingo. I buy a couple of carrots and a package of dates. I eat the carrots right away, Firm, sweet, and crunchy! They taste so good!
I stop in a little square across from the ferry for lunch. I love the color of these buildings.
After lunch, I board the tiny ferry that continuously shuttles people across the bay. It takes only a few minutes and cost me 1.10 euros.
Once on the other side, the climb starts again. This is steep, and I follow the staircase that switchbacks multiple times to the top. This is what makes the Camino Del Norte so challenging. Elevation changes are a constant challenge on the trail. Climb up out of towns and then back down into cities. I love how worn the steps are.
Looking back at the town of Passai from the base of the staircase.
I never tire of seeing the ocean and hiking coastlines.
The Camino arrow points the way up an old, dilapidated stone road.
Around 3 pm, I see my first glimpse of San Sebastián, Spain. I am feeling great. I made the right call shipping my camping gear. The city is huge and my final destination for tonight.
The Camino takes me right down to the boardwalk. My feet are tired. Walking on that old stone road for as long as I did, wore them out.
The architecture in San Sebastián is terrific!
This is the other side of the river.
I post up in a private Albergue, my fellow Peregrinos will have to do without me tonight. I need stable WiFi and a bit more privacy tonight. My return ticket is scheduled for September 8, and I need to change that. I spend a couple hours with the rep from Chase Travel. Gayle was fantastic but had to do everything manually as her computer was malfunctioning. She finally got me rebooked for November 30, which will work for the time being.
I then head out for dinner and have a lovely meal consisting of grilled Bonito. It is cooked perfectly and reminds me of Albacore. I take one last photo as I cross the river back to the hostel.
As I end the day, I feel great and look forward to tomorrow.
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