Tag Archives: Adventure

16 & 17 July 2015 – Seville and El Puerto de Santa Maria

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Routes and stats for the 16 and 17 July below:

Bit of a blog catch up in order; I’ll try to be succinct, however there’s been lots to see!

–> 16 July – to Seville and Dos Hermanas
I didn’t want to get up today, but the fear of cycling later in the day, when it gets really hot, eventually forced me out of my tent and into the pre-dawn gloom. I say gloom, it wasn’t really gloomy, the sun just hadn’t risen over the mountains yet.

The descent from Monesterio was punctuated by climbs, as the mountains did their best to remind me they weren’t quite done yet. Trees made more of a regular appearance, and I found myself cycling through beautiful woodland at one point, a nice chance from the arid plains higher up.

I made fairly good time, averaging 20km an hour, despite a 700 foot steep climb prior to finally getting out of the mountains, that left me very hot and two water bottles down. On the way up I passed a lot of road cyclists going the other way, who all shouted encouragement which was nice; I love the bond between cyclists on the road, everyone looks out for one another and is generally friendly. I was welcomed to Andalusia by a herd of horses that galloped alongside me for a bit, pretty cool.

I stopped in Las Pajanosas for a break, buying a drink and pastry from a small supermarket; 1.5 litres of cold milk didn’t last very long. It felt a bit like I was back in civilisation as I started to pass through more modern looking towns, with more cars and people. The road flattened out as I approached Seville, and got steadily busier and harder to navigate as I finally bid the N630 farewell, and tried to find the cycle path into the city; I did, but after a few wrong turnings.

After locating a Tourist Information office, and picking up a map, I took a slow walk around the city taking in its various sights and sounds (and smells, not all pleasant). My walk was punctuated every few hundred yards to stop to buy a can of cold drink; this got a bit expensive, but I was beyond caring due to the heat – my internal thermostat was sending out warning signals. At least Seville has lots of shady spots (not shady as in risqué, shady as in cool) to pause in before the next sunny bit. I found the Cathedral, the old Arabic Palace – the Alcazar, and several lovely plazas, before coming upon a Costa which pushed aside sight-seeing motivations for a bit. I don’t often frequent coffee shops, however they do fruit coolers, which felt like a fitting reward for reaching Seville, so I stopped for lunch and used their free wifi. It reminded me a bit of coffee stops with Lu, and I know she would have loved the city with all its old buildings and history; when we visited Cyprus she dragged me round most of the archeological sites on the Greek side of the island – you can get a bit bored of holes in the ground and mosaic remains after a while!

On my way out of Seville I visited the Plaza De Espana, a square built in the 1920’s, and pretty spectacular. It’s situated in the Parque de María Luisa, has a large fountain, boating canals, and is enclosed on one side by a large continuous building; town hall and government buildings. The half circle of buildings represents the four kingdoms of Spain, with tiled alcoves for each of the provinces; a nice place to pause and cool down in the fountain, even if you do have to pay a 50 cents premium on a can of drink. Lots of other people were also taking advantage of the fountain, which regularly sprays large clouds of fine water droplets over the surrounding area, blown by the wind, and was very refreshing.

After the delights of Seville, well worth a visit, it was back on the busy road to find the campsite in Dos Hermanos; Villsom camping. I cycled through the rest of the Parque de María Luisa, a lovely spot to chill out in, then joined a cycle path alongside the main road for the first 10km out of Seville. I missed a turning at one point, and had to double back and cross over a couple of motorways, but made it  after 15km of very hot riding.

Villsom camping did the job for an overnight stay, but I wouldn’t want to stay there for any longer. Reception weren’t friendly, always a bad sign when they seem put out to have customers, the wifi was rubbish, and the pitches a bit bad for tents. It did however have shade, and a swimming pool, which helped alleviate the extreme conditions somewhat.

I cycled to a nearby Hypermercado to get some supplies, and was somewhat dumbstruck by the  sheer size of the place, and selection of goods on offer; the air-con was also very pleasant. After that it was back to the campsite, a couple of beers, and a chat with a Dutch couple who have toured extensively; by camper van not bike. He used to work for the EU and had some interesting stories about mediating between rival factions in Sudan, and told me about the cisterns in Istanbul which sound like a must visit. I went to sleep listenimg to a group of French ‘kids’ playing guitar in the pitch next to mine, lovely.

-> 17 July – to El Puerto de Santo Maria
Today won’t go down in my touring annals as a particularly noteworthy day. I covered 114km yesterday, and 101km today, however the latter were definitely duller, and smellier, the highlight being reaching the coast again.

I set off early from Dos Hermanos and Villsom camping, keen to be away from a not particularly great overnight stop; it had been far too hot all night, not going below 30 degrees Celsius. I joined the NIV heading South, but after a few kilometres turned off to follow smaller roads through farm and marsh land; this is where the smelliness came from. I think there were a lot of peppers and tomatoes being grown. There was lots of interesting birdlife to watch out for, but I couldn’t tell you what most of them were; Egrets maybe.

After a while I rejoined the NIV and headed to Jerez de la Frontera, on a very busy road that luckily has a wide hard shoulder. It was mostly pretty dull and hot. Close to Jerez the NIV turned into an Autovia, that apparently I’m allowed to cycle on, and I did so to get into the city; if anything it was quieter than the NIV. I passed the airfield where my brother learn’t to fly aeroplanes, watching a light aircraft doing circuits; must have been a student learning the ropes.

I had a walk around Jerez, taking some time to cool off in the hot and slightly humid conditions. I visited the city several years ago, during a short break to see my brother, but couldn’t really remember much about it aside from its the centre of a lot of sherry production.

After some fruit and a few cold drinks I pressed on to El Puerto de Santa Maria, down on the coast, and was rewarded by my first sight of the sea after several weeks. Back in France I’d assumed the next sea I’d get to would be the Mediterranean, however it’s still the Atlantic to the West of Tarifa. It was lovely to reach the sea again, and several degrees cooler down by the coast; I stopped at the Playa Las Dunas campsite for the night.

Arrived at Playa Las Dunas camping in El Puerto de Santa Maria - bar close by

Arrived at Playa Las Dunas camping in El Puerto de Santa Maria – bar close by

The rest of the day involved a siesta, planning the route into Cadiz and the next couple of days, and shaving my beard off! It felt like the right time for it, as it was getting slightly irritating in the heat, not to mention unkempt. I would not however recommended doing this with just a slightly blunt razor; I feel much better for it, with the wind on my face, but it took ages. I also had to ditch my icebreaker cycling top which had developed holes, and appeared to be disintegrating slightly. It was sad to see it go, but I really couldn’t warrant it’s continuing existence; I probably should have burnt it for health and safety reasons.

Quick mention to the Playa Las Dunas campsite, a good stop-over even if the wifi wasn’t working. Good pool, and nice little bar close to my tent, and great can of Heinz Baked Beans to round off the day. Tomorrow it’s on to Conil de la Frontera,  the last stop before reaching Tarifa!

14 & 15 July – to Merida and Monesterio

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Riding through central Spain is proving very hot work. The temperatures just keep on going up, meaning I can’t really ride past 14.00 at the latest as it gets just too hot. I’m still making good progress, and should be in Tarifa at the weekend, touch wood.

Here are my routes and stats for the last two days:

I forgot to mention this at the point it actually happened, but I’m over the 4,000 miles mark for this tour now, actually over 4,200 since Nordkapp. That’s an average of about 60 miles a day (96km), including rest days, which is about where I wanted to be. Then average has dropped a bit since Spain, but it had to really, given the conditions.

–> 14 July – to Merida
I felt well-rested after my tent pitch with ensuite experience, if a little lighter than expected in the wallet for it.

Goodbye posh camping spot

Goodbye posh camping spot

I’d been hearing noise from birds during the night, and recognised the squawking but couldn’t quite place it. The dawn light revealed the source; a barn owl had its roost in the tree next to my camping spot. As I packed up I watched it and several bats flying about as the sun rose, a wonderful sight.

I didn’t stop in Caceres on my way to Merida, as it would have taken a couple of hours and I didn’t want to end up cycling in the heat of the day. I’m also a bit saturated as far as taking in Spanish towns go, so decided to give this one a miss, and spend a few hours in Merida instead. The ride down to Merida was fairly standard for this stretch; plains, a few hills, dry, hot, some olive trees, and a few castles thrown in for good measure. I also saw cactus by the side of the road for the first time; prickly pears, but failed to stop and take a photograph.

I made it to Merida by about 11.30. and spent a couple of hours looking around. The narrow pedestrianized streets had a great addition; small water jets at regular intervals spraying a fine mist into the air, which really helps keeps things cool, and was very refreshing for a hot and tired cycle tourist.

Merida - water jets spray a fine mist, genius

Merida – water jets spray a fine mist, genius

Merida is the capital of the Extremadura region of Spain, and is another UNESCO world heritage site; there seem to be a lot of them in Spain. It’s a fascinating city to look around, with tonnes, quite literally, of Roman and Arabic history and architecture to take in.

The city was founded in 25BC by ex-Roman soldiers, and given the name Emerita Augusta, after the Emperor who ordered it built to protect the pass and bridge over the Guadiana river. As a result Merida has the largest collection of Roman monuments in Spain.

The old Roman bridge is very impressive, and is still used by pedestrians today. It’s over 700 metres long, with over 62 spans, and has been repaired by successive occupiers of the city; Visigoths, Islamic Caliphate, and then Spanish. On the Merida side of bridge and river you can see the old Islamic Fort, dating back to 713 when an Islamic army led by Musa bin Nusayr conquered the city, as well as most of the rest of the Visigoth Kingdom in Hispania, making it part of the Umayyad Caliphate. I think I’ll read up more on this period of history when I get back to the UK, as I don’t know much about the Caliphates and the period post-Roman rule.

The Caliphate were kicked out in 1230, when King Alfonso IX brought it back under Christian rule. It makes you realise how long the Christian versus Islam wars have been going on. They started way before this, and are still going on today, yet people on both sides are basically the same, really nice and hospitable when you get to know them, and the trouble caused by a minority stirring things up; a ridiculous state of affairs that really needs a big empire like the Romans to stop people from being stupid, although they did their fair share of butchering. Merida was last invaded during the Napoleonic wars, when unfortunately lots of the old buildings and architecture were destroyed or damaged, but still lots to see.

I didn’t pay to go into any of the old buildings or amphitheatre, as they were quite expensive and would have blown my budget, plus it’s a bit tricky with a bike with loads of stuff on it, however they were impressive enough from the outside. I stopped for a break in Burger King, enjoying the air-con and a fine burger which just about sated my hunger. It was so nice to be out of the heat for a bit; the temperature must have been close to 40 degrees Celsius.

After sightseeing I pedalled my way from Merida to the East of the city, where there’s a campsite. The campsite has had some bad reviews, but I found it to be fine, with a swimming pool and shaded pitches, and an onsite restaurant. Like a lot of these places if you come to them in off-season they’re often not up-to-speed and a bit run down looking.

I met 3 British bikers at the campsite, over a cold beer, and got chatting to them; Peter, Jan and Graham, who were on their way to Faro in Portugal for a massive motorbike festival. They were great company of the evening, chatting about touring experiences and life on the road, as several more groups of bikers turned up to camp also on their way to Faro. They kindly donated some money to the Big C, so thanks very much! In a sad turn of events Peter found out a few hours later that his ex-wife has just been diagnosed with Cancer, which came as a bit of a shock, and was odd because I’d been just been discussing my reasons for raising money for the Big C. Cancer really does affect so many people.

After a standard campsite meal of chicken, chips and a couple of cold ceveza I retired for evening, bidding the biking trio a safe journey down to Portugal; I almost expect I’ll bump at least Peter again at some point, just seems to be the way of things when you’re travelling. Incidentally, just found out River has made it to Madrid, so he’ll be on his way to Korea shortly.

It was still over 30 degrees Celsius at 23.00, so I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep, despite being tired from the day’s ride and needing to get up at dawn again for a long ride tomorrow. I need to cover over 100km to get down to Monesterio, where there’s another campsite; could be tricky, it being uphill, and in these conditions; I’ve just heard this heat wave is due to go on for another two weeks, however it should, touch wood, be cooler on the coast. A demain 🙂

–> 15 July 2015
Another day another 6am wake up call. It’s a bit odd getting up and packing whilst it’s still dark, but I’m used to it now, and at least it’s cool. I’ve no doubt I’ll quite happily fall into a getting up later pattern once it cools down a bit, however it’s nice seeing the sun rise every day.

