Another joy of not rushing through our days is to experience the people and the uniqueness of each area. Being in rural northern Spain you get to see the locals doing their life. Unique food items – slower movement – unrushed conversations – obvious siesta schedules – etc. Getting away from tourist culture and living local culture is always a welcome choice. Our lives are often so scheduled while on holiday that we miss those slow roll local opportunities. If I am ordering up a holiday, more of this and less of that.
The mountains around us keep showing off. We love the big mountains right up against the coast even though they are pushing us physically. Today included a 5 Mile climb. The trails between the villages dripping with historical charm. The warmth of smiles and encouragement. The comfortability in not knowing all the words and stumbling our way through our transactions with no stress and judgement. The cling clang of the cow herd bells and our Camino shells mimicking the same. Moving forward from place to place but getting there when we get there free of the hour and minutes on the watch. Merritt singing in the rain and wind over my shoulder. Today he started the day singing….I’m walking on sunshine, oh oh oh! Indeed – we enjoyed every moment of sunshine on these mountain trails.
A day of rain and mist and soaking conditions accompanied us across the miles today. A few extra challenges like this really bring this adventure to life. Wet and cold days also require more frequent stops for tea, colacao, chocolate, and bread – pilgrim staples for us two.
Isaiah 30:21 played in my mind today. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
We have been thankful for our gps on this journey. There are many times we missed the markings, interpreted the signs wrongly, turned in circles, or meandered down alleys that were too neat to pass up. It was our gps that got us redirected.
Isn’t that true of real life as well? We miss it – get distracted – lose our way – often unknowingly. Once we notice, we try to recalibrate and get going in the direction we had hoped. Sometimes others try to assist us. But we may have a long detour or go on an unexpected journey to get there. It is. This is life.
When listening to the voice of Jesus in our lives sometimes that voice seems clear and other times it is muted and hard to decipher.
This is the good news – we need not worry about making a wrong turn – going left or right – being lost for a moment or even a few years – he is accompanying the forward journey. This is the way – walk in it. Step by step and one life mile at a time.
Moving from the Cantabria region to the Austrias region of Spain is adding even more incredible beauty. All day we ascended and descended in elevation mile after mile. Each day I say it can’t get better but each day holds its own spectacular beauty. Most people here use Llanes as the home base to head to the big mountains that surround the region.
Between the hills and the headwinds we worked hard today. We enjoyed a big feast (oops ordered fried sardines and had to focus to get em down quick) and then we explored the old center of town and marina. We sat comfortably watching a ship unload its cargo of seaweed. Fun to see.
As we begin our reading of the Book of James… a little historical background to the book.
The Epistle of James is a public letter modeled on Jewish diaspora epistles and wisdom literature, blending moral exhortation with possible influences from Jesus’ sayings and Greco-Roman philosophical and rhetorical traditions. The historical context of the Epistle of James is debated, with some viewing it as a response to Pauline theologywhile others see it as rooted in a Jewish-Christianmilieu marked by tensions between rich and poor, emerging divisions between Jews and Christians, and ethical concerns for marginalized groups. The Epistle of James emphasizes perseverance in the face of trials and encourages readers to live in accordance with the teachings they have received. The letter addresses a range of moral and ethical concerns, including pride, hypocrisy, favoritism, and slander. It advocates for humility, the pursuit of wisdom aligned with spiritual values rather than worldly ones, and the practice of prayer in all circumstances.
The Epistle of James was disputed and sparsely cited in early Christianity, gained wider recognition only by the late 4th century, and was criticized by Martin Luther during the Reformation for its teachings on faith and works, though it remained part of the New Testament canon.[11][12] It emphasizes that true faith must be demonstrated through works, teaching that faith without works is dead, and highlighting care for the poor, ethical living, and communal practices like anointing the sick.
We had an EPIC (experiential – participatory – incarnational – connective) journey today. City – village – town – farm – ocean – mountain – historic sites – and a great finale. 34 miles accomplished today and a few extra in town seeing the beautiful sights. We rode through the day on the wind of the Spirit with lots of love and encouragement. So proud of Merritt.
