Earlier I sent a message about information on the northern routes and
included a URL that I thought would be useful. I have since checked the
site out and found that it was not very useful at all. It is the
website for the Bilbao tourist office and, as far as I can tell, it
doesn't have a thing about the camino routes. I tried to use its search
feature to find Santiago and drew a blank. It didn't even provide a city
map of Bilbao. When I clicked on map in the English version or on Plano
de la Villa in the Spanish version all I got was "Error 500:" Clicking
on "Hiriaren Planoa" in the Euskera version did the same thing.
I think that the best way to get information from them is to write to
the Bilbao tourist office:
Paseo Arenal, I.P. 48005
Tel.: 94 479 57 60
Fax: 94 479 57 61
E-mail: bitaayto.bilbao.net
Perhaps it would be best if I described the material that I received:
A wire bound 5"x9" 160 page booklet: "Two Roads to Santiago" Jacabeo
Pais Vasco. Published by the Department of Industry, Commerce, and
Tourism of the Basque Government. It is available in English and the
fold out cover has both a small map of dozens of routes in France and
Spain and a larger scale map showing mainly the Spanish part of the
camino Francés along with several northern routes. The rest of the book
gives a lot of detail about the two routes that go across what they call
País Vasco.
The Coast Road is given as:
Stage 1: Irun - Donostia-San Sebastián
Stage 2: Donostia-San Sebastián - Zumaia
Stage 3: Zumaia - Markina-Xemein
Stage 4: Markina-Xemein - Gernika-Lumo
Stage 5: Gernika-Lumo - Bilbao
Stage 6: Bilbao - Muskiz
Stage 7: Bilbao - Balmaseda (Note: It seems that stages 6 and 7
are a pair of alternative routes.)
The Inland Road is:
Stage 1: Irun - Andoain
Stage 2: Andoain - Beasain
Stage 3: Beasain - Zalduondo
Stage 4: Zalduondo - Vitoria-Gasteiz
Stage 5: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Lapuebla de Arganzón
Stage 6: Lapuebla de Arganzón - Salinillas de Buradón
I believe that the double names are simply the city names in the two
languages.
In France I saw a number of signs with a seven and another symbol, which
I vaguely remember as an arrow. I later learned that it stood for the
seven Basque countries, three in France and four in Spain, and that the
Basque slogan is "Seven Are One." It reminded me of the motto of the
U.S., "E Pluribus Unum." It is my guess that the region covered in this
booklet is one of the four Basque countries in Spain. I am sure that
there is some one in these groups that can provide better information
about this than my distant memory and surmises.
The rest of the booklet gives much detail of the various stages,
including 1:66,666 topo maps of each stage, along with history, art,
nature, dining, drinking, and folklore.
A second item that was given to me was a magazine style publication, 8
1/2x11 1/2, with 64 pages. It seems to have just about the same
information, without the topo maps. I was also given a folded map, "A
Santiago Por Los Caminos Del Norte." This has a general map of the north
coast of Spain and a number of detailed maps of various regions, País
Vasco, Cantabria, and Asturias - Galicia, a total of 12 maps, including
one of Santiago. I also picked up a brochure for the palatial albergue
in Bilbao. This is not the usual pilgrims' refugio, but more like a
youth hostel that is open to pilgrims. It is out of town a way, but
there is a convenient bus line for less than one euro and only a few
minutes from the city center.
regards,
Bob Spenger
rspengeraadelphia.net