Forests and Streams

 Hiking Day 5    Markina to Gernika

Miles today    17.9

Total miles     69.5

Ascent       2278

Descent     2591

Today starts with crystal clear skies and temperatures in which you can see your breath. The hiking begins along a small stream surrounded by farm houses and farm animals of various types. 

Before long the ever present climbs commence and we heat up as does the day. The path is gorgeous today, some of the most enjoyable so far. We wind through forests and cross and follow numerous small streams. The farm houses are especially attractive and well maintained. This is a special part of Spain, the Basque Country.

We do manage to find one coffee stop today mid morning as well as a beer…for me & wine…for Scot stop just as we enter the town where we will spend the night—Gernika. It turns out that once again our day’s hike is a couple of miles or so longer than our guidebook predicted. We arrive mid afternoon after almost 18 miles of scenery and scattered mud. The trails so far are often muddy in spots. 

Now we have time to shower, wash clothes in the sink, and catch up the news as we begin the long wait until the 8 pm or later dinner time. On this Camino we find that nowhere is dinner served before 8 o’clock. On the Camino Frances, with its much larger number of pilgrims, we sometimes were able to find places that served earlier. Such is not the case on the Camino del Norte!