110 million years ago

The Flysch are still on the agenda. But on this Sunday we want to avoid the weekend crowds and stay on the mountain.

That means we go up the mountain. Up to the nearby Monte Erlo. The path there is steep, but wooded and shady, and there is a cooling breeze blowing.

The nature at 1,026m is impressive, here too one can admire faults of various rocks. Knotted holm oaks growing on barren soils provide a bit of shade for the resting sheep, mosses and ferns add green splashes to the landscape. But above all, the panoramic view of the Basque Country all the way to the azure blue Atlantic Ocean, 20km away, remains a stunning and magnificent memory.

The sun shines up here and warms not only the stones and the barren meadows for the cows, sheep, and horses, but also the hikers.

After four hours, ten kilometers, and 600 meters of altitude, we arrive back at the car very exhausted, very sweaty, and very dehydrated. Luckily, there are also water sources here where heated minds can cool down and quench their thirst. By the way, the horses know this too, little basins are attached under the taps, where some liquid always remains. The animals come at night to drink. The ground around it is softened and nicely trampled by their hooves. So there is also a soothing mud pack.

Contrary to our usual habit, we stay for a second night at this place. With the evening hours, the square is gradually emptying, we share the peace and the horses with two campers nearby. Zappa's sandals are in a safe place.

It's Monday morning, the last slices of bread have been eaten together with the remaining crumbs of cheese, but now we finally want to go to the Flysch. We can still stock up on supplies later, after all, the water canisters can be filled at the horse trough.

We reach the already familiar hiking parking lot on the Jakob's Coastal Path high above the sea. There is still a festival atmosphere, although a bit more tired. Almost all the places are occupied by campers, the air is filled with thick clouds of gray smoke that suspiciously smell like illegal narcotics. We are a bit surprised by the crowd on a Monday, but after all, it's vacation time everywhere.

We start the descent at the best low tide. It is damn steep and meanders over several hairpin curves down to the glittering water far below us.

And it's worth it. What a breathtaking sight! Layers of rocks pushed on top of each other in different shades of color millions of years ago, providing insights into the history of the Earth that are simply unfathomable. Unimaginable forces must have been at work to form such structures from the hardest material and to push up mountain ranges like the Alps and the Pyrenees. The Flysch of Zumaia are outcrops from the beginning of the mass extinction of dinosaurs, I read later.

It's indescribable, fantastic, majestic, spectacular!

And for fans of fantasy: the Dragonstone beach from the series 'Game of Thrones' is located right here.

The hike is definitely worth it! Even though the subsequent ascent is quite challenging.

The sun breaks through the Atlantic clouds, the temperature rises with every meter of altitude, the legs become heavier, the air hotter. It's good that there are also water taps on this parking lot for refreshment and revival, just without the mud bath.

We are both hungry, the meager breakfast is long forgotten, only a few forbidden cheese crackers are lonely in the pantry, but now let's do the shopping quickly.

I google the nearest Supermercado, it is closed, according to the online information. And the other well-known shopping chains as well! That can't be! Surely the famous siesta is still taking place here and there, but the big supermarkets haven't been closed for lunch for a long time! Can Google be wrong?

Then Zappa has the decisive idea: we have already checked the local holidays, but maybe there are still some special Basque cases? We've had something like that before with a broken diesel pump in a single Spanish city...

https://vakantio.de/chateaugeschichten/happy-end-0

What can I say: today is St. James' Day and, of course, the saint is especially revered in regions along the famous pilgrimage route. The Basque Country is no exception. It's a public holiday.

This is also the reason for a crowded picnic area with campers smoking weed and hungover extended families.

In Guernica, there is an open Panaderia with fresh baguette, and next door at 'Frutas y Verduras', I manage to get a cucumber, tomato, and essential cola for Zappa before lunchtime. Now the long weekend can come to an end. And the parking lots by the sea empty out at sunset.