Today was supposed to be easy and "only" 20km or so (~13 miles). It was a bit confusing to find our way out of Gernika (the Basque spelling of Guernica). Shortly afterwards we had our first rain of the journey - enough so that we donned our raingear. However, it was only a light drizzle. Although it was a shorter day, we still found it hard work. Perhaps because there was really no place to stop and relax. Sitting at a table or bench every 4 miles or so makes a big difference. We had perhaps 8 miles of steady climbing with some ups and downs then a short but steep descent.
Perhaps 2 miles from the end, we came to a village where we could sit at a table outside a bar and enjoy a glass of cider and a snack. It's Saturday and a wedding was happening across the village square as well as some sort of Basque political holiday celebration.
We arrived in Lazama, our destination and with some difficulty managed to find a place to stay. We're at a "casa rural', Madarian, about one-half mile from the village. There was one mishap today. After all the ups and downs over steep terrain, I mis-stepped while walking along a street and took a tumble - twisted my back and landed on my elbow. More comical than serious but I do feel a bit sore and scraped up. All in all, a pretty minor thing for a 66 year old!
Cindy and some famous Basque musician? In central Gernika (that's the Basque spelling of Guernica)
The first time so far that we've had to don our raingear. These "Sea to Summit" brand ponchos seem to work nicely - but it's just a very light drizzle.
Typical countryside for today
We've seen a lot of donkeys in the Basque country
Heading uphill - steeper than it looks.
Nearing the end of our day. It's Saturday and there was a wedding nearby plus some sort of Basque holiday.
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