Tag Archives: Wildlife

Camino de Santiago: Barreda to Gijon

Another week of walking has gone by, and this time the distances were much longer, and the terrain was more varied.

First stop was a stay in Barreda, and a visit to Santillana de Mar. A beautiful town that makes you feel as if you have gone back in time. The streets are cobbled and old stone is all around, they have lots of bars and restaurants, and a tourist information point. Also some museums. I visited the Torture Museum!

The museum was quite interesting but also very gruesome. It also made me wonder what sort of person would acquire a collection like this… The animal masks were particulary weird, apparently it was to silence the speech of women and other lowly folk at the time, and also a symbol of public humiliation.

2km down the road is also the world heritage site, the Caves of Altamira. The caves were discovered in the 1800s and have a collection of pretholific paintings inside, and a system of spaces for different uses. The caves were so popular to visit that they began to become damaged, and had to be closed to the public. Now, only five people per week are selected to visit the original cave. The museum has painstakingly created an exact replica for the general public though.

I visited the replica, it was still underground and very dark but certain areas of importance were highlighted. There were many paintings of animals, that were surprisingly detailed, and a pressed in hand print. This whole experience was a lot better than expected and only cost €4! I was also able to wonder down to the outside of the original caves.

Whilst walking the camino to the next stop in Comillas, the seaside views and sites of farms became very familiar, and I also went hunting for more caves!

Nearby to the path, I had seen on the map that there was a cave in a woodland that had been discovered to have ancient paintings again, and you could have this one all to yourself. La cueva de aguas was about 20-30 minutes off the track, and was very exciting!

In this small cave, deep in the woods, I had to ditch my backpack outside, and crouch to get in. It is completely pitch black, and I could hear the loud sound of water. When i finally got my torch going (I had resisted, as I was afraid of bats), I realised there was water gushing around my feet, and a waterfall running through the cave!

It was really amazing to find, and I could just make out the higher level in the cave, where the cave people would have made home. This cave was on the route of the miners, and another small cave can also be seen on the path, but is inaccessible.

After the excitement of the cave, I had fallen behind schedule, on this very long stretch. I walked as quickly as I could through more roads, woodland, and past a gorgeous beach, trying to get to town before sunset.

I spent the last few hours frantically calling pensions and hotels in town to try to find a room. I kept coming up against the same response, ‘we are closed for winter’. Forty minutes walk away, and already night time by now, I sat in a bus shelter, and seriously considered sleeping there. It looked like quite a well built shelter, but I didn’t like the idea of being 40 minutes behind on tomorrow’s walk. In a final attempt, I phoned a golf club in the town, and managed to rent a 3 bedroom apartment for one night, for 85 euros. So with no food, and sore feet, I dragged myself there and managed to get a bed for the night. Bright side – it had a washing machine!

The next day, I left late, got my stamp from the tourism office, and headed out for a shorter walk to San Vincente. The day began with a lot of rain, and going uphill. After the stressful night before, and being hammered by rain, my will power was running low. Then all of a sudden, I was at a beautiful nature reserve, the sky cleared, and a rainbow appeared, and everything was better again.

San Vincente was a big town with a beautiful old church on the hill, (that used to serve as a hospital for pilgrims), a castle, and then a pleasant restaurant and bar scene below. I met a fellow traveller over dinner, and we talked about our trips and exchanged stories. It was great to have a good conversation, it had been a few days, since I had spoken to anyone.

Next, I crossed the river into Asturias region, the third of four in the walk. I could immediately see the differences in the area from Cantabria. Many of the buildings were brightly coloured and beatifully built in the 1800s. They were built by ‘indianos’, spanish people that went to South America, made their fortune, then returned and built beautiful lavish homes for themselves.

I stayed in Llanes for the night, in the train station albergue, and the influence was clear here. It also had a gorgeous ancient quarter of the town, as well as a port once famous for whaling. There are quite a few shops here but it is on the pricey side.

Next day, was the 20 mile hike to Ribadesella. The day before I had to cut my walk short, as my foot was so sore it had started bleeding. I was worried about making the hike but feeling determined.

The walk was very varied, with the Picos de Europa mountain range on the left and beaches to the right, woodlands and farmland. It was really enjoyable and had amazing scenery. It was only in the final two of eight hours I began to be just dragging myself along to the end!

Ribadesella is another coastal town, with a harbour, and another gorgeous beach. I hiked to the viewpoint and did some sketching, and just chilled. There are some more caves near this area, but on this day I decided to keep them as a mystery. It always gives me a reason to return!

The next walk to Colunga, was still full of beautiful beaches, but also some other things that I have noticed only in Asturias. Gateways with a weird style of layered tiles that I can only assume is decorative, a unique way of pouring cider that has maximum splash impact, (it turns out Asturias is famous for its cider)… and these unstable looking sheds… called horreos or paneras.

They seem to be dotted all along the rural villages. They are all wooden huts, sitting on top of stacked stones. I would be very nervous to go inside these, as they look so wobbly. Traditionally they were used to stock dry grains away from rodents (I have seen rats climb though…) Now, people continue to use them to store firewood, hay, and I even saw some people living in them! Planning permission must be a breeze here… they are everywhere!

