2 January 2022 Wake up. Kill some time before walking to the train station. Our man is Danny. The van has arrived. No, he cannot help us put the seats down. She is a Peugeot. She is magnificent. Manual. Outstanding. One more complication. We get the seats down. Bikes will fit. I only stall 10…
Category: Spain
Day 20 – Cruising
1 January 2022 I am writing this on the 3rd. A few long days. Not sure why I didn’t write this up on the day. I didn’t do anything that day. Walked into cafe Lago for breakfast. Excellent pintxos. We walk for a while. Read for a while. I finished the Gemmell novel. Not bad….
Day 19 – River run
31 December 2021 Great sleep. Porridge for breakfast. Possible Shell has seen enough buffet form. We pick the bikes up. All good. Bilbo Bikes excellent. Head to the train station. Time to get to Portugal. Shell puts her hand up to negotiate the itinerary. Soon after she returns. Bad news. You cannot put bikes on…
Day 18 – Bilbao
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…
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…