Sights, Sounds, and Smell

While yesterday was about “keep walking” with no villages, or cafe stops, just beautiful scenery for 22 KM’s, today is about “being” with the sights, sounds, and smells. Especially in the early morning. My camera can capture the sights, but it fails in capturing sounds and smells. I will try my best to create in words the auras that compliment the pictures, attempting to invoke the feeling and essence of this morning’s walk.

We left before sunrise. Immediately after we left town we walked beside a creek with its soothing sound. The forest we were in was fragrant with the aroma of pine and eucalyptus in a warm, morning breeze. Dew was glistening on the grass. Birds were chirping occasionally. It was quiet and almost dark. The feeling was of pure bliss–the moment where one does not even care to know about the meaning of life–one is simply happy to be, here and now.

We were in the next town before we knew it. The village was still enjoying its sleep as we walked on.

We walked on not wanting the beauty to end.

The next town is the town of Bolibar above which sits the medieval monetary of Zenarruza that dates back to 1082 AD.

Bread delivery still goes on!

Monastery.

The trail became very treacherous after that due to slippery mud and rocks combined with the slopes.

We eventually reached our goal of hiking to Muntibar where we had hoped to acquire a room at a casa rural but just like it has been all week, rooms are hard to find and if you don’t get to your destination early enough or have a reservation you are in trouble.

Our back up plan was to find transportation to the next town in our journey which happens to be Gernika.

This town was demolished in 1937 by German and Italian bombers during the Spanish civil war on the request of Spanish Nationalist. Picasso’s famous mural-sized painting against war and violence created in 1937 brought world wide attention to the Spanish Cival War.

We are comfortable in a nice hotel room in Gernika. Had a nice dinner and have a nice casa rural reservation for tomorrow night to celebrate our 28th anniversary.