We walked through lanes lined with ancient sweet chestnut trees.
In a small village square stands an old one. A sign tells us its age is more than 800 years. What a history that tree has been through.
We passed through small villages with old houses and tiny churches. Farmland with cows with magnificent horns.
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Buen Camino !
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A quick breakfast early in the morning, desayuno. Sometimes a buffet, sometimes coffee and a large slice of cake. And then we’re off, following the yellow arrows. Still cold. The sun just above the horizon. A raking light. An orange glow. Fairytale-like. Low-hanging mist in the valley.
How lucky we are!
Every morning is a celebration.
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We met a lot of people from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Most of them are young.
I am always amazed how well-known this Camino is worldwide.
We met a South Korean woman and shared a meal at Elly’s World Kitchen. South Korean noodle soup. She wrote “Nice to meet you” in her language in my diary, Likewise for us. Buen Camino.
People suffer from blisters or worse. The Camino isn’t always easy.
Along the way, there’s a huge statue of a pilgrim whose feet are covered with plasters.
I hope he will be better soon.
At the highest point of the route stands the iron cross – Cruz de Ferro. (1504m) It’s an icon.
One of the reasons to walk the Camino is to honor a deceased loved one. It’s customary to bring a small stone from home and leave it at the cross as a farewell. Doing so, you leave a burden behind.
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Back in Burgos, we walked through the imposing gate into the old town. And there was the cathedral. This time we also wanted to see the interior. It’s impressive. The cathedral’s foundation stone was laid in 1221 by the King of Castile. The cathedral is full of chapels, with beautiful details. Here are some impressions of it.
Burgos is a milestone for many pilgrims on the Camino. The statue of Santiago in the church demonstrates the centuries-old history of the Camino.
Feeling nostalgic, we ate again at the pizzeria where we’d said goodbye in 2022, with some people we’d met on our trip.
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We had not been to the Alps for a long time. We were curious how we would experience it after our trekking in Nepal. We chose the Austrian Dachstein massif. A trek along 7 huts.
We travelled by train to Salzburg, and from there by local transport to Gosau, the starting point of our hike. We started with a climb through a damp forest. The second day we walked to the Adamekhütte, situated in a spectacular location, under the large Gosaugletscher
The walk, from there, along the Linzersteig to the Hofpurgelhütte is tough, but very special. It requires constant concentration. But it is great.
After the Hofpurgelhütte it is easier. We walk over alpine pastures where cows graze. In a farm café we drink thick Buttermilk, and the area around the Austriahutte is also green.
The next day our goal was the Guttenberghaus. In order to avoid the first difficult climb over moraine fields we decided to take the cable car. It turns out to be very popular with day trippers to experience something of the high mountains and the glacier without any effort. The weather is clear. When we have found the start of our path, the markings of red and white paint strokes are easy to find. It is the weekend and the hut is very crowded. Most guests come from the other side, from the valley. They are there to climb on the rocks around the hut. Helmet on, ropes, hooks …
The next day, after a great breakfast, we walk to the Gjaid Alm Hutte. The ‘Alm’ in the name already indicates that this hut is located a bit lower. When we get close, we see a new Nepalese flag waving. The hut appears to be rented by a Nepalese family. In each hut you can find a kitchen-help out of Nepal; they come from Nepal to Austria after the trekking-season and in September, when they can work in Nepal as a guide again, they travel back. But an entire Nepalese family, who are running a hut …
The last day of walking was a long descent to Hallstatt; a very touristy place. After eight days in the mountains, we entered a completely different world and that took some time getting used to it.
We took the train back to Salzburg. And then back home, thinking about the difference with our trip in Nepal. And there is a difference; a trip in the Dachstein massif is much more difficult. But we could do it.
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Bilbao was the end point of our tour. And we enjoyed it there. The visit to the museum and the surroundings of the building was a great experience.
