Camino de Santiago LITE: Day 8 (del Norte): Zumaia to Deba

The sky is overcast for a change and I am just hoping that it wouldn't pour. Our B&B is off the Camino by a half mile, and although it is wonderfully decorated it feels isolated and we did not go out at all yesterday after checking in. The Dutch manager suggested to have pizza delivered but we were full from a big seafood lunch. Getting back on the Camino this morning is no trouble as it is now downhill. Fortunately it is only sprinkling off and on, and I don't have to put on my poncho, which I generally find cumbersome.

Zumaia: at breakfast we can see the light rain through the window. The law of averages after three sunny days.

Zumaia: leaving our well-decorated B&B which is owned by a Spanish actress

The route out of Zumaia is again very well waymarked but it is a steep uphill. I knew that from the info on Gronze.com which has excellent altitude information. The highest we reach today is about 1,000 ft which is equivalent to a climb to Vernal Falls in Yosemite, except there will be undulations in addition. Near the tiny hamlet of Elorriaga, the Camino splits, and the Basque man at the strategically located food truck confirms, by body language, that La Ruta Costa has more ups and downs but is "muy bonito." Well, I subscribe to the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" concept at this point and trust that the easier routes are plenty enjoyable, so we take a left turn away from the coast. Before we leave, the man makes sure we learn to say "eskerrik asko" ("thank you" in Basque) properly.

Zumaia: rounding the harbor to leave town. I wish we had explored the beach area a bit for its interesting "flysch" rock formation, which is the longest in the world.

Leaving Zumaia: a steep ascent brings us to a view point.

The trail flattens and opens to tranquil scenery.

I would call this Rosetta Stone of milk production (Basque vs Spanish).

Very few people on this route, outnumbered by animals.

Vineyards ahead

We walk most of the next section with a nice young man from the state of Washington, who recently quit his job as a high school teacher. He did the Camino Frances a few years ago and plans to complete the del Norte route this time all the way to Finisterre. And he is just at the beginning of a trip around the world. He does not have a planned itinerary nor does he know how long it is going to take. In fact, he has not even decided how far he is walking today. What a nice life of no planning or decision making! (But he is a quarter Basque and does plan to visit his relatives in Guernica for the first time.) When we reach the top of a hill, there is an unmanned sidra stand, where we share a bottle as well as praise over anything Basque. The cider here is not the unfiltered apple juice as in some parts of the US, but a fermented alcoholic beverage. The last uphill push brings us to the town of Itziar.

Sidra tasting at the top of a hill. Strong fermentation.

Someone did a good job here.

Picking walnuts and figs

We stop at a non-descript restaurant in Itziar to have inexpensive lunch. This reminds us of most days on Camino Frances. Our Camino routine may be returning to normalcy. We are seated next to a Basque white collar person who is passionate about preserving the Basque cultural and maybe even financial independence.

Entering Itziar: a plain meal appropriate for the Camino. The highlight of the lunch is the conversation with a Basque man.

Leaving Itziar: this is the highest point for today, as we start a long walk down to Deba

We descend down to Deba. When we get close to town, just before the elevators that take people to the ground level which is officially part of the Camino, we run into a middle school boy from Korea. He is walking alone and it is a deja vu from last year. He is separated from his school group but does not know where he is supposed to stay or even what town to go today. ("I was told just to follow the arrows.") He does not speak Spanish or English. I surmise his group is staying in Deba since he started walking early in the morning and the next major town is far away. With the help of Spanish peregrinos, we take him to the Tourist Center where we have his teacher come and pick him up. We are aghast at the lack of proper orientation and emergency measures on the part of the school or teachers, and it is exactly the same as with the group we saw last year.

This delays us at least a half hour in getting to our hotel, which is quite modest compared to the accommodations the last two days. I remember Deba having very few lodging choices and I still wonder why that is. Essentially paying the same price, there is a gulf in quality between this inn and the B&Bs the last two days.