August 27th Loudenvielle

It has been up in the mid 30's each day.
I have walked a few miles each morning whilst it is still cool.
I have had aching knees, and yesterday afternoon I kept my left left leg elevated to relieve my knee. Bad Idea !
I had serious pain in the evening meant I could barely put weight on my leg. I hobbled back to my tent to kip the night.
Online research has it down to a tee. The result of too much exeretion or resting after regular exertion.
So it has been ibuprophen pills and gel, and the warning from the pharmacist, not to go into the mountains for a while. I am fucked for a while
What to do ?
So this walk is over, and after checking out with my mates Elaine and Fred, I am off to Brittany for a bit of rest and recovery. It is nice and flat where they live.

August 24th Loudenvielle

With an early departure and as usual a steep (very) uphill for 2 hours, thankfully mostly in the shade.
It was a very hot once in the sun even at 9.30. Then I could see Loudenvielle 2000'  below.
With these big height differences this area is very popular with paraglyders.
I stopped a few times in the shade on the way down.
As I reached the outskirts of Loudenvielle there was a campsite. It was midday but the steep climb out of the valley was not going to happen in the heat of the day.
During the afternoon I decided I was going to stay for a few days until the weather cooled down a bit.

August 23rd Boursip

I left Lac de l'Oule nice and early, contoured around the head of the lake/resevoir then it was steeply up through forest until emerging above the treeline and Cabane de Bastane.
Soon after this the GR10 met with another well worn trail that contoured the hillside. I met a load of day walkers coming my way. A change in direction and there is a ski centre. The day walkers drive up and park there.
After passing the carpark I was by myself, hot sun and no shade.
Then I could see Vielle-Aure in the valley way below.
It was a hot tiring descent. I came to a large supermarche stocked up and found a cheap and good campsite nearby at Bourisp.
37 in the shade, too hot.

August 22nd Lac de l'Oule

As the walk from Luz to Bareges was parallel to the road, I caught the Bus to Bareges. With hindsight I should have caught the bus the night before and camped at Bareges to get an early start.
I left Bareges 2 hours later than I would have liked to. The first couple of miles were parallel to the road and very steep in places.
When I got to a large car park, for the ski lifts there, I turned south up a valley, that just got lovlier as I gained height. It also got hotter.
The replacement brolly I had bought proved it was not uv resistant as I could feel my head burning under it.
I eventually reached the Col de Madamete, at 2509m it is the second highest point on the GR1O. At this height it was not so hot.
At the col was a grandmother and her 3 young grandsons, each with their own walking pole.
The way down passed lovely lakes with plenty of people around. There is a bus service to a carpark 1000' below the col.
After the carpark I only met a friendly young Spanish couple, who came over to chat when I was getting icy water from a stream.
Their path went of to another car park visible way below. Mine dropped 600m to Lac de l'Oule.
It was nearly 9pm when I found a flattish spot to camp.
By the time I had got water and eaten it was dark.
P.S. no alcohol meant it took a long time to get asleep, even though I was knackered.

August 20th and 21st Luz st Saveur

It rained during the night and again heavily during saturday morning. The clouds were low so I was not going anywhere.
Two young English guys who had been walking the GR10 pitched next to me, and we had a chatty evening.
Sunday morning and there was still low cloud. I did a bit of a walk in the hillsides above Luz.
With a great forecast for monday all was ok.

August 19th Luz st Saveur

All night I could hear music whenever I woke.
I went to the bus station to catch the bus to Irun and there were loads of party people waiting for buses too.
90 percent of the bus got off at Unquera 30 minutes into the journey, it was a lot quieter then.
At Irun I had my last Spanish tortilla and coffee before crossing the frontier to Hendaye and after a short wait took a train to Dax, then another to Lourdes.
A 3 hour wait at Lourdes went soon enough after having food and a look around. So many nationalities.
Finally it was bus to arrive back in Luz st Saveur 14 hours after leaving Llanes.

August 18th Llanes, the return to.

I set off at first light with Brian and Yoko. Yoko wanted.us to go ahead, and I wanted Brian to go ahead. I am slow in the morning.
Yoko soon passed me.
After getting back to the camino at Colunga, it was a tarmac tour along quiet country roads, with no cafe or bar for coffee.
This gave me time to think. I have been pissed off with all the paved walking. After checkinjg online for bale-out options. I decided to.do just that.
When I got to Villaviciosa, I waited a couple of hours for a bus to Llanes a hub for bus journeys.
I couldn't get a bus to Irun and the French border until the morning.
So it was back to the campsitr of a few days previously, for the night.

