Bicycle repaired and to L'Hospital-St Blaise

Today began after another great nights sleep. After packing up outside on the patio below my room,

I found a small bike and motorcycle repair shop right in town and was able to get my shifter cable fixed. I also bought a French/English dictionary, more maps of southern France and some fruit, cheese and bread for the day. The small town was a busy tourist stop.

I also toured around on foot in this old medieval walled city. 

I didn't hit the road until 1:00. Soon I encountered a very intense Canadian rider headed my way. He was going all of the way to the Mediterranean. He thought he would make it in 4 days and had his rout all picked out with rooms reserved. I looked at his itinerary and didn't say but thought he was crazy. Not my style, I headed out on the same route a few minutes ahead of him thinking he would catch me in a few miles. Instead it took him over a half hour and about 10 miles to catch me. I wished him luck and moved on at my own leisurely pace.

All day long the Pierenies loomed to my south.

Although I had avoided them, I still was able to get in 2 or 3 good climbs today. Near the end of the day I thought I would head into Orolon a pretty big town for a room, but about 5:30 when I made a wrong turn I came across by accident an old hospital that was now a historic site. And when I saw the yellow shell, the sign of the el Camino trail I knew I was in luck and had tripped over an albergue.

There was a young couple who lived there and in exchange for free rent took care of the place. They were really great, and the bunk house was in an old stone building next to the church. There was a middle aged French couple with 4 grown children, an older Italian couple walking el Camino in stages, 2 weeks at a time over 10 years from Italy to Santiago and a crazy Australian guy I had dinner with.

He was recently divorced and doing the walk to find a new wife. From what I saw of the ratio of men to women on the trail, he would have no problem. 

Welcome to France

The day began with an early wake up call and a very quiet ride through San Sebastián. A really lovely city that I hope to come back to along with Bilbao to explore some day with my sweetheart. 

This a sunrise and not a sunset.

To leave the city on the small back roads I like to find, there was a way out I learned of that had me cross over a small river without a bridge.

This was followed by about a mile through an old village consisting of only very small alleys where only a person on foot or bicycle could pass.

The day was off to a great start!! But just when you think you have it made disaster struck. A mechanical failure on my bicycle. The cable for the rear gear shifter broke. I could still ride but only on the lowest rear gear cog. I could shift the front 3gears but without the rear I could not climb anything greater than about a 3% grade. In Spain and for today's ride to the border this would mean a lot of walking up hill. I changed my route and began to limp along. Since I was on main roads now, when I saw a bike path I followed it, only to have it dwindle down to a gravel path and then just a foot trail. By now I was committed and needed to get back to the road. 

Asking directions, a runner said I could get back to the road if I walked on and took the next right turn. About a half mile later, this is what I saw to my right.

Heading straight down!!!!

It turns out this was a washed out stream and the foot trail, now hidden crossed over the wash out and eventually I found the correct right and made it back to the road. After regrouping in the beautiful beach side border town of Hendaye, I dealt with the reality of a broken bicycle on a Sunday when nothing was open. Wanting to ride rather than hang out with a bunch of weekend tourists, I decided to continue on. Now on more main roads with less steep climbs, I found the going surprisingly good.

French roads were great, well marked and for now no hills. I followed a river heading away from the coast along the foot hills of the Pierenies to my west and made some good time. The hills were gradual and though some a bit of a strain, needing to be climbed standing up, I didn't have to walk. I had heard of a great albergue that was a starting point for many walking pilgrims in St. Jean-Pier-de-Port where there was also a bike shop. Although a bit far and although I would arrive late I decided to go for it. With about 30 miles to go at about 6:30, I grew tired of the main highway with a lot of cars now with Sunday traffic returning from the coast and I took a side parallel road on the other side of the river.

It was a beautiful road along the river where people were swimming and rafting, a lot of tourists and some really cool villages, one named Pas de Roland I couldn't miss for my friend Rolland Miller. I had a great swim and felt tired but fine.

Except the only problem now was that there was much more up and down and I had to walk up 6 or more of the steeper hills. Such is the price I pay for the scenery and adventure.

