Day 11 Leon to Rabanal del Camino

Day 11 Leon to Rabanal del Camino

44.14 (total 391.08)

Hospital de Orbigo

Today we are off nice and early again but this is a day in which everything changes. Firstly, it’s quite cool at the off. Farmaicia signs say the temperature is down at 10/12 degrees, and we can feel the difference. Secondly, we are rolling off the Meseta plain today and into Galicia. Here we are going back into hills, the Mountains of Leon in fact and we have discussed our strategy for dealing with two major climbs that lie ahead. Today we have a fairly flat run as far as Astorga (about 25 miles on from Leon) but from there it is climbing. The climb is not steep to start with but we expect it be steep up to the Cruz del Ferro. Not just steep but also a long climb. So, taking all this into account, our plan is to take the lower and shallow part of the climb leaving the steep part for tomorrow and fresh legs. On that basis we select Rabanal del Camino as our target for the day as the guide book says there are several places to stay in what is only a small village.

Astorga - Bishops Palace

So we ride off into the last of the flat lands only noticing that the wheat fields of the Meseta have been replaced with vineyards and other green crops. We covered 20 miles by 9:30 and wandered into Hospital de Orbigo to see the long Roman bridge and for breakfast of coffee and tostada’s, or croissants for me, just for a change. The bites to my legs are still sore and one has turned into a blister that could win prizes so I use the break to apply some cream and put some plasters on the blister. From Hospital de Orbigo we start to climb gently towards Astorga where we find yet another stunning cathedral and a Bishop’s Palace built by Gaudi. We stop for coffee and have a quick look around and then carry on once more.

Rabanal del Camino - church

The climb ramps up a bit after Astorga and we are climbing steadily and into a headwind for the next 12 miles to Rabanal del Camino. By the time we get there we are pretty much running on empty at which point we remember that we have only stopped to eat the once, and then we had very little. At least the temperatures had stayed down and we had not had to deal with heat as well. The aubergue is very different to any we have stayed at before; it’s more like a wild west town as it is open to the skies but has a bar and a cafe as well as the dormitories and other facilities. I take a half hour break before I start the scrubbing up and clothes washing just to recover.

We ate in the aubergue and later went to a small and very ancient church where a group of monks sang vespers. The service was much shorter than others that we had attended and in its setting, it seemed to connect well with past pilgrims going back over the centuries.

We later had a discussion about progress as we knew that we had to get to Santiago fairly quickly if we were to get back to Bayonne in time to pick up the European Bike Express. Our estimate was that we had about 140 miles still to do and that we should be able to manage 40 miles at a minimum each day. On this basis we estimated Wednesday as our arrival day in Santiago and we knew that there was no room for any slippage.

Day 10 El Burgo Ranero to Leon

Day 10 El Burgo Ranero to Leon

24.07 (total 346.93)

Mansilla - pilgrims cross

We knew that today was a short run. We had the luxury of twin rooms. We stopped in bed until 6:10! We also had the advantage of a quick pack up as we hadn’t needed sleeping bags and towels out the night before so, after feasting on toast, marmalade and coffee bought especially for breakfast; we were off by 7:30. It was pan flat roads again and a steady run of 16 miles or so to Mansilla, our next meeting up point, but I managed to lose the route in Reliego’s. I think someone had painted some extra yellow arrows on the road to divert traffic to a bar. We met up in Mansilla and had more breakfast before riding on to Leon. I also passed the two nuns I had met the night before. We said our Buen Caminos and I looked down at my cycle computer to see how far they had walked, and that was 8.5 miles. I reckoned that they had probably set off walking about 5:00 to get where they were.

Leon Cathedral

Malcolm had been talking for a few days about going straight on to Santiago so as we completed the long gentle climb up into Leon, Malcolm said his adios and veered off to follow the N120. The trio remaining rolled down into Leon to find the aubergue which turned out to be very close to the cathedral. As we rolled up to the hostel I again met the two nuns who had booked in before us and wondered just how they had managed to get to Leon before us. We did find out later that they had walked 20k and then caught a bus. We booked into the hostel and I was taken to one side by one of the nuns to ask about my legs. One of the bites had by now turned into a very large blister and all of the others were red and angry. She was concerned that I had picked up bed bugs and was bringing them into this aubergue.