August 17th Colunga

I left the campsite with Brian, but told him to go on ahead, I wanted to walk alone.
It was a long gradual ascent on roads, before dropping down to a village with a bar. A few hikers were waiting for it to open at 9am. I joined them for a break, but left just after 9.
They caught up with me and passed by, having given up on getting a coffee.
From there it turned off the road and descended to a beach, then it was plenty of cliff top walking and sandy bays to La Isla.
Whilst having a break, Yoko came by, I had not seen her for alab few days. Brian came along too. He and Yoko carried on together whilst I stopped far coffee.
The amount of people on this walk exceeds the beds available in August.
In Colunga I met up with Yoko and Brian. They decided to walk the 1.5km to a campsite I had decided to go to.
I went to a Chinese bazaar and got a tarp, cord and pegs, so Yoko could have some shelter for the night.
It drizzled for a while, but nothing much.

August 16th Ribadesella

Llanes was foggy and damp as we packed up after a night of music from the town that finished at after 5am.
It was road walking through the suburbs to a path that led to the Playa (beach) de Poo.
From then on to Celorio it was delightful walking. Celerio was a holiday resort. After that it was more pleasant walking past a beautifully situated church (photo). Then it was inland with a brief visit to the coast, before a roadwalk to Nueves.
After that it was a bit of off piste country tracks to save a few km's before a long roadwalk to Ribadesella.
The day had been cloudy but the sun started to burn through for the last km before a campsite and it became very humid.
I got chatting to a young Russian woman who couldn't find any albrtgues with spaces. I persuaded her to try the campsite. They had one space in a tent with a Czech woman.
We spent a nice evening chattinh with Ana about life in Russia

August 15th Llanes

It was a very damp misty start to the day. The 4 of us set off together. An hour later we stopped for a coffee break, not so misty but cloudy. Soon after we resumedd walking the route became a rough track and then after crossing a railway line it was a path over coastal heathland. The best walking on this camino so far.
Brian and I left Sebastien and I can't remember her name, but after a coffee and tortilla Sebastien arrived.
The walking stayed lovely until we approached a village where a festival to celebrate the 'assumption' was kicking off.
Here, many people were in traditional costume. After a short break, it was a very humid uphill, then a long downhill to Llanes.
We camped just before the town on a very humid day.
What a relief to shower and wash clothes.

August 14th Colombres

It was a low foggy night with stars overhead. A damp packing up and very early departure.
It was a quiet country road and then a crossing of a long bridge to the edge of St Vicente de la Barquera.
Lovely changing countryside.
After a short break along came Sebastien, twirling his stick.
We stopped off for omelette and coffee, then after a bit it was a lovely woodland path before a descent, river crossing and steep ascent, before a quiet path into Unquera.
A resupply at a supermarket then a steep uphill into Colombres.
The large albergue would not have campers, so we walked on to a campsite. They were adamant that they were full.
So after a bit of messing about we settled down at a nearby picnic spot for the night.
Sebastien had remet a nice young german woman who shared his tiny tent. 4 peoples food made a great potluck dinner, with beer from the campsite shop.
The days downside was not being able to get a shower.

August 13th Oyambre, campsite

I set off with Brian and Sebastien at first light. Sebastien twirled his stick as he walked, and gradually let us get ahead.
We road walked to Comillas and saved 9km on the marked route. I am sure we walked the original way.
From Comillas it was a shady road walk to the Natural Park de Oyambre.
On checking out the campsite we had to wait for them to find a space for us as it was 'completo',
full. We had a slightly overgrown spot, which felt more of a wild camping site. Dinner was a pot-luck picnic together.
The bummer of the day was that I lost my brolly.

August 12th Santillana del Mar

The camino officially went all over the place today.
The woman running the albergue told us in English, French and Spanish a more direct way to go.
With the aid of my Viewranger app. I sussed it out.
I started the days walk with Brian and a French couple. Brian wanted to follow the French couple, when we ended.up in a field, I stuck to my own navigation.
Soon I saw Franchesca and the French miss a turn, Brian and I walked illegally on a railway bridge over a river, thus saving 9 or 10km.
I stopped for coffee and tortilla at a bar, Brian carried on.
After checking my guide and map, on leaving the bar I met up with Yoko, and we walked on to Requejada together and stopped at another bar, where a few other peregrino's turned up.
After a couple of miles, I stopped for a break and let Yoko carry on.
Eventually I got into Santillana del Mar.
Yoko and a few others were there, waiting to walk on as the albergues were 'completo', full.
Brian had been looking for me, I headed onto the campsite, got a pitch with cool guy, Sebastian, French, had a shower and found Brian, who moved to our pitch, where a boozy evening evolved.

