“Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to Orio we go!”
We hiked the Camino del Norte, this morning, in the opposite direction that we had gone the other day; that is, our trek went up the hill behind Getaria and eastward, first to the beach/surf town of Zarautz and then onwards to the riverside town of Orio. As Getaria is built on a peninsula jutting out from a coastal hillside, it is a big climb to get out of town in that direction; the town has thoughtfully provided a series of outdoor escalators and an elevator to speed a walker’s ascent. Though weather conditions were warm and muggy, the cloudy sky made for a pleasant morning. Along our route, we passed by steady vineyards and met numerous other hikers (some day hikers and some Camino peregrinoes).
Three years ago, when walking the “Frances Route” of the Camino, we seemed to have the uncanny timing of coming upon a local festival in most of the towns we travelled through — this was great in the daytime because we could enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the cultural activities on display, but proved to be a headache for us in the evenings as the revellers partied very noisily for hours into the nighttime/early morning, disrupting our much-needed sleep. Well, it has been the opposite experience this year, as every town we arrive in seems to have just finished up their festival, or is having it later on in the summer. Until today, that is! Upon walking into Orio, we saw a big tent set up, music playing, people milling about, and huge pots being stirred — all for their “Bisiguarei Festa.” We drank cider and ate a hearty, tasty bowl of Marmitako (traditional Basque tuna and potato soup), before catching the bus back to Getaria for siesta.
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