The Hotel Gernika was very nice, had a good breakfast and was generally comfortable. A solid walk out of Gernika, and then the hills and the mud started. Then lots of road walking and then more mud and more hills. Eventually landed in a small town about an hour from my destination at around 2:00pm and was directed to a place a little out of the way with an open kitchen. There ensued a nice simple lunch of Ensalad Mixta, Chicken filets and rice pudding. Lovely young bartender with good English and good people skills. Local gave me a history of the town which dates from the 1300s. Dragging myself on, the walking was a sidewalk along the highway, luckily after about a half hour I checked the QR code at a bus stop and a bus doing what I needed was due in 6 minutes, so problem solved! My lodging tonight is a Casa Rural nice room although low ceilings. Tomorrow only 10km to Bilbao and this stage is done!! 31,667 steps.