Today is a day of rest along with time to explore this great city. Our bikes are delivered and we are experimenting in getting used to them for the bike portion of the Camino in the days ahead.
We decided to head to the outskirts and check out the farthest light house point that we could go. Touring along the city parks we climbed up to the castle and then trekked out to the village and off-roading rocky trail on the coast. We were challenged with big rocks, narrow trails, and some good climbs. All the muscle groups got a good warm up. Burn baby burn. Merritt was all joy as he is enjoying being on two wheels versus just two feet.
Back in the city we navigated the heavy traffic and narrow one ways and then stopped for a great lunch at the Cathedral Tavern. The hospitality culture here is in hyper-drive with cortados and beers and pinchos flying every which way.
After dropping off our bikes we then marched around on foot to get our local Camino passport stamps and see the historic Mercado. That proved challenging but we finally accomplished the task after a few extra miles of walking.
We’re closing out the day washing clothes at our hostel – hydrating – and repacking for the next phase that starts early tomorrow morning.
We also took some time today to refresh on the disciple James.
James was born into a family of Jewish fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. His parents were Zebedee and Salome. Salome was a sister of Mary (mother of Jesus) which made James the Great a cousin of Jesus. James is styled “the Greater” to distinguish him from the other apostle James “the Lesser,” with “greater” meaning older or taller, rather than more important. James the Great was the brother of John the Apostle.
James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were preparing to fish with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him.
James, along with his brother John, and Peter, formed an informal triad among the Twelve Apostles. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry: the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the transfiguration of Jesus, and Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. James and John or, in another tradition, their mother) asked Jesus to grant them seats on his right and left in his glory. Jesus rebuked them, asking if they were ready to drink from the cup he was going to drink from and saying the honor was not even for him to grant. The other apostles were annoyed with them. James and his brother wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan town, but were rebuked by Jesus.
Prayer Room on coast in Santander that we saw today
The Acts of the Apostles records that “Herod the king” (usually identified with Herod Agrippa) had James executed “by the sword”. Henry Alford suggests that he was probably beheaded. Nixon suggests his death may have been triggered by James’ fiery temper, from which he and his brother earned the nickname “Sons of Thunder”.
In the coming days we will re-read the book of James as we journey down the road.
How is Jesus calling us to follow him today and into the future?
We started early with our normal croissant – orange juice – and coffee. I was not dreaming of fresh bread the other day in my sleep – we were actually sleeping directly above a bakery. I am going to have to go through bread detox when I get home – so so good!
Our hike today was on the chilly side as we traversed the coastline in the clouds and mist. But oh what a hike! It is hard to describe the serenity and majesty of this coastline hike. I have never seen nor imagined corn fields on hillsides that go right up along the coastal cliffs. These farmers have got to wake up pinching themselves over the land they own. Simply amazing.
We also got to see several beaches with vibrant surf schools. If I was retired I would spend a few months here before moving on.
We merged with more pilgrims on their routes today as we entered Santander. We did the slow roll into our Hostel as this Sunday Sabbath day had the city streets filled with festival week. Music festivals – concerts – poodle dog shows – kid carnivals – and tons of folks spending time as family meandering the streets and shops. Beautiful people – beautiful sights and sounds!
Our first 80 miles of this trek are in the bank. We have gratitude and joy that our bodies and minds have carried us this far. Cantabria will stand out in my memories for a very long time – a small taste of heaven on this earth.
We got going after a beautiful sunrise but within about 30 minutes we were in for a good rainstorm. The ponchos came in handy as it poured for the next several hours. We waited with other pilgrims in the rain on the beach where a water ferry boat picks you up and drops you on the other side in a beautiful quaint village where the Camino journey continues.
We took the opportunity to warm up at a coffee shop where we had the best Kinder Croissant on the planet. I need these in a local place in Washington!