Gijon

After a rainy day and night in the pretty town of Villaviciosa, I finally arrived in the city of Gijon. I stayed in a hostel right on the beach.

The city has countless cider houses, and whilst I did not spot a cathedral, it has several churches and a basilica. This was my last opportunity to stock up on supplies before I arrive in Santiago de Compostela in another two weeks or so. I hit the supermarket for more plasters, high protein snacks etc. Hopefully, I will be okay!

With only a day in Gijon, I had to be picky about what to see. Gijon has a set of roman ruins that I was tempted by, but the pull to find out more about those wooden sheds I had seen, was much stronger. So, I walked to the edge of the city, to the Museum of the people of Asturias.

The museum was way better than I expected. For a start, it was free! YAY! I thought that it would be just a few boards with photos and objects, but the museum was actually mostly outside. The biggest part of the site is devoted to the actual traditional buildings of the region. These buildings such as horreos, shepherd refuges, and country houses, have all been actually dismantled from their original location and reassembled at the site. Pretty impressive. You can enter many of the buildings and see how it would have looked. For example, the peasant house has the rooms and fireplace set out as it would have looked, and there is a cider press with huge equipment and barrels in place.

The museum also had temporary exhibitions, and a bagpipes museum! Apparently bagpipes are big in Asturias tradition! As well, as some very odd looking bagpipes, there are a variety of other traditional instruments on show, and details about how they are made.

If you want to make the walk extra worthwhile, the museum is also next to another museum, the football stadium, sports centre and a lovely park.

Overall, I think whilst I am now becoming physically exhausted from all the walking, the Camino continues to prove itself as totally worth it. The walk this past week was colourful and varied, and I really liked Gijon. Time to follow those yellow arrows… see

To mark the end of the first half of the walk, I have made a little video..

Camino de Santiago: Portugalete to Santander

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In my second week of walking, I have done some of the largest distances so far and had some more rest days. The journey has had more flat terrain than the first week, and lots of walking on roads. It has been closer to the sea though, and very beautiful.

Starting in Portugalete, which is just on the outskirts of Bilbao, I walked along highways and resurfaced walkways along the coastline. There was an option to add an extra 14km to the journey by going into the mountain. I decided against that, as I was still recovering from the previous week’s mountains, and the road had great views. There was pedestrian access on the roads (lines painted on the floor) but I did have to take care, and it is not an option I would have been happy with if it had been a darker day.

Whilst walking the route, I left the Basque Country behind, and entered Cantabria. I kept looking behind me at the scenery, and thinking, I cannot believe I walked all this way so far!

On approach to Castro Urdiales, I went through an old mining area. This offered the very cool experience of being able to walk the old mining track, and go through the tunnels! This cut off loads of extra walking, that google maps would have tried to make me do, as it goes through the mountain rather than over or round. Buen Camino app is awesome!

On the other side of a five minute tunnel was Castro Urdiales. It was beautiful! Apparently, this is where the wealthy people that live in Bilbao, come at the weekends. I can see why!

Cantabria’s first official coastal town, Castro Urdiales has a gorgeous harbour area, two beaches, an impressive church, castle, many lookout points, a spectacular cemetery and a natural swimming pool! I wanted to take a dip, but I was too scared of getting in and slipping over or not being able to get out without a travel buddy. Plus it was about 11’c, and I have no swimming costume…

After leaving Castro Urdiales, I walked for about seven hours to Laredo. The walk had a lot of lovely views of the sea, but was mostly road walking. I met a lovely belgium man that was also walking along my way, so we trekked most of the way together, and split the jug of sangria at the end!

Whilst I was in Laredo, I stayed at the convent of Trinitarian nuns. Whilst it was a very cold stay with no radiators and little hot water, my room was very cute, and I had a lovely view over the town. I also had the room to myself, and was invited to join the mass. The nuns played guitar and sang beautifully during the service! The only thing that was disappointing, was that I didn’t get much one to one time with the nuns. I wanted to ask them about it all, as I have often wondered if I would like to be a nun… 🙂 perhaps I could do interpretive dancing in the band?

Laredo is another gorgeous town, and very big. It takes an hour to walk from one end of the beach, to the other! The old town where the convent is, is picturesque, and I even hiked over it to a viewpoint. (I couldn’t stop hiking!) There is also a harbour here and you can take boat excursions, and I took the water taxi across the bay to Santona to keep walking!

The next day, the walk from Laredo was pretty gruelling. After a five minute boat ride, it was 30km of hard road. There were many villages to move through, and lots of rolling hills with farms.

It was all about me and the animals that day. I saw baby donkeys, goats, horses, cows, chickens, a group of kittens, a very angry little dog, and best of all, a Spanish Imperial Eagle! It started following me for a bit. It was the second bird of prey that has circled above me on this journey. I am starting to think that I might be the prey….

In the final hour of the day, my good knee started hurting, and I had to hobble to my pension in Guemas. A very pretty but small village.

