Camino Pilgrim

From Irun the road led straight towards one end of Mount Jezkibel. Once halfway up the mountain there were two options: 

1) go along the mountainside

2) go alongside the peak.

I would have loved to do the peak and have great ocean views, but the weather promised rain all day and the climb down the mountain was extra steep. I decided not to risk it on the first day and walked a nice sandy path into Pasaia. I chose well because it rained a lot.

From Pasaia you have to take a tiny boat and ride for like 2 minutes to continue hiking. I got to ride the boat three times in a row because I forgot my hiking sticks on the side I started from.

There is a set of stairs near the ocean going up on the other side of Pasaia. A proper workout! A couple of skyscrapers worth of climbing up the mountain.

It rained so much that the clay in the ground had turned to mud everywhere. I almost slipped and fell at one point in the forest near San Sebastian.

San Sebastian itself is a summer tourist resort for Spanish people. Everything looks nice and fancy. Also, things cost a lot and it is certainly weird being a pilgrim here. Unfortunately, the next good places to stay are far away.

I was surprisingly fast today with the hiking. Got to my destination a whole two hours too early. Since I was soaked in rain and kind of cold. I looked for shelter to pass the time until my hostel had the check-in open and found McDonalds to be the best option on the main boulevard. They even serve beer with the meals. I am looking forward to the days when I have pilgrim dedicated accommodation again. I already want to wash some clothes, but normal accommodations do not have handwash or dry options.

I am pretty sure everything will be sore tomorrow. Doing two mountains today felt good. Tomorrow will be just as tough, since I will be walking slightly past the recommended distance.