The Monastry of Ziortza to Guernica and then to Bilbao ( By Train )

English: “Guernica Gernikara”, a Basque language slogan on a tiled wall in Gernika claiming for the installation of Guernica in Gernika. I took the picture in 1997, I think. I tried to correct the poor scanning. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

sunrise

Day 6. Saturday 22nd September….Forest walks and a shortcut.

It is a fantastic sunrise across a forested valley that sees us leaving the monastery. We are sent on our way by the monks who have brought us a simple breakfast of as much coffee as we can drink, bread and jam. This is exactly what is needed to fuel the steady climb through the forest that covers much of this early walk. The quiet solitude among the trees is calming and aids early morning meditations as Mike and I find our own pace and I soon find myself on my own to enjoy the strengthening rising sun. I find myself singing for much of the morning and enjoy this lightness of spirits.

narrow Way through sunlit forest

We meet up in the odd isolated village before setting out again, following the arrow and shell through the countryside.

The path is often a narrow and ancient path through trees that are just beginning to show signs of autumn. A few leaves are starting to drop and the colours in the undergrowth are changing to autumn browns.

There is a delightful spot where an ancient bridge crosses a small river and I take time to take off the pack and paddle my hot feet in the water, enjoying the shade and cool.

I am a bit worried that Mike will be some way ahead by now and I must be slowing him down but my back is a bit sore from yesterday’s extended walk and it has started to affect my hip so I figure I must take it at my own pace and take these rests. He is waiting at the top of the hill in the village and we make a plan to try to get to Bilbao by tonight if we can get to Guernica in time to get a train. Mike is keen to celebrate a mass for his his late mother’s birthday tomorrow in Bilbao Cathedral and we might not make it in time if we walk the section from Guernica to Bilbao which is a fairly long section, much of it through urban sprawl by all accounts. With this new plan in mind we set off for the last section and the steep descent into Guernica.

We are aware of the awful history surrounding this town. We have seen graffiti along the way that must espouse the fierce independent spirit among these Basques that still exists.

The dreadful bombing of the city on the 26th April 1936 must count as one of the most horrific acts of state terrorism of modern times. The town is rebuilt and carries on its business but I feel an atmosphere around it that reflects the atrocious act that took place not so long ago.

The trains into Bilbao are frequent, comfortable and cheap and we find ourselves ensconced in a comfortable hotel by early evening, in time for me to take Mike on a wild goose chase in search of what I think is the Cathedral. An hour later we find ourselves in the Basilica high above the Old Town and I realise that my command of Spanish and map reading is not really up to much. The Cathedral is about two minutes from our Hotel in the opposite direction!

There is time for a brief walk around the locality of the Hotel before supper and a welcome, comfortable sleep. It has been a warm day and the evening is pleasantly warm.

After just a week of walking mostly on our own I find the bustle and noise of the big city a little disconcerting but I look forward to exploring the Old Town and the Guggenheim tomorrow.

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Day 5 – Deba to the Monastry at Ziortza – 32kms

hills above Deba

Angels in the Forest…… The Way out of Deba rises steeply into sparcely populated farmland and forest as we leave the sea behind for a while. We are prepared for a long day and three steepish climbs like this first one.

We take a breather at the little taverna in Orlatz where a coffee and a tuna tapas fortifies us for what becomes a climb through the forest of over an hour. I am grateful for the shade of the trees as the temperature rises and soon I am walking alone as Mike heads off  at his own pace, leaving me for dust. The quiet of the forest is calming and lends itself to contemplation and again I find myself thinking of my family before simply becoming lost in the rhythm of my slow, steady climb.

climbing through forest

Mike is waiting towards the top of the hill at Kastolamendi and is in conversation with a man who has driven to the spot and awaits some friends who are walking behind us. He has ice cold beers and water in his boot of his car and offers some to me. I am a little overheated and the water is delicious ( I thought the beer might just send me to sleep ). Quite honestly it was just what was needed at that time. I swear water has never tasted better. And the gift was the first of many examples of the generosity of spirit we were to encounter over the next few weeks. I was to hear the saying ‘ The Camino always provides’ many times and here was an example. And this stranger is an example of the guardian angels who protect the route.

For much of the day I am walking alone and enjoying the solitude of this hill forest walking and after 25kms I join up with Mike to enter the ancient town of Marquina-Xemein.

We stop to visit the chapel of St Miguel with its unusual altar made from huge rocks before we enter the grand old town. After a long day I settle for a cold beer and to rest my back that has, for the first time, started to play up. Mike goes on an excursion to explore the accommodation possibilities. There is an auberge attached to the church but we decide to walk on the six or so kilometres to the monastery at Ziortza.

This last bit of the walk follows a small river valley and is a very pretty incline. It takes a somewhat painful hour or so but the walk is worth it for the experience of staying in this magnificent monastery.

The monks welcome all travellers and offer food for supper ( a pea soup ) and a simple breakfast. We share with three female pilgrims in a comfortable enough dormitory and I am ready for an early night after quite a long, taxing walk that has tested my lack of real fitness.

First I have to do battle with a monster wasp that has got into the dorm from a nest in the wall outside but not long after vespers I am tucked up and grateful that there are no snorers in the party.

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