We failed to tell most of you that we are visiting THREE countries this trip. Not only France and Spain, but Euskadi — the Basque Autonomous Community. We participated in a fabulous Ascension mass in which there were not only about 50% male attendance, but the male and female voices rang out strongly and beautifully.

There are a lot of “x’s” and “z’s in Basque, but it seems like the pronunciation is pretty straightforward, so we joined in the singing.

How lucky that yesterday’s walk, day one on the Camino del Norte, was sunny and warm! (The forecast is not so good…) There was a long climb, with enticing glimpses of estuary and ocean. Lots of rocks and rough path made the going slower, but, unlike in France, the waymarking has been excellent.

The night was spent in Renteria, high on a hill above the shipbuilding port of Passejes de San Juan. Part of the Spanish Armada was constructed there.