Camino del Norte Day 12: Laredo to Güemes

May 1, 2025

Waiting for the ferry

Boarding the small boat that would ferry us across to Santoña

Looking out over Santoña

Walk like you’ll never be back.

Inside the a cabin at La Casa de Abuelo Peuto

The albergue was like a little piece of heaven. At 19:30, all the pilgrims gathered in a hermitage and a volunteer told us the hisotry of La Cabaña del Abuelo Pueto, with the help of an English translator. There were so many of us in the little hermitage that the younger ones sat on the floor on mats. The volunteer gave us some valuable advice:

“Always, always the sea to your right. Otherwise you are walking back to Germany.”

There was thunderous laughter from the pilgrims.

Walking barefoot on the cool lawn

Pilgrim Dinner

The pilgrim dinner was a feast for the soul as well as the body. I learned there were 86 guests and 27 nationalities represented that night. I was the only American at my table. To my right was a girl named Maelyn from Denmark, who is blind. To my left was Jana from Czechia, whom I met on my birthday. Jana asked me my reason for walking the Camino, so I took a breath and told her. Up until this point I had met and told no one hiking for spiritual reasons. However, in this lovely, hospitable, Christ-centered place, it seemed like the most ordinary and natural thing to say.

“I’m hiking for spiritual reasons,” I said, carefully. “Specifically, to hear the voice of God.”

Jana looked curious.

“And have you?” she asked.

“I’m starting to,” I said.

Pilgrim dinner

Stand up for Yourself
As the table was being seated, I noticed that a particularly tall man was sitting in a rather narrow spot and had to keep his elbows in while he ate. I asked him if he would like to exchange places with me because there was more room at the end of the table.
“I’m quite content to sit here because I am enjoying talking to these Danish ladies,” he said.
“Are you uncomfortable because he is uncomfortable?” asked Maelyn, who was blind.
“Stand up for yourself!”
Although Maelyn was blind, she saw right through me.