The journey has certainly been taking its toll on my joints, and I am trying to be more clever about my walks and preparation. I have problems with my right leg so have fully strapped up this week. The K tape is really helpful at keeping me balanced.

The last 16km to Santander, I got up early and benefited from some crisp morning views of the village. I then walked to the next village, with my knee still hurting from the day before. I had to make a decision, to stay on the road and shortcut through for a shorter journey, or add 4km and walk up to the cliffs and along the ocean. I was sick of the asphalt by now and everyone has said the views of the sea are great, so I went for the long path.

The path was hilly, but also muddy, which was actually a welcomed relief. I walked past farms, and saw beaches and rocky cliff sides. I also met a man who has walked all the way to Rome on pilgrimage. Very impressive! Eventually, the path led to the town and I wondered onto Somo and caught the twenty minute boat ride to Santander.

Santander

I stayed in the pilgrim hostel whilst in Santander for only 12 euros per night. My experience of the hostel is a story of its own!

I arrived at the hostel which is ran by volunteers, and no one was there. I phoned the number and spoke to a man in broken spanish about how to get in. He said no one would be there until later, but I could pick up the keys at the bar down the street. I went to the bar and explained to the bartender I was looking for keys (in spanish). She understood, (I must be improving). I then let myself in, chose my own bed and went to sleep. Later the volunteer came, checked me in, and told me two more guests should be coming that night. He was leaving though, and I was now in charge of the hostel!

He asked me (in spanish) to check them in on arrival, take their passport details and give them their keys! I couldn’t believe it! And then I was alone again. And there laid an opportunity… I finally had a washing machine and dryer all to myself. First order of business, was to check for cameras, then strip down to naked, and wash everything I have! I sat there in a blanket for two hours, and then I finally had all clean clothes for the first time in a month. Wonderful! 😍

Later, when I was dressed again, the man called and said the guests weren’t coming anymore, and I had the whole hostel of 50 bed spaces, to myself! Crazy!

Anyway… back to the actual city. Santander is the capital of Cantabria, and is a coastal city. It has a port which includes bringing visitors over on ferry from Plymouth, it also has a few beaches, a palace, and lots of hills covered in shops, plazas and restaurants.

My rest day in Santander was a rainy one so I decided to stay in the busiest part of the city, close to the hostel. I stocked up more supplies, mainly medical ones, but also some nuts and fruit from the Mercado de Esperanza (market of hope). I got quite a lot of nuts and dried fruit for two euros. I always love to visit the local markets. It seems there are a few different ones in Santander. Another is the Mercado de Este (east market), this has a tourist information point, and lots of little artisan stalls and bars.

Interestingly, below the market is probably one of the best museums that I have ever visited, the Musuem of prehistoric and archeology of Cantabria. This underground museum is reasonably small, but packed with archeological finds from the region. Including human and animal skulls, ancient tools, artwork, and pottery.

I know that can all sound a little boring on its own, but this museum absolutely brings it to life. They have structured the rooms to make you feel as if you are in a cave network, created visual, audible, and touch displays. They have lots of information in different languages, and really make you interact with the exhibits, I thought it was brilliant! And only €4! 😀

My personal favourite was the museum’s use of tech to turn actual skulls into real faces!

After this, I wondered over to the cathedral. It seemed that I had arrived, and I went through a door, but I was in a smaller church. It turned out that I had wondered into the Iglesia del Santismo Cristo. This church is actually underneath the cathedral itself. It has a warm atmosphere, beautiful arches, and two severed heads! These are relics of roman soldiers that were martyrs. Before I knew it, the door was shut behind me and I was in the mass. I just sat down and enjoyed it.

When it was over, I exited the church, climbed further up and found the official cathedral above where I had been. The cathedral interior is quite simple in comparison, and full of charming, light gothic architecture.

After all that, I returned to my lonely hostel, had a sandwich and took a nice long siesta, before heading out for dinner, and to enjoy some live music.

Overall, I think the jury is still out for me on Santander, because I wasn’t able to explore the beaches and palace, and I think the city probably has more of a rounded package in Summer. I did like the city though, and the museum really was a highlight.

I have walked a third of the Camino del Norte now, and my next and last city before Santiago de Conpostela is one week away. I hope my body can keep going! 🤞

Camino de Santiago: San Sebastion to Bilbao

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Last week I spent five days walking the Camino del Norte to Bilbao. The route is full of tough terrain, with mountains and slippery paths throughout. Like my journey… this blog is a long one. Prepare yourself.

Me taking a well earned rest after coming over Mount Avril and finally seeing Bilbao

Basque Country

The area of Spain that this walk goes through is in the Basque region. This historic area sits next to the french border, but has its own culture independent of France and Spain. The people in the basque country are very proud of their heritage. This is made clear through frequent displays of their local flag and colours, multiple museums and exhibitions about basque tradition, and many graffiti pieces asking for independence for the basque people.

The basque people have their own language, which is nothing like spanish or french, it actually predates them. It has lots of Zs, Ks, and Xs, and I can not pronounce any of it.

