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I left before the sun came up and departed Arganzon in the dark, using my iPhone for light when necessary. The stars were starting to fade but Orion’s Belt was plain to see. The sun slowly rose in the east casting a long shadow of myself heading west. I left early to avoid any surprises.Continue reading “Miranda de Ebro to Leon”

Today was a very enjoyable walk. I woke up from one of the better sleeps I’ve had (must be pintxos and Txakoli) but I found myself going through email, reading a newsletter I subscribe to. As soon as I realized what I was doing (wasting time), I shut my phone down. My goal is toContinue reading “La Puebla de Arganzon”

When I arose this morning at the Truck Stop hotel, I had a choice to make: explore the Aizkorri sierra or take a train to Vitoria. My legs and feet won that debate. I found my hotel in Vitoria about 2 blocks from the train station but still in a rather fashionable part of town.Continue reading “Vitoria-Gasteiz”

After walking more than 20 miles in eight hours, I decided to call it quits. I did not quite make my planned destination of Salvatierra. I found a truckstop along the way with a Hotel attached. They had one room left and I grabbed it. It was a flat and pleasant walk until the endContinue reading “Araia”

Today was a challenging day, una caminata muy dura, you might say. But the greater the challenge, the deeper the sense of accomplishment. Also, often, the more exhausted you are! But first, a little more on Pilar, the owner of casa rural Irigoein Etxea (which translates as house at the top of the town) whereContinue reading “San Miguel de Aralar”

Imagine you awoke one morning and found yourself walking outdoors along a deserted path, then gradually realized that the familiar surroundings were not quite what they seemed. As you walked down a trail through a wide valley, the colors on the distant hillsides were brighter, the definition of the leaves and of the bark uponContinue reading “Camino Viejo”

A dark side of the history of the Basque people in Spain (and south of France) was ETA, a terrorist group formed during Franco’s rule with the aim of establishing an independent Basque homeland. They were active when we lived in Madrid including several car bombs targeting the Guardia Civil. I walked by the DefenseContinue reading “Crossroads”

When the Romans arrived in the area now known as Navarra, they found it inhabited by the Vascones, an indigenous people who were most likely descended from the Paleolithic and Neolithic peoples who were already present before the westward spread of the Indo-Europeans (Celts, Italics, Germanics) 4500 years ago. The Basque language is unrelated toContinue reading “The Way”

Day 1. St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles First, I want to give thanks and acknowledge my good fortune to be able to walk my Camino. I thank Paula for giving me the freedom to leave home for some far away place to go roaming about the countryside. I thank my family for theirContinue reading “There and back again”

This is a short note to clear up some confusion generated in my last post. Yes, the wheels came off, but if there is one thing I have learned in this life, it is how to put the wheels back on. To make a long — and boring — story short, do not plan toContinue reading “The Journey Begins”