More sea // see the sea

By now I’ve gotten used to sleeping somewhere different every night, walking a lot every day, and discovering even more. There was also a spontaneous change of plans — but one thing at a time.

I continued along the Camino. In Zirauki I ended up dancing at a fiesta, and in Logroño you had to desperately search for a place to sleep because of a wine festival — or (like I did) avoid the city altogether and keep going. In Irache there’s a fountain that (no joke) pours wine. Of course I tried it — it was delicious :)

Still, there was something on the Camino that bothered me, something I honestly underestimated: the sheer number of people walking this route. After a bit of thinking, I switched to the much quieter Camino del Norte, which follows Spain’s northern coastline — and what can I say, it was more than worth it. Not only is it much calmer here, the landscape also suits me better. Why? Because I see the sea every single day <3

Bilbao absolutely fascinated me. I spent two days there, wandering through the city with wide eyes, visiting the maritime museum and of course the Guggenheim. Unfortunately, I was so captivated that I forgot to buy the walking sticks I had planned to get. No problem — later on there was a Decathlon just 3 km south of the Camino, just a short path over a hill. At least that’s what Google Maps promised. Maps has curious ideas about what “paths” are. I fought my way through dense undergrowth for about half of the “path”, thorns included. I pulled them out of my bleeding knee afterwards. At least I had walking sticks now to battle the undergrowth.

Once I reached the north with my new walking sticks, one highlight followed the next: the Cave of Altamira, impressive rock formations in the sea, cliffs washed by foamy waves, venerable fishing harbours, and hippie surf villages. I’m excited to see what still lies ahead.