A little late I made it to St. Jean about 8 and with my good karma found a piligramo, they are easy to spot, and followed him to a bed and shower in this old house next to an ever older church. Tomorrow I will take photos of this old walled village up on the hill.

I slept in a bunk right inside the open window upstairs on the right. And drank some wine with a young Austrian of 21 and a young Korean girl who were just starting their walk to Santiago. Both spoke English. Also a French bicyclist was there but none of the French speak English.

Quite an eventful day, as usual.

My last day in Espania

I woke early today after a great nights sleep. The same could not be said for the town of Markina which was very hung over after an all night party. There were still some youths drinking beer at a bar in the town square when I got up, and the town clean up crew was sweeping and washing the streets.

I headed out on my way down the valley again to the coast.

La fountains del pueblo por la mañana 

Back to the coast.

It was another cool very comfortable day and since it was a Saturday and a beautiful ride along the coast up to San Sebastián the road was packed with cyclists.

And again beautiful views and beaches.

I also made a great break through today, and discovered for food that after my morning coffee, with a stop at one of the many markets I could buy some fresh fruit, bread, cheese and sausage for the day and eat whenever as I got hungry during the day. The peaches, plumbs, cherries, and nectarines are in  season and delicious.

As I got closer to San Sabastian I opted for a climb up a mountain slong the coast and through some farm country and a park before going down and into the city.

This guy didn't scare me in spite of the photos on TV in every bar of people being trampled by bulls in Pamplona.

It was a great ride and I was just letting the day come to me and when I stopped for water in a picnic area and a little dog came over, I made a friend.

It turned out he was the dog of a young couple who were finishing dinner and offered me som delicious tacos they had left .Turns out she was Mexican and spoke some English and he was Spanish we had a very nice chat. All of the good carma I had gathered picking up litter along the way came back to me.

Mis nuevos amigos del dia.

The day ended with easily finding an albergue in town, i ran across a guy who had just spent half the day finding where it was hidden and took me there. It was very full and in a big 1970's catholic school. It reminded me of what I imagine it would be like to stay at Kripaulu. I met some nice people and had dinner with 2 nice ladies, one a therapist from Denmark heading home after 14 days hiking el Camino and another a writer/teacher from Toulouse France just 2 days in on a 3 week journey, both spoke English and I got some good insight on what lay ahead.

The albergue was run by a guy that reminded me so much of our dear friend Ed Treitler. The door was locked at 10 o'clock and lights out at 10:15.

Another great day ..... Tomorrow a Francia.

A Basque birthday

The day began quietly with an early start and down the hill into Bilbao. I rode the metro again out of town and began the ride where the roads were better. I am now in the heart of Basque Country which looks pretty much the same although the mountains are getting higher. I started with a few rolling hils and then a turn off the main road across som pretty big 400 meter climbs.

The old and the new, note the windmills that are just beyond this centuries old church below.

This is a very popular cycling area and today I probably saw more bicycles than cars. At each little village I have learned to ask for "la fontana del pueblo". There is always fresh cold water in a very public spot where there is a spigot. Like this.

Any cyclist passing through will stop an get water. I stopped at many and chatted with several. Usually friendly local guys on light fast road bikes out for a daily ride. At one little willage fountana I ate some fresh fruit, bread, cheese and local sausage I had bought in a market and asked several guys about my route. I received unanimous advice to take the coastal route rather than Pamplona and the Pierinis. They all said that the Alps are high, but the Pierinis are almost as high but very wide, and you must keep climbing up and down for days to get through. More on this latter. After the 2nd long climb I descended into the town of Markina a very prosperous Basque town about the size of G Barrington. I had heard there was a nice albergue to stay at so I check it out. I had to show my credentials, i.e. passport and el Camino pass and they noticed I was from NY and that it was my birthday!!! Well the celebration began.

While I sat looking at my map lady who ran the albergue brought over her friends to sing Feliez Complianos. This albergue was definitely not the normal monk like meditative affair. As with many it was in a very old annex to the church with dorm rooming and communal baths, but very old and cool. And after being on my bicycle for 65 miles today all I want is to sleep.

