Maria Labbato, PhD

Ribadeo to Lourenza: 18 miles, 3K elevation gain… I thought I left the mountains behind! I started this very difficult day with no coffee. I sought my morning motivation from the contrasting smells: eucalyptus and cow manure. I had learned from The Camino Podcast that eucalyptus is invasive to Galicia. They are pretty and emit…

Leaving behind the Basque region in a rideshare, I gazed at what landscapes of Cantabria and Asturias I could see from the highway. While I know it was not a fraction of the beauty I could encounter if walking, it was still impressive and made me wish I was seeing it all by foot. Like…

Day 4, Mutriku to Erbera: ~10 miles, 1,745 ft gain The early part of the camino accentuated part of why I was on such a path. The logistics and unknowns with this kind of travel, but the sharp contrast with the purpose and simplicity of a pilgrimage, forced me to examine my anxiety over a…

Day 3, Zumaia to Mutriku: ~12 miles, 2,500 ft gain I’m sure you can still picture the fantastical scenes in Game of Thrones. Much of the series was set in northern Spain, including the 60 million-year-old rock formation called the Flysch in Zumaia. This was the backdrop for the Targaryen’s homeland, Dragonstone and is a…

Day 2, San Sebastián to Zarautz: ~ 13.5 miles and 2,000 ft gain  Who knew I would be in Spain and unable to have my first day’s coffee until 11 AM. I anticipated that finding early morning coffee would be a challenge and I learned quickly how late cafes usually open (usually 8 to 10…

Decision-making and logistical planning can be vexing on an enneagram 9. Leading up to my camino – later contrasted by the simplicity of the trail – this 9 was overstimulated!  The first and biggest decision was which Camino to do. Just Google “map Camino routes”… there are many. Take a peek at my first post…