I was a little anxious about today’s ride; it was destined to be quite long, with a fairly big climb, and it’d no doubt be hot again, that much you can guarantee. 110km normally wouldn’t be an issue, however the conditions make it feel at least 1.5 times that, and I want to avoid heat stroke at all costs. At the moment it’s still over 30 degrees Celsius until after midnight, so there is little respite from the temperature, but it’s manageable as long as you drink water constantly, interspersed with beer, or the odd sangria of course.

I pedalled off and rejoined the N630, just as the many bikers at the campsite were starting to rise, some of them looking a little hung-over. I rode back past Merida and headed South again, with just one more stop to go before Seville and the end of the N630.

With the weather as it is I’m very thankful I invested in a Brooks saddle back in Sweden. It’s definitely worn in now, and very comfortable; I dread to think how badly the old one would have been rubbing in this heat. I’d thoroughly recommend one to anyone thinking of long distance touring.

Today’s road gradually climbed, interspersed with the odd downhill then steeper sections. I cycled past Villafranca, then Zafra which had been a potential stopping point, passing fields of grapevines and melons, then mile upon mile of Olive plantation; the noise from cicadas in the Olive trees was almost deafening. I was going through water really fast, and valued my decision to carry an extra 2 litres today, even if it does make the load heavier.

I passed a family of travellers; can I call them gypsies or is that offensive these days? They were travelling by horse and cart, sun-browned and weathered from being out in the open all day. The young girls in the back cart were singing a lovely melody, their voices complimenting each other in wonderful harmony. I gave them a wave as I passed and was rewarded with smiles and greetings in return.

In Fuente de Cantos I stopped for a cold drink at a garage, consuming 2 litres of Fanta in an effort to rehydrate and cool down. I felt a lot better afterwards, and ready for the final section to Monesterio, before which I suspected there was a long climb. As I rode across the plain, with hills rising in the distance, I noticed a large bird of prey circling overhead. I’ve seen lots of Black Kites and Buzzards, but this was much bigger; I think it must have been an eagle, but I’m not sure what sort. The plumage under its wings was mostly white, with black wing tips, and having just had a search on Google I think it might have been a Short-toed Eagle. It could of course have been a vulture, waiting for me to fall by the wayside and become dinner!

The climb up to Monesterio turned out to pretty fierce, as anticipated, especially coming at the end of the day’s ride. I ended up climbing up it 2,400 feet, and felt very tired by the time I reached the top. I could have climbed further and visited a monastery further up the mountain, but thought I’d give it a miss. There’s also a museum of pork in Monesterio, however again I thought I’d save that one for a rainy day…

Monesterio looked like a nice small town, however I more appreciated the descent down to the campsite, arriving at about 13.30 to a friendly greeting and a shaded pitch. The ground to pitch my tent on was rock hard, as is normal for Southern Spain, and pretty sandy, but this was made up for by the swimming pool, which did wonders for bringing my core temperature down a notch or two.

After a siesta and some planning I had dinner in the campsite restaurant, avoiding chips for a change and going for the chicken (pollo) with roasted pimento; also snuck in a chocolate brownie desert, and a couple of beers, all for under €15.

A light breeze sprang up in the evening, which cooled things down a bit, and clouds even appeared for a while; a strange sight after so many days with a clear blue sky. Tomorrow it’s on to Seville; getting very close to the end of my Nordkapp to Tarifa leg now.

12 & 13 July 2015 – to Plasencia and Caceres

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Wow it’s getting hot! I’m pretty used to it being warm, but the last few days have seen temperatures ramp up a notch as I cycle through central Spain. The hot weather is accompanied by an unforgiving sun, and a wind that rises in the afternoon and dries your mouth out, leaving you feeling dehydrated if you don’t drink constantly; I’m carrying a lot of water. The only solution is to start early and finish before it get’s too hot; I’m aiming to finish riding by 15.00 at the latest, getting up at 06.00 to ensure and early start. The Spanish lifestyle is dictated by these conditions, with stuff happening in the morning, then not a lot going on between 13.00 and the evening, whereupon everywhere comes alive again; kids and adults will all be up late taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Even the Spanish are saying the current weather is exceptional though, with it due to go on for another couple of weeks!

Here are my routes and stats for the last couple of days:

–> 12 July – to Plasencia, a great day’s riding
I did some fast pedalling today, covering 137km in about 7 hours, including an ascent up to 1,202 metres, following by a lovely descent that resulted in my quickest 40km on Smaug. In total  I climbed about 1,200 metres, but descended about 1,600 metres, so the Mediterranean must only be around the corner, surely!?

It doesn’t get light until about 06.30 at the moment, and I struggled to wake up this morning, which might have been due to the cheap yet entirely satisfactory Rose wine I had the previous evening. I still managed to get going by 07.30, pedalling away from Salamanca and joining the N630 again.

The N630 runs alongside the autovia (motorway), but is much quieter, as all the traffic is on the bigger road. At times I didn’t see another vehicle for over an hour, so it’s a bit like cycling down a really wide cycle path. I did see lots of cows and bulls, and was somewhat alarmed when at one point a large number of the latter ran into the road being herded by a farmer to another field. They ran straight towards me as I pedalled straight towards them, wondering what to do. I was just about to turn around, or get off by bike and hop over the wall, when another farmer arrived with a big stick and turned them into the other field, accompanied by lots of shouting. He smiled at me and said something in Spanish. I nodded back and said thank you, relieved to have not had re-enact the Pamplona bull run with little in the way of escape options. I don’t think turning around and pedalling off would have worked as they were running pretty fast.

Early on I passed another cycle tourer, Pedro, who was mending a puncture by the side of the road. I stopped to chat for a few minutes and to see if he needed a hand, which he didn’t. Pedro has done a lot of touring and is also on his way to Tarifa. He did some of the Camino de Frances on foot earlier this year, but it hurt his knees and shins, so he’s back on the bike now; a wise decision, much more efficient form of travel. Pedro usually aims to ride 100km a day, but was stopping earlier today due to the heat; it’s entirely possible I’ll bump into him again further down the road to the coast.

I cycled onwards as mountains loomed in the distance, which was slightly worrying. I kept hoping the road would turn slightly West, to take me through a shallower section, but the big climbs grew inexorably closer until I was pedalling upwards for quite some time.

It being Sunday there were a lot of road cyclists out and about, mostly overtaking me or zooming downhill in the opposite direction. They all said hello, wished me ‘Buen Camino’, or said something else in Spanish; the same phrase each time but not sure what it means. There was also quite a lot of ‘allez allez’, sometimes from people just by the side of the road, which spurred me on to the top of the climb. I eventually made it, after a series of switch-backs and with no pushing involved despite the soaring temperatures, passing over the Puerto de Vallejera at 1,202 metres.

After that I got to go downhill for a while, towards the large town of Bejar. The scenery on the other side of the mountains was less arid, with lots more trees providing some shade, and with it more birds singing away, or in the case of the kites and buzzards lazily soaring about using the thermals. There are some different bird species down here which I’m going to have to look up; some of the bird calls sounded pretty unusual, almost something I’d expect to hear in the tropics.

I really enjoyed the descent down to Bejar, and beyond to Banos de Montemayor, however the road started to get busier, which I thought a little odd, until I found the source of the plume of black smoke I’d seen from further up the mountain. There was a lorry fire on the motorway which meant a lot of traffic was being diverted on to the N630. Many people had also stopped to watch the fire, which crammed the road up even more. To be fair I stopped too and watched for a bit, as a fire engine arrived and started to put it out, with clouds of steam rising off the burning wreck; I hope the driver got out alright, and that the lorry wasn’t full of pigs, as I’d seen several that were today, although not on fire when they passed me. I don’t think the lorry was a pig transporter, as I couldn’t smell any bacon, mostly just burning rubber and tarmac, which had no doubt melted due to the heat.

On the way down to Banos de Montemayor, which was a really enjoyable descent, I passed lots of houses with swimming pools, and 3 expensive looking cars, the drivers of which were enjoying the bendy mountain roads; there was a Ferrari and two American muscle cars – Fords but I didn’t catch the make. The all made an impressive noise as they tore up the road, and the drivers waved to me; still prefer my bike though. Maybe this area is where some of the Spanish rich live?

I also passed a few Pilgrims walking the other way, all looking a bit tired and hot. Whilst I was really enjoying the ride I wouldn’t have wanted to cycle up that mountain from the other direction, let alone walk it.

The last 30km to Plasencia were pretty taxing. I stopped at a garage to refuel on a bottle of chocolate milk and some fruit, then pressed on, completing a last climb over a particularly hot pass into the city. When the wind drops, and with the sun beating down, the temperature really rockets and I felt it as I pedalled down to the old Roman viaduct; dunking my head in the fountain really helped though.

After a pause, drenching by buff in the fountain, and downing another litre of water, I pedalled the last 3km to the campsite East of Plasencia; La Chopera, which I’d found using the ACSI app. The campsite is right next to the river which flows through Plasencia, and perhaps explained why La Chopera was much cooler; the receptionist explained it has its own microclimate, at least I think that’s what she said, and not ‘you smell’ or something similar (I probably did smell though).

The campsite was very crowded but I found a shady spot, just, and a nearby family lent me their hammer to aid with tent peg insertion into the rock hard ground. They were really nice, also supplying some ice-cold water, complete with ice cubes. With a mixture of bad Spanish, pantomiming and English I explained what I was doing, at which point they supplied more ice-cold water and I think suggested I see a psychiatrist.

After a bit of a siesta I washed the day’s dust and sweat out of my cycling gear, then visited the campsite bar for a cerveza or two whilst I used their excellent wifi to update my blog, as well as try to work out my route for the next few days; there’s a bit of a long stretch between Merida and Seville without very much, but I can always wild camp for an evening.

Post a walk along the river to stretch my weary legs, I had dinner at the campsite restaurant; a simple affair of pork, egg and chips, which just hit the spot. I hadn’t passed any open supermarkets today anyway, so was a little limited on options, it being Sunday. Whilst eating I got to listen to some classic 80’s and 90’s music, including ‘Don’t worry be happy’ and ‘It’s my Life’ by Dr Alban; awesome stuff that put a smile on my face and brought back some memories from holidays long past.

I retired to my tent relatively early, with the intention of rising early to avoid the heat again; we’ll see how that works out. Tomorrow it’s on to Caceres.

P.S. Ants are amazing creatures, watched some for ages today.

–> 13 July – to Caceres
A moderate 94km covered today, moderate in comparison to yesterday’s 137km anyway. After yesterday’s fun today was a bit on the boring side, and very hot and dry.

It was quite hard getting up for starters, especially after a restless night due to a very noisy campsite; it’s so hot during the day I think people are saving all their energy for the night-time. After a bit of confusion packing up my panniers as the sun rose, I managed to get everything in the right place, and was still on the road by 07.30. I pedalled back past Plasencia on a cycle path next to the river watching as the sun started to bathe buildings in the city in light; was going to be another hot one!

I rejoined the N630 and headed South once again, coming down out of the mountains and into what could instead be described as hilly terrain; lots of ups and downs anyway. The descent was lovely, as was the ride alongside the lakes fed by the Rio Tajo, where I watched a herd of cows walking along the edge of the lake, mooing quite a lot, and spotted several old ruins. The N630 diverted away from the motorway for quite a long stretch, and had a bit more traffic as a result, but was still nice to cycle on despite the hills, heat and dry wind.

The colours on the lake were stunning compared to the arid landscape surrounding it, and I saw several large splashes from fish as a cycled along; or perhaps it was Spain’s own version of Nessy. There were also two large railway bridges under construction, which looked a bit out-of-place in the otherwise remote and fairly inhospitable landscape; I think it’s part of a new high-speed railway link.

After passing more fields full of cows and bulls, but thankfully none on the road, I made it to Caceres by about 13.00, and had to cycle past the campsite to go into the city to get some cash. I successfully accomplished this, and a visit to Lidyl for some supplies, but nearly came flying off my bike a one point due to a hidden curb; luckily no-one saw so dignity intact this time.

