The mountains were moody for us again as we left Castro Urdiales this morning.
We started the morning on flat paved roads, which turned into small, rocky paths. We had plenty to look at as the views again, were stunning.
It was such a nice surprise when the trail took an unusual twist. We opened the gate to someone’s property, (as many of these trails will wind through the local farmers properties), and we entered, what Poo so eloquently described, as an enchanted forest.
He nailed it. It felt like the set of a Tim Burton fairytale. It was the most bizarrely beautiful place we’ve seen so far and we’ve seen a lot.
It was serene and eerie but also slightly haunted, like it was one fog machine away from becoming a Halloween hayride.
Giant, majestic trees lined the path like ancient sentinels, and suddenly we were in a little pasture with sheep who couldn’t have cared less about our presence.
We hiked through like we owned the place and eventually found the exit gate, re-secured it like respectful trespassers, and moved along.
Lovely of the property owners to let pilgrims tromp through their land …….. less lovely was the landmine situation. It was a poop obstacle course. Sheep? Goats? Mystery beasts? We stopped trying to tell the difference and just played dodge-the-droppings like it was a Camino-themed video game.
When we emerged from the magical woods (poop level: hard), we hit a coastal trail again, with sweeping views of the Cantabrian Sea and those ever-present, scenery-hogging mountains.
We eventually ran out of luck, regarding the views, as we headed onto a trail that was ….. wait for it ……. Yes, uphill again! It was muddy, deserted, and not well marked, which made us question if we were even on the right path. Alas, other pilgrims appeared and, we decidedly declared ourselves navigating geniuses.
I am becoming more of a believer in the road less traveled, as this trip has been full of the most perfect surprises when we least expect it. Those turns, whether intentional or not, are becoming my favorite memories.
This sweet moment was one of them: I wanted to stop along this road so I could sit and rest my backpack on it to give my shoulders a break. This beautiful horse was all the way down at the other end of the field but sauntered over to us and let us pet him. It was a magical moment. I’m sure he was expecting some kind of payment in return for the pictures as he kept nudging my hip pocket on my pack where I store my snacks.
It was a very long day, over 17 miles total. We blew into Lieno-Haaz just in time to stop at one of the local bars to get a snack before they closed at 4:00. We checked into a “splurge night” at a boutique style hotel. It was a gorgeous and stately mansion with historical prominence, but I could not find out why.
I should have asked, when we checked in, but didn’t even think of it at the time. Then we were enjoying conversation with other pilgrims in the common room, as we shared some wine, and I just didn’t think of it again.
Finally, the local bars woke back up at 7pm and we were all out the door, walking down the street to get some dinner.
It was lights out pretty quickly after that!
Elevation gain: 1,600 feet
Xoxo, Kate
