9. Stage Camino del Norte from Santillana del Mar to Comillas

After a very pleasant night and an even better breakfast, I set off today around 8:30 AM. In the historic old town of Santillana del Mar, it was completely quiet, even though some pilgrims were already on their way. Since the last stage, I've noticed that there are indeed more pilgrims out and about.

After leaving the beautiful town of Santillana del Mar behind, the Camino continued along a paved farm road. I passed by a lot of farmland, animals, and forests. There was a little bird perched on a horse, which looked really funny. The weather was perfect for hiking again. The air/temperature was pleasant, and it smelled of freshly mowed grass everywhere.

I stopped for a moment, took a few deep breaths, and then continued walking with a big grin. The landscape was sooooo beautiful. No matter how I turned, it was just wonderful, with all the different animals. I had to keep stopping to take pictures.

I continued along agricultural paths where there wasn't much traffic, which was very pleasant. Now and then, a few bikers passed by from behind, all in good spirits. We wished each other a great Camino and, poof, they were gone.

Today, I walked through many beautiful little villages. The houses looked really great, and the people were super nice. Yes, I was very satisfied with this stage.

In the next village, I believe it was Orena, I took my first break and enjoyed a delicious coffee. There was a little dog (like Littlefoot) lying in front of the counter. The cheeky little thing first managed to get a few crumbs.

I continued towards Comillas, which was my stage goal today. I can't even remember how many villages I walked through today, but one thing I know is that it was always a steep climb up and, unfortunately, back down again. But the landscape and the villages made the effort worthwhile. I had a smile on my face the entire time, and everyone I met on the way greeted me with a friendly 'Hola.'

I strolled through the town and spotted a young girl sitting on a bench. She had her head in her hands, and I asked her if everything was okay. No, she wasn't feeling well and asked if I perhaps had something to eat. Of course, I provided her with plenty of my supplies. She was very happy with the food, and we chatted a bit more. When I said goodbye, I gave her a few magnesium sticks and wished her all the best.

After about 12 beautiful kilometers, I reached the town of Cóbreces. I had already seen the sign of a restaurant around a bend. My thought was, “Oh, please be open!” Yippee, it was open, and I could sit on the terrace. When the waiter brought me the menu, I noticed that all the dishes were also listed in German. How cool was that? And then it said ‘Spaghetti with tomato sauce’! I ordered that along with a non-alcoholic beer. Both tasted excellent, and I was well satisfied.

Content, I continued on. There were another ten wonderful kilometers through great villages. The closer we got to the coast, the steeper the climb became. I was so glad I had eaten beforehand; otherwise, I would have definitely collapsed. Unfortunately, around 1 PM, the sun came out, just at lunchtime. That’s hell for me: walking in sunshine and such hot weather, and then also uphill! But it went exceptionally well, and I managed to catch up with a group of Portuguese. Of course, we talked about the football match Portugal vs. Spain. We laughed a lot and spent a break together. I left a bit earlier since the sun was really bothering me.

I checked my phone to see how many kilometers were left. It was exactly three kilometers, and I hadn’t booked a hotel yet. Well, it was, of course, as it should be, all uphill again and then a slight downhill stretch, and I arrived in Comillas, feeling exhausted but also incredibly happy. :-) What's really crazy is that I had checked a hotel on Booking that I then walked to. The hotel gave me a great price. It’s unbelievable; I’m paying 50 euros less for one night than the price listed on Booking. The hotel is right on the beach. My room is on the top floor and has a terrace that resembles a conservatory. I can hear and see the sea. That’s amazing and such a wonderful reward for a very strenuous but also picturesque stage! The stage was 22.8 kilometers long and included a lot of elevation.

Best regards

Anke (now also called Flip...)

Thank you, Daniela..... I have to laugh...... :-)