Camino del Norte 2023
INTRODUCTION - CAMINO DEL NORTE 2023
Many would agree with me that 2023 could just end early, because so far, nothing good has come out of it. One disaster after another, disappointment after...
Day 1: it's a good day for a new beginning
There’s nothing better than when your brain lets you sleep for 6 hours straight. Those who know me well are aware I have serious sleep issues. For those who...
Day 2: a beautiful view
Since the Camino is all about the people, it’s easy to find companions—for a day, a week, or, even better, the whole month—if you just go with the flow. So...
Day 3: hitler’s stairs – stairway to hell
When I said goodbye to Tim yesterday, I asked him to let me know what he thought of Hitler’s stairs. See, when you leave the town of Pasaia, you first take a...
Day 4: a new challenge
When we finished the hike the day before yesterday, Ellen – a fresh-faced 21-year-old from the UK – came up to me and told me she was walking all the way to...
Day 5: water diet
When I arrived in Deba, my stop for the day, I first went to the shop to stock up on food for the next day, since the albergue was still closed. The next...
Day 6: speedy gonzales
The lights came on in the albergue at 6:00. In the morning, people here are like zombies, stumbling around, searching for themselves and creating chaos. I tried...
Day 7: bilbao calling
I didn’t fall asleep until one in the morning yesterday, because I accidentally took a one-hour siesta during the day, which completely killed my nighttime...
Day 8: rocky bilbao
Like I already wrote, I’m definitely coming back to Bilbao because the city has a great vibe and it’s as colourful as a rainbow in the sky. When I arrived, I...
Day 9: a good day for masochism
I didn’t plan to walk much today, so I only got up at 7 and went for a long coffee in the little village where we spent the night. The start of this stage is...
Day 10: visiting santa claus
Last night before going to sleep, I was a bit worried about how my feet would feel in the morning after walking so many kilometres. Would they go on strike or...
Day 11: when shit goes south
Since I had plenty of time to rest yesterday, I decided to extend today’s stage beyond the one officially planned. I know many people can’t understand these...
Day 12: reawakening memories
Thanks to yesterday’s sunbathing session, I earned myself a second round of heatstroke. My body was burning up and I couldn’t sleep in my sleeping bag. Thank...
Day 13: viva italia
It’s probably clear by now that I didn’t come to the Camino to latch onto people. I walk way more each day than most others do. That means I meet a ton of...
Day 14: doping
Last night, just before falling asleep, I had a little talk with the Almighty and we somehow reached a compromise. If I bought an umbrella in town that could...
Day 15: rest
That day my legs only planned to walk 19,685 steps. Which is peanuts for me, so the night before I let myself party a bit with the Irish. I got up late, so...
Day 16: when the almighty has a hangover
The day before, I told Santos I’d be leaving early in the morning and that I wouldn’t wake him, so we said our goodbyes the night before. I thanked him for...
Day 17: the worst day of my life
The day started quite early, considering I had to do 4 extra kilometres because of the hostel. The forecast predicted the kind of weather no hiker here wants...
Day 18: no drama
After yesterday’s incident, I was ready to go home. That guy fucked up my mind and ruined the beautiful parts of this journey. But after a long phone call...
Day 19: it's all coffee’s fault
60. That wasn’t the number of kilometres I walked that day, but the number of beds in the albergue I stayed in – all crammed into one single room. Which meant...
Day 20: hell on highway
As expected, I woke up stiff as a rock, exhausted and sleep deprived. With all this damn rain, it was only a matter of time before a virus caught me. On day 20,...
Day 21: remembering mozart
We finally reached the stage where I met Mozart back in 2018. We started the day late, on purpose. The plan made the night before was to just take it easy,...
Day 22: sir, do you still have that black gun
The fewer kilometres to the end, the more fun it gets. Understandably, since the trail has been long and brutal. It's pure joy knowing you’ve endured all the...
Day 23: tina, listen to your brain! brain to feet!!
I continued the journey with Nacho and his friend, Lee – a DJ in his free time. The day started with loud laughter in the bathroom while we were brushing our...
Day 24: rule: one beer
Well, I didn’t hit the road at 5 a.m., but I did actually get up at that time. I tried to be as quiet as possible while rolling up my sleeping bag so I wouldn’t...
Day 25: the need for speed
The night in the albergue was so fantastic that I ended up sleeping on the couch in the dining room again. The owners had decided to turn off the ventilation,...
DUMBASSES
On Friday, when the team and I arrived in Finisterre, I gave them a couple of days off so we could all get a break from each other—there are still quite a few...
Day 26: nike – just do it
Since I knew I couldn’t avoid either the sun or the darkness for this challenge, I started late—at 7 in the morning. The night was lovely, especially if...
Day 27: a new path
The longer I rested, the lazier I became, and so I really didn’t feel like getting back on the road, even though I’d gone to bed early. But I’d already wasted...
Day 28: gucci for the house
Since I went to bed early the night before, I finally took the time to watch the Tour de France documentary series. A great series that gives you a deeper...
Day 29: the caravan heads south
The crew decided that Spain had been way too gentle with us in terms of mercury levels, so we headed south to see what Portugal had in store. I’ll build it up...
Day 30: crematorium and cobblestones
A heatwave suicide attempt. Failed again. A 57-kilometre day where you test yourself to see whether you'll survive or drop dead from walking in the sun all...
Day 31 & 32: Depression in my eyes
I only had 33 kilometres to walk that day, but I wanted to reach the destination as soon as possible—I was exhausted from the heat. My left foot was finally...
Day 33: austria, germany and a future priest from france
Yesterday's rest day brought a lot of new faces. A nurse from Austria, a surfer from Germany, and a future priest from France. Which meant the Berliner and...
