A full day on asphalt, on the N634. A couple of climbs but nothing too serious.

We reached Gama at around 3:30 and found the albergue - a small detached building near a bar (from where we retrieved the key) adjacent to the Fevé metre-gauge railway line that runs along the north coast. We were the only guests at the albergue; the last pilgrims were here over a week ago.

The normal hiking stage for the day ended in Laredo but we're trying to make up a bit of time - even if our mileage doesn't indicate that! We're hoping to avoid Santander - our guide suggests a train out of Santander to avoid the traffic, not painting an inviting picture - so we may skirt southward to give the city a miss altogether.

It had been a hot, tiring and somewhat uninspiring day. A local came round in the evening to collect our fees, then we snacked for dinner and climbed into our bunks for a warm night.

There is a gap in my notes to Buelna, a stretch of 116 km. I'm not sure how this happened - maybe the effort of writing up each day became too much for me? I do have some photos, though. And I'll update if I come across the details...

Gaudi, a prestigious Spanish architect, was responsible for this kitschy creation.