I’d have liked a look around Caceres as there are lots interesting parts to it, many Roman, but it was just too hot and I was feeling a little light-headed as a result. Besides, I’ve seen a lot of old Spanish towns and cities recently and there’s only so much you can take in; will instead spend some time in Merida tomorrow. I headed back North a few kilometres to the campsite, and checked-in, happy to be out of the sun for a few hours, and to drink lots of water.

Caceres camping is expensive at €21, very expensive comparatively, but does have nice shaded pitches, and an ensuite bathroom with toilet and shower, and two sinks, one of which I used to keep my Sangria chilled. The campsite wifi is also pretty good, and each camping plot has a plug socket on the outside of the toilet block which was very handy. I had a fairly productive afternoon after a siesta, taking my pedals off and cleaning and greasing them, which seems to have stopped the annoying click on the right hand side; big relief as very irritating; thanks for the tip Phil.

I think I really needed a ‘time-out’ for the afternoon, out of the sun and not pedalling, and felt very relaxed and fully fit by the evening. I’ve also been in touch with a few of my Marseille friends and have plans to meet up with at least some of them in August; very exciting after 20 odd years!

Tomorrow it’s on to Merida, a short leg, then probably a place called Monesteria, before Seville on Thursday; getting close to Tarifa now.

Over and out.

10 & 11 July 2015 – heading South to Salamanca

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It’s a bit odd cycling on my own again after around 10 days of riding with other people, but I need to make tracks down to Southern Spain, whereas Richard is continuing on to the end of the Camino de Frances. After that he’ll head down into Portugal and follow the coast around to Spain then France; who knows, maybe we’ll meet up again in Marseille, but more likely to be Cromer next year sometime!

Here are my routes and stats for the last couple of days:

–> 10 July – to Zamora
I was sad to part ways with Richard, however as I’ve already said I’m sure we’ll meet again. I’ve also heard from River who is still pedalling away somewhere behind us; not sure exactly where but he wants to try to finish the Camino de Frances, and get all the way to Santiago de Compestella before heading back to Korea then Japan – good for him.

I was up and ready to leave by 07.30, bidding Richard ‘Buen Camino’ then cycling off to find the road South. It turned out to be pretty easy getting out of Leon, riding West until I found the river then joining the main road that wasn’t the motorway.

Preparing to leave Hostal Boccalino in Leon

Preparing to leave Hostal Boccalino in Leon

Today mostly involved pedalling, a lot, in pretty hot and dry conditions. There wasn’t a lot to see apart from farmland, and at one point a glorious wide river. I wanted to get to Zamora, but could stop at Benavente if it proved to challenging. As it turned out my legs were in fine form after a rest day, and I covered around 165km; some of those weren’t entirely intentional!

Once out of Leon I took a side road to avoid the dual carriageway, and ended up riding through a field, but managed to get back on tarmac after a short scramble across a dried up-stream bed; added to the adventure. I also passed a large herd of sheep, the first I’ve seen in a while. Luckily their shepherd had them under control and they didn’t try to ambush me; lots of clanking from the bells they had on though.

I reached Benavente in good time, a pleasant but unremarkable town, and decided to carry on, taking another side route to avoid more dual carriageway, which probably added on 10 miles to the day’s ride; it was more interesting that the N630 though.

I pedalled past a lot of fields of sweet corn, with concrete irrigation channels keeping everything watered; there were hundreds of them, and water flowing everywhere. It  must be quite a challenge and result in quite a large water bill to keep everything growing. I also rode past acres of what I think were Mediterranean Oaks, and am wondering if they use the acorns from these to feed pigs. The area is famous for pig farming and the resulting bacon, or Spanish equivalent thereof; cured meat mostly, very tasty it is too. After a bit of a climb I rode over the River Esla, which had a pilgrim trail running alongside it. The river is pretty impressive, and reminded me of the scene from the Fellowship of the Rings where they’re all paddling, as opposed to pedalling, out Lothlorien.

After my roundabout route I rejoined the N630, which proved to be very quiet as all the traffic takes the newer motorway. It was mostly slightly downhill, with the occasional climb reminding me that riding in temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius is tricky; lots of water consumed. I made it to Zamora, heading through the town in search of the campsite on the other side of the city.

After pedalling down a lot of tracks, and meeting a Belgium couple doing the same but in a car,  and also failing to find the campsite, I had to retreat back to Zamora; the campsite, in fact two of them, must have closed. I was pretty hot and tired by this point, however with the assistance of Google I located the pilgrim hostel in the city and headed there. It was a relief to pull up and receive a warm welcome from the hosts; lovely old building next to church, and nice and cool due to thick stone walls.

The Aubergue in Zamora is a ‘Donativo’, which means as long as you have your pilgrim credentials (phew) you pay what you can afford. It’s always good to turn up somewhere and receive a friendly welcome, and this has been pretty much consistent with all the pilgrim hostels I’ve stayed in. The host showed me around, and where to put my stuff, and pointed out the thermometer in the shade which read 35 degrees Celsius. After some pasta salad, bread, cheese and Marmite that I prepared in the hostel kitchen, I took advantage of the guitar donated by a pilgrim in 2012. It was lovely playing again after a couple of months without my guitar, and the acoustics were great in the old stone building.

The hostel has a curfew of 22.00, so after chatting to a few of the other visitors I headed out for a quick look around Zamora, accompanied by Marcus who hails from the Reunion Islands. Marcus is 49 and has been on the road, walking constantly, for 23 years. He has visited loads of places including South America, most of the countries in Europe, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and many more; I had a look at his passport and the number of stamps was amazing. He seems to mostly rely on the kindness of strangers, but tries to take the odd bit of work for a meal or accommodation, or busks with his pipes. He had some great stories and seems to be in love with his lifestyle, shunning materialism and just trying to get along with everyone he meets (my laptop and photo taking antics amused him). He’s also on his way South, having started the Camino in St-Jean-Pied-de -Port and heading to Seville.

Zamora isn’t a big city, and didn’t take long to walk around (especially at Marcus’ pace), so we made it back to the hostel before curfew. The dormitory was full (10 beds), and everyone wanted to get to sleep early to be up by 06.00 in order to start walking or pedalling, to miss the worst of the days heat. I found it a little tricky to get to sleep, despite having cycled over 100 miles, due to the chorus of snoring going on; Marcus had the right idea of sleeping in the courtyard! I read for a bit but did eventually doze off.

Tomorrow it’s on to Salamanca; really looking forward to that.

–> 11 July – to Salamanca
Much shorter ride today; just 74km taking about four and a half hours. I hadn’t slept very well  due to the chorus of snoring, but at least it was cool in the Aubergue. I was up at 06.00, which is turning into the norm, had a bit of breakfast supplied by the hostel, and was on the road/cobbled street by 07.00.

The ride down to Salamanca was mostly unremarkable, however at least I avoided the heat of the day, arriving in the city at about 11.00.

I’m looking forward to getting through central Spain and down to the Mediterranean, as I think I prefer cycling next to the sea. It should be cooler with more shade opportunities for a start, and they’ll be more to see and experience.

My first stop in Salamanca was for a Panini, then I just had a wander about for a couple of hours, taking in the sights, of which there are many. I had thought I might make Salamanca for my birthday, however it was worth slowing down a bit on the Camino de Frances, and I’m only 6 days late; not sure I could have gone much faster on the Camino anyway, due to the rough terrain and heat.

The architecture in the city is amazing, and well worth a visit just to wander around the Old Town, taking in the University buildings and Cathedral, as well as lots of other churches and bits of the old city walls. Salamanca is the gateway to Northern Spain, or my gateway to the South, and is definitely a highlight. It’s the capital of the province of Castille & Leon, and one of the most important university towns in the country. The University was founded in 1134, and is the oldest in Spain, and one of the oldest in Europe.

The city was originally founded by a Celtic Tribe; the Vettones. Hannibal had a go at it, but once the Carthaginians were dealt with it prospered under Roman rule, and they build the road I’m following; Via de Plata, or Ruta de la Plata as it’s known now. After the Roman Empire declined the Visigoths arrived, then the Moors took it over in 712AD, but the Christians got it back in 939AD; Spain has seen a lot of fighting over the years, but I guess all of Europe has.

There was a big battle here in 1812, during the Napoleonic wars; pretty sure Sharpe was involved, but didn’t see any Sean Bean type statues around. The battle is notable as it was one of the first that resulted in a massive amount of carnage due to cannon fire; lots of people were killed.

Despite it being midday, and getting hot, the streets and plazas were bustling with people; mostly tourists, or locals selling to tourists. I passed a large group of nuns being shown around, a pilgrim towing a cart using a harness, and recognised accents and languages from all over the world; particularly a lot of Americans, so Salamanca must be on the European tour list.

I paused in the enormous Plaza Mayor to enjoy a Naranja flavoured slush puppy (very refreshing), admire the view, and just take in the atmosphere of this old city. The Plaza Mayor is a massive square, part of the Old Town but feels very much like the centre of the city. A cloister like walkway runs around the outside, lined with shops, restaurants and purveyors of ice-cream.

Having satisfied my sightseeing requirements, and taken far too many photos, I made my way out of the city to the campsite Regio, to the South East over the River Tormes. There’s a much more modern side to Salamanca, with all the usual shops you’d expect, but I’ll spare you any photos of that.

Camping Regio, in Santa Marta de Tormes, is a great campsite, with excellent wi-fi, and good toilet block, and plenty of shady spots to pitch your tent. I decided a siesta was in order before doing anything else, then set up my tent, washed Smaug using a handy car wash hose pipe area, did a bit of laundry, then found a local supermarket to buy some dinner. There a restaurant and small shop on site, but I’m trying to save a bit of money.

Having washed Smaug I noticed that the pedal click has eased up a bit; I’m wondering if it only happens when the bike get’s hot and metal expands. I’ll have to do a bit more tinkering to see if I can make it permanently go away. All in all Smaug is running pretty well still, although I need to keep an eye on the front tyre as it might have a very slow puncture. I’ll get a service done when I make it to Tarifa in any case.

After speaking to my brother, and Mum and Dad who made it back to the UK okay, I spent the evening doing some planning, starting to write this blog post (they take ages, I write too much!), and enjoying some Rose wine. There was a wedding in the hotel next door, and lots of music accompanying the outdoor ceremony which was nice. Also lots of bikers using the campsite, with some pretty impressive machines.

A few of points worth noting on Spain; it’s cheap if you avoid buying stuff in the tourist spots.  My dinner shop probably would have cost twice as much in the UK, and there are always bargains to be had. As with France the wine is very reasonable. Secondly the drivers so far have been really patient and careful around me on my bike, which is really encouraging to see as I wasn’t sure they would be. Thirdly the people are really friendly and hospitable, almost always saying hello, especially when you’re on the trail; I’m quite often asked if I’m alright and whether I need anything by road cyclists who pass me.

Longer day tomorrow as I head over the mountains and down to Plasencia, where there should be another campsite. After that it’ll be on to Carceres, and onwards on the Ruta de la Plata, or N630 as it’s called now, which is far less romantic. I’m a little worried about the heat, but seem to be coping fine as long as I start early (about 7.00), and drink a lot of water. I reckon I should be in Tarifa by the end of next week, if not before, which’ll mark the end of the ride down from Nordkapp, a real milestone, and the start of the next leg along the Mediterranean coast; really looking forward to that.

06 to 09 July 2015 – Camino de Santiago part 2, to Leon

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I think I ought to slow down now I’m forty, maybe take it easy, kick back and relax…nah…maybe when I’m seventy.

Here are my routes and stats for the last few days.

I should probably be calling this route the Camino de Frances rather than the Camino de Santiago, as the latter refers to lots of different pilgrim routes that end up in Santiago de Compostela, as far as I can tell anyway. I’ll be following a different Camino de Santiago South to Seville, along the Ruta de la Plata.

–> 06 July – to Burgos
Just 68km covered today, to get to Burgos, taking 4 hours and 30 mins of pedalling.

My room in Santo Domingo dela Calzada - doesn't take long to make it messy!

My room in Santo Domingo dela Calzada – doesn’t take long to make it messy!