Many people seem to farm local produce, and animals seem to be a key part of the culture. Everywhere I went on my walk, I was never far from a donkey, goat or horse. This links quite nicely with the area’s great reputation for food.

The basque have their own style of cuisine, and especially well known are pintxos. These are small snacks (the size of canopes), available in bars most of the day. This is useful to know, as you cannot access a main meal during siesta time. The basque clearly love their food. I went to one bar and asked for a menu for some quick lunch, and they just began to bring me out huge dishes one after another… bean/sausage stew… bread… gammon and potatoes… bread…. fruity pudding… fruit. I had to look up the spanish for ‘please stop, I am full’. The chef looked disappointed in me!

The mountain trails

There are so many mountains in this area, and I was really grateful for my walking sticks to help get up them. The paths are a mix of road, track and uneven rocky slopes. The scenery is gorgeous, with lots of screensaver worthy backdrops, and pretty streams and waterfalls. Many mountains have villages (as in three houses), at the top, and small towns in the bottom of the valleys.

I think it is really important to take it slow during the ascents and descents. It is not worth rushing, and hurting yourself by losing your footing or pulling your knee. I started to get a ‘hiker’s knee’ after a few days, and strapped my leg up with K-tape. This really helped, but lots of breaks are also essential.

When heading over a mountain before Lezama I actually met a local lady, who was selling snacks to passing pilgrims from her driveway. For a euro, she gave me mandarins, and a slice of chocolate swiss roll. She also let me sit on her porch and enjoy the views whilst we chatted in Spanish. I really enjoyed this little interaction. The only negative was that she got me excited and told me my destination was only 3km away on flat terrain… it was 8km and not flat at all. I was cursing her a little on my ascent for misleading me! I am past it now though, and all is forgiven.

Mountain maths is very confusing! There were many occasions when I thought I was nearly there but I was not… For example, on one day, the map said I was 4km from my accommodation. I thought, ‘great, I can walk 5km per hour, less than an hour to go’. Nope… it was 2.5 hours walk away, but only 15 minutes by car. I was pissed… and confused. My calculations were not taking into account, the elevation, and terrain. It was 4km, but on the other side of the mountain. Cars could drive through a tunnel going though the mountain. This makes calculating the duration of your walk, really hard. I generally have added at least an hour to each estimate I make.

Forests of autumn colours

The forests I wondered through, were really beautiful because of all the colours. I much prefer the forest floor underfoot (more dry and bouncy, plus kicking big orange leaves is fun!) It was really tranquil and there was the odd shack which I imagine a few pilgrims have made camp in. I have met quite a few people who are camping even in the wet November weather. A highlight for me was seeing a group of vultures flying really close to me on the trail. They probably thought I would be easy pickings!

It hasnt all been sweetness and light…

The rain in the last few days to Bilbao was relentless. The poncho has been out but it is a pain because you need help to put it over your backpack.
The rain has made my socks wet.. equalling blisters. I was managing to avoid them until my shoes started getting too wet.
Some paths are so uneven, that they take ages to navigate carefully. They are also really slippery.
Toilets and other facilities can be very far away at times. This is a positive and a negative, because it is nice to feel in a remote location, but it does lead to wees in the woods. Tricky to do when you have a huge backpack on. Keep leaning forward ladies!

Special highlights on the walk

Seeing the flysch

When I got to Zumaia, I decided to follow a different track for a little bit. I did this so that I could see a special rock formation in the cliffs there called ‘flysch’. It is a type of erosion that creates straight lines in the rocks. Very strange, but cool!

The downside was that to rejoin my path, I had to walk up the cliffside. After lots of rain, it was basically a mudslide, and very scary. I had to be really careful, and it took ages. I would probably not recommend doing this if it has been raining a lot.

Monastery and day of the dead

On part of the trail, you pass through a beautiful monastery. Pilgrims can actually sleep here with the monks for a donation. I didn’t sleep here, but I did take the mass which was lovely and rejuvenating.

I happened to be passing on the day of the dead or all saints day. This is the day after halloween. Whilst some spaniards are starting to trick or treat and do the american halloween, it is mostly not done in Spain. They do celebrate the life of their loved ones though. Many people bring flowers and other offerings to the graves of their loved ones, and the day is a bank holiday.

This did make finding food a bit tricky, as most places were shut. I spent my day eating buttered bread from my backpack.

Guernika

Guernika is a town on the walk that is full of character and clearly proud of the basque culture. It has quite a few monuments related to well known basque figures from history, and two museums. I would have liked to spend another night here, but I had to move on to the next section of the walk. Apparently this town is a stop on many guided tours from Bilbao though, if you want the highlight reel on a quick trip.

Bilbao

Reaching Bilbao was a great milestone for me. I felt soggy and more tired than I was before the walk, but also stronger and more confident. Bilbao is a huge city, with a lot to see but I only had two nights, and the first night, I basically went into a coma.

It poured during my whole visit, but determined, I stuck some carrier bags in my shoes and went out to explore.

Guggenheim museum

The Guggenheim is a landmark attraction for Bilbao, and is what most people think of when they imagine the city. The museum is for contemporary art, and the architecture of the building itself is unique. It is located on the riverside, a little past the centre.