August 11th Santa Cruz de Bezana

I walk all day with Brian. The first section was along quiet country roads, passing through one village before coming back to the coast. 
It was a nice clifftop walk with two sandy bays and plenty of surfers.
Santander came in site and after coming past the headland into the large natural harbour, we had a long beach walk to the small resort of Somo.
There were hundreds of people being taught to surf on this section.
From Somo it was a passenger ferry ride across to a crowded Santander.
It was slow going getting away from the centre and tedious walking through the suburbs to an old albergue set by busy roads and industrial buildings.
It was hot, there was are supermarket nearby, and a.load of people I had met before. So with space in the garden to sleep outside I wad happy to stay.
Yoko, a.Japanese woman gave me a welcome foot massage, then proceeded to give others the same.
We had a communal meal in the evening with plenty of red wine.

August 10th Albergue la Cabana de la Abuela Peuto

  It was cool from the sea breeze as I got ready to leave the campsite.
After a level street walk through Playa Berria it was a steep, sandy uphill walk and descent to Playa de Noja for a long beach walk.
From the town the route went inland. After a few miles I met up with Franchesca a dynamic German woman, who I walked and talked with all the way to the wonderful albergue near Guemes.
We arrived in time for lunch and a wonderful welcome.
This is a huge extended albergue with lots of space. I pitched my tent under a spreading tree at the rear of the property.
Supposibly the best albergue on this camino, I met up with loads of people I'd chatted to before, including Brian, who I had met in Irun.
At dinner there were 130 plus people fed with a great 3 course meal, and lots of red wine. What an atmosphere.

August 9th Santona

(Oops I missed out the 7th)
Not a good start to the day, as my phone battery bank and charger had been taken from where I left it charging.
Anyway, not long after I left the campsite it started raining lightly.
It was mostly flat road walking for 8 or 9km to La Magdalena. From here the tarmac ended and it was steeply uphill along tracks through Eucalyptus forest.
After coming out of the forest into lovely hill country, I got chatting with 2 Japanese sisters, who had stopped to feast on blackberries.
I walked with them for the rest of the morning until the village of Liendo.
I stopped at a bar for coffee and tortilla, and they had a picnic by the church.
I left them and road walked a more direct route into the large resort town of Laredo.
I found a chinese bazaar and bought a replacement phone charger.
Next it was along walk on the beachfront, where it started to rain again, to where I caught a ferry across the rivermouth to Santona.
  I walked on to a campsite which was next to a large prison. It was a windy spot behind another beach.
There are surf schools all along this coast.

August 9th Islares

The day's walk started with a lot of steps up through trees to a cliff top path. The path was an old rail line and it was level walking with nice sea views for several miles.
Then it was away from the coast and road walking into the village of Onton, and a coffee and tortilla break. A coffee and a generous slice of tortilla comes to around €2.50
Yet more road walking brought me into Castro-Urdiales, a large resort town. After a bit of a look around and food shopping I caught a bud to the campsite at Islares. It would have been more road walking, and as it was hot, why not.
I met up with a woman from Finland, and an Italian and  French guys. We had a good evening together and got rather pissed.

August 8th Pobena

  The route description from Geurnika to Bilbao was inspiring enough to decide me to catch the bus into Bilbao from Mundaka.
  Once in Bilbao I sussed out which bus to take to get out of the city.
I just had to see the Guggenheim Museum building, being in Bilbao. It was a walk down to the river and alongside it to reach the Guggenheim.
It was so worth it, I have never seen such a wonderful building.
Bilbao is impressive for a city. The bus ride away from it made glad I was not walking through the miles of suburbia.
I got off the bus, walked through sand dunes, across the beach at Zierbena and crossed a bridge to Pobena.
There was no campsite, but I camped behind the albergue.
There were 20 beds in the albergue and over 60 pilgrims wanting to stay.
I was so pleased to be able to camp.
The overflow pilgrims had to sleep in the church cloisters, which was a lot healthier than in an albergue.

