Friday 16th May 2014 ...

 .... was a fabulous day for a long walk ..... so we decided to do the Deba to Zumaia 15km walk which is a walk in it's own right, and is also part of the Camino de Santiago, albeit, a very small part. Pilgrims on the Camino usually do it from Zumaia to Deba however we had read that the incline out of Deba is easier than the incline out of Zumaia so decided to take the easier way.

It was a very beautiful, blue-sky, sunshine day and we set off from Deba at around 12.15pm and arrived in Zumaia at just after 7pm - yes, that is correct - it took us just under 7 hours. What we had read was that it was a 15km walk along the clifftops along the flysch coast and while I was a little unsure about walking 15km I figured that I could do it so long as we didn't push ourselves. Remember,  I'd just come right after 2 weeks of being sick. What we didn't know was that it was uphill and down dale with  long climbs and as steep as f### sometimes, oh my it was hard going, and sometimes it just seemed like we were going up and up and up endlessly. Fortunately, there were other times we ambled along an old road and through a tunnel, and along gentle tracks through countryside or pine forests, To begin with it was mostly inland and followed the coast more after halfway and the going certainly got easier also and it turned out that we'd made the right decision for us to start at the Deba end because there was a very, very long and sometimes very, very steep incline at the Zumaia end and I was surely pleased to be going down rather up.

We were mightily zonked by the time we finished and mightily pleased with our effort. We certainly didn't push ourselves and had quite a few stops along the way, we weren't in a hurry at all, only concerned to get to the end no matter how long it took us, well, we did have to get there before the last bus to Azpeitia and also before dark.

at the top of the first hill, looking up the coast towards Bilbao, Zumaia is on the left.

  

Santa Catalina

 the countrside from the church with our track on the left

There was a lack of signs to begin with and a man set us on the right path, steep uphill, out of Deba and soon after we came to a T intersection and another man just happened to come along and pointed at the track on the left, going steeply further up the hill, so on up we went still not 100% sure, when we saw a man coming down the hill from a farmhouse. I thought he was going to ask us what we thought we were doing but it turned turned out he wasn't concerned about us at all. Instead he told us we were on the right track and where to go from there, and then talked to us for about 10 minutes about the history of Santa Catalina, a little, very old church at the top of the hill. All of which I understood maybe half - 2/3s of. On the way up to the church we found our first track sign and from then on there were plenty of them. Our sign was a red and white stripe and a lot of the time there was also the yellow stripe for the Camino trail.

Our sign on the tree telling us to go down the path on the left. The one on the sign post tells the people coming from the other way to cross the road and go up the hill.

The view from the top of a steep as all heck hill we'd just climbed up looking down on the fairly easy walk before the ascent

same place, different aspect, looking to the right. we sat here eating apples and oranges. It was fantastic!

certainly the views from the hilltpos were fabulous, this is closer to Zumaia. From up here we could here the crashing, rumbling sound of the rocks being moved against each other with ebb and flow of the waves. I don't think I've ever heard this before and heard it for the first time when I went to Gaztelugatxe (the little church on the rock in the ocean with all the steps going to it) with Miren

ocean cliffs

 We had lunch at the little neach down the bottom betwen the two cliffs

 going up yet another hill  

amost there

We met more people along the way than I thought we would. Some were actual pilgrims and some were daytrippers like us, some runners (crazy crazy) and a guy mowing hay on the side of a faily steep hill - hot and hard work, and one guy riding a bike!!!

The serious sloggers - the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago - the first pilgrims we met were a couple of Americans who were walking the San Sebastian to Santander section of the Camino and then were probably taking the train to the end because they'd be short of time. Unfortunately, we didn't talk to them further about their experiences so far, and we kicked ourselves afterwards but, we were mindful that they'd walked a long way and still had along way to go and we didn't want to hold them up. I think that they'd have had some interesting things to tell us and they were they only English speaking pilgrims we met. I don't know what the nationalities of the others were. 

This guy's pack looked very heavy and all he said to us was something that sounded like "nuff" as he looked at us and hit his pack.

thiis was a young guy and he wasn't stopping for anything or anyone. he's got the Camino symbol on his pack.He also had 2 sticks and both of his knees well wrapped up.

we were lucky enough to see some Basque horses. They are like minature ponies

pink flysch cliffs not far from Zumaia

 not far now

we made it!  sitting outside the little church at the end of the trail. 

from here it was down hill to find a beer. We felt like very pleased with ourselves, had a laugh at how long it had taken us and then raised our glasses to all those who take on the Camino de Santiago - what an achievement. Of course, egos bolstered by our walk, and a beer or two, we then contemplated what it would take for us to do it ..... one day ... perhaps!

I have to tell you that the next day, Saturday we felt very weary and didn't do a lot except walk to Loiola to buy and icecream at the kiosk and then sat in the sun eating it - it's about a 15 minute walk each way. YAY go us!

So, the next day, Sunday, we did some more - the Zumaia to Zarautz walk over the top, not the coast walkway which we've done before.

Again we chose our starting place according to what is described as the easiest start, although I now realise that there isn't an 'easy' beginning to these walks, but once again we made the right decision because the climb up out of Zumaia was most certainly easier than what we would have had to do out of Zarautz. Going down into Zarautz was bad enough - a very, very long steep downhill old cobblestone path and my knees felt every bit of it. Supposed to be good for them though, I did keep telling myself this.

Zumaia from the top of the first hill, almost, from here the path turned inland for a bit.

This walk was easier than Friday's one, for sure. For starters it was much shorter, just under 10kms and althpugh there were some steep parts none were as tough as on Friday amd it took us just under 4 hours. Again it was a fabulous sunny day, hotter than Friday but easier walking mostly. All of it was along wide paths, usually tractor roads and often through vineyards always with the coast in sight. 

This was the steepest hill and I'd had enough of it by the time I got to the top 

  the view was pretty damned nice though. Getaria looking through a txakoli vineyard.

some spectacular terracing

. It is quite steep countryside and most of it is in use, not all is in grapes though

 the sheep in the Basque Country have very long wool and it looks like they're wearing blankets. Some sheep have now been shorn, there must be a reason for the wool to be grown so long and if I remember to ask someone, I may find out what that reason is. A side-on look

 The outskirts of San Sebastian on the hills in the distance. We'd yet to see Zarautz

 around the corner and here it is

past a very substantial farmhouse

 have a little rest 

down past an old fort built in 1914 so 'whoever' could keep an eye on the surrounding countryside and coast for quite a distance, apparently. A local lady was there when we went to have a look and she gave us some information in Spanish that I could understand. It was open so that the public could go up to the top for the view but it is now closed off. 

 from there is was down this path for a long way down to Zarautz. It was hard going, had to concentrate on where we were putting our feet.

I have no more photos after this, surprisingly - I think I must have been so totally focused on getting down this path in one piece that I forgot about taking photos. 

Needless to say, we made it down ok and then it was off to a bar on the beach for a couple of beers. We had about 11/2 hours before getting the bus back to Azpeitia so we just loitered about on the promenade along the beach - along with a few thousand other people. A very warm Sunday and the beach was packed, must be bedlam in July and August.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this and looking at the photos - I so totally enjoyed both of the walks and am very happy with our efforts. The weather was fabulous and we had a really great time. 

Oh, and Barry has checked out the Zarautz to San Sebastian walk!!!!!

Oh and another thing - we arrive back in Auckland at 10.50am Saturday 21st of June.