After booking in we set off into town. Lunch was kebabs, and very nice too. We then found that it was siesta time as virtually everything shut down. We did find a bar with lots of horses outside and we think there was a wedding going on. We decided that siesta time should be taken advantage of so we drifted down to the park by the river where we spread out under the shade of a tree. One hour and ten minutes later I woke to find Chris had disappeared (in search of a McDonalds as it happened) and Ricky stirring. We walked back up into town calling at a Farmacie for me to get some cream for my legs, and then a cake shop for coffee and ..... cake.

Local band

The cathedral didn’t disappoint although it was not as spectacular as the cathedral at Burgos. We ate and then decided to go to the mass as the aubergue today was in a convent. Ricky and I went into the church and I was keeping an eye open for Chris when I heard a commotion from outside. It turned out that today was a feast day (most days are, so no surprise there) and there was a group outside with a drummer and a chap playing a clarinet style instrument all accompanied by dancing figures, the figures being some 15/16 feet high. The mass itself was strange in that it was clearly led by the nuns from the convent but a priest was also present as the nuns were unable to undertake some parts of the service. One of the nuns was sat at what I took to be a piano but when she started to play it was a very mellow organ. A good accompaniment to one of the nuns who led the responses and who had a beautiful singing voice.

After the mass it was time for bed. In the hostel we met Jim (of Jim and Karen) again, and we also met our friend Jose who had helped us over the Pyrenees once more. Although I was in bed early I didn’t have the best of nights. My legs hurt quite a lot with the bites that I had picked up, it was quite warm and my bunk was near the windows and the partying went on well into the night. 

Day 9 Fromista to El Burgo Ranero

Day 9 Fromista to El Burgo Ranero

50.81 (total 322.86)

Santo Domingo

Another early start. Up at 5:30, bike packed and ready to roll by 6:30 and on the road by 7:00. The fields that had been hot and tedious in the heat of the afternoon yesterday were now cool, welcoming and a joy to ride through. Ricky and I set off first with Chris and Malcolm following behind. It was 11.5 miles to Carrion de los Condes where we had agreed to come together again for breakfast and it was a very happy hour spent riding along. The bike hummed along the quiet roads to the sound of the birds chirping happily away. Even the tyres on the road and the chain pulling through the gears added to the general sense of well being. Perhaps this was just as well, as we had decided to spend some time in Leon and the intention today was to press on a bit further so that we had just a short run to Leon tomorrow. We had even resisted the warnings in the aubergue that accommodation ahead may be difficult and the advice to book ahead – unusual as most of the accommodation is on a first come first served basis.

The Meseta Plain

Carrion de los Condes was the breakfast stop so the usual coffee con leche and tostada’s were ordered and we sat outside planning the rest of the day. Sahagun was the obvious place to stay on this particular night as after that the route went through small villages with limited accommodation. El Burgo Ranero was further down the road and had two aubergues according to our guide book, so we decided to make that our target for the day as it moved us about 12 miles nearer to Leon. Our guide books also warned us that we had another 20 miles of not very much in front of us on a rapidly heating day so we stocked up with food, buying some boccadillos from the cafe and naranja’s from the market that was setting up. Then it was slap on the sunscreen again before setting off for Sahagun.

The ride from Carrion de los Condes to Sahagun was unremarkable. We cycled 27 miles virtually without stopping except to fill water bottles at roadside fountains. This was the Meseta plain; flat, hot and nothing. Sahagun, welcome as it was, did nothing to inspire either. We stopped at a cafe and called in at the aubergue to have our credentials stamped. We had met up with Jim and Karen again so had a chat with them before setting off again. We found our way back onto the N120 and then onto side roads again. We came to a roundabout where we expected to find a turn off to Bercianos del Real Camino but there were no signs. We were scratching our heads in puzzlement, but then we spotted the road a short distance away, lurking behind some bushes. The road simply stopped 50 yards short of the roundabout. We had to cross a bit of rough ground to get on the road, but that was the one!

The usual weather pattern had also sprung up as the day had gone on. It had been perfectly still early in the morning with a blustery breeze becoming more prevalent as the morning wore on. The breeze had now been replaced by a steady westerly that was blowing in from our left. Just a few more degrees would have made it a friendly wind but as it was it was blowing against us.

By the time we reached El Burgo Ranero the early rising, the heat and the wind had us pretty tired so we started to look for accommodation. The first aubergue gave preference to walkers and the second was already full but they could offer us two twin rooms for the princely rate of €20 per room. It was a bargain and with the luxury of having our own shower! It was especially welcome for me as I also had the opportunity to soak my legs which were still suffering from the insect bites.