I paired up with Richard again for the day’s ride, and will do as far as Leon. After a brilliant night’s sleep and a wonderful birthday with Mum and Dad we set off in good time, keen to avoid as much of the heat as possible; the hottest part of the day tends to be from 15.00 to 18.00.

My parents had a lie in, but intended to follow us to Burgos before heading back towards the coast tomorrow. We bid them a temporary ‘adios’ and pedalled off, stopping in a small town 10km down the road for breakfast, along with several other walkers and cyclists with the same idea.

The espresso I had may have been decaf, but it definitely perked me up, as did the tortilla sandwich. The route took us west, passing gently through more small towns and villages, farmland and endless fields of corn. Unfortunately the N120 was much busier today as there was no motorway running alongside it, so the cycling wasn’t as fun; it reminded me a bit of the E04 in Sweden – not very relaxing.

Mum and Dad passed us just as we started a very long climb, up to over 3,500 feet according to my Garmin, which is higher than the pass over the Pyrenees to Roncevaux. The climb was tough, but this was mainly due to the traffic and heat. I did get a shout of ‘allez allez’ from workmen half way up which spurred me on.

We had a break at the top, and munched on some of the sweets and energy bars I got for my birthday (thanks Will & Louisa, Seb and Anna!). After another stretch we stopped at a roadside restaurant for a spot of lunch, and to get out of the annoying hot wind that had sprung up.

Lunch break - bring it on

Lunch break – bring it on

The road remained fairly high for the rest of the day, but at least it was mostly flat, and we were able to cycle next to it on the walkers trail for quite a while. We arrived at a campsite on the outskirts of Burgos at about 15.00. Mum and Dad had already arrived, post a visit to the cathedral in the city to see the tomb of El Cid, and had a cold beer waiting for us which was much appreciated; very hot day again.

My parents had to head South to another Parador after a little while, and are now on their way home, but it was great to see them; see you in a few months, if not before if you decide on another visit! I spent the rest of the afternoon having a siesta, reading, and chatting to Richard; typically the wifi was broken so no blog updates possible.

Just before 10 o’clock a friendly face appeared; River arrived having pedalled all the way from Santo Domingo dela Calzada, a great effort considering he only used the walker’s trail, which adds on several kilometres and has more steep sections, and he’d already been into and out of Burgos looking for the campsite. Needless to say he was shattered, so we fed him some beer to recuperate, and he cooked up some noodles he’d carried all the way from Wallmart in America.

Tomorrow we planned an early start, breakfast in Burgos and on to Carrion de los Condes.

–> 07 July – to Carrion de los Condes
I was expecting about an 85km ride today, but it turned out to be 93km, in about 6.5 hours of decent but hot riding.

Morning in Burgos

Morning in Burgos

We were up at 06.00, and it was still dark which was a novel experience for the morning, and pretty cool if not chill to start off with. We were just about ready to set off by 07.00, however after yesterday’s ride River was understandably a little tired, so we didn’t leave the campsite until closer to 07.30, pedalling the few kilometres down the road to Burgos for some breakfast.

The cathedral in Burgos is pretty impressive, as is the city itself. It would be good to have a proper look around it and visit the tomb of El Cid, however at this point we were more focussed on breakfast and getting some distance done before it got too hot. River joined us for breakfast, but then decided to go at his own pace and stop before Carrion de los Condes. Whilst in the cafe we saw pictures and film of some pf the bull running in Pamplona on TV. It looked pretty harsh, with masses of people running through the streets alongside, or being chased by frightened bulls.  We saw film of several people being trampled or bashed up against walls, and one person lying in a pool of blood, perhaps after being gored; not very pleasant but the Spanish seem to love it, even though people are killed every year.

It was sad to say goodbye to River, who flies back to Korea in 10 days before going on to Japan, but Richard and I had to get underway. Somehow I still expect him to pop up somewhere on the route, who knows!? I’ll definitely visit him in Korea should I make it out that way in the future. Thanks for the company River, and safe travels 🙂

We followed the Camino de Santiago walker’s trail for the first part of the ride, which proved to  be great riding, if a little bumpy and hilly, with great scenery. We had to be a little careful due to the large number of walkers, some in large groups, including a priest with a small flock; lots of opportunities for ‘Buen Camino’.

In Hontanos, another small but delightful Spainish town nestled in the hills, we stopped for an early lunch break at an Aubergue; I checked in via Twitter – you find wifi in the strangest of places.

Shortly after Huntanos we joined roads for the rest of the day, which were lovely and quiet and took us through some amazing scenery, passing old convents, castles and pretty villages.

The old buildings and scenery got me thinking about what it must have been like here centuries ago, perhaps not that different, with Lords and Ladies living in the castles, and people working in the fields. It’s nice riding with someone and being able to talk about such things; we wondered how much influence the Knight’s Templar had in the area, as you see mention of them in place names, and Templar symbols occasionally.

It was tough riding due to the heat again, and the hot wind that springs up in the afternoon that dries your mouth out and can leave you gasping. We stopped in a little town called Boadilla del Camino for a break from the heat, at the local pilgrim’s Aubergue; a bit of an oasis in the desert really.

Refreshed after a cold beer, and resisting temptation for another, we pressed on completing a hard last section to Carrion de los Condes. It proved a taxing ride, up a long but gradual ascent in the heat, passing lots of very tired looking walkers. Bananas, sweets and lots of water saw us through, although it was a close thing with both of us feeling a bit light-headed by the time we arrived at the campsite at about 17.00.

There followed a pleasant evening and meal, which included salad and not just the beer and gammon in the photos above! Richard and I chatted about touring route options; he’s on the road for a year and needs to decide where to go for winter. It’s a difficult decision, but there are lots of options; he could even stop for a while and take cheffing job for a few weeks, or head down to Marrakech and just chill out.

I’m still not completely decided on my route after Tarifa, but would like to go over to Morocco briefly (Ceuta probably), before heading back up the coast of Spain to France, then Italy. I don’t know at this stage whether I’ll have time to get to Istanbul and back to the UK for the beginning of November; I think so but might have to take a train for some of it, maybe through Germany on the way home – home, now there’s a slightly strange thought at this stage. I wonder how much the Orient Express from Istanbul costs? Probably really expensive.

Tomorrow we’re off to Leon, and hopefully it’ll be slightly cooler as it’s about a 100km ride.

Oh, and we heard from River via the medium of Facebook; he’d made it successfully to an Aubergue about 40km behind us, so that’s a relief.

–> 08 July – to Leon
Another 06.00 alarm call to try to avoid the heat had Richard and I on the road by 07.00. It actually felt quite cold first thing, as it was still overcast and initially dark. We stopped in Carrion de los Condes for breakfast before heading off properly, chatting to several walkers about to begin their day’s hike. A decaf and slightly stale pain-au-chocolate later I was ready to go, after watching hundreds of swallows swooping about the town square.

From Carrion de los Condes to Leon is a long way, but mostly flat and with a slight tailwind we made excellent time, covering 60km by midday.

As with previous days we passed a lot of walkers, as well as a few other cycle tourers. One group were travelling by mountain bike, with a support vehicle, and they got a bit irritating. They’d pedal like mad, especially one of them, between towns, then stop at their van and we’d catch up; this was repeated several times. We christened one of them mosquito man as it felt like he was buzzing around us in an annoying fashion. We spoke to another tourer at our lunch stop; he was from Barcelona and as with nearly everyone on this trail, was really nice.

We stopped for lunch in Mansilla de las Mulas, which must mean Mule Town or something similar. The town isn’t far from Leon but we were tired and hungry, and this was the third place we’d attempted to get something to eat. After a successful morning coffee stop we hadn’t had a lot of luck finding a place for lunch, and I don’t think our luck much improved in Mansilla. We were warned off the first place we stopped at by walkers, who said the food wasn’t cooked properly, the second place didn’t start lunch until 13.00, and the waitress just couldn’t be bothered in the third place, but we stopped there anyway as we were out of options.

Ice cream presentation a classic

Ice cream presentation a classic

We opted for the menu, more by accident than intention, so ended up having 3 courses with some wine on the side; glad we’d done most of the cycling already. The salad followed by pork was mostly fine, however the waitress kept dropping stuff, took ages to take our order, and almost threw the plates down on the table; was a bit like and episode of Fawlty Towers really. It as actually quite funny, and at least it wasn’t expensive (€10).

Before lunch I’d felt like I had a migraine coming on, probably due to the heat and maybe not drinking enough water, however stopping for a couple of hours thankfully solved this, so perhaps the waitress did me a favour. Stopping for a break in the heat of the day, if you haven’t already finished your ride, is pretty much a necessity at the moment.

The riding today was excellent, and at a quick pace, even if the landscape got a bit boring. Richard was really shifting and I had a bit trouble keeping up with him! We made it to Leon in good time, having covered 102km, and found a cheap hostel rather than an Aubergue for the night; dormitories are all well and good but sometimes it’s nice to have a room to yourself.

We elected to stay for two nights in the hostel, needing a bit of a recovery, planning and blog catch-up day. This meant it was a night for partying, and we hit the city for a few beers once it had cooled down.

As with all the Spanish cities I’ve seen so far Leon came alive at night, the empty streets filling up with people from around 20.00. On our meanderings we bumped into Gorka, who we’d met in Roncevaux, and who had also arrived today with two Irish girls and a Belgium guy in tow. We all joined up to go out for tapas and a few more beers, before heading to an Irish Bar, which wasn’t very Irish. The tapas was excellent, and it was good to have Gorka with us to ensure we experienced the local tapas culture properly; you order a quarter beer, and get free tapas with it – if you go round several bars you end up having a complete meal. It turned into a rather late and raucous evening; we didn’t make it back to the hostel until about 4am, so I was very glad of the planned day off!

–> 09 July – rest day in Leon
After the late night it was a somewhat slower start to the day; I didn’t get up until 10.00, a record for this tour. Feeling a little rough both Richard and I opted for a slow morning, with a quick visit to the bike shop to pick up a new spare inner tube. My right hand pedal/crank has developed an annoying click on each rotation, especially when I put pressure on it up hills. I don’t know what’s causing is but I’ll need to get it sorted at some point; not today though, too hungover. If anyone has any idea what can cause annoying pedal/crank clicks let me know; probably just need to give everything a thorough clean.

Post bike shop I caught up on my blog, had a snooze, then took a wander around the city. I was initially sceptical of Leon, but definitely warmed to it and would go back again; great architecture, friendly people and atmosphere. It’s also fun pilgrim spotting; there were lots of people limping about with various suspect tan lines etc.

I went up to the cathedral to try and catch the web cam for the folks at home, but unfortunately the timing is random and I missed the window of opportunity. In the evening we went out for a meal; €12 for the pilgrim’s menu at a restaurant, including wine, excellent. Richard was heading off further West to finish the Camino de Frances, and me South to Tarifa, so it was our last day on tour together, however I’m sure we’ll meet up again in future; he only lives down the road in Hunstanton so fish and chips in Cromer may be in order (fish and chips…now there’s a thought).  It’s been a great experience riding with other people, and Richard is very easy to get on with. Not sure where River is at now but I’m sure I’ll see him at some point in the future too.

Took a few more photos of Leon which I’ll end with.

Tomorrow I head off solo again, down to Zamora, then on to Salamanca the following day. Going to be weird cycling on my own again!

01 to 05 July – Spain & Camino de Santiago part 1, plus turning forty

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Catch up post number 1, covering crossing into Spain over the Pyrenees, and the first part of the Camino de Santiago. Apologies for the scarcity of blogs recently; I’ve been cycling with a few other people and there have been some long days, and fun evenings. As always you can keep up-to-date with where I actually am via my Twitter feed.

Here are my routes and stats for 01 to 04 July inclusive:

01 July: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/821439830 & https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/821439855

02 July: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/821439916 & https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/821439948

03 July: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/822825498

04 July: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/823916710

–> 01 July
Top tip; don’t go the wrong way when crossing over the Pyrenees, it hurts one’s legs, quite a lot.

I teamed up with Richard (from Hunstanton), and River (from Korea), for day 1 of the Camino de Santiago, pedalling from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncevaux, over the Pyrenees.

