September 5, 2022

Markina-Xemein to Guernica (Gernika): 25km / 15.7 miles
Sunrise 7:39
Weather 60°F / 15.5°C Overcast
Start: 6:40
Arrived @15:00 ~~ 85°F (29.4°C)

Total Ascent: 2045 ft.
Difficulty Rating: Terrain 4; Waymarking 3
Scenery Rating: 3

We walked to the city of Guernica (Basque: Gernika), passing through Bolibar (named after Simón de Bolívar, from the village of Bolibar in Bizkaia). He left for Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Republic, sometime around 1559. More than 200 years later his ancestor, known as the Liberator, Simón Bolívar became a national hero to many South American countries. Under his leadership, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama gained their independence from Spain. He also became president of what was then called Grand Columbia, encompassing the modern countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador.

On The Way, we met a very nice Padre at the Monasterio de Zenarruza, a “serene spot for rest and reflection” where we stopped 5 years ago. We had a nice chat and continued on our Camino.

We arrived in Gernika (sister city: Boise, Idaho) very hot, very tired, and very hungry. A local man guided us (walked all the way with us) to a restaurant for a mid-day “Comida”, but we had to wait for an hour for a table, so we went to a nearby restaurant and had rodaballo before heading to Hotel Gernika for the night.

I wrote about our previous visit to Gernika with my cousin Mikel and his wife Ainara in a previous post. I was happy that we were able to explore this historic city when we weren’t too exhausted to appreciate the importance of it.