I am not very big on contemporary art, I prefer traditional portrait paintings, but once I reached the museum to see the outside, I was soaked. I wanted to dry off, and I was also curious, so I wondered in, squelching as I went.

The cost for the museum was €15, which I thought was pretty steep, more than I have paid for most attractions on my journey so far.

The building is spectacularly designed, and the rooms inside are huge, with thankfully lots of places to sit. I think the art was lost on me though. I had no idea what I was looking at most of the time. At one point, I saw a canvas that was almost completely black, and thought ‘this seems like easy money’. These thoughts were even more solidified when I saw a big piece of paper that I think had been folded into a paper aeroplane and unfolded again, so now just flattened creases…

I am probably not a good judge of these works to be fair, and there were plenty of people taking their time to look and discuss what they saw. There were two pieces I liked. One of what looked like a mushroom that was coming out of the canvas. That was cool.

One of the reasons that I walked up to the museum in the first place, was to see a giant puppy made of flowers. I was wondering around for 30 minutes following my google maps to try and find it. Getting more and more annoyed as it was raining, and I was confused. I finally realised that the puppy was covered in scaffolding and I had been circling it. Apparently they were swapping out the flowers, so I guess it is wrapped up often, which is a shame.

Casco Viejo (Old Town)

The old town in Bilbao is home to many narrow streets, and the cathedral dedicated to Santiago (St James). Due to this, it turned out that it was free admission for pilgrims 😀 I still paid €2 for an audio guide, which was useful to explain the artwork and architecture. The building is basque gothic, and has three naves which is unusual to me.

I also visited the basilica of Burgos which is on top of the hill up literally hundreds of steps… I walked to the top of these in the rain, then I saw the elevator…🥵😤

I really liked the style in the basilica, and the atmosphere was really calm. I would recommend a visit, on your way into Bilbao, (to avoid going up the steps).

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

I decided that on the last morning of my stay in Bilbao, I would take a bus (for only €2.50 each way) to Bakio, and walk the steep 30 minute trek to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This is unique location, as an island off the coast connected by a stone bridge, and topped with a hermitage building. It is also ‘Dragonstone’ from Game of Thrones. Another one off my GoT list! ✅✅✅

The past week has been tough. I have walked through about 26 villages and towns and walked over at least six mountains with over 10kg on my back. The views have been amazing though and I can feel myself getting stronger! Physically, and mentally.

Now I just need to decide if I should keep walking or take a few more days off. The weather will get wetter and colder, but I am due for some days of flat terrain, which should be a welcome relief. What do you think?

Camino de Santiago: Irun to San Sebastian

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So, this week, I started my long journey to Santiago de Compostela (over 800km) from Irun. I will be walking for as many days as I physically can, and enjoying rest days in cities and some towns a long the way.

The journey to Irun from Zaragoza took a few hours on the train with a change in a town that I could not even pronounce. Most people go to Pamplona for a day first, as it is an easier transport connection and I think in hindsight, perhaps I should have. I had already booked my accommodation and train though, so I didn’t want to alter it. I also just wanted to get started on the walk before the weather turned, and I think it was the right decision, as I had three days of sunshine.

Most people attempt to do the journey from Irun to San Sebastian in one day, but this is about 25km and includes a mountain hike. I decided to start gradually, and split my first stage over two days, with an overnight stay just outside of Lezo.

This was definitely the right decision. The hike was very steep and a shock to the system, after several days sightseeing on flat terrain.

The walk took me up the mountain, with views of the sea and nearby beaches, coupled with traditional small farms, and picturesque houses.

After the lovely views of the mountain and the gruelling walk down, I realised something unfortunate.. The hostel that I booked on the outside of Lezo, was on a major highway. I came to a busy roundabout with no crossing, and was perplexed at what to do. My options were few:

To climb back up the mountain and find another path to town, and then doubleback on myself..
To attempt to cross the highway and potentially be hit by a car at 80kmph.
Hitch-hike and hope someone took pity on me.

I considered my options carefully, and decided the best thing to do was wave someone down, and beg for a lift in my broken spanish.

I waited about 40 minutes and asked three drivers before I found someone that would take me across the motorway. A lady with her teenage daughter and a horse trailer on the back of her truck felt sorry for me and agreed. This was a blessing. I ended up talking in Spanish with them the whole journey to the hostel, and they were very chatty. I also felt like this was a great opportunity to get over any ‘stranger danger’ fears I had.

Once I was at the hostel, I met several men that I was sharing a room with, including many Spaniards and a frenchman that spoke great English too. They were very friendly and the frenchman offered to drive me into the town the next morning, which again was super useful as the motorway was too dangerous to walk. I must make it clear that the motorway is not part of the route, and was a poorly planned detour by me.

So the walk continued on! I had some beautiful towns to wonder through as well as a cute little boat taxi crossing for 90 cents.