Nice was also the Mercado de la Ribera, the large covered fresh market, where we ate pintxos with a glass of cold white wine.
In the Casco Viejo, the old city district, we enjoyed a Menu del Dia.
You could see the Guggenheim Museum as the icon of Bilbao. The building has been standing on the Nervion river since 1997. The building is spectacular and has given Bilbao a vibrant image. The design is by Frank Gehri and cannot be compared to any building.
The use of titanium was new. It is beautiful in the ever-changing light and that together with the shapes give the building an idea of waves.
Louise Bourgeois’ giant spider stands on the square along the river. By Anish Kapoor there is the ‘Tall Tree & The Eye’: reflective spheres stacked on top of each other.
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The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of three Guggenheim Museums around the world alongside Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. The museums belong to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York.
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After our walk on the Chemin de Piemont to Lourdes, we traveled from there by train to the coast, to St. Jean de Luz. Via Hendaye we walked to Irun, to Spain. That is the start of the Camino del Norte.
This is a well known Camino and there are more hikers.
It was nice to see the ocean, although the route sometimes goes more inland.
The Pyrenees are close by and this is noticeable in the height differences.
This is Basque Country and the names of the towns are difficult to remember; such as Etxebarria or Markina Xemein.
We passed the bays of San Sebastian.
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As in many parts of Europe, it was also very wet in the Midi-Pyrenees this year. We had many sunny days, but the recent heavy rain caused a lot of mud in the woods. That made the walks difficult.
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What we didn’t really realize is that this region is so sparsely populated. It was not always easy to find a place to sleep or to eat. With the exception of a few hotels we slept mostly in Chambre d’Hôtes, were people also cooked for us. Remote places and we were always the only guests.
We slept in a Chambre d’Hôtes in a farm, run by Audry, the daughter of the family. We agreed to have breakfast at 8 o’clock in the morning. But when we got in the dining room the next morning, everything was still dark, there was no one to be seen. A car drove up and Audry got out with paper bags. She had driven to the bakery for us, about 18 km from there, the closest place to buy bread.
Further along the road we passed Capvern les Bains, an old place with thermal baths. The town consisted of hotels and a few cafes, but everything was empty and abandoned. Our hotel was located just outside the village and was fine. Fortunately, they wanted to cook for us in the evening, and again we were the only guests.
There were no catering facilities along the way and there was actually no way to find a place to rest. We passed through villages where even the Marie (the town hall) was only open for a few houres a week. There were houses, but the shutters and the gates were closed.
There were just a few towns where we slept and were we ate in a restaurant among other people in the evening. But no other hikers.
Still, it surprised us, because the surroundings are beautiful. It is mountainous, many flowers bloom and there are regular views of the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees.
We saw many Red-Kites soaring through the air. And once we saw a flock of Vultures flying from the moutains to the meadows.
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We traveled by train to the medieval town of Carcassonne in the Midi-Pyrenees and from there we went walking via the Chemin de Piemont, which largely coincides with the Gr78. It is a Camino to Santiago de Compostela, wich was used by Italians in ancient times. The route runs along the Pyrenees and via a few old towns, through Lourdes and then on to Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Carcassonne, Cabieure, Ambroisie, Mirepoix, Pamier, Montegut, Mas d’Azil, Saint Girons, Juzet-d’Izaut, Saint Bertrand-de-Comminges, Montrejeau, laBastide, Bagneres-de-Bigorre, Lourdes
We walked to Lourdes and took the train to the coast, to St. Jean-de-Luz. From there we walked to Spain and walked a few sections of the Camino del Norte to Bilbao.
The GR65 goes through rural areas, but also passes beautiful villages and historic towns, usually located on the river and with a castle as defense.
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It’s the end of September, but it is still so warm in the afternoon. That’s why we decided to leave very early in the morning. A few times we left before 7 a.m.; still in the dark. Watching the stars and the moon and hearing the owls calling. So special to see it slowly become light.
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