Los Videodiarios Del Camino De La Costa 1

Irun. The tourist office is closed. Until ten-thirty, and I have no time to wait so long, especially because of the rain. So I have gone to a bar to put my first stamp in my Camino credential, he pilgrim's "passport". At first they did not even know what I wanted for my credential. Evidently the coast way still lacks popularity in this part of Spain. How do I feel? No idea. It's raining a little bit, but hey, it's normal here in this land of north at the Atlantic shore. And I'm on the road again, what a joy! Once again the Camino has taken possession of me. We are at the beginning of March, still in winter, yes, of course, and I've never begun a Camino so early in the year. I wanted to start it in Pamplona to return to the classic way, the French way, after nearly a decade, at least until Leon, and to avoid the masses of people there I decided to start it as soon as possible. But still in Germany my plans were frustrated after I heard how the weather was going to be. The forecast for tomorrow is snow! After a snowy winter in Germany I have no desire to walk through snow-covered landscapes. Besides, warm clothes mean a lot more weight in the backpack. That's why I'm here on the coast road for the third time. More rain in this area, sure, but it is less cold than in the interior of the peninsula, and normally snow melts very quickly here. Being on the coast trail for the last time three years ago, I wondered what I was doing here. It is a trail that has always excited me, to walk by the sea side is never boring, and I met some great people here. Last night at the youth hostel in San Sebastian I met some pilgrims. I have them ahead of me now, but it's good to know that there are others and not be alone. Anyway, today it seems that I am the only pilgrim on the way. When I get to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe I run into a group of Basque hikers. All of them have made the camino to Santiago many times. Today they only walk from Irun to Pasaia. One of them, Jose Maria, lives on the Mount Igueldo. In front of his house everyone is invited to seal his or her credential, he also provides fresh water and biscuits. I remember this place and also sealed my credential there. The next day I'll stop by. Now I enjoy the panoramic view of the bay of Hendaye. The Basques follow the normal way, but as the rain has stopped I take the camino for mountaineers that offers spectacular views. Sure it's harder, but I'm here to see the sea! How strange! They removed the sign that said that this was the way for mountaineer pilgrims. And all the people will take the normal track now, but above it is much nicer. I said to myself in Irun: If it doesn't rain here, I'll take the way for mountaineers. So here I am. Again it is a fairly steep rise. I already feel... like a very mountaineer pilgrim. The fifth tower. Here at the fifth tower you have to turn right and go down again. After crossing the Bay of Pasaia on a boat, my impression is that I do not need long to reach San Sebastian. However, one must climb from the sea level to the mountain level on stairs before reaching the aim, and the way seems to stretch with every step, maybe I'm already tired or maybe I've walked too many times around here and my memory makes me believe that it is a much shorter distance... Hours later I'm still walking. Today the way seems to be endless. It's almost six p.m. and I keep walking and I don't know what's wrong. The coast trail is definitely hard. Maybe it was a mistake to take the Coast GR with its white and red marks instead of following the yellow arrows, I think I lose a lot of time with each curve along the coastline. When I see the city of San Sebastian begins to pour. I decide not to put on my rain poncho because I'm already soggy and because I'm just about to arrive, but it is a bad decision because it is still about two miles (3km) to the youth hostel "La Sirena" and in the end my backpack is wet inside, too. At the hostel there are already more pilgrims, a Frenchman, a Korean girl and a guy from the U.S., plus an Italian pilgrim who is destroyed after only one day, Domenico. ¡No, no, no! ¡No video! How are you? Too bad. Hi! I am Domenico. I make the coast camino, hehehe. And greetings, greetings to all of you. Domenico does not want to go on walking the following day after his first stage over the Jaizkibel and he has to recover a few days on the beaches of San Sebastian. But leaving the youth hostel I met a German pilgrim from the hometown of Thomas Mann, called Hannah. Luckily I have not to walk on the Igueldo mountain alone. After a while it starts to snow. The five-day forecast has been right. It is Hannah's first camino route, but she is better equipped than me: She has rain pants in her backpack and puts them on in this weather. She also has a rain poncho. She is quite young and very adventurous. In Orio we look for a restaurant to eat something. At first Hannah does not know if wants to stay there at the albergue or continue to walk to Zarautz as I do. The food gives here strength to continue despite of the bad weather. Are these the Alps? No. I'm in the Basque Country. In Zarautz they do not want to open the youth hostel for only two pilgrims. They give us the address of a pension. We spend the late afternoon by looking for a supermarket. Seeing so many clothing stores, Hannah decides to stay for at least the next morning to go shopping.