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Spain, Camino Del Norte: Day 19 San Miguel De Meruelo to Galizano
A really nice day today but I’m Suffering from coffee withdrawal. Nothing open. I even took some alternatives into the town of Guemes…Ferraro, closed and locked up tight. It seems if you leave before 9am you suffer the consequence of no bathroom and no cafes open. It was another hell underfoot literally. All road from morning till afternoon. By the time I almost reached I swear my bladder would just burst. A long and winding country road literally, up hill and down the. Up again all the time no place to pee. The up side…rarely a car and it was a major road. No pilgrims or people in sight all…
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SpainCamino Del Norte: Day 20 Galizano to Santander
Nice day cloudy and overcast but the temperature was great… no coffee but I trudged on first on concrete then on a small dirt path up around the cliffs and across a beach into Somo to catch the ferry to Santander. Nice walk but no bathroom and you are in the open walking along a path below farmer’s field of green tall grass waving in the breeze like waves on the ocean. The walk across the beach was long stepping over flowing water sand puddles and trying to score the perfect shell then near the end of the beach you see a building the camino takes a hard turn off…
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Spain, Camino Del Norte: Day 21-24 Santander, Pecos De Europa, Santo Toribio Monestery, Potes and the El Saplao cave
Amazing amazing amazing ! I booked a tour with Gabriela from Exploring Cantabria. She picked me up at 8am for what I was expecting to be an amazing day and she did not disappoint me. We drove on the autopista 2 hours up into the Pecos de Europa mountains range . Winding our way to the top the view of the gorge and the surrounding mountains were terrific. I saw wild horses, wild goats , Cantabria specific white cows with the wide horns and some amazing small villages. We arrived at the gondola which would shuttle up to the top. As we climbed up along the wires in the gondola…
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Spain, Camino Del Norte: Semana Santa (Easter week)- in Santander
Many people gather to watch the Easter procession on the Main Street of Santander. Seems like every family is here .. walking talking eating ice cream ..yeah it’s cold but ice cream seems to be more than cold it’s hot on a holiday. The music starts to play over the public speakers. I’m sitting just beyond the cathedral. It’s funny but I see several pilgrims wonder about with their giant mochilla no doubt searching for their hotel or albergue. They are so involved with walking they barely notice the gathering crowds. Their minds maybe set on the direction of travel. Last year I think I was the same but this…
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Spain, Camino Del Norte: Day 24-27 Santander to Boo De Peligros and Santillana Del Mar
Not much In Boo it’s a sleepy town but the albergue was filled with boisterous laughter, great food and happy pilgrims sunning on the wonderful terrace. Albergue Piedad is the only one , clean and kind hospiteleros. More pavement but from Boo you must first catch the train one stop over the railway bridge.. walking is discouraged by local police. Take the train one stop or continue to puente San Miguel… I think I’ll stay in the train along with 2 Germans who also had foot problems.. the concrete pounding is comparable to walking on hot fire coals at a dinner with cannibals where your feet are on the menu.…