Preparing to set off from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Preparing to set off from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

We were up early to try to avoid the worst the heat, and were rewarded by an overcast start; very refreshing after yesterday.

The day started as it meant to go on with some big climbs. We met up with an American, Darren, on a mountain bike, who rode with us for a while but soon left us in his wake due to his very much lighter load.

We had agreed at the beginning of the day that we’d try to stay together, however if some people needed to push that it was fine to carry on and we’d meet up later. It soon became evident that River would mostly be pushing today, however there were points where we all did. After a stop at a supermarket for some fruit and pain-au-chocolat we climbed up a steep road trying to follow the shell signs for the Camino de Santiago. This can sometimes be easier said that done when you’re concentrating on getting up a hill, and when the signs are sometimes a bit obscured; lovely route though.

Unfortunately Richard and I somehow missed a crucial sign that would have taken us over a small bridge to the Spanish side of the river valley, and the correct route for cycling to Roncevaux. This meant we climbed an unnecessary 1,000 feet before we realised our error; a costly one as it was very steep and tiring. It didn’t take us very long to get back down the road, after confirming directions from a helpful passing motorist, and we found the bridge. Later on I was somewhat gratified to learn we are by no means the first people to make this error.

After a bit of a push up from the bridge, the signs for which were easy to miss, we made it to the Spanish side of the valley and continued on, stopping briefly for a cold drink and realising we had to speak a different language now; I’m not very good at Spanish but am slowly picking it up. It was then a hard slog up to over 3,000 feet, as we tackled the pass over the mountains; beautiful scenery but hot and tiring, especially on already wobbly legs. I got my head down, in my easiest gear, and just pedalled on slowly, eventually catching River up who hadn’t missed the turning; good one River! The view from the top was fantastic, and I paused for a while to let the others catch up.

It was very peaceful at the top of the pass (Ibaneta), the silence being punctuated with the clanking of bells from around the necks of horses in a nearby field. River turned up first, followed a bit later on by Richard, who with a heavier bike was suffering in the heat. Luckily there are plenty of water fountains along the route, so you can refill your bottles; this was essential I was drinking constantly, and unfortunately sweating it out just as quickly as it was going in. This also meant suncream didn’t really stay on, so stopping in shady spot was a must. One more downside; lots of biting flies which in some instances drew blood, very irritating!

Once we were all together again, and had sufficiently recovered and/or admired the view, we rode down the hill to Roncevaux, a very nice descent after such a hard climb. I was very glad to be on a bike at this point, as all the walkers,  who follow a different trail over the mountains, would have had a hard time on the knees coming down; I find when walking the way down can be as hard as the way up.

In Roncevaux we opted to stay at the Pilgrims Auberge (hostel), which meant I had to sign up to do at least some of the Camino de Santiago, and get myself a pilgrim’s book, but it was well worth it. I’ll be following a different part of the Camino de Santiago from Leon anyway so it’ll come in handy to have hostel options.

We met up with loads of walkers and other bicycle tourers at the auberge, which can accommodate about 200 people, demonstrating just how busy the Camino de Santiago gets. As in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port there were walkers from all over the world. We got talking to several, including Gorka who is definitely Basque and not Spanish, one traveller from South America, but who lives in Canada, and a Scottish lady (grandmother) walking the trail solo; all really interesting people with tales to tell.

It was a nice atmosphere in the Auberge, with everyone feeling a sense of accomplishment after the day’s efforts. We shared a great communal dinner for just €10, including wine! The hostel is on the site of the church complex in Roncevaux, and was at least being partially run by people with Hospitaller t-shirts on, who were really friendly and helpful; I’m guessing this is an organisation with origins from the Knight’s Hospitaller, who used to help pilgrim’s on the road, and still do.

The Auberge itself is the ancient burial site of the kings of Navarre, and an interesting place to visit in itself. It looked pretty dramatic a bit later on, with a thunderstorm for a backdrop, and lightning flashing in the mountains. Post thunder I fell asleep pretty quickly in the communal bunk-room, something I’ll need to get used to if I stay at a lot of hostels rather than using my tent. Hoping for a shorter day to Pamplona tomorrow.

–> 02 July 
I woke up feeling refreshed, if a little achy after yesterday’s efforts, with the Auberge a hive of activity as people got ready to set off, either on foot or by bike. It was nice being amongst so many people, all heading in the same direction, but I imagine it’s going to start to feel a little crowded after a while. We had just 70km to do today, more than yesterday’s 35 but with less in the way of mountains. We waved Gorka off, who needs to pedal quick in order to finish the Camino de Santiago and get back to his village by 16 July in time for their annual festival, then set off ourselves, electing to cycle as a group again, on my first full day in Spain.

The first part of our ride followed alongside the walker’s trail, so we could see just how many people make this pilgrimage; must be 1000’s every year. We stopped for some breakfast in the first small town we came to, and to pick up a few supplies, then rode on to Pamplona through a mixture of forest and farmland, over a few hills and through more mountains. It was a fairly easy ride, but very hot, and we kept having to remind River to drink more water and watch out for the odd heavy truck; I’m really not sure how he keeps going and stays safe sometimes, but survive he does.

We tried and failed to find the campsite in Pamplona; it’s really hard to get to by bike due to the motorways in the way. In the end we found another pilgrim’s hostel near the old gate into the city (St Frances Gate), which turned out to be a great decision; €15, individual sleeping pods, buffet breakfast and great wi-fi. We followed the pilgrim’s trail into the city, spotting the shell signs at regular intervals, and following the trail of tired walkers.

Pamplona is unlike any city I’ve been to before. It was packed with people, probably because the bull run festival starts shortly. It was a real mix of people too; pilgrims, young travellers, older tourists, and locals, all mixing together. It was great just walking around the streets taking in the atmosphere and architecture, and there was plenty of live music to listen too. We stopped for a beer and to listen to a jazz band for a bit, then spent the rest of the evening replacing burnt calories and chatting.

We did have to keep track of River, who constantly has his camera going filming stuff, and has a habit of not looking where he’s going as a result. He is finding the riding tough, as he’s not used to it, but is keeping up really well at the moment. He has an idea for a ‘Gravity bike’, an invention that will use gravity to help power your pedalling; I’m really not sure how he thinks it’ll work, as I’m pretty sure bikes already do that, but he’s pretty enthusiastic about it (crazy guy).

Walking around Pamplona at night was even more of an experience. It was so crowded, with people sitting out everywhere, just on the street, drinking and socialising with no trouble that we saw; can’t imagine the same happening in the UK. It would have been interesting to stay for the bull running festival that starts on Monday, however I think it would just be too crowded, with the city population swelling from 180,000 to over a million. I’m also not sure I want to see or personally agree with the spectacle, which sees a lot of scared bulls running through the streets, and lots of people injured; broken bones and goring. It’s part of the Spanish culture and I’m not going to get up in arms about it, as we shouldn’t dictate what other people should do, however I’m not supporting it.

On to Logrono tomorrow.

–> 03 July
I think I could get used to this riding as a group thing; it’s nice to have some company, at least for a while, however I’m sure I’ll want some quiet time on my own at some point.

After a good night’s sleep and a fine buffet breakfast (included in price), we were on the road early as we had a lot of km’s to cover to get to Logrono. As with yesterday we passed, or were passed by, lots of other people walking or cycling the Camino de Santiago; it’s traditional to say ‘Bon Camino’, or ‘Buen Camino’, to fellow travellers, so there was an awful lot of that going on.

It turned out to be a really long and hard day’s ride, it being very hot, dusty, and with constant ups and downs. We also remained pretty high, at over 3,200 feet at one point, which I guess must impact somewhat. The plus side of the route was that it was a very quiet road, with little in the way of traffic aside from fellow cycle tourers, of which there were many.

On one long climb I pedalled with a Thomas, a cycle tourer from Poland who is also following the Camino; good to swap a few touring tips and stories on a climb as makes it go faster!

We decided early on we’d stop in Estrella for lunch, however somehow we managed to lose River before we got there. After a long climb during which we all got separated due to different rates of ascent, Richard and I waited for him at the top…and waited…and waited. I cycled back down the hill, twice, to look for him, wondering where on earth he’d got to. We asked other people coming the same way but they’d not seen him. There were only 3 options; he’d turned North down a side road (most likely), swung onto the motorway (surely not), or had accident/bike failure and gone into the small town we passed (unlikely as it was a climb and he’d be walking). In the end we had to push on and hope we met up with him in Estrella, but it was with a worried heart; we’d already waited an hour a half and searched considerably.

We asked a group of tourers in Estrella if they’d seen River, and indeed they had seen a Korean gentleman pedalling through, filming stuff! At the time we had no idea how he’d got past us, but caught him up at the edge of town, and discovered he’d taken the motorway! This is a brilliant example of signs that are lost in translation; the road down onto the motorway has a sign saying no cyclists, pedestrians, or horse and carts, represented by red circles with the mode of transportation in the middle. To a Westerner the meaning is fairly obvious (not allowed), however River thought it meant the opposite; okay to cycle on. He took the motorway down to Estrella completely bypassing us, and it turns out this isn’t the first time he’s used it. In France, to get from Toulouse to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port he mostly rode on the hard shoulder of the motorway as he thought it was fine to do so, and indeed that you’re invited to do so by the sign. He thought it a little odd that no-one else was on it, but waved back to motorists whilst breaking for a sandwich on the hard shoulder when they shouted ‘greetings’ at him from their car windows. In hindsight this is funny, but also incredibly illegal and pretty dangerous.

Anyway, all’s well that ends well and he knows now. We were re-united and cycled on, but it was very tough going, and we were pretty late getting to Logrono as a result. We ascended over 1,400 metres today, in temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius, which explains why the ride took so long; lots of water stops required too.

We rolled into Logrono at 21.00, with tired legs and fried brain cells, stopping the first Albergue (hostel) we could find and getting a hose down courtesy of the receptionist in the backyard; very refreshing. The hostel was only €7 for the night, but turned out to be exceedingly hot, with plastic coated beds that were very uncomfortable, so maybe we should have tried a different one.

After a shower we headed into Logrono centre and found a much-needed pizza, followed by a cold beer and in my case a gin and tonic; I’d been fantasising about one all day. I love the way they serve spirits in Spain at the table; they pour the spirit into your glass at your table, with no real measure, and I didn’t know you had to say stop. I ended up with a pretty strong but delicious G&T, and Richard with Lord knows how many vodka’s in his glass; all medicinal I reckon.

It was great to relax with friends after a tough day, and a relief to all be back together and safe after losing River for a time. Tomorrow I’d be heading on to Santo Domingo dela Calzada on my own, to meet my parents, whilst the others take a rest day, however I hoped to meet up with at least Richard the day after to continue on the Camino de Santiago to Leon.

–> 04 July
Whilst it was very nice to ride with people, I was quite looking forward to a day on my own and going at my own pace, and I also needed some space before turning forty the next day! I got up at just after 06.00, it just being too hot and sweaty to sleep, and went downstairs to do some planning; at least wifi was good.

I bid goodbye to the others, hoping to see them soon, or River in Korea sometime in the future, and set off following the walkers trail, with plenty of ‘bon caminos’ for the first 10km. Whilst it was just as hot today I knew I only had about 50km to do, and it was flatter so I made good time. I rejoined the road near Aleson, as the trail got a little bumpy, and made even better time on the last stretch, finishing in Santo Domingo dela Calzada after a final long climb by midday.

I opted to stay in an Albergue again, as the campsite was quite a way out-of-town and didn’t have very good reviews. The hostel proved much better than the previous in Logrono, and was only €7; it did have a 22.00 curfew and 08.00 kick out though, as do many pilgrim hostels.

Then hostel was packed with pilgrims, including 3 Dutch cyclists I shared a room with, and who were good company if a little crazy. Once I’d dumped my stuff and had a rest I met up with my parents who had come over from England to visit for my birthday, and were staying in the Parador (state-run hotel) next to the Church. They took the boat over to Bilbao, and drove the rest of the way; the North coast sounds lovely, and cooler! It was fantastic to see them, and lovely to take some downtime for my birthday the next day.

The day finished with another refreshing thunderstorm, after a nice meal in the hotel with Mum and Dad. The Parador seemed very civilised and posh after staying in my tent or in hostels for the last 2 months; they have knives, forks, napkins and everything! It’s also quite a striking building, especially inside, as it’s built on the site of an old Pilgrim’s hospital.

