Unless you have walked this particular route of the Camino de Santiago, you probably haven’t heard of Ubidea, one of the smallest towns in the Basque Country with just 175 inhabitants.  Surprisingly, there is an archaeological center there!  We visited the laboratory and met with an archaeologist to learn about the history of the skeletal remains that were discovered in the region.

While walking from the bus to the center, I noticed a bag hanging from the front door of a home that contained a baguette.  This is how bread is delivered!  The baker stops by, collects payment from the bag, and then replaces it with the homeowner’s order.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

For lunch, we dined at the village tavern:

On our way to León, we walked a stretch of the Camino Frances, the French Way of the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James), through the small village of Castrojeriz.  Founded in 882, the town has a lot of history and character.  Since many pilgrims walking the Camino pass through, there are also hostels where they can stop for the night. 

Serena gave us each a credential at the beginning of the Camino, a little booklet that we could get stamped during each of our walks.  Hostels, restaurants, shops, and churches offer these stamps to Camino walkers, a nice way to remember the experience.

Next up: SOUTHWEST FRANCE, NORTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL #14: LOVELY LEÓN