14.06.14 Saturday. Zarautz to Mutriku.
After a nights sleep the early part of which was marred by the goals scored against Holland and indeed the other way round as there were quite a few Dutch surfers on the site. The bar was not a long way from our tents. An early start up at 5.30 and of by 6.30 we are going down the steps to the beach and through Zarautz, looking back we see the dawn and forward a full moon with Rhona’s rabbit very clearly visible just above the dunes.
As recomended by our first Spanish hospitalero we go round the coast road with great views on the Flat route to Getaria, on the way we learn about the whaling history of both towns and later see two racing gigs on the water. The towns provide coffee at regular intervals and the day is going very easily into the projected 24km. We launch upward out of Zumaia after an excellent fresh orange juice just off the marina and soon reach a picnic place up on the cliffs with a water source and a view of the coast to the west. We may have made an error here and decided to continue as close to the coast as possible…
Some hours later we have been up and down some very interesting coastal strata, found the railway line that goes along the coast and both individually and severally been past the sewage plant and climbed the mud bank with the knotted rope that would have been needed eere it anything but bone dry. Sweaty and grubby we are passed by families with 5year olds out for a Saturday stroll and finally arrive separately, by agreement in Deba. Tony and Ray were dispatched to hack their way through the cliff top jungle to reach the town in time to shop for dinner, it being Saturday and with no knowledge of size of shops and opening hours.
A rendezvous in the main square by text reveals that there was only a 10 min difference in arrival times probably as R&T went down a field following locals and then got asked the way to go! We are joined, in a town with shops open till late, by several pilgrims we have already met Gemma a ? Spanish girl and Simeon a Californian, like us on his third or fourth Camino and in hot pursuit of a Dutch woman 10 days in front met on a previous camino. They will all be staying in the brand new opened today alburgue in Deba. Betsy is harangued by an elderly spaniard who probably has had a lot to do with the new alburgue and can not understand why we want to leave town. We go reluctantly after only two beers and climb out of town up the hill towards Mutriku. The day is not yet finished with us, the campsite is on the hill above the town so we expect to see it on the way down. Tim and Ray are lagging and nattering and so when it appears on the far side of a steep valley believe they have missed the entrance, and retrace their steps finding only barbed wire fences and wishing to be welcome rather than forcing an entry they finally descend to the main entrance on the main road and reascend. Betsy and Tony had done the same but had expected Tim and Ray to be more successful and wondered what kept them.
We are told there is a top entrance and hope to find it in the morning.
EVENTUALLY 30km and an undetermined amount of up and down , not exceeding 1500 m!
A very good day.