28/09/12: Gernika

Perhaps if I spell Gernika in Castellan: Guernica - you'll realise where I am. In fact there is a large ceramic wall mural of the famous painting which I plan to visit once I've posted this. But to recap:

Not so much in the way of food last night. Basic would be accurate. While the albergue was decent, it was minimal facilites. Still, it was cheap (donation) and comfortable. I managed to cook myself fresh pasta, and added a couple of yoghurts. A basic but sufficient meal.

No breakfast save an orange (bad planning on my part) but a lass at the next table who I'd spoken to the night before offered some of her biscuits and some chocolate. Never mind, today wasn't an especially difficult walk.

I set off around 08:00, just as the lights were still on in Markina:

The walking was easy - no climbs, just following a leafy stream. The sky was overcast, around 16 degrees, no wind. Another dry day, thank you.

My first sight shortly after I left the town was this odd looking chapel:

I was soon up above the town and away from roads:

Next to come was the village of Bolibar.

Now, perhaps I should have realised - what with the variations of the alphabets and the use of "b" for "v", but I soon realised. I passed a building (closed, unfortunately) named "The Museum of Simon de Bolivar". Gosh! Having now looked it up on Wikipedia I see that this was the village where the aristocratic parents of Simón Bolívar were born.

I find it a bit frustrating that places such as this, which could yield so much to the curious passer-by insist on opening for such restricted hours. Oh well, on I went. Past the church. I note that there is once more a consistency of style in this area:

Next sight was the ancient monastery of Bolibar, accessed via another very old, well worn cobbled path:

Here's the monastry, which I wandered through. I thought I'd take lots of pics, so here you are:

After this is was really just a day of enjoying the walk. Gentle climbs and descents, more old hermitages, and of course the ever changing scenery:

The trail took me over an old stone bridge. I could tell it was old because of the way the old stones had been disrupted over the years. Hidden beside it was a plaque (only in Basque!) explaining that it was 15th century. The photo isn't particularly great, but I wasn't about to walk another 100 metres to try to find a better view:

The day continued well, it was barely midday, and I was taking it easy, having had no real breakfast to speak of. Still, I didn't have too far to go.

The last village to pass through was Marmiz, with its church and with some masons building a new stone wall. Nice to see local skills still alive.

Here's someone in the village drying peppers:

I also confirmed another common feature for this area, namely that the road that leads up to the church (which I was descending) is lined with crosses. I imagine there would be twelve of them. I've seen this in other places around here:

As I crossed a stream at the bottom of the village my eye was caught by this shabby old building. It turned out to be an historic water mill (the panel has diagrams and explanations). For some reason the upkeep seems to have been abandoned:

And here we are: Gernika.

I arrived shorly after 13:00 and found the albergue five minutes later. A bit of a shock when I discovered that the prices were double what it said in the guide, but there was a reduction for pilgrims (defined as carrying a credencial) and I've paid for dinner and breakfast. It's a beautifully run place, and I get sheets (again) and wifi!

I'm just off now to look at the large ceramic mural of Guernica, and the Basque Gothic church.