–> 05 July – fortieth birthday….arrrgggghhh
No cycling today; birthday and day off with my parents. Even though it was my birthday I did have to get up and leave the hostel by 08.00. The 3 flying dutchman sang me happy birthday, a bizarre experience, and then set off to Burgos. I had a walk around town in the cool, then some breakfast from the supermarket, read a bit of my book next to a fountain, and then met up with Mum and Dad; an excellent start to the day.

I don’t feel any different for turning forty, certainly no more grown up, and doesn’t life now begin at forty? It’s not something I’ve been worrying about particularly, however I do have a bit of an odd feeling about now being older than Lu was before she passed away. As always if you’re enjoying this blog, and have some spare pennies, please consider donating some money to the Big C, a fantastic Norfolk Charity that do so much to help people suffering from Cancer: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=james

Thanks to those who have already donated!

Turning forty has hardened my resolve to fill as much time as possible with new experiences and adventures; fun stuff whilst balancing versus responsibilities. I keep thinking about future tours, and haven’t even finished this one yet; South America has to be on the cards, as does Canada, and back to Norway sometime.

Dad and I tinkered with my bike in the morning, taking off the redundant stand which isn’t really fixable; need a different type of stand. I checked in to the Parador for a night of luxury thinking why not, you’re only forty once, and it as a present from my parents (thank you!). The room and ensuite were amazing, so much so that I forgot to take a picture.

Richard pedalled into town a few hours later, having started early, and we all went out for lunch; a great €12 pilgrim’s menu including wine. I also got to have some Sangria, which I’d been looking forward to for ages (since France), and made a fine celebratory drink.

It was nice to catch up with my parents in person, and hear about news from home. Thanks to Will, Louisa Seb and Anna for my box of delights (beer and snacks for the road including much-needed Haribo reinforcements), and to Norman, Sheila and Susan for the funky t-shirts which will no doubt appear in a picture soon; also really needed some replacement clothes! And thanks for all the birthday greetings via card or internet too (including a great double bonus card from my Uncle John!).

Santo Domino dela Calzada is a lovely small town, and was a perfect rest stop for my birthday. We rounded off the day, post siesta, with drinks in the evening and then a very comfy night in the Parador.

Oh, and River turned up in town later that day, having decided to carry on cycling for a bit before heading down to Madrid, however I didn’t see him as he had the hostel curfew to contend with; maybe tomorrow, who knows with the magical mystery River.

Next up it’s the road to Burgos and Leon.

29 & 30 June – to Ondres, Bayonne and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

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Routes and stats for the 29 and 30 June below:

29 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/818715957
30 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/821439782

The last two days of June saw me finish off the Atlantic coast of France, and head inland to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I haven’t had chance to write a blog post since then, but will hopefully catch-up over the next couple of days. I’m currently in Santo Domingo dela Calzada having a day off and meeting my parents for my birthday.

–> 29 June
After an average night’s sleep, jam sandwiches for breakfast, and a clamber on the campsite climbing wall to warm up I was on the road by 09.00, keen to make some good progress down the coast towards Spain.

Climbing wall at Mimizan-sur-Plage campsite

Climbing wall at Mimizan-sur-Plage campsite

As I pedalled out of the campsite I bid ‘au revoir’ to Ken, who I’d met the night before, and who is cycling down the coast as well. I had a quick stop at the beach to watch the waves roll in; doesn’t matter how often you see it, always a relaxing sight and soothing sound.

The Velodyssey cycle route took me through the forest down to Contis-Les-Bains, where I had a croissant stop, then on to Vieux-Boucau-Les-Bains where I bought a chicken baguette for lunch, pausing in the forest to eat it and to get out of the sun for a bit. There was a big market in Vieux-Boucau-Les-Bains, selling all sorts of foodstuffs including a hundred different types of salami, olives and wine; all the sorts of things you’d expect at a French market.

The forest path is lovely, but you have to watch out for where tree roots have grown under the tarmac, pushing it into sometimes vicious ridges that can ambush you from the shadows. I have cycled over a few of these not realising they were there, and things have nearly gone badly awry, with panniers coming unhooked and the bike veering towards the bushes.

I passed a lot of other cyclists today, and I can see why, as the path is generally really well maintained and a delight to cycle down, with lots of shade and breaks next to the sea when you reach a town. I passed several resorts with great beaches, and lots of people out surfing, or just enjoying the sunshine and a swim; Seignosse and Hossegor were good examples of these, followed by Capbreton which had a nice marina. I also finally saw a Green Woodpecker today; I’ve been hearing them for ages, and they seem abundant, however I’ve not been able to spot one until now. I also had to take care to not run over any lizards!

After negotiating my way past a few skateboarder posses, and two large groups of schoolchildren out on bikes with their teachers, I made it to Ondres. The kids on bikes were having a great time, and were all really young; maybe 5 or 6. I was impressed to see them out cycling, accompanied by their teachers, on what must have been an end of term excursion.

Schools out for summer - on bikes

Schools out for summer – on bikes

I was pretty hot by the time I reached Ondres, having pedalled 96km, however the Camping-du -Lac campsite at the end of the today’s road was great, with a swimming pool and plenty of shade for pitching my tent. There was even wi-fi that worked for a bit, but then randomly stopped; not had great experience of wi-fi at French campsites. The hottest part of the day appears to be around 15.00 to 16.00, so I’ll need to start earlier in the morning as the temperatures go up even further in Spain.

Evening meal at Camping-du-Lac

Evening meal at Camping-du-Lac

After checking in and chatting with the very helpful owner, who I think originates from Belgium, I had a great evening. First on the agenda was a swim, followed by a meal out at the campsite restaurant. I got chatting to Antoine, who runs the bar and is also into his cycle touring. Antoine is planning on taking a couple of weeks post the holiday season to do some touring of his own, down to Carcassonne or thereabouts; somewhere I intend to pass through in about a month.

Sangria at Camping-du-Lac

Sangria at Camping-du-Lac

It was great being able to practice my French for an evening, and even better after a few glasses of Sangria; I was practically fluent after that! I joined both Antoine and Max, who also works in the restaurant, for a drink at the end of their shift post the bar closing. They passed on some tips on Morocco suggesting a place called Ceuta would be good to visit, it being a Spanish enclave and less hectic than Tangiers; sounds like a good plan and a base to set off from at the very least. Max also gave me a large map of Spain which fills in some of the gaps I have in my map collection, very handy. Thanks for a great evening guys!

–> 30 June
Blimey, today was hot; it was still over 20 degrees Celsius post 23.00. My plan to start earlier didn’t really work after the Sangria from last night, however I was still up and away in semi reasonable time, bidding goodbye to Max and Antoine and pedalling off towards the Pyrenees. I’d definitely recommend Camping du Lac if you’re in the area; slightly more pricey than some campsites I’ve stayed at but worth it.

From Camping du Lac I cycled down to the coast in Ondres, to say goodbye to the Atlantic, my companion for the last few days; next sea on the agenda is the Mediterranean! I took a short cut from the campsite, advised by the owner I could cut out two big hills by going around the fishing lake, a good start to the day.

It was a beautiful morning, and lovely watching the waves roll in, with a few early morning surfers out enjoying them. I could see Biarritz further down the coast, with the Pyrenees looming in the distance.

A slightly longer ride than anticipated took me to Bayonne; the cycle route wound about a lot, and when I got close the road was shut and I had to loop all the way back around to get into the city. This left me slightly irritated as I had a long way to go today (85km up hills), however the cool city streets calmed me down. I had a quick look around before pedalling on inland, following the Nive River.

Bayonne is an old city, with origins as far back as Roman times (3rd century AD). The Vikings turned up and took over at some point, as did the English, before it went back to the French, however it’s always been in Basque country; area straddling Spain and France.

The route along the Nive River was really pleasant. I passed through various towns as the Pyrenees got larger, and the road started to ascend. I must have drunk litres and litres of water today, due the heat and the climbs, and topped up at a supermarket with two 2 litres of yoghurt to get some energy back.

Things got interesting after Itxassou, where I opted to take the side road over the Pas de Roland. It was a beautiful route, but very hard going in the heat with some fierce climbs to contend with. At one point I passed a group of over 20 birds of prey, probably black kites and buzzards, circling in a thermal to gain height; I think they may have been waiting for cycle tourers to expire! A bit later on I spotted a huge eagle soaring along the mountainside, a majestic sight.

By the time I arrived in Bidarray I was feeling a bit spent, and still had quite a way to go. Two walkers had also stopped in the shade, suffering a little bit as I was; tell-tale symptoms of slight nausea and faintness. I took half an hour to rest, drank lots of water, and had my first dip of the day in the river; felt a lot better after that! The two walkers followed my lead on the bathing front, and also felt a lot better, but decided to get a bus to Bayonne after that.

Feeling refreshed I pushed onwards and upwards, still alongside the Nive, passing lots of kids canyoning and rafting on the river. There are lots of great activities to try around here, and it would be yet another good place for a holiday; jumping off rocks into the river looked like a brilliant idea. I had to stop again before St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, for another swim, as it was just too hot; temperatures must have been in the high thirties.

I finally arrived in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a big start point for the Camino de Santiago on the French side, at about 17.30. I stopped at a Lidyl on the way into town, as much to stand in the cold isle as to buy a drink. I nipped to the tourist info and located the campsite, right next to the river and ringed by part of the old town walls. Once I was set up it was time for dip number 3 of the day.

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a few miles from the Spanish border, and the starting point of the Camino Frances, the most popular option for people walking the Camino de Santiago. The town lies at the foot of a pass that goes over the Pyrenees to Roncevaux on the Spanish side. It was packed with pilgrims preparing to start the Camino, and there are loads of auberges that cater for them. Pilgrims come in all shapes and sizes, including cycle tourers like me, people walking the Camino for an adventure, or to take in the culture along the route, and some for religious reasons. I had a walk around the town and explored its narrow streets and the route up to the citadel; think the town has been fiercely contested over the years.

I met a lot of people at the campsite, and in the town, all of whom were friendly and said hello, and from all over the place; France, Spain, Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium – to name but a few. I camped next to Jules from the UK, who is walking the route, and was a bit worried about his rucksack breaking; he set off very early the next to avoid the worst of the heat, and I hope he made it over the pass alright! I also bumped into Richard, a fellow cycle tourer from Hunstanton which is just down the road from Norwich, where I live. He is touring for a year, and set off at the beginning of May too. We agreed to join up tomorrow to tackle the pass, and maybe cycle some of the rest of the Camino together.

My big surprise was running into River again, who now has a bike! I last saw River who is from Seoul in Korea, in Grimbergen, next to Brussels, where he’d just flown in from South America. He flew off to Barcelona the next day, but not before Eugene, a cycle tourer from Taiwan, and I had talked to him about touring by bike. It seems he was enthused by this as he bought a bike when he got to Barcelona, took at train to Toulouse, and then cycled to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I’m not quite sure how he made it but full credit to him; it’s weird, but I just had a feeling I’d run into him again.

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port - River with bike!

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port – River with bike!

As night fell there was a brief thunderstorm, which freshened things up a bit in time for bed and  good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s endeavours over the pass to Spain; a big climb awaited.

27 & 28 June 2015 – a bit of a rest and into the woods

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Before I recount tales from the last couple of days, here’s bit of a stats summary for the tour so far, which includes today (29 June). Slight warning; this post may have been compromised by the introduction of Sangria this evening, courtesy of the very friendly staff at Camping du Lac in Ondres.

Distance pedalled: 3,441 miles, or 5,538km
Days since Nordkapp: 55 (including a couple of rest days)
Average distance per day: 100.69km, or 62.5miles (includes rest days)
Number of punctures: 5, but none recently, touch wood
Number of punctures in Thermarest: 3 after thorny ground last night (d’oh)
Number of new chains: 1
Number of new rear cassettes: 1
Number of new saddles: 1 – changed to a Brooks in Sweden and it’s now worn in, very good decision
Min temperature: About 0 degrees Celsius – have cycled in a snow storm
Max temperature: About 33 degrees Celsius, supposed to be hotter tomorrow though
Did I bring too many pairs of socks: Yes, as well as a few other clothes I’ve never worn
Favourite city: Hamburg or Bordeaux, with Paris and Stockholm very close behind
Favourite leg so far: Current leg down from Bordeaux to Spain proving excellent, Scandinavia also fantastic, but parts of it very hard work with headwind

Let me know if you’re interested in any other info.

