June 22:  Santillana del Mar to Comillas  33863 steps

Back on the road again and a beautiful day to boot!  The lane out of town wound around through the small alley ways of the old town.  The cobblestones were still slightly slippery from the past evening's dew, but the way was relatively level, so not treacherous under foot.  

The first town on the way was only a couple of kilometers down the road and a mere hamlet, so the early morning departure forced the start to be without breakfast.  No worry, the next town was only a kilometer further and the imaginary smell of the bacon was driving the feet to lift and lower at a rapid rate.  Orena could be seen in the horizon as we crested the hill.  But alas, everything is closed!!  So up another hill, over another ridge, around another bend and down another pathway into the next village.  Caborrendondo should have at least a bar!!!!  

Guess Spain must have won the football game last night, because here again everything is closed.  A handful of nuts along side the road with the sound of the cow bells in the distance seem to make a delightful setting for a late morning brunch.

Today the route takes us up into the hillsides high above the small villages below.  Every once in awhile it dips down into the valley through meadows of wheat and hay with the sheep and cows spending their lazy days munching away the time.  As we enter the forests, the smell of eucalyptus impregnates the air.  The woods are thick with these trees and send the sensory signals on overload, but what a wonderful way to walk along.  The pain of the body is forgotten as the eyes view the panorama of the environment and the nose soaks in the aroma of the trees.  The only thing to bring one back to reality is the gravel or rocks on the path that need attention in order not to fall.

The map says we are to only be walking 20 kilometers today -- ha, wrong again.  Seems that the Spanish kilometers are different than any where else, or the measuring devise used to calculate the map's index is broken.  Seems what is on paper is short of reality.  Need to add a few more -- something everyone really wants to do at the end of a long day.  No matter how far we walk the last two kilometers are always longer than any of the others!!

Night is spent in the Castel of Castro = the castle of Castro.  Great hotel!!

View of Countryside

Santillana del Mar in the distance