On the other side, there was a steep climb through a town when I came across the most craziest and beautiful thing… a set of escalators in the street! I felt a pang of guilt and then I got over it… this took me up three streets and I just thought it was part of the fun really! I have now discovered that many of the large towns and cities in this mountainous area have escalators and elevators to take you up to other streets higher up. There are even elevators that go underground to take you to disguised car parking and public toilets areas. The mountain people know how to live! 😀

More hills, and mountains, and what felt like never ending ascents, and I began to come out through forests. The Autumn colours are in full swing now (late October), and this was really beautiful. There were even historic bridges, and forts hidden in the woods, between the foliage.

By the time I got to the bottom, I really wanted to be there by now. It had been over six hours and my legs hurt. The views could no longer take the pain away… and then I saw it. SAN SEBASTIAN! HALLELUJAH!

I had two nights in San Sebastion, so that I could rest after my first stage. This city is gorgeous, I think this with each new city that I go to, they just get better!

San Sebastian / Donastia

This city on the water, is really huge, and my hostel turned out to be 30 minutes from the seafront 😢 but the atmosphere at the accommodation was good so I got over it.

The city seems to have several elements; a beachfront and promenade, a harbour, busy centre, old town, a castle on a hill, and then outskirts of communities and work places.

I visited the Cathedral and collected my stamp in my special pilgrim passport, and wondered around the city’s edge and old town. The old town is very pretty but quite touristy, and if you venture a little further along to where the market is, it is a little nicer. You can also walk all around the sea walls and what seems to be the old city walls. I would really recommend doing this walk, there are plenty of nice views and benches to sit and just enjoy it.

I had to remind myself that I was supposed to be resting, so after my little stroll, I sat down.. I ate a lovely chocolate brownie, definitely breaking my set budget, and then laid for several hours on the beach. It was the last day of 22’c and sunny, so I am so glad I did this.. even if I had to sit on my laid out trousers as I had nothing else.

In the evening, I decided to become part of the local scenery and continue sitting. So, I took myself to the local cinema, and I watched the new James Bond movie in Spanish. It was an excellent evening.

I really loved San Sebastian, and the pretty towns I went through to get there. It is nice to start slowing down for once, and just enjoy my surroundings.

Portugal: Europe’s South Western edge

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Before my journey to spain, I took a week in a little Portuguese corner of Europe

This week, I took a short break in Portugal in the Algarve’s South Western region.

I stayed in a villa near Budens which is near to Sagres. Staying in a villa on your own is a rather strange thing to do and I wouldn’t visit this way if it weren’t for the fact that I could stay here for free through family. It does however have a benefit of a washing machine and my own kitchen which keeps my costs down, when I need to eat, I can just cook up a storm.

Maybe buying a kilo of shellfish was over optimistic… the kitchen stunk of fish for days 😝🦐🦐

I have previously stayed down the road in Portimao on another holiday, and something that I have found in both vacations is that the Algarve can be quite a tricky place to navigate, if you do not have a hire car. I needed to rely on public transport and this can either be expensive through the use of taxis or it can be unreliable through buses that only run every 2 – 4 hours until 8pm… This is definitely a place to come if you are simply looking to wine, dine and unwind. It is fine if you are happy to stay in just one place, or to visit several beaches and enjoy some tourist shopping experiences.

For me, I like to have a little adventure and culture so i needed to look a little harder here . I decided to venture to nearby smaller villages to look at what was on offer and managed to identify key places to visit that would interest me. I also discovered that the area benefits from a nationally recognised walking trail along the coast.

Lagos

Whilst the landscape in Portugal is very dry and barron there is a certain beauty to the sand and rocky cliffs that overhang the coast. When visiting Lagos, (which was a 40 minute bus drive) I took the hop on hop off train tour to the lighthouse area, and wondered part of the long coast line path laid out for visitors. Whilst there, you can see the powerful waves crashing beneath you.

This path is a part of the Rota Vicenta, which i was keen to explore as part of my training for the Camino de Santiago.

Lagos also offers long stretches of sandy beaches and warm sea waters . Multiple shopping experiences including their municipal market selling fresh produce to visitors and locals. There is also a pleasant marina area with several popular restaurant chains along with local options. I also spotted that they have their very own Madame Tussauds in Lagos, I spotted signs for this wax museum but did not have the time to explore it .

There was also an ancient fort complex that I would like to have the opportunity to see again. It would also be great to be able to go on a kayaking tour the next time I am in town.

Rota Vicenta – Vila do Bispo to Sagres

The section of the walking route that I decided to walk was one of the final stages of the historical way and ran from Vila do Bispo to Cabo de Vincente. The destination was a lighthouse stationed at the most South Westernly point in Europe. Due to this, I was recommended by a local to make my visit there at sunset, but because I was walking alone I was forced to make the safer choice of doing my walk there in the early morning, to avoid the dark of night, and the midday heat. This was a good decision as the temperature on the day was over 25’c, and I still got to enjoy the sunrise.

The walk started wierdly with a Jehovah’s Witness approaching me in the street at 7am with his bathrobe on. After that, I didn’t see another person for hours, just cattle, migrating birds and intriguing behaviour from ants and snails. I am never normally up so early, so it was nice to appreciare nature. I saw huge lines of ants marching along, and snails huddled together on top of succulents.

