There’s something about the beginning of a Camino that feels both exhilarating and slightly unhinged. This time, our journey starts in Bilbao, where we arrived by plane, eyes glued to the window as the landscape unfolded beneath us. Rolling hills, impossibly lush greens, and winding terrain stretched as far as we could see. Beautiful? Absolutely. Intimidating? Also yes.

The hills, in particular, made quite the first impression. Let’s just say they didn’t whisper “welcome”—they loomed. Bold, steep, and unapologetic, they gave us a preview of what’s to come on the Camino del Norte. We exchanged a look somewhere between excitement and “what have we gotten ourselves into?”

And then, of course, there’s the weather.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our first Camino, it’s that we are, without question, rain magnets. And true to form, our second Camino is shaping up to be no different. Grey skies? Check. Drizzle? Naturally. Full-on downpour lurking in the forecast? We wouldn’t expect anything less. At this point, we’re thinking of offering our rain services to anyone in need – let us know. 🤣

Despite the clouds and the climbs ahead, there’s a familiar sense of anticipation in the air. The kind that reminds us why we came back for round two. New paths, new challenges, and that quiet promise that somewhere along the way, the Camino will surprise us again.

So here we are: boots ready, rain jackets within arm’s reach, and spirits high. Camino del Norte… let’s do this.

“The Camino doesn’t begin underneath your feet, it begins in your mind.”