Here are my routes and stats for the last couple of days:

27 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/818715809
28 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/818715885

–> 27 June
I was up early at the campsite just outside Bordeaux, mainly because the Spanish motorcyclists were up early and it was a very small camping area. I thought I may as well get up and on the road to maximise my rest day opportunities later.

Surprisingly it had rained slightly overnight, and was still overcast in the morning, with a slight drizzle which kept everything cool and fresh. I packed up and pedalled off by 08.30, slightly nervous about the route which involved using one main road marked red on the map. You’re mostly allowed to cycle on these, but they can be very busy, and I was hoping there was a cycle path running alongside it. I didn’t really have much of a choice in any case, roads being less common South West of Bordeaux.

Pedalling to Biganos

Pedalling to Biganos

As it turned out the road was fine, and did have a cycle path running alongside it for some of the way. Compared with the E04 in Sweden it was positively heavenly! Although there was a fair bit of traffic it was pleasant riding in the cooler temperature, through some forest, and the sun came out by the time I made it to Biganos. I pedalled 44.5km today, however about 10 of these were once I got to Biganos as I had a quick ride around the town once I’d checked into the campsite, before having a siesta.

Charlie - the friendly campsite dog

Charlie – the friendly campsite dog

I’d arrived at Les Marache Vacances campsite by 11.00, so had plenty of relaxing time left, but needed to get my washing done first. I was greeted enthusiastically by Charlie the campsite dog, who then decided to have a nap too.

Les Maraches Vacances is an excellent campsite, and I was able to set up my tent in a partially shaded pitch, leaving enough room in the sun to dry my washing!

Washing done and drying at Les Maraches Vacances

Washing done and drying at Les Maraches Vacances

After that it was down to the serious business of chilling out, starting with a Grimbergen beer.

Grimbergen beer - best beer of the tour so far

Grimbergen beer – best beer of the tour so far

This was closely followed by some reading, whereupon I dozed off again, but roused myself for a swim a bit later on on the afternoon; it’s a hard life sometimes.

Swimming pool at Les Maraches Vacances

Swimming pool at Les Maraches Vacances

After doing some planning I went to the campsite restaurant for dinner, splashing out a bit on a very nice meal, served by a singing waiter.

There were several other cycle tourers at the campsite, included one family all on bikes; two adults and 3 children, all kitted out.

I think the cycle route down the coast from Acarchon is very popular; the Velodyssey. Over the next few days I saw loads of other cyclists, most just out for the day but a few tourers too. It’s not surprising as the Velodyssey is a fantastic cycle route, passing through lots of forest, right next to the coast and lots of beaches.

After a bit of a blog update and some Rose wine, I fell asleep very quickly!

–> 28 June
It was a bit of a longer ride today, covering 118km in 6hrs and 40 mins. As the crow flies it was probably half that from campsite to campsite, however I was following the coast and Velodyssey route, which isn’t very straight, plus I enjoyed a few detours.

Leaving Les Maraches Vacances

Leaving Les Maraches Vacances

Bidding goodbye to Charlie, the campsite dog, I was on the road by 09.30, and headed to Arcachon first, through a bit of forest and past a big canoeing centre.

Through the forest to Arcachon

Through the forest to Arcachon

In Arcachon I picked up the Velodyssey route, which is also Eurovelo 1, down the Atlantic Coast. Arcachon looks to be very popular spot for a holiday, with a busy harbour and lovely beaches.

After Arcachon I followed the trail South, mostly on dedicated cycle paths, with occasional bit of road thrown in to keep things interesting. The route weaved its way down the coast, through nice shaded forest where the smell of pines and lavender permeated the air. I passed some enormous sand dunes in Pylar, before arriving in Biscarrosse where I stopped for some lunch; just fruit and biscuits after yesterday’s spending!

I went down to the beach and watched the surfers for a bit, enjoying the sea breeze. This part of the coast appears to be a surfing hotspot, and I can see why with all the fantastic beaches and a decent swell. I was definitely starting to feel like I was on holiday too; a feeling that is persisting but might come to an abrupt halt when I hit the Pyrenees and higher temperatures.

Post Biscarrosse the trail went a little bendy, heading inland and slightly back on itself to go around a military training area. This is mostly why I ended up doing 118km; I could have stayed on the road and cut a few km off the route, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere as nice a ride – the forest trails are lovely, despite a few hills.

I cycled past two big lakes, packed with people enjoy a hot Sunday afternoon, both in the water and on the beaches; loads of water sports too. Just around the corner from the beach there was a nice harbour with sailing boats moored up. A little further on I missed a sign and accidentally diverted to another smaller lake, where it was good to see the Union Jack flying.

After a long ride I made it to Mimizan-sur-Plage, where I had my eye on the Camping Municipal du Plage. It turned out to be a huge campsite, packed full of kids learning to surf for the most part. The Wifi was rubbish so I could do any planning or blogging, but ended up chatting to a retired Scottish tourer, Ken, who has cycled down from Roscoff; good to swap a few stories and tips. I also didn’t need to do much planning, as the route to Bayonne is well signposted along the Velodyssey trail.

Dinner was pizza from the campsite snack bar, as well as a new concoction made up of leftovers; Camembert, bread, raspberry jam and Tabasco goes surprisingly well together! Ken was finding the heat a little over the top, however I’m enjoying it so far; as long as I remember to drink plenty of water it’s fine, and I’m going to start setting off earlier in the morning to avoid the heat later on. The hottest part of the day isn’t midday, it’s more like 15.00 or 16.00, so I’ll aim to stop around then, and do a few shorter legs when the hills get bigger.

One minor issue today; I didn’t notice the thorny ground where I pitched my tent, so my Thermarest mat ended up with a few holes in it, as did the bottom of my tent. They were both however already a bit compromised, the tent by Scandinavian varmint incursions, and the sleeping mat just has a slow leak somewhere; nothing to be majorly concerned about.

Tomorrow it’s onwards towards Bayonne, before turning inland towards St-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the Spanish border; getting close to starting the Camino de Santiago, as well as a visit from my parents.

25 & 26 June 2015 – to Saint Christoly-de-Blaye and Bordeaux

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I’m writing this on 27 June, from a small town South West of Bordeaux called Biganos, near Arcachon, where I’m having a day off cycling; although that’s not strictly true as I pedalled about 40km to get here this morning, but have had a siesta since then. It’s cooler today, and I’m lounging next to a swimming pool which is most pleasant. In fact, I think I’ll go for a quick dip before starting to write this, but in the meantime here are my routes and stats for the 25th and 26th.

25 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/814790274
26 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/815605832

–> 25 June
I covered 94km today, in 5hrs and 20 mins of riding, mostly through more vineyards; not unpleasant but it does give one a bit of a thirst. I awoke slightly disoriented as I’d slept the wrong way round in my tent, due to a gradient, however once that was all sorted out I was on the road by 09.30, bidding ‘au revoir’ to my friendly hosts and riding on to Chateauneuf-sur-Charente.

Ready to leave Sireuil

Ready to leave Sireuil

It was already hot by 10.00, and only got warmer as I cycled up and down hills on my way to Archaic, then on to Jonzac. One thing about this part of the world, aside from all the vineyards, is that a lot of the towns and villages are built on hills, which would no doubt originally have been for defensive purposes, and certainly gives cycle tourers a good work out nowadays.

Vineyards near Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

Vineyards near Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

I pedalled through mile after mile of vineyard, with workers out in the fields tending the vines, as I made my way towards Bordeaux through Cognac country. The grapes are only just appearing on the vines, from what I can see anyway, but it’ll no doubt be a good harvest/vintage if the weather carries on likes this. The people tending the vines were all heavily tanned from long hours working out in the fields, and sometimes surprised me by appearing from between the vines and saying ‘bonjour’ as they made their way along the rows; a lot of the work seems to be done by hand.

More grape vines

More grape vines

I nearly went up to Cognac, but it would have added about 30km on to the day and I’m trying to force myself to slow down a bit, in preparation for some hard work over the Pyrenees.

Hotel de Ville - Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

Hotel de Ville – Chateauneuf-sur-Charente

As with yesterday I managed to zone out a bit as I cycled along, whilst still remembering to drink lots of water. This helps the kilometres fly by, as well as the hills, and meant I could give more thought to book writing; got a few ideas coming along nicely.

After Jonzac it was on to Montendre, through more wine country, and then some forest which provided a nice change. The countryside as well as architecture is really looking like the South of France now; the smell reminds me of living just outside Marseille near the Calanques – dry and pines.

I stopped at a supermarket in Montendre for some lunch, enjoying the cold aisles for a bit, and downing a litre of chocolate milk which was absolute bliss. It must have been over 30 degrees, and it’s due to get hotter, however at least I’m acclimatising to it and when cycling you always have a breeze. It’s strange to think that a month and a half ago I was in Northern Scandinavia with temperatures just above freezing; bit of a contrast.

My destination today was Le Maine Blanc campsite, however I pedalled past it to Saint Christoly-sur-Blaye to get a few supplies first, before returning, setting up, and going straight to the swimming pool. I could definitely get used to campsites having swimming pools, long may it continue! Le Maine Blanc is an excellent campsite, in the countryside with lots of shaded pitches, and fairly peaceful aside from the faint noise of the autoroute which isn’t that far away.

Dinner consisted of Camembert and baguette, fruit and biscuits, with a glass or two of Rose to wash it all down with; would be rude not to sample the local wine after cycling through so many vineyards. I did some planning, then retired for the evening listening to the sound of frogs ribbeting in the surrounding woods.

–> 26 June
Today was a shorter day, covering 78km in about 5hrs as I wanted to spend some time in Bordeaux. This proved a good decision; Bordeaux ranks up in the top 3 cities I’ve visited so far on this tour.

The temperature definitely went over 30 degrees today, hitting 33 at one point but I think it topped even that. Someone at the campsite mentioned it’s due to go up to 40 degrees Celsius next week, around Bordeaux anyway, but it might be cooler in Northern Spain around the mountains; although that might just be wishful thinking. I’m very much looking forward to starting the Camino de Santiago in about a week’s time.

I’d slept well in my shady spot at Le Maine Blanc, and as a result was up and on the road by 09.00, keen to make sure I made the 10.30 ferry across from Blaye to Lamarque, just down from Fort Medoc; Medoc being the next wine region on my route. I’d decided to take the ferry over the Gironde, rather than stay East of it and go down to Bordeaux that way, as the Western side looked quieter and was purportedly good for cycling.

As it turned out I made it in plenty of time, as it was only 16km to Blaye, and mostly flat, so I stopped at a boulangerie and bought second breakfast; France is very good on the second breakfast front.

I had a quick pedal around Blaye, and arrived at the queue for the ferry just as the boat pulled in; another advantage of cycling is you can go straight to the front of the queue. There’s a big citadel in Blaye, presumably built to defend against English ships coming up the Gironde to attack Bordeaux; I wonder if I should call them British ships or English ships? Whilst looking at the citadel I had a chat with a French cyclist out for day’s ride; he wished me ‘Bon route’ et ‘Bon courage’.

I boarded the ferry along with a number of motorcyclists, and lots of cars, for the short crossing over the Gironde. It must have been about 3km in total; nice scenery and a pleasant break that gave me a chance to eat my croissants and pain-au-chocolat before Lobster finished them all.

From Lamarque, where the church bells tolled 11.00, I rode through more vineyards, each with their own sign; there are loads of them and I wonder if some are owned cooperatively, with everyone pitching in to take care of the vines. I also spotted a group of young workers, who might’ve been travellers earning a few quid before going on to their next destination; pretty hard work in this heat – at least I get a breeze.

I passed a lot of buildings called chateau, but not all of them looked chateau-like. Perhaps that’s just what each building that’s central to a vineyard ends up being called, whatever it looks like. I enjoyed riding through the flat countryside, and spotted lots of wildlife today, including buzzards, Goldfinches, Black Kites, Swallows, cows (thanks for the reminder Lobster) and two Coipo – one alive and shuffling into the reeds next to the river, and one unfortunately dead, probably hit by vehicle.