It was really well signposted throughout, and the volunteers had even got creative by painting rocks and random pieces of buildings to help walkers along.

I am still getting used to these walks and had a brand new water bladder to try out. This is basically a sack of water inside your backpack, that connects to a tube running out to your mouth. I am teased by my friends for how little water I drink and so it was deemed necessary to walk along with water constantly running into me.. this did mean dropping my trousers in the middle of nowhere to emergency wee four times though! Who wees four times in three hours..?! it concerns me.

After about two and a half hours I could see the lighthouse in the distance! Truly impressed with myself, as the total walk is supposed to take four hours. Naively thinking of myself as an expert hiker now, I decided to switch course and get closer to the sea cliffs and small beaches on ‘Fisherman’s Walk’. BIG MISTAKE! This led to a dramatic slow down in pace as I had to carefully scurry over rocks and literally a boulder filled path… how I longed to be back on the nice flat path I’d been skipping along and had so foolishly abandoned.

The lighthouse kept bobbing in and out of view as I went up and down in elevation. I realised that I was probably losing my patience too much, when a Jack Russell dog passed me jumping happily over the rocks without fear. I felt bitter towards that damn dog. I was carefully planning my every step to avoid injury!

Eventually after three and a half hours, I reached the lighthouse…. and found the nearest ice cream man and comfy chair! The lighthouse has a few vendors, gift shop, cafe and viewing telescopes. You can see some remaining building work from when it was previously a monastery, and there is plenty of parking as most people drive.

I then ‘decided’ (the next bus was 1.5 hours away) to walk another 6km to Sagres, the next big town. This passed a fort and then there is another fort complex and lighthouse. I focused on getting to Tonel beach and then collapsed against a rock and laid my feet in the sea. I had nothing left in the tank, and I was out of water. It was time to resign, after 21km, and non stop walking since dawn.

Once the shoes were off, there was no going back.

Overall, the towns and villages I visited during my stay, were sweet and cultured, and were quite good for just enjoying a nata and a natter (see what i did there.😉)

The walk was great and it was lovely to start so early, I wish I had known how uneven the ground was before I changed course though. I would also say that when visiting one of the lesser known beaches you are taking your life into your hands. Literally… there are signs telling you to enter at your own risk 😖 safety measures could be better, but I suppose that I say that as an English woman that comes from a country with intense health and safety focus. If the beaches had handrails and man made steps everywhere, perhaps they would not be as special anymore for their unkept natural beauty.

Next stop… Seville, Spain

Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales

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Amroth beach

Newgale to Solva Walk

This Summer I took a family trip to the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. This was a fabulous trip full of activity and fun, and one I would definitely be keen to repeat.

We stayed in a small seaside village called Amroth which was a lovely area with a sandy beach and a few nice bars. It was also close to the National Trust property of Colby Woodland, which was a nice natural attraction to explore nearby to our cottage. The village was also perfectly connected along the coastal path.

Colby Woodland

Colby Woodland Stream

Colby Woodland Money Tree

Getting active

There are tons of walking opportunities in the area with the coastal path providing plenty of connections to local sights, views and seaside towns. We did two main walks whilst staying there for the week.

Our first long distance walk was from Newgale to Solva. Newgale is a popular surfing spot, full of campers and water sport shops. The walk from here starts with a steep hike to the top of the cliffs, and took us up and down among the hills before flattening to a more pleasant stroll. The walk took us through views of the sea, beaches and Oystercatchers, and ended with us walking through fields of cattle and one last walk over a shingle beach before reaching Solva. This was a pleasant little seaside town where we could enjoy a well deserved lunch. This five mile walk took us around three hours to do and was very rewarding to complete.

Newgale to Solva Walk

The next walk we decided to go for was much more flat and so for me more leisurely. It also had a lot of different terrain to keep it interesting. This was the walk of Stackpole Quay around the coast and turning back through Bosherston and the Eight Arch Bridge.

Much of this area was covered by the National Trust, meaning there was plenty of very good car parking and cafe facilities. The first part of the walk is only a short inclining trail towards Barafundle Bay, which is one of the UK’s most beautiful beaches. We stopped here for a first break and enjoyed the sunshine before continuing on.

Me on Stackpole walk

Barafundle Bay

Next we found ourselves going through some foliage before coming to the cliff side of Stackpole Head. From here, the next section of the walk was an exploration of the cliffs, where you could see many people taking advantage of the great rock climbing opportunities. As the cliffs end, we found ourselves at Broad Haven beach, a huge sandy beach with plenty of visitors and more opportunity to get some food.

Bosherston Lily Ponds

From here there is the option to continue walking along the coast towards St Govan’s Head and Chapel or inwards to Bosherston Lily Ponds. Unfortunately, St Govan’s Chapel sits within a military training ground which means it is closed to walkers during certain times when training takes place. This conflicted with our walk which meant we couldn’t visit during our walk. Instead we went inland to the Bosherston Lily Ponds. This was a beautiful area with millions of lilies jam packing the water and plenty of wildlife. It was a truly unique outdoor area, unlike anything I have seen before.

