Thursday morning we stayed for breakfast at the Monastery with our kindly hospitalier serving us white bread toast with jam (Breakfast of Champions – NOT!)!  We then walked out  from Markina-Xemein at about 7:30 – along highway and river, through pastures and clear-cut forests, to the sounds of birds chirping and chainsaws whining as well as the gurgling, rolling river, church bells chiming, livestock bells clanking and barking dogs.  Alongside mules and sheep, horses, billy goats, cows, chicken, roosters and goats.

There were basically no towns to stop in, let alone fountains from which to refill our water bottles.  We walked and slid in the abundant mud up (and down) steep, steep, extremely long grades of rocky and muddy terrain until we were numb to it all – “one foot in front of the other” our mantra.

And rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. To Gernika-Lumo, we covered 25 km, 15.5 miles and stayed in the modern Gernika Lumo Hostel.

It was the same for Friday, from Gernika-Lumo to Bilbao, 31 km, 19.25 miles.  At least the rain was at bay, the sun graced us and there were a few towns – but so much slip sliding mud!!!

In Galdakao we had to hold off for a cycle road race!  We saw the earlier stage on tv in Gernika while having beers as a local proudly illuminated the event!

Bilbao is a beautiful city and the sun was shining in the late afternoon when we arrived.

The Hostel of Pilgrims of Bilbao was a delight to our tired souls.  After a “snack”, short and brief rest, my fellow perigrinos went out to enjoy the city a little bit – I decided to stay in!