Day 0: Sightseeing Bilbao (21.09.)
The day before the Camino is always spent in the place where the journey begins. First, one acclimatizes a little with the place, its gastronomy and local weather conditions. The cultural heritage is visited. At the end, the Camino route is determined, which will be the starting point for the walk tomorrow early in the morning.
In Bilbao there is also the famous Guggenheim Museum, which we did not enter.
We still visited the Historical Museum of Biscay.
Bilbao is an interesting city. We stayed in the old part of the city, which we visited and bought Credentials (pilgrims’ passports) in the cathedral and collected the first stamp. In the old part of the city, we also found an old and affordable hotel (otherwise the city is very expensive).
We tried good Spanish wine, fine food and especially dessert, specifically leche frita.
Day 1: Bilbao – Balmaseda (22.09.)
We knew that we shouldn’t walk such a long distance on the first day, but here we are. The reason for this is the place where we will be staying in Balmaseda, which is the former monastery of Saint Roch that has been converted into a lovely little hotel.
Departed early and eveng got lost a bit. It rained in the first part of the day with a cold wind that was stronly blowing.
We are in the Basque Country, the country of perhaps the oldest Europeans and they still cherish their traditions.
The unexpectedly seen “Our Lady of the Parasol” has become our patron saint of this Camino.
In the end, we walked a full 39 kilometers, which will leave consequences that we will feel for the next few days.
Day 2: Balmaseda – Lezana de Mena (23.09.)
The first part of today’s stage was a mixed bag of weather, partly cloudy, sunny, then it rained and gave us a beautiful double rainbow.
In the second part, a rather difficult and poorly marked trail awaited us.
Our reward was a visit to the beautiful church of San Lorenzo.
In the end, we settled in Sara’s lovely apartment in Lezana de Mena.
Day 3: Lezana de Mena – Espinosa de Los Monteros (24.09.)
Today’s trail was easier and calmer, and the weather was quite stable, the rains had stopped.
For the first time we come across our favorite fruit on all the Caminos – wild blackberries.
In Espinosa de Los Monteros we stay at the Hostal Sancho Garcia (named after the founder of this place).
Day 4: Espinosa de Los Monteros – Santelices (25.09.)
The first daily stop was the church in the cave of San Bernabe, which actually primarily served as a safe hiding place for grain supplies from the nearby area.
Then we continued by climbing first to a beautiful plateau where we walked for a long time. Today it is already sunny and quite warm.
A visit to El Ventanon, an incredible play of nature that formed a huge stone window with a view of the valley below, was unavoidable.
Next came a boring descent to the town of Santelices, and we found accommodation at the Hotel Rural El Rincón de Las Merindades.
Day 5: Santelices – Llano (26.09.)
A strenuous climb at the beginning of the day, with a landscape shrouded in fog. In the village of Soncillo, we had a good refreshment with a good tortilla.
In the center of the village of Virtus, in the former covered bowling alley, there was a table football set up?! A break with a few games played.
Today the sky is completely clear and the strong sun creates a fairly high air temperature. The walk to Arija is long.
We check in at the Hotel Araz in Llano (which has recently been run by a hardworking family), which is 2 kilometers past Arija!
Day 6: Llano – Olea (27.09.)
First, a visit to the submerged church of Villanueva de Las Rozas. The creation of an artificial lake by submerging the entire field meant the end of this church, of which only its tower now emerges above the water.
The next destination is Cervatos and its intriguing Romanesque church, the Colegiata de San Pedro from the 12th century, full of erotic content. In the central gathering place of the residents, the municipal community building, we encounter very friendly people.
Crossing another hill and we are in the very hospitable Olea. We spend the night with our dear hosts in the Apartamentos rurales Casa Miguel. A sincere welcome with offered drinks, home-made eggs, grapes in the superbly decorated apartments is the best thing that could have happened to us.
Later, they also organized a traditional get-together for us. Mario, who runs the Bar Olea, also proved to be a good host.
Day 7: Olea – Nestar (28.09.)
Today we set off without a booked accommodation. We’re going as far as we can and we’ll find something somewhere “on the fly”. First we visited the church of Santa Maria La Real.
We pass through beautiful areas, and we also come across a Menhir from the Bronze Age.
In the end we found accommodation in the lovely town of Nestar, at La Galana Casa Rural. A hardworking man runs this place, and his cat Kali helps him.
We had lunch and dinner with wonderful company in the only bar, restaurant, and gathering place in the town. Blood sausage, which I don’t usually eat, is their specialty, which I enjoyed.
Day 8: Nestar – Cervera de Pisuerga (29.09.)
One of those days when we set off before dawn. We have a lot of kilometers ahead of us and we need to walk as many of them as possible before the midday heat. We arrived at our first daily stop Cillamayor so early that we had to wait for more than an hour for the lady to come and open the church of Santa Maria La Real for us. Inside treasures a little gem – a stone baptistery with the name of either the stonemason who carved it or the local baker engraved on it.
After a long walk across the plain, we arrived in Cervera de Pisuerga and checked into Hostal Pineda.
Day 9: Cervera de Pisuerga – Santibáñez de la Peña (30.09.)
We set off well before dawn and climbed through the forest. Had some fog again in the morning, and then very bright sun and clear skies.
On the way visited Iglesia de la Transfiguracion in Traspeña de la Peña.
So hot and tiring that at one point we lay down on the ground.
In Santibáñez de la Peña we spent the night at El Txoko De Onso.
Day 10: Santibáñez de la Peña – Puente Almuhey (01.10).
Departing early from Santibáñez de la Peña.
A pleasant section, but we still couldn’t wait for refreshment in the town of Guarda.
Then a climb and a long walk on the asphalt road.
In Puente Almuhey we go to the most famous albergue on the entire Camino Olvidado. It is run by Sonia, we can say the “good spirit” of the Camino Olvidado.
Brioni Golf 