Eight Arch Bridge

Bosherston Lily Ponds

After seeing the vast large ponds, the walk continues on wards to the Eight Arch Bridge, which is very picturesque. Apparently, otters can be regularly seen from this spot, although I didn’t manage to see any! Did see a Heron though! Another thirty minutes or so through farmlands will take you back to Stackpole Quay. This was a gorgeous six mile walk, and I would thoroughly recommend it!

Kayaking in Tenby

Jellyfish in Tenby

Kayaking in Tenby

With Pembrokeshire also being a coastal area there is also plenty of opportunity to get active on the water. There are plenty of spots to do this, but we decided to head to Tenby, which is a very popular seaside town and a good place to get out on the water. We decided to hire a couple of kayaks for a few hours and explore the sea. We found a number of small beaches only accessible by water, and we even had a huge jellyfish pass under our boats. I saw a number of massive jellyfish whilst exploring the water in Wales, apparently they had a particularly high number of them over this Summer due to the warm climate.

Someone we saw coasteering!

We saw a number of people coasteering in Pembrokeshire whilst there, meaning they were jumping off the cliffs into the ocean… but I wasn’t quite brave enough for this!

Caldey Island

Caldey Island is a peculiar island off the coast of Tenby that we decided to visit. It is inhabited entirely by a community of monks. This was a particularly interesting attraction for me as a lover of religious tourism. Regular trips can be taken to the island from the dock in Tenby over to the island. Once on the island, visitors can explore the various landmarks, including; the old priory, the lighthouse area, various monastic ruins, the island’s churches and even the monastery’s very own chocolate factory! We did indulge in some delicious monk made fudge! There is also a few shops on the island for visitors and trails to explore.

Old Priory on Caldey Island

Chocolate Factory on Caldey Island

Monastery on Caldey Island

This was a brilliant experience and very unusual!

We also visited St Davids whilst in Pembrokeshire, which is a well known town and famous for it’s St Davids Cathedral. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take any photos of inside the cathedral, but I must tell you that this was one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever visited. I can see why they need the town after it!

St David’s Cathedral… plus cheese

St Govan’s Head & Chapel

Whilst we didn’t manage to see the chapel during our walk we luckily managed to reattempt a visit later in the week. We were successful in finding the hidden away chapel, which was another unusual site in Pembrokeshire, tucked away in the rocky cliffs. The steep walk down to the little chapel is well worth it, and does make you wonder why they chose to build a chapel in such a strange place. Head to the chapel to discover the legends surrounding its history, which involves Irish pirates and a mystery bell.

Heatherton World of Activities

We did decide to take a break from all the walking one morning and visited Heatherton World of Activities. This was an interesting attraction which included all sorts of activities for kids and adults, from Mini – Golf to Go Karting and Tree Top Climbing. On arrival you buy a number of tokens which you can use for various activities. I got extremely excited to be victorious in Mini- Golf, and Archery, however I did find that I need a lot more practice on the Pistol Shooting.

Castles!

Wales is the place to be when you want to find a castle! We were on castle overload this holiday, but I loved it! We went to visit Pembroke, Corfe, Carew, and Manorbier Castles, as well as Lamphey Bishop’s Palace which is another set of ruins. Many of the castles offered free tours, guidance, and activities such as falconry experiences. This was a great way to enjoy a few hours and learn a little history whilst you’re at it.

Carew Castle Pembrokeshire Coast

Castle Pembrokeshire Coast

Generally, Pembrokeshire was a lovely place and I would really like to revisit and explore the towns I didn’t manage to make it out to. We had a week there, but I would happily go there for two weeks and spend more time relaxing on the beach as well as getting active. I just need to hope for another week of perfect weather like we were lucky enough to get!

Me at Carew Castle

Watching the seals at Horsey Gap, Norfolk

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Today I made a visit to Horsey nearby the popular village of Sea Palling on the Norfolk Coast. This area which is only a 45 minute scenic drive for me, is home to hundreds of beautiful seals and the location that they decide to breed each Winter. If you are making a visit to East Anglia between October and February it is well worth making the trip to the beach to see the colony.

The seals are well monitored and protected by the Friends of Horsey Seals volunteer group and they provided information this year that there were over 200 new pups so far this Winter. I think it is great that this organisation exists to protect these great animals as they are a true treasure for the region and without these protective measures, many of the pups would struggle to survive so close to humans.

The colony is full of grey seals or ‘hook nosed sea pigs’, and there is plenty of information around on how to spot the difference and identify a bull from a cow, and what happens when a pup is born. Did you know that a pup is only with its mum for a few weeks on the beach whilst it sheds its coat and gains blubber, it is then quickly left to fend for itself. Abit harsh if you ask me… but i suppose that’s nature for you!

Horsey’s seal viewing platform is on the route of the scenic Norfolk Coastal Path. This amazing pathway takes you through 62 miles of scenic coastline and stops at many picturesque seaside villages. I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a good walking holiday.