This is the court yard of the albergue, the rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

But I have learned to expect the unexpected and believe it or not today is the pueblo's annual festival. It is like the Pittsfield 4th of July, the Stockbridge Memorial Day parade and St. Patrick Day in Boston all combined.

Quite a birthday!! As my my spiritual guide and mentor Steve Yarmo said to me "free and on my own, but definitely not alone".

I am thinking of you all at home and love you all. Most of all mi esposa Sarah Hart.

Into Bilbao

Today was another lesson in how dramatically different reality is from ones expectations. But I will get to that when I get to the end of the post when I describe the end of the day today.

After a great nights sleep in the hotel in Ampuero last night I had a leisurely departure since I expected to have a relatively easy day to Bilbao. 

This is the first climb. I start iin the little village below.

This was the 2 nd climb

After these ascents I figured I would have a nice long decent to the ocean and then about a 30 mile ride up the coast from Castro Urdiales to Bilbao. I had heard a lot about Bilbao and thought it would be a good place to spend the night, and I was tilde there were many hostels and several alberges. 

These pictures are of Castro-Urdiales.

Well the short ride up the coast as I am learning, anywhere in this part so Spain involves big hills. After another few moderate to big climbs I finally descended into what I trout would be Bilbao. When I got near what I thought was the city I found a really great bike path and thought I has home free.

Only to have the bike path dump me onto some pretty urban roads. When the roads started to get dangerous and at one point I went through a tunnel through a mountain, I understood that I had become accustom to rural life and now I was in a BIG city. So much for expectations! Wisely I got off the road and stopped for a coffee and sweet. I have found that my Spanish is pretty good when I talk and I can express myself pretty well and people seem to understand me. But when they talk, it is all a blurr and no compare do nada. They woulall point ant it was always to a busy road that I would get killed on. Until one really nice man saw my desperation and told me to take the subtierra. The underground, metro. Brilliant!! With all the commuters and the help of s really great metro employee I hopped on a train the treturous last few miles to downtown.

For a place to stay I found the very helpful Informacion de touristica where they alr always very helpful and always help me find a hostel or albergue for a shower and a bed.

Well now came big surprise #2. The city was in the middle of a HUGE music festival, and every room in town was booked. But upon looking like the entirely desperate piligramo that I was they sent me to where the el Camino pilgrims could stay. Mostly the alberges are in an annex to a very old church, but this one was a huge hotel/dorm on a sort of college campus.

But they too were filled, and the sent me of cours further up a huge very steep hill to another dorm like building. All the while the sort of park area on the side of this mountain overlooking the city was getting mobbed with kids. They were everywhere arriving in by the bus loads, in cabs and on foot. I was being directed toward the center of a Woodstock festival!! There were police directing traffic, and since I had wisely gotten the last place with no rooms to write down where I was supposed to go, they ere able to send me to a sort of school where indeed there were el Camino hikers and bikers and I got an upper bunk bed and a shower. I was very happy an in spite of being in a bunk house setting with about 25 people and noise all night long from the music and partying I slept like a log. 

Quit a night for for the night before my birthday.

2 days from Gijon to Ampuero

The last 2 days since Gijon I have had a hard time getting Internet, plus I have been living closer to the earth staying in an el Camino albergue in Saint Estefon and last night sleeping under the stars along side a lighthouse on the beach in Saunces. Tonight I am in a little village about 50 miles from Bilbao. I have left the coast where half of the time it is beautiful but half the time it is cool with a misty fog rolling in off the ocean.

I have been making pretty good time logging in about 70 miles per day since Gijon. This in spite of a lot of up and down. I found if I stay along the coast there is a big decent at every river, town or beach, with a big climb to follow. If I move inland there are bigger climbs but much fewer.

I will close with a bunch of photos, which I have gotten better at taking since Hannah grace me her great handlebar bag where I can keep my iPad/camera handy.

 Fog rolling in

Breach without the misty fog

Church and albergue where I stayed on Monday

My afternoon comida on Tuesday, a lobster payalla.

One of many little villages and churches along the way.

Anywhere there is a sandy spot the locals head to the beach with their umbrellas.

Alan on the road

View from my table at dinner tonight ....... Good night!