Mark and I are in Guemes, a small village in the rolling countryside of Cantabria. The landscape has calmed and the cast of characters we encounter has changed. All the holiday hikers are gone and many more pilgrims destined for Santiago de Compostela started in Bilbao. They are all feeling the aches and pains we felt our first few days. Our American friends, Richard and Dudley, have pulled ahead.
So far Cantabria has been much more populated than the Basque, and the route has been paved. There have been some pretty towns , but today was filled with stunning beaches and lovely farmland. Goats, sheep, and cows here all wear bells so the hills truly are alive with sound of music.
Rita and Damas are from Hungary. We met them first when they shared our Albergue Ulia room near San Sebastian. They arrived late and we left early so we didn’t get a chance to chat. We met them again at Albergue Poueta. Today’s encounter was our third passing just west of Loja. They have 23 days to reach Santiago so they are trying to walk some longer days.
Tonight we are staying at the Albergue la Cabana del Abuelo Peuto in Guemes. All albergues are unique but this one stands out. Ernesto, a priest in his 80’s, built the albergue on his grandparents’ farm and can accommodate almost 100 pilgrims each night. At 7:30 pm everyone gathers in a special room to hear Ernesto’s life story and philosophy, “la Camino la Vida”. He chooses an unsuspecting pilgrim to translate his Spanish tale into English. At 8:30 pm we ate. The facilities are really comfortable which we all appreciated after a rainy day of walking.
Kevin is from Alaska. He is a retired lawyer enjoying walking with enthusiastic young people. Kevin likes to swim and has been swimming in the ocean along this route as often as he can.
Helena, from Spain, is making the most of her limited time on the Camino. In one day she walked 20 km, biked 4 km to the beach, and rode 21 waves in a surf lesson. As a physiotherapist, she has been taping up ailing pilgrims along the way.
David, from Germany, was walking with Helena and Kevin when we met. David and I would cross paths many times along the camino giving us time for many thoughtful conversations. When he finished his camino, he travelled to Majorca, a Spanish island, to join his girlfriend.
Ernesto is a priest and the owner of Albergue la Cabana del Abuelo Peuto. In this portrait he he is standing in the entrance to his teaching room for “la Camino da Vida”. He built the albergue on his grandparents property and operates it with volunteers. He believes it to be the most important albergue the on the Camino del Norte.