It was a hot ride down to Bordeaux, some of it alongside the Gironde, and then the Garonne, and some of it on back-streets as I followed a diversion around road works. I had to negotiate a lot of bumpy cobbles again, which always fill me with fear that something is going to break, however there were no issues on this occasion.

The ride down the esplanade alongside the river to the centre set the scene for Bordeaux, a magnificent city, and one that I knew little about beforehand. According to Wikipedia it was founded by a Celtic tribe, then the Romans came along and introduced wine growing, which has persisted in the area ever since. I believe there are still Roman remains in the city however I’m not sure if I saw any as I meandered about its narrow streets, then wide boulevards and squares.

I think I prefer Bordeaux to Paris, which might be a bit controversial, but it has the same appeal from a historical and architectural point of view, and was far less packed when I visited; much easier to relax and take it in. I enjoyed a walk around the antiques quarter, then had a ‘Baguette Steake Frites’ at the Esplanade Des Quinconces. The square is massive, and home to the Monument aux Girondins; a tribute to a group of ‘deputes Girondes’ executed during the French revolution, and regarded as heroes of the republic.

After a quick trip to the tourist information, where I acquired  map, I headed down to the Miroir D’Eau, next to the river, which is essentially a large open area where water slowly trickles up from the paving stones, and occasionally mists the area; very refreshing on a hot day and the ‘miroir’ was packed with people relaxing in the sunshine. I had a paddle, and was spotted on a webcam by the ‘stalkers’ from Norwich; good job!

From there I walked through the shopping district, which was positively bustling, then headed to the Cathedral before making my way out of the city.

Bordeaux is definitely worth a visit, with lots to see and a great atmosphere. One thing I realised latterly; I didn’t see anyone begging or homeless, which is in stark contrast to other cities I’ve passed through, and I couldn’t tell you why this is the case. Maybe Bordeaux is too remote, or the authorities move people on.

My intended destination for the night was Gradignan and the Beausoleil campsite, about 10km outside Bordeaux. To get there I rode through the university district, arriving at the campsite about 17.00, and feeling very hot. Whilst the small campsite was fine for one night, it didn’t have any shade, and was lacking the swimming pool I’m getting used to, so I decided I’d move on in the morning rather than take a rest day.

Beausoleil camping, Gradignan

Beausoleil camping, Gradignan

I nipped up to a local shop and bought melon and taboule for dinner, as well a couple of Grimbergen Blonde beers just to keep my calorie count up, then managed to find some shade to relax in for a couple of hours. Two Spanish motorcylists arrived at the campsite, on their way to Kiev, and I chatted to them for a bit, before calling it a day once the sun had gone down and my tent had sufficiently cooled to permit sleep without slow-cooking myself.

Tomorrow I plan a short ride down towards the coast near Acarchon, rather than follow the Eurovelo 3 route inland which seems to bend about a lot and I’m not sure why. The coastal route down to the border with Spain, near Biarritz, looks very pleasant, with a marked cycle route and miles of forest and beach to enjoy. I’m also more likely to meet people and maybe find some fun activities to do if I go that way. Whatever happens it’ll be an interesting side-trek before I cut back inland to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and the start of the Camino de Santiago. Tomorrow is also a bit of a rest day, which’ll hopefully involve getting some washing done in-between doing some lounging, however the next few days will, touch wood, be pretty relaxing as I slow down in order to rendezvous with my parents in Spain.

Hope all is well back in the UK, and summer has properly arrived; I haven’t looked a the news in a while, and intend to try and avoid it for the most part, but let me know if it all goes bad for Greece; fingers crossed it won’t but can’t see how they’ll get out of the current crisis.

23 & 24 June 2015 – Poitiers & Angouleme

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Routes and stats from the last couple of days, not including today which I’ll do tomorrow:

23 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/813009251
24 June: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/813683185

Pedalling 70 miles a day seems to be becoming the norm, however I need to slow down a bit so as not to overshoot a rendezvous with my parents in Northern Spain in about a week. I think I’ll have a day off in Bordeaux and enjoy some wine.

–> 23 June
A bit of overnight rain freshened everything up, and washed the dust off my tent. I awoke to another gorgeous morning in the grounds of Chateau Rolandiere, and got away by 09.00, heading down to Pouzay where I stopped at a boulangerie for breakfast; two croissants, and a pain-au-chocolat which I saved for later.

After that it was a case of riding down quiet roads alongside the Vienne river to Chatellerault, passing fields of young sunflowers, and being passed by quite a few road cyclists who all said ‘Bonjour’.

I was riding at a good pace, averaging 20km/h in the morning fuelled by a couple of Grimbergen beers from last night; a slight tailwind also helped. I passed a number of chateaux,  however this one in Dissay was especially impressive.

Dissay - downhill to the Chateau

Dissay – downhill to the Chateau

Dissay - Chateau

Dissay – Chateau

For the first time I wore my summer cycling gear, as it’s getting pretty hot, and applied judicious amounts of sun-cream to avoid burning my rather pasty arms.

I cycled past the ruins of Old Poitiers, and the site of the Battle of Poitiers. I’m not sure if the latter is the site of the battle of 1346, during the 100 Years War, or the previous battle in 732 when Charles Martel defeated the Umayyad Caliphate, thus turning back the tide of Islam and preserving Christianity in Europe. The battle of 732 is regarded as a major turning point in European history, and laid the foundations for the Carolingian (Frankish) Empire. The 100 Years War Battle of Poitiers was won by he English lead by ‘the Black Prince’, who won the previous Battle of Crecy and the next battle at Agincourt.

After passing a large golf course and enjoying cycling alongside the river I reached Poitiers, and found it one of the easiest cities to get into so far, albeit with a steep climb to get to the centre, up some lovely narrow streets.

As it was lunchtime I stopped for a couple of panini; some might call two excessive but not when your burning 3,500 plus calories cycling each day. I had a walk around, enjoying some shade, then continued heading South through lots more farmland, dotted with chateaux and old ruins.

Heading South from Poitiers

Heading South from Poitiers

South from Poitiers; lots more Farmland

South from Poitiers; lots more Farmland

I arrived in Couhe, my destination for the day, and found the campsite had a swimming pool and water slide, as well as a jacuzzi. The Peupliers campsite has got to rank in my top 5 of the tour so far. I nipped to the supermarket to get some food, et du vin Rose, then took the plunge. I grinned all the way down the water slide, several times, feeling like a kid again, and a swim post a hot day’s ride was blissful. I practically had the pool to myself, and with free wi-fi the campsite was definitely winning.

I spent the evening, post swim, catching-up with things on the Internet, as well as my blog, and bought a ticket for Bellowhead’s Farewell Tour next April; sad that they’re calling it a day but don’t want to miss their last gig.

Whilst I coped with the sun and heat well today, and am continuing to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, I had a few equipment fails. My tent zip broke again, but I’ve since mended it, and my rear panniers partially came off over a speed bump and had to be re-attached. I lost two of the spacers from the pannier rack attachments, which I’ll need to replace at some point, but they’ll be alright for a bit longer; just means they’re slightly loose and might detach more easily over bumps.

–> 24 June
It was a bit of an effort getting up this morning, after a good night’s sleep and it being a very comfortable temperature in my tent, shaded by trees. Perhaps the broken zip was a good thing, as it lets cooler air circulate, but I don’t want the circulation to include mosquitos!

Peupliers - Smaug packed for another day

Peupliers – Smaug packed for another day

I probably should have taken a rest day at the Peupliers campsite, but as usual I felt the urge to be on the move. A few of us cycle tourers have been discussing ‘Why go cycle touring?’ and what drives us to keep going, or what pace to go at. It’s an interesting topic and can depend on whether you’re cycling solo or as part of a group. Tony wrote a blog post on it here – http://gillandtony.co.uk/why-go-cycle-touring/

I tend to travel quite fast, relatively speaking, and bank time to use in the future in case I find somewhere I want to stop, or divert to. It would probably be different if I was touring with other people, as I’d spender longer in places, maybe, I don’t know, will have to give it a try sometime. To an extent it can depend on how you’re feeling, and usually the battle is a mental one not a physical one.

Feeling pretty good, mentally as well as physically, I got off to an early start and pedalled off through lots of countryside and small villages, passing old churches and fields full of ripening corn and growing sunflowers. You get the impression not much has changed around here for hundreds of years, aside from the fact they’re using combine harvesters now, a few of which are already seeing some action.

I headed down to Ruflec, then on to Verteuil-sur-Charente, a delightful small town with a beautiful château, and very picturesque streets and buildings built alongside the river. I stopped for lunch and was reminded that Camembert doesn’t travel well in the sun – it was a bit runny but still tasted fine, and the bananas complimented it well.

Then it was a long ride down to Angouleme, involving quite a lot of hills and many more small towns. I went through a lot of water again as the temperature approached 30 degrees, and may well have exceeded that. It was pretty dusty too, and the pollen count is still a bit high which can cause irritation; lovely down by the river though.

Angouleme itself is built on a hill and dates back many centuries. It commands an important convergence of several roads, and because of this has been the site of many conflicts over the years, coming under siege a lot. After a fierce climb in the heat to get to the centre, I paused for a look around before heading West.

It took me a little while to find but I joined a cycle path alongside the Charente post Angouleme, which took me towards Sireuil, my destination for the day.

Latterly I passed quite a lot of grape vines, an encouraging sign, before reaching Camping du Nizour. I stopped at a shop on my way there and bought some strawberry milk, which hit the spot. I think milk, and flavoured milk, is going to become a new staple, it being cold, and full of calories and protein. I drank loads on my Bike around Britain tour but had forgotten about it until now; it really is perfect for long distance cycle touring, and recovery from any sort of exercise.

Grapevines in Sireuil

Grapevines in Sireuil

The campsite was another good’un, with a swimming pool and bar/snack cafe, and not expensive. The pool was a blessing after hot day, and really revitalised me, having pedalled slightly further than intended due to a bendy route. The friendly and helpful owners gave me another chance to practise my French as I tried to decide on my route for the next few days; they also supplied reasonably priced cold beer.

Planning session in Camping du Nizour - where to next?

Planning session in Camping du Nizour – where to next?

As I may have mentioned already I need to slow down a bit so that I don’t overshoot a rendezvous with my parents in Northern Spain, in about a week’s time, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll definitely have a day off before then, probably near Bordeaux, and will try to have couple of slower/shorter days which might be a bit of a challenge given earlier comments; it’s really hard to slow down sometimes. I’m on track to get to Salamanca for my birthday, which  looks like a great city to visit, and whilst I have time on my side I don’t want to get too distracted and end up not getting there in time. I think it’ll all work out fine, but I must remember there are some rather large hills/mountains coming up!

One other thing from today; I’m finding it easier to get in the zone, and not keep looking at my odometer and how far I’ve pedalled since breakfast. Cycling for hours gives me time to think about lots of things, especially when I’m ignoring my Garmin, whilst keeping one eye on the route; I’ve neglected to do that a few times and ended up in a few odd places – usually fun but sometimes frustrating. Stuff I’ve been mulling over recently includes writing a book based on my journey, but a parallel fantasy version thereof involving an adventure, trolls, no doubt a quest or two, and giving people, places and events I’ve encountered a slight twist. For example Helsinger in Denmark might turn into a place where monks sing day and night, to keep the demons escaping from hell. I probably ought to think about writing and trying to publish a factual account of my tour too, but one thing at a time.

I also keep thinking about what I want to do with the rest of my life, the eternal question that so many ask of themselves. I envy those people who seem to know exactly what they want to do when they grow up, although I don’t think there are that many who are certain. Maybe I just haven’t grown up yet! I’ll keep mulling possibilities over, but one thing’s for sure, more adventures either by bike, foot, or otherwise, are on the cards.

I pedalled 113km both on 23 and 24 June, but it took half an hour longer on the 24th (6.5hrs) due to more hills. My total miles since Nordkapp, including today (25/06), now stands at 3,233 miles; that’s over 5,200km!

Apologies for any spelling errors, I’ve had to write this a bit more quickly than normal due to wi-fi limitations. I’ll also try to re-label some of the photos more accurately at some point.