As mentioned yesterday, both Michelle and I slept poorly. I watched my watch pass the hours from 1 AM to sometime before 7 AM. Our hosts put on some relaxing music and fired on the lights to indicate it was time to split. Quite quickly everyone arose including 2 last minute arrivers who found rest on a temporary mattress in both the kitchen and downstairs area. It took us only a few minutes to pack our last minute items and we were almost out the door. Our German friend indicated he was heading out to grab a croissant and coffee before hitting the 7:45 Ferry. We joined him. While sitting enjoying our caffeine the most of the rest of our Albergue arrived. This little shop gets busy around 7:30 everyday.
Our German friend wanted to share contact information as the short boat taxi approached. It was a struggle to get WhatsApp numbers, while finding the correct amount of change. Michelle missed the chance to take pictures so I did. 1.90 Euros for a 200 M boat ride is well worth the pictures it offered. When on the side we were in Pasai San Pedro. Sadly we chose to boogie and not explore. Or German friend headed off and we were soon to follow.
After passing a ship yard we failed to read up on we headed up some pretty crazy steps. Our yet to be known Hostel host told us about this ship yard. I'll share what I know later in this blog.
Back to the crazy steps. Oh man they hurt going up, the steeped we have done yet. Easy for those going down but the spacing made climbing pretty tough. At the top there were a few benches to chill. We took the time to eat our breakfast and plan where to sleep. Michelle wanted to stay in San Sebastian for at least 4 nights. Staying in a Albergue seemed silly as we would need to vacate only to wait to check-in to another locater later in the day. Airbnb had plenty of options. Google Maps showed a bunch of reasonably priced options. We took a chance on Pension Aia https://www.pensionaia.com/en/index.php
It felt better to have a destination to shoot for. Holy Week was still on, I had no idea how busy San Sebastian would be. With a place to stay we headed onward these beautiful trails. We were in the shade for many hours which was awesome. Taking a break from a road ascent a man and his dog noticed us and through out a sentence that sound like there is a place to stay just up the hill for a coffee. Sure enough there was. We were quickly introduced to Ruth who spoke great English. She worked in Hospital de Peregrinos de Pasai San Pedro
Coffee and Tea were soon upon us. The kind man and his dog were also there. I found it necessary to say thanks to him with a Canadian pin. 5 minutes later he was proudly wearing it show it off. Ruth explained she was from Columbia and 30 years ago had marries a Basque man. She showed me an image of the bones of their home. It had no roof and looked like a total rebuild. The bones of their current home was from recycled timbers from the region. Now many years later she, her husband and family run this place based only on donations. This includes a farm near Orio. Ruth kept referring to the communities she was involved in. I thought she was quite the entrepreneur. I did some more research and found she is a member of the https://www.twelvetribes.org/community/san-sebastian. Popular these members are on these trails. I'll enjoy their free coffee and treats but will stay clear of any controversial involvement with what may be the entry point for a cult. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tribes_communities
Ruth's caffeine and treats helped propel us easily to the descent into San Sebastian. The decent was crazy steep. Many local were dragging angry kids past us. Once in San Sebastian we headed to the beach to chill and wait for our 2 PM checkin. A huge number of East Indians in full Winter coats were walking around. I talked with one. They were visiting from Switzerland and were freezing in what was nice to us. 1:30 quickly approached so we packed up, shook off the sand and walked towards our next home. Paulo welcomed us inside and showed us an upgraded room we did not order. I believe he made a mistake and let it slide. We had 3 beds, a shower/sink and a walk out balcony. Oh man it was nice. With a shared kitchen, 4 full bathrooms and a fridge what more do we need. Paulo provided a great Map based introduction of what there is to see. Man we scored here. Super comfy space for 85 CAD per night.
Oops I forgot. Paulo let us know about the San Juan for which I did some research with the help of Gemini.
We actually passed the reconstruction of the San Juan, a 16th-century Basque whaling galleon. Its story is a fascinating link between the In 1565, the San Juan was anchored in Red Bay, Labrador, ready to return to Pasaia with a massive cargo of whale oil. A powerful storm caused it to break its moorings, and it sank in the cold waters of the bay.
It was discovered in 1978 by Parks Canada archaeologists, led by the research of historian Selma Barkham. Because the water was so cold, the ship was incredibly well-preserved. It is considered the best-preserved 16th-century merchant vessel ever found. While the original timbers were studied and eventually returned to the seabed in Canada for preservation, the "recovery" you are seeing in Pasai San Pedro is a scientific reconstruction.
The ship is being rebuilt piece-by-piece at the Albaola Maritime Culture Factory (located on the San Pedro side).It is a "living museum" where you can watch shipwrights using 16th-century techniques, hand tools, and materials (like oak from local forests and hemp ropes) to recreate the galleon exactly as it was. It has been under construction for over a decade and is nearing completion—it is expected to be launched into the water very soon.
We walked right past it. Damn it. I wish it was open https://maps.app.goo.gl/487X6PAWDTap3pxu6
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