Spain, Camino Del Norte: Day 1 Irun to Pasajes de San Juan 17 km or So They Say
Un premieiro sello (the first stamp)
So how does it feel? Well I’m a little anxious just as I was before my starting the Camino Frances last year but after visiting the tourist bureau in Irun I was happy to see that the donitivo albergue Ermita Dona Ana In Pasai Donibane or (Pasajes de San Juan) not too far outside San Sebastián, is open. This means by me nursing this heel spur I can rest a little easier know I’m not walking as far tomorrow. That’s 17 vs 26km (10.5 miles vs 16 miles) The first day. Yeah I know the therapist said 10 km but tell them there is no place to stop….Can I make to San Sebastián? Plus a bonus to my day the best one was I got my first stamp at the local tourist bureau and then one at the hotel…yes!
Holy hell…Jaizkibel
Beautiful morning in Irun, I got up although I didn’t sleep much and I decided to not skip breakfast this time. I packed the night before so I was ready. Breakfast check, all my gear check, my wits double check so here I go. I strolled out the Hotel Alcazar after 8 am, later than I wanted but that was ok. the weather was great but I suspect it would be hot soon enough. Duh, of course, it was an inferno…! 15 min later I was out of Irun. Follow the Camino signs close by the train station down towards Hondarriba and the airport turn left and hug the river. Then I hit the first little hill toward sanctuary Guadalupe. There are yellow arrows everywhere now … as I tackle a little stretch up to Guadalupe I am reminded of holy hell Zubiri but only a little. I can’t be a little distracted by little ermitas and cows and donkeys, pretty but… Hey don’t miss the turn ok ok, I got it. I’ve got the Wise Pilgrim Camino places offline map in hand and I follow the track. Beautiful morning … hmm did I say beautiful ..hear goes the first layer the merino wool pullover.. uphill and all of a sudden I’m reminded of Florida heat yeah it’s at least 17C 62F but feels like 40C 104F a slight breeze but I don’t feel it. What I do feel is the cyborg turtle my left knee)since I left the tarmac and the city. Equally her sister heelspuricus (???? sorry I could not help but name the right foot heel spur) was grumbling but the jokes were helping. Ok let me back up a bit, been battling a heel spur opposite foot for 8 months on and off crutches and orthopedic boot .. now 1 cortisone and 2 platelets rich (PRP) plasma injections later I’m still feeling the burn.
Now I felt burning all over from shin to foot bottom, the addition of Dr Schols gel heel inserts and orange superfeet were helping but I suspect I was still feeling some jet lag and my bad I forgot to stretch this morning. Maybe this is the cause of what I feel to be a blister..the edge of the gel insertv yup duck tape to the rescue. So anyway now to Jezebel or Jeiksbel, what is that you may ask? Well, see the picture.
Some may say it’s the alpinista route from the sanctuary Guadalupe straight on. After you go left past the sanctuary a little further up ahead believe me you will see it. I call it double holy, what the hellfire and brimstone is that? So I decided not to chance it. I don’t think the cyborg turtle could do it. It was too steep literally straight up and she doesn’t bend so well. I would be on my all fours crawling uphill. Maybe if I didn’t have my pack but mochila Paq service doesn’t start until 1 April with correos. Besides I’m alone out here I’ve only seen 2 other pilgrims, German sisters in their 70s and they are ahead of me now they also took the low route to Pasajes I don’t need to fall butt or face first off a mountain on my first day. I took the official Camino route still nice views and no I did not second guess myself.
Hot dry and dusty on the trail I trudge on.. a few Spanish day pilgrims taking the trek back and forth to San Sebastián or Irun but for hours no other pilgrims. My water system is working well .. 3 sawyer flat 33 oz squeeze bottles and the water filter hookup tube connected so I only need to drink from the tube. I took 2 liters water mixed with acquarius today so far so good and my new Leki poles are doing good
Those darn signs and legs that vibrate:
Fast forward to pain. Don’t believe any of those darn signs ..3.4 km no way … off the mountain on to the road. No shoulder … on a really scary precipice along the opposite side of the guard rail omg I was afraid of falling my leg was already weak I had to hold on to the guard rail parts of the path at a 45 degree angle… then uphill steep on concrete road then downhill even steeper …. across Germany and Spain to grandma’s house … at one point both legs grew weak shaking began through this process I couldn’t stop on the hill for fear of falling forward. I knew this was a sign so around the corner bottom of one steep concrete hill omg yes! houses ….scheeerch … I pulled over ok so I fell over don’t laugh .. I could not move for a while the pain didn’t subside so I had to make a decision I had to move some time so eventually I did .., for obvious reasons I took the pack off there was a wall and a hill on the other side …sigh. Camino accident day one not likely … I did my best.
Where is it?
So where is that darn albergue again? Ok so I found it but does it have to be on a hill too? Really far away. My legs were already trembling and at the point of no return I felt a blister .. on the cyborg turtle’s foot what the heck but I had to keep going to this non existent 3.4 km it was obvious that all four of us ladies agreed .. it felt more like 6km endless concrete steep uphill and steeper downhills ..the Fab Four -myself the two German sisters from earlier this morning and a third we met in the albergue. Yes, darn it! I’m stuck on the 3.4 km but I digress … but wait I didn’t get a blister last year .. that darn healspuricus was up to no good., she was flaring too she was bad on her own now she called her cousin blistercup.
I’m here finally but Guess what ? the food was in town at the bottom of the hill no thanks, I guess I’ll survive on chorizo, cheese 1 tangerine and some granola bars in my pack. We did have a nice time with a lively hospitelero who only speak Spanish. My Spanish understanding is definitely better now if I can only speak it. We met his family his grandson, son and daughter in law who speaks fluent Bask. Lively people and the hospitelero who with his wife has 33 Camino’s under their belt I’m in Shock. , by the way, I met his lovely wife the next morning and she recognized me as I grabbed a coffee to go. With that, I have a shower, forget the clothes washing or dinner, rub the cream on healspuricus apply the tens to cyborg turtle eat what I have and call it a night. See u tomorrow what a day!