Stage 4: Deba - Markina-Xemein, 25 kms, Cloud, mist and rain. 16

“Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud!”

“Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud!”

I think these are the chorus words from a Monte Python skit about the men marching off to war. My Aussie mate Neil will likely know, so watch for his comment below. In any event I knew the song and it kept playing over and over in my head as we marched on through the mud. A river of mud. It’s been raining heavily in the mountains to our south these past days and we could see the process above us from the coast below. Today we headed inland for a three day crossing through these coastal mountains which will evidently lead us into the fabulous city of Bilbao. 

The bridge on the way out of town has been supported by the steel girders or I guess it would collapse. Looks pretty shaky and I don’t know the long term plan. We walked very quickly across!

A few friends, fair weather friends. Only as long as I fed them grass.

For all concerned the day was largely about finding our way through the mud, but there were also ample opportunities to meet and briefly chat with our fellow pilgrims, something I had in mind to do more of today. We range in ages from early 20’s to a few of us us golden oldies types. No problem though as this is the Camino where age doesn’t seem to count for much. One of the truly beautiful things about the walking community. I fell into step with Paul from London who is an English teacher and a writer and on his first Camino. Of course he is rightfully excited and seems to have a good attitude about the weather, in that it’s bound to change for the better. We enjoyed a pleasant time talking about many things and then I said goodbye and waited for Annemarie to catch up. I expected our Irish friends to catch us up at some point, but that didn’t happen today. Some strong walkers in that group of eight. I suppose that they got bogged down in the mud like everyone else. There is also a couple from Austria who appear to be good walkers and hopefully we will come to know them better at some point. Then there is the Spanish fellow who confessed that he always puts his poncho on and off at the wrong moments and usually arrives wet. I liked him as he has a good sense of humour and I’ll have to get his name at some point. There are also a couple of young women from Korea who told me that they had selected the Norte as so many of the 40,000 people from their country who walk each year choose to cross the traditional Frances. Smart ladies! Then there is the young woman from Toronto who had planned to walk with her mom, but her mother wasn’t fit enough to go, so she came alone. Gutsy. There are others who we will come to know better as time passes. All in all an nice community is coming together, though we will loose a number of them in Bilbao when they head for home.

We are sitting here on our beds in the albergue making a late lunch of bread and local fine herbs pate. Not bad! It will be a communal meal tonight which will be a nice way to get to know our fellow peregrinos. 

I’m convinced that this route would be quite stunning if the sun was out, but then it’s well known for its spring rains and resulting mud. I did look seriously at walking this way in 2014, but wisely I chose the Plata and everything changed with that decision. I discovered that there is such a thing as a dry Camino!! 

A few photos from a wet day. The puddles were deep enough to house a school of fish!

Already looking forward to tomorrow! Also just saw that the weather pattern will be changing to dry and warm beginning Wednesday. Looking forward to that too.