We then pressed on through the pouring rain and climbed the hillsides along the coastal route. We were wet, muddy, slipping and sliding our way up and down the trail, but were rewarded when we came out of that and onto the 2 mile walk on a beautiful beach. The sun came out and the wind dried us right off. We stopped in another wonderful village where we got to see a family and wedding party assemble in the city square outside the Catholic Church. We dried our socks and shoes and rehydrated there for the next phase of the day.
We climbed more hillsides with the warm sun the rest of the way. In this very rural area it appears that milk cows – massive gardens – and eucalyptus trees are the main thing. Every hillside dotted with green lush landscapes and beautiful vistas.
As we approached our overnight albergue, we reflected on mental fortitude and what it takes sometimes to just keep pressing on. We needed that mental fortitude today as our legs and feet were asking us to stop well before today’s finish line. Press on. Press on. Press on… so much of life requires this.
Another gift of this day – our first authentic Spain dinner. Do we need to move forward tomorrow? I could stay in this spot for a few weeks or so ☺️.
A phenomenal day of hiking the coast with beautiful vistas and mountain climbs along with some long distance hard mileage that has our legs and feet talking back to us! Amazing that Merritt does not have one blister on his feet whereas mine are adding up like popcorn in a microwave. So much for blister free socks 😛. As we walked down the steep incline into Laredo we were awed at the beauty of the old city quarter. We also got to see a street Hippie festival and bought the biggest piece of licorice on the planet. Us two could hardly finish one piece. The cloudy day and ocean breezes made a hard day a little bit easier. It has been nice getting a bit further out from the population centers and enjoying more of the mountain countryside during the day.
Today we spent some time talking about the kinds of things that we don’t want to have as part of our lives – things that won’t bless but only hurt us – things that don’t have to control us – things that we can let go of and things that we can hold onto. Each day holds some moments to think a little more deeply and more fully. Seeds planted in our souls that will bear fruit in due season. I pray these moments will bless our son and his life ahead.
After an absolutely beautiful evening of resting on a hotel patio with the doors open and ocean air rising up to our room, we ate another great breakfast and headed out early for our 18 mile day today.
Merritt kept commenting throughout the day how awesome this hiking day was. The location – the ocean views – the local quaint villages – the summer vacationers filling the beach communities – the massive rural gardens (I have garden envy!) – the rest breaks and food along the way – all added up to a banner day.
We followed the Camino Del Norte along the coast as we made our way to Castro Urdiales. This is a seaport of northern Spain, and is situated on the Bay of Biscay. It is a beautiful modern city with a historic castle and Gothic style church of Santa Maria de la Asunción, that date to the Middle Ages. Its chief industries are tourism, fishing, and oil packing of fish, especially sardines and anchovies.
We also saw the remnants of the mining industry along our route and saw one mountain completely strip mined – almost appearing as an old step pyramid from ages past.
We keep striking out with most of the historic churches being closed. The same is true with our schedule on some other sites as long afternoon siestas are in for the summer season. Most everything shuts down from 2:30 to 5. The street cafes are in full swing and the hospitality of friends and family filling the tables adds to some enchanting late night vibes that warm your heart. If more folks gathered at table like this our world would indeed find more happiness through connected relationships.
We aren’t yet adjusted to the time flip so after about 5 pm Merritt is like Santa Claus and bedded down for a very long sleep. I spend some extra time working the wikiloc app to map our days ahead and to take snapshots of hotel addresses and street locations. Creating those maps has been fun to do. Yesterday as he was sleeping I hand-washed the clothes and used the bathroom hair dryer to get them dried out in time for the next day departure.
Pilgrim Ways has done an excellent job with the bookings for our stays and moving our 2 small bags to the next locations. We are hiking with just our day pack for the things we need throughout the day. I am much more relaxed than when I hiked the Camino seven years ago – the addition of a gps app to minimize confusion of the routes and knowing we have a place reserved for us after a set amount of miles makes for a more enjoyable experience.
What a joy doing this trek with our son Merritt. My heart sings doing this together.
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.
A moving meat locker on the street
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.
Johnson 2025 Sabbatical 