August 6th Mundaka

I left the albergue as day was arriving and was soon walking alongside a river.
I wish I had hung out the previous evening and camped.
At the village of Iruzubieta the route ascended up through woodland only to descend back to the river. I shall check my mapping to save these diversions from now on.
After Bolibar there was a very steep uphill section to the impressive monastery of Zenarruza.
From here it was lovely woodland and then a few more old farmhouses and pasture that led to Munitibar.
A bar provided tortilla and coffee an a good break.
Then it was mostly valley walking  through lovely countryside.
At a junction I met 2 English guys who were on their 3rd day. They were aching and one had bad blisters.
Whilst talking with them I checked the map and my gps track went a different way to the signed route.
It was a road walk to Guernika.
I didn't fancy hanging out there, do a 15 minute bus ride got me to a campsite at Mundaka

August 5th Markina Xemein

After rain in the early hours it was a slow start to the day.
It was a very steep climb from the campsite to get back on the camino.
It was muddy in places where the early walkers had passed through.
The day was mainly through a hilly forested landscape, mainly conifers, but not like the sterile conifer plantations in Britain.
A stop for a coffee at Olatz then it was remote country until Markina Xemein came into view far below.
The day had gradually became warmer.
I booked into an albergue for the night as I did not want to go any further.
The old town was intetesting with a good amount of Africans about, speaking Basque.
In the evening I sat in the centre people watching. Everyone goes out to meet and greet each other, or so it seemed.
The night was disturbed by people partying in the street close to the albergue

August 4th Mitrika

It was a very steep climb out of Zumaia, as usual. Then it was undulating grassland to the first village Elorriaga.
I stopped at a bar for a coffee at Itziar. Then on to Deba on concrete tracks, before a very steep descent to Deba.
The final part of arriving in the town was by two lifts/elevators.
The day was warm and very humid and although I had walked less than ten miles I had walked enough for the day.
I checked into the tourist office and found the nearest campsite was near Mutrika, 4km along tbhe coast.
Lunch was a picnic in the park, then I caught a bus to near the campsite.
Once settled in I sussed out I was only 500m. from the camino.
Lovely views and a few conversations with various Germans, with the sound of the surf in the background, made me pleased to come here.

August 3rd Zumaia

  I left the campsite with Brian, but as our walking styles are different, I let him go on. He likes to knock out the km.s/miles and finish early afternoon. I like regular breaks and just ambling along.
My first break was at Orio, a village built around a port. Most are at river mouths.
Next stop was Zarautz, a modern town and resort. Lots of people on the long beach, and hundreds of surfers in the water.
Then it was a long plod along the cliff road to Getaria. In hindsight I should of caught the bus from Zarautz.
From Getaria it was a hilly inland walk to Zumaia.
The campsite was reached by walking through.an industrial estate by the river. As it was only 1km. out of my way I went and checked it out.
It was fine, full again, yet they will always find room for camino walkers.

August 2nd A campsite at Igeldo

It was dark when I left the albergue and I wasn't the first to leave.
It wasn't far to the edge of Irun and across a wetland reserve as day was breaking. I should have checked my guide book, and left the albergue and camped somewhere like this.
Then it was uphill to the Santuario de Guadalupe, church type place. There were benches overlooking the border and harbour and a water source, which made it the perfect spot for breakfast.
As I was there a steady stream of walkers came and went on, excited by their first day on the camino.
From there I took the higher alternative, which had great views, it became a really sharp ridge walk for a while.
A steep descent to the lovely Passajes de St Juan brought a ferry crossing over the river.
Then it was not far before the outskirts of classy San Sebastian, which rates alongside Barcelona and San Francisco for me.
A bit of a linger to take in the place, the on to find a campsite.
On the outskirts I met up with Brian a guy I'd spent time with the night before.
He decided he would come to camp as well.
When we reached the campsite it was 'completo'/full. I blagged a space for us though !

August 1st Irun

The cloud was lower and there was fine drizzle. So I packed up and caught the bus to Lourdes.
A german hiker who was camped next to me was also leaving because of the weather.
A train to Bayonne and another to Hendaye, and I walked over the river and into Spain.
I went to a donation only albergue to get my crianciale/pilgrims passport, which entitles me to stay at cheap or donativo albergues.
It was a dump, clean but not nice after camping.
Food for the night cost half what I paid in France.