Camino del Norte Day 5: Extebarria to Gernika

I almost got on a bus today. 

After four days of challenging terrain on the Camino del Norte I woke up today optimistic. I thought that despite being a long day, it would be way easier than the previous ones. The woman at the hotel reinforced my thoughts. 

Then I put my daypack on. Uh oh. My lower back was not happy. As in really not happy. With nothing to do but go on, go on I did.

Bolibar or Bolivar?

With the company of an Australian woman from Perth I got through the first couple of hours until we arrived at Bolibar. Yep. That Bolibar. The town, is said to be the birthplace of Simon Bolivar’s ancestors. For you non-Latin Americans, Bolivar is known as the Liberator of the Americas, having helped to liberate several South American countries including Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador from Spain. As it turns out, Bolivar was not really his family’s last name. It was simply the name they adopted after arriving in Venezuela —based solely on where they were from. At least this is what the guy at the local museum told me. 

An eagle and a skull: The Zenarruza Monastery

Feeling a bit more cultured, and trying to ignore the pain in my back I started the steep climb from Bolibar to the Zenarruza Monastery. This is, one of the most significant religious sites along the Camino del Norte. According to legend, it was sometime during the 900’s that the folks of a nearby town celebrating the Assumption saw an eagle grab a skull from a nearby cemetery. That eagle is then said to have deposited said skull on the hill where the monastery now stands. They took it as a sign and the monastery was born. Today Zenarruza is still a working monastery as well as a Pilgrim hostel or albergue. It’s where my Australian buddy decided she would stay even though we were only about 10K into the day. 

With no more history to distract me from the pain…

Despite attempting to stretch my back several times the pain continued to build. My walking got slower and slower. I was walking 30 minute miles, when I should be doing 20 at a leisurely pace. As the hours went on, I wondered how much longer I could go. 

Then, Nikola, an American girl I met on my first day on the Camino del Norte, made a reappearance. She’s suffering from blisters, but generously offered some of her pain killers. Mine were—yep, you guessed it—back in the suitcase I’m having transferred between hotels. 

It took an hour or so but the Advil started to work. Even so, I was so tired of the pain I seriously considered getting on a bus. Several of the Spaniard pilgrims I met at my hotel the day before had already gone this route as they simply wanted to get into town in time for lunch.

In Search of a bus stop

I no longer held such illusions as I knew arriving before 3:30pm was never happening. But I wanted to give it a while longer before giving up. An hour later I did just that. Or rather, i tried. 

With around 5 miles to go I found the closest bus stop and promptly walked over. It was only then I realized I had just missed the bus and the next one wouldn’t come for two hours. 

Man plans and G-d laughs. That’s what Grandpa used to say. Ok, well, I guess I was walking the rest of the way.

By the time I arrived in Gernika—17 miles later— I was exhausted, but my back was no longer killing me. I dunked myself in an ice cold bath, stretched the heck out of my legs and back and just rested for a couple of hours. At this point I wouldn’t find a place to eat until 8pm.

Gernika: A rebellious streak and a very dark past

I am a bit bummed though. Gernika is a town I really wanted to visit while on the Camino del Norte; in particular the Peace Museum.

This is a city with a very dark history. Back in April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Franco asked his Nazi and fascist Italian buddies to bomb the heck out of Gernika. Known to be an important center of the Basque freedom movement, he deliberately had the bombers target the civilian population. For four hours the bombs rained on Gernika, destroying nearly 90% of the city and killing over 2,000 people.

Adding insult to injury, Franco came up with a story, denying he’d had anything to do with the destruction. Instead he blamed Basque fighters for setting fire to the city and destroying it themselves. For decades he spread that lie, even while others knew the truth. Among them Pablo Picasso, who painted a very famous representation of the destruction. That painting now hangs in Madrid, but a replica can be found on a street mural in Gernika, along with a peace museum, and the only building to have survived the bombing unscathed. As it was I was only able to visit both from the outside.

Onwards. Tomorrow I arrive in Bilbao.  

---

Today’s Stats

Distance: 16.9 miles (27K)

Elevation Gain: 2,426 ft (739m)

Duration: 7:25hrs

---

Food and Accommodation

Hotel Gernika: I have to say I was really happy with this place. At first sight it’s nothing more than a soulless business hotel. And yet the attention I received on a day when I arrived on the verge of collapse was that of a family-owned B&B. The next day at breakfast it was the same. I would definitely return.

Azules: After my plans to eat a a very traditional place went sideways I ended up at Azules, which was recommended by my hotel. Located on a popular plaza it is for sure touristy and a tad overpriced, but overall I really enjoyed my meal which consisted of tostada con jamón and revuelto de hongos.