30 December 2021 Up early. Big day. 35 km. Enormous breakfast. Buffet shame continues. Today’s ride was fun. The first 25 km had no scenery. It was fast. Downhill. 25 -30 km/h splits. The first 25 km was done in a couple of hours. Leaving us with the last 10 km cruising through Bilbao. Spanish…
Year: 2021
Day 17 – Extra’s
29 December 2021 Wake up before dawn. Not because I am an early riser. I am. Dawn is 8.45 am. Make some tea and coffee. Porridge. Read. Wash up using the neighbor’s tap. On the road by 9.45 am. Cortados and chocolate caliente. We set out from Deba. Destination Eibar. 20 km. A short ride…
Day 16 – Dream ride
28 December 2021 Church bells are tougher than the call to prayer. No debate. Wake up feeling ready. A short ride ahead and a possible campground. A stroll on the beach. Smell. Sound. If I ever settle in a place it will be near the sea. Cortados at Kafe Native. Breakfast looks slim. Walk around…
Day 15 – Looks good on paper
27 December 2021 I wake up. Surf crashing. No. Thunder. Rain. The sort of weather that keeps you in bed. If you do nothing you feel more tired. Inactivity breeds fatigue. There is satisfying fatigue to a hard day. A dissatisfying weariness to doing nothing. I can’t wait to ride. Breakfast early. Post Office to…
Day 14 – Waiting
26 December 2021 Wake up tired. Too much sleep. We stroll around San Sebastian before sunrise. Waiting for Maiatza to open. Chilly. Sit and read as the surf hits the break wall. There is a large building dominating the harbor. Stark. Different. It blocks out the view of the old terraces. I like it. Shell…
Day 13 – Lazy days
25 December 2021 Breakfast at the Hotel. Nothing open Christmas Day. Quite the spread. Very fine. Take our time. Read. Eat huge quantities. We chat with family. As the day starts for us, it is finishing for them. I wonder at the day. Some people I know endure this time of year with misery. Running…
Day 12 – San Sebastian
24 December 2021 Up early. Walk to the beach. I had not realised how much I miss the ocean. San Sebastian is stunning. Its coast is stunning. The climate is stunning. You don’t want to leave. Breakfast at Maiatza. Cortados. Eggs and salad. Excellent. Stroll around the city. Shopping list. We have decided to eat…
Day 11 – Trains. Trains. Trains.
23 December 2021 Alarm at 5.10 am. No breakfast. Bikes packed. Arrive at Logroño. Board train to Castejón. No problem. 90 minutes later arrive. Quick change. Castejón to Miranda de Ebro. Two hours later, arrive. Four-hour wait for the San Sebastian train. Every train we have caught (successfully) has been a ‘Regional Express’. Train to…
Day 10 – Bodegas Bilhar
22 December 2021 Message on my phone. David’s kid has a COVID contact at school. Can’t pick us up. Can’t host us. If we ride out, cellar door opens at 9.00 am. Javi will host us. “Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.” ― W.B. Yeats Eat breakfast. Buffet. Embarrassed myself. Again….