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Etapa 2:  San Sebastián to Zarautz
Distance:  21.1 km
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Weather:  Cloudy and windy with occasional rain showers
Photos:  79 (26 selected for Google Map)
Notables:  Fuente created by local Camino enthusiast; coastal walk through farmland; rolling Basque hills inland; Ermita de San Martín de Tours, Zarautz beach.

Etapa description continued after the break.  Follow the flecha . . .

My original plan was to spend Easter weekend in San Sebastián.  Poor planning resulted in budget-busting accommodation and rainy weather forced an early exit from the seaside resort.  I spent as much time as I could strolling through the rain in the Old Town but the majority of Good Friday was spent in the pension run by an elderly Basque widow.  A question of when Mass services were held in the nearest cathedral led to a lenghty discussion about spirituality.  The Basque albuelita gave me a copy of songs from a recent service and attempted to sing a verse in the Basque language.  When she wasn’t asking me if I sought peace she was singing to her parakeet that chirped in unison.

I set out early Saturday morning from the Old Town.  The Good Friday rains prevented me from the classic panoramic photograph of San Sebastián that I craved so I took what photos I could as I walked down the lengthy paseo.

The ascent up the hill on the western edge of town was brisk yet brief.  It was about this time when my morning ritual of delayering began.  The rain jacket was always the first to come off, followed shortly thereafter by the fleece.  Certain mornings were cold enough to warrant gloves but these were only necessary for an hour or two.  The length of my pants depended on the temperature, terrain, and gradient of the Camino.

My recollection of the Camino leading out of San Sebastián is limited but like most parts it is well way-marked.  If all else fails, ask a local and they will gladly direct you down the right path.  Even you are not lost, a local Camino enthuasist who lives some 5 km west of San Sebastián will offer unsolicited advice.  He has constructed a fuente outside his house with a registry of pilgrims to sign and a sello (stamp) for Camino credentials.  The enthuasist told me he has walked the Camino del Norte 10 times and knows all the various detours.  He was most curious about the nationalities and motives of pilgrims.

There was a bottle of water on the table but the enthusiast said he had tapped a natural spring a few kilometers ahead that was safe to drink.  I also suspect the enthusiast is responsible for the first signpost notifying the distance remaining to Santiago – 787 km.

The Camino keeps closely to the coast for the majority of this etapa and passes straight through Basque farmland.  There is a tacit agreement between farmers and pilgrims but sometimes, likely due to careless pilgrims, farmers have left signs requesting that gates are securely closed when passing through private fields.

This Camino etapa rates highly due to the proximity of the coast, ancient cobblestone tracks, and sweeping vistas of the rolling, hilly Basque countryside. A downside, however, is the amount of asphalt walking involved on this etapa.

The Camino eventually arrives at the Ermita de San Martín de Tours, which is roughly one kilometer outside of Orío.  Orío is a small town on the River Oría with a compact old quarter full of beautiful architecture.  The modern Camino crosses a bridge over the river but in 1484 the Spanish monarchy granted free ferry passage for pilgrims crossing the river.

It was early in the afternoon so I decided to bypass the private albergue in Orío and walk the remaining 6.5 km to Zarautz.  The Camino follows the Sendero de Gran Recorrido, as it does through much of Basque Country, leading to the Gran Camping Zarautz site where pilgrims can stay in a pilgrims-only room for €5.  I was the only pilgrim staying at the campsite.