Useful Road Signs

So it was into the routine of scrub up and wash clothes before relaxing in the very large garden; one which housed several wooden sheds/chalets that in turn provided beds for pilgrims. It was in this garden that I first met two nuns from Berlin who were walking the Camino having set out from Roncesvalles several weeks before.

As usual, there was a bar not far away and we ate there, again choosing from the Perrigrino’s menu. There was quite a crowd watching Euro 2012 in the bar as we left and we spotted the two nuns in the best seats watching the match (Germany were playing). I was posed for a photo so that Chris could take a picture of the nuns over my shoulder . We then spent quite a while trying to think of a punchline to, “there were two nuns in a bar watching a football match.....”.

We also had a bit of a change as instead of us losing Malcolm, tonight Malcolm lost us. Chris and I had just assumed that he had got back to the aubergue before us but he hadn’t. It transpired that Malcolm phoned Ricky after we had turned in as he couldn’t find his way back to the aubergue. Poor Ricky had to get up again and go and find him. Lucky it was only a small place!

 

Day 8 Burgos to Fromista

Day 7 Burgos to Fromista

47.25 (total 272.04)

Yet another 6:00 and out of bed to get on the road in the cool of the morning. As we left the aubergue a young man with a severe speech impediment and some physical disabilities came along to claim a rather nice looking bike that we had been admiring. He had some laminated cards to tell us that his disabilities resulted from some medical negligence when he was young. He entertained us by kicking his shoes against the wall to get them on but came across as a thoroughly nice guy.

Another empty and pan flat road

We rode as far as Tardajos before stopping for coffee and tortilla where we met Jim and Karen. These two were hauling Bob Yaks and we met them again several times over the next few days. There was a climb about 7 miles after Tardajos but this was followed by a long descent as we rolled onto the Meseta plain for several days on flat land. The roads now were quiet, very quiet and the day was heating up rapidly. The guide books warned of high temperatures with few places to stop and buy food or collect water. The guide books were right. The sun got hotter and the heat just bounced back off mile after mile of wheat fields at the side of the road. The roads were long and straight. The rider in front shimmered in the heat and any car that passed (and there were very few) was visible for many minutes. Villages visible in the distance teased us by not getting any nearer.

And another day over!

We came across a garage so stopped to fill water bottles and pick up biscuits and the like to help us keep going. There was then a long haul of going on for 20 miles to Castrojeriz, 20 miles of nothing! Castrojeriz, on the other hand, was a nice village with a nice church, but it was all closed. The aubergue in the village was open so we collected a stamp for our credentials but there was nowhere to stock up on food. That being the case we carried on to Fromista using local roads, noticing only that a wind struck up from the west as the afternoon progressed.

One of the things that had struck during the day was the extensive arrangements made to move water around in order to water the crops. This was achieved by various means including canals (as they called them). There was a canal cascading down the small hill as we entered Fromista which served only to remind us that we were thirsty. Just as we entered the market square there was a small bar that kept us supplied with Tonic Water as we had discovered that this was a good thirst quencher.

Crossing boundaries

Again we booked into the aubergue and after scrubbing up and washing clothes we were sat outside and then fell asleep on the benches in the market square, by the church. Again, our evening meal was in the bar right outside the aubergue and again, we chose from the Perrigrino’s menu. Again, we were in bed early, certainly by 9:30. Apparently Spain won the semi finals that night and there were fireworks and much partying, none of which I heard!

Day 6 Belorado to Burgos

Day 6 Belorado to Burgos

30.15 (total 224.79)

After my extra hours sleep it was up at 6:00, breakfast in the aubergue and then on the road again. At breakfast we met Ann, another person from Leeds, who had been made redundant and had decided to do something positive with the time it gave her. For the second morning my legs were quite sore with the bites that I had picked up.

Burgos Cathedral

Leaving Belorado was straight forwards but it was interesting to see that while some of the buildings were quite well maintained and refurbished (the aubergue being an example) other properties were in a state of advanced dilapidation.

The road to Burgos was much busier and there was a lot of traffic on the N120. The ride itself was fairly tedious because of the traffic and as the scenery was also bland at best as farms turned into industrial sites and then into a busy cityscape. There was also some climbing to be done, nothing as serious as we had been doing but still difficult under a hot sun. Once topped, however, the descent was a long one and went just about all the way to Burgos. The most noteworthy incident was Ricky snapping another drive side spoke on the rear wheel at Villafranca. This was put to rights by the purchase of anew back wheel once we got to Burgos. Malcolm also got pulled by the local constabulary as we entered the city because he kept riding wide into the carriageway. He was told to stay in the bike lane.

Crossing the river and entrance to main square

Burgos itself was quite stunning. We quickly found the Municipal aubergue just behind the cathedral, booked in, and then went out to look at the city. The place was teeming with people but there were plenty of quiet shady places to sit down by the river and there was a large plaza in front of the cathedral to be enjoyed. Much time was spent in the cathedral which was unbelievably large and absolutely opulent; very light and airy, unlike cathedrals back in the UK. There were countless side chapels each containing gold by the hundredweight, and with paintings, statues and icons probably worth thousands of pounds. Most notable was the silver funeral carriage which we guessed was used for El Cid, and the huge staircase that had been built after an extension had been built that required a new entrance at ground level.

Staircase in Burgos Cathedral

There was also a small church just up the road from our aubergue that was open for visitors. Here the alter was floor to ceiling with details figures setting out stories from the Bible. This was just a small church but with a huge history and much to explore. Typical really of the whole area that we were riding through.

Despite the opulence and the riches we were all aware that this was the place where Martin Sheen had his bag stolen in the film The Way. Perhaps that made us aware of the fact that there were poor people and beggars around, some of whom were approaching pilgrims and tourists asking for money.

Again, we chose to eat from the Perrigrino’s menu in the bar next to the aubergue and turned in fairly early. Although I slept well again I was nevertheless aware of plenty of noise into the night right through until 4:00 or so. They know how to party in Burgos and I suspevct that they have plenty of feast days to practice.

Day 5 Logrono to Belorado

Day 5 Logrono to Belorado

46.50 (total 194.62)

We were up at 6:00 with a clear blue sky already beginning to show. Today was going to be hot again, and hot it turned out to be with temperatures into the high 30’s. I had very sore legs as well, not with the cycling bus as a result of several bites that were very itchy, red and inflamed. Strangely, my legs hurt to walk but were fine on the bike.



Santa Domingo



Chris and I had already had a good look at the maps and finding the way out looked fairly easy as we followed the walker’s route out of town. We only made the one error and a chap riding a scooter quickly put us on the right road. For the first few miles we were riding on tarmac paths out past a nature reserve where we stopped for coffee and tostada’s. At this point Malcolm produced a good quality A5 map of Logrono from his previous visit complete with our route marked on it.

Church in Belarado

We eventually joined the N120 which would become a firm friend as we journeyed on. We rode through Naverrete and on to Najera before stopping for coffee again. Malcolm fancied a pipe before we set off again so Ricky and I rolled out and I noted that the hills were softening. At that point we rejoined the N120 and began a climb similar in grade to the A660 out of Otley, but this went for 8 miles or so before we reached the top. It was nowhere near as steep as many we had climbed but it was carrying a lot of traffic, lorries especially, and it was very, very hot. All of those conditions made it quite a demanding climb and we were happy to reach the top where we found a disused garage that was able to offer us some shade as we tried to cool down. Not my usual style but I was so hot at this point I used half a bottle of water to pour over my head to help the cooling process. From there it was a steady ride on to Santo Domingo for lunch at a pavement cafe and a quick explore of the older part of the town together with collection of a stamp from the church on our credentials.

After lunch we pushed on towards Belorado having had some discussion about taking a half day the next day to stop and have a look around Burgos.

Aubergue in Belarado

Our aubergue in Belorado was run by a young lady who had spent many years around Durham and Newcastle but who had returned to live in Spain. The aubergue also had a pool which we were able to use. The dormitory was on the top floor and consisted of one large room with many beams running just at head height! There were quite a few bangs during the night! Before we had dinner in the aubergue I had time to explore the town and found the church open. It was pleasant to sit in the cool and the quiet for a while simply contemplating the journey so far, and what was still to come.

Dinner was in the aubergue and the Spanish Omelette was very good. We shared a table with Chuck, a guy from West Virginia who tried to spend at least 6 weeks a year trekking. After dinner everyone sat around in the garden chatting but we were shooed to bed at 10:00 to be ready for the next day. Again, my bunk was close to the windows so I had a cooling breeze which helped. Despite that I awoke to check my watch and was about to get up thinking it was 6:00. At that point I heard the chimes from the church and counted only five so I rolled over for a luxury hour!

Day 4 Puenta le Reina to Logrono

Day 4

Puenta le Reina to Logrono

45.65 (total 148.12)



Church - Villtuerta

It had been a hot night but my bunk was next to the window so I had a slight breeze to keep me cool. There were eight of us in the room and gentle snoring had been present but despite all of that I slept well and was ready for getting up at 5:45. We were on the road by 7:30 in the cool of the morning. I particularly noticed how loud the dawn chorus was with the joy of a new day.



More tostada's

By 9:00, after climbing fairly steadily, we had reached Villatuerta and stopped for what was to become a common order, “Tres Coffee con leche y tres tostadas, por favor.”. After breakfast we crossed the bridge and rode up the short hill to the church which was all locked up. A house nearby had the stamp for our credentials before we continued on towards Estella. As we approached Estella the A12 could be seen going up the hillside out but our road seemed to be going in a different direction and avoiding the hill. Wrong! As we went through the town there suddenly appeared a tunnel through the hillside and this was the start of a long climb of about 4 miles up through Irache (we missed the wine fountain!) on which we gained around 800 feet in height. The road then levelled out after that and Malcolm found his legs to zoom away and we lost contact for a while. We thought that we would all meet up again at Los Arcos so Chris, Ricky and myself went around the town but we could not find Malcolm, who, it turned out, had headed on to Logrono.



Los Arcos

Again we had level roads heading away from Los Arcos but the few miles going out of our next village, Torres del Rio stay with me vividly. Here we were climbing steadily up steep hills and I was effectively on my own, Chris was somewhere up front and Ricky somewhere behind. The road was very quiet with virtually no traffic. A pattern developed where the road kept going around shoulders of the hill with a climb up one shoulder and then down into the valley before climbing up again. Each descent was fast, each climb was steep. This went on for about 5 miles and in the context of mid 30’s heat under a relentless sun with very little shade. I became intensely aware that I had only half a bottle of water left and that a simple puncture could cause me great difficulty in the heat. Happily, nothing happened to cause an upset but it was great relief that I rolled down the final descent into Viana to find Chris sat waiting at the roundabout.

Once Ricky had caught up we stopped for lunch and drinks in Viana. The final approach to the town was up a steep hill with a park at the top. I spotted a water fountain and went to fill up but a man walking his dog managed to get across that the water was not good. He directed us towards the town centre through a gateway and we entered a network of narrow streets. The whole place was heaving as it was Sunday afternoon and many families were meeting to eat.  We then met the same man and his dog and who again directed us to a bar/cafe for some food.

Viana

From Viana it was a steady ride to Logrono where a pizza delivery boy led us to the aubergue on his motor scooter. Unfortunately there were two hostels and Malcolm was sat waiting at the other one. We got directions and went across but there was not enough accommodation for us so we all rode back to the first aubergue where we booked in. We ate that night in the bar next to the aubergue and where Euro 2012 was on the TV. The lady who served us in the bar kept us all entertained with her descriptions of the menu being largely “moo” and “baa”! We did have some serious discussion as Ricky was concerned that he was holding us back when we could be making faster progress. There was some recognition that we may not make Santiago but it was clear that we wanted to stay together as a group and that we wanted to enjoy the trip, being able to stop and see things as we went.

Again it was yet another early night, being in bed by 9:30 to be ready for another early start.

Viana







Day 3 Espinal to Puenta le Reina

Day 4 Saturday 23rd June 2012

Espinal to Puenta le Reina

44.96 (total 102.47)



Erro, another big hill coming up!



Although getting over the Pyrenees the hard way had been quite a buzz there was some concern about the low mileage achieved and the impact this would have on our arriving in Santiago. This was a recurrent theme as we knew that we were tight for time, especially so as we still had to arrange to get ourselves back to Bayonne and there remained many mysteries about how that would be done. When riding into Espinal we were still discussing whether or not to carry on to get a few more miles in as the guide book said the terrain was relatively flat to descending overall. Local opinion was otherwise, however, mentioning that there were some climbs ahead.

Breakfast was provided for us and after that we were away by 8:30 keen to get a few miles in the bag. The first few miles were very pleasant with plenty of downhill until we came to Erro where we met our first Spanish hill, long and steep being the order of the day. The road hair pinned its way up the Alto de Erro for a couple of miles being unrelentingly steep all of the way. There was little traffic but the odd lorry passed and I kept listening for a change in engine tone that suggested some slackening in the grade. It was a long time coming but I straight away appreciated changing the inner ring on my bike as the extra low gears gave me plenty of scope to get up the climb. We stopped a while at the summit to enjoy the views, to cool down and to drink. What I had forgotten was that we were still at high altitude being at about 3,000 feet, and it was hot too, so keeping hydrated was going to be important.

The