Religion / Science (Holiday 11/14)

It's an interesting juxtaposition, having the Camino de Santiago, arguably the most famous religious pilgrimage route in the world, pass so close to the Flysch Lines on the Basque coast, layers of rock which over millenia have been tilted over to reveal so much of the development of our world.

Religion and science side by side.

Bloody hot one today, as we flirted with the Camino between Zumaia and Deba. The distance was only 14km, but there was almost a Munro of ascent, which in combination with the 30 degree heat turned it into a bit of a slog at times. And yet we're still definitely not putting as much effort into this as the pilgrims (we chat to one older Australian lady, trying to determine just how far it is to get to Deba, where she is topping for the night, and we're getting the train to return east).

I don't ask if she's walking it for religious reasons, but it turns out it was almost a spur of the moment thing, which seems an extraordinary admission. She's not sure if she'll have time to get to Santiago, which means missing out on the last 100km, which means no avoidance of purgatory (if you do just the last 100km you apparently get half time in purgatory, which seems unfair on someone who will walk around 700km up to that point, but confirms my prejudices on the arbitrary nature of much of the Christian faith).

A beer in a pretty little square in Deba feels just reward.

Back in Getaria, before we go out for dinner (in a restaurant which is much much more friendly than the night before), I pop out to a little shop where you can buy anything at all, to get a body board. There's a small beach below our hotel, which has big waves rolling in, and there are surfers and bodyboarders and swimmers all over. I can't come here and not get into the water....