Day 52 (3) – First Camino Stage

We rested well until about 3 am. At that point Merritt asked about every 15 minutes what time it was. We’ve read the material and looked at the map and had a great breakfast. The feet and hearts are ready.

We backtracked some to get to the old quarter and the historic Cathedral. This is where I finished the first 100 miles 7 years ago. Once we got there we worked our way across the city and toward our final stop of the day.

We enjoyed the beauty of this city – its charming side streets and local population out and walking together. The city had a calming silence about it today. I was most moved by seeing so many of the elderly walking with loved ones and care givers in getting out and about on this beautiful day. The buildings have a ton of old world charm and due to the population density in apartments, there are beautiful parks and playgrounds everywhere. The laughter of kids playing was a special joy to hear throughout the day.

As we climbed the hillsides on the outskirts we enjoyed our first taste of the ancient pilgrimage route with its stone placement and quiet village homes. Today we only met one other mother/son who are on their journey through northern Spain. They are taking 45 days to walk the route and have just completed their first 110. The son was 11 years old as well so that was cool for Merritt to see as we won’t see too many his age along the way.

We also walked across the top of the Hanging Bridge and roamed the local streets once we arrived to the hotel.

The Hanging Bridge straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary, west of Bilbao. It was designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio and completed in 1893. The 45-m-high bridge with its span of 160 m, merges 19th-century ironworking traditions with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. It was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola and was used as a model for many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and America, only a few of which survive. With its innovative use of lightweight twisted steel cables, it is regarded as one of the outstanding architectural iron constructions of the Industrial Revolution. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

16 miles recorded for the day and we only took a few wrong turns 😝.

Gratitude for all of it.

All-powerful God, you always show mercy toward those who you love and you are never far away for those who seek you. Be with your servants on this pilgrimage and guide their way in accord with your will. Be a companion for them along their
journey, a guide at crossroads, strength in their weariness, defense before dangers, shelter on the way, shade against the heat, light in the darkness, a comforter in their
discouragements, and firmness in their intentions, in order that, through your guidance, they might arrive unscathed at the end of their journey and, enriched with graces and virtues, they might return safely home; through Jesus Christ Your
Son, Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.” Amen.