Castro Urdiales to Liendo, 17.5
Hotel La Torre de la Quintana, amazing 1500’s building, same owners since the 1700’s.
Today was a wonderful day. Started off getting to talk to Kylie for a long time, always a gift and talked to Kaziah last night! I had realized last night that waiting for the 8am breakfast was too late if I wanted to walk the whole thing and get to Liendo in time for lunch. Otherwise, it would be the perfect miss of getting in at 4, only snacks available if that, and then dinner at 8. When I want to go to bed…
When I read the description of the coast and mountain view’s, I decided I’d get up early and just start. When I decided, it was too late to text C&M, so would do it in the morning. I woke up at 4:22. Because. Sigh. Got up a bit after 5 and then connected with Kylie. We talked for a while, then I called her back as I left the hotel. So fun because I ended up sharing the start of my walk with her on FaceTime. Loved that! She got to see the bay at sunrise or just after and the castle and church and the next cove as I walked and we talked. Such a nice start to the day.
I hung up, found the perfect place for a tortilla (like a frittata over here) and a cup of decaf. At first, I wanted a piece of the tortilla that had just come out and was still steaming, and one of the guys at the bar got it and it looked great. She told me what it was and I said yes and then belatedly interpreted what she’d said, a blue cheese tortilla. Oh, ew, first thing in the morning? So I had one with cheese, tuna and ham. That sounds good, right? It was great actually. Then I was off.
Today was a classic day for me on Camino. Silence (after chatting) for a couple of hours, hour of dharma on Audible, then listened to a book on tape. Great hike.
Loved this store sign, lends itself to so many ideas.
I was very happy when I got to the top of the mountain, for some reason, everything a bit achy today.
I stopped to get a photo and then realized the birds were singing like crazy and it was just wonderful, so back to silence, the sound of my feet, the birds and animal bells.
It seems like the bigger the animal, the bigger the bell, so there are tonal differences. Don’t know if you can hear this, but the goats are high up on the rocky side of the hill, hard to see on the video, with the cows closer at hand.
The last couple of miles felt long, but cool village. Big gorgeous houses, a lot of them blending old walls, with newer building, and spread out on this flat valley. It felt really different from what we’ve been seeing.
I arrived at our hotel and it’s exactly what I love most. Built in the 1500’s, updated, cool interesting rooms. I’m at the top (fun carrying my very heavy bag up, but worth it), probably in what might have been a servants room, cleverly crafted windows, rafters gleaming, wonderful. Rick would have whacked his head everywhere he turned, so perhaps better to miss just this one.
The plaque for the hotel, 500 years later, it’s hosting pilgrims again 🙂
We crossed from the Basque region to the Cantabrian region yesterday and maybe we’re starting to see cultural differences in the housing styles and how the village is laid out. We went to a big lunch, of course, yummy – Carol found it. Then the afternoon letting the bones recover, they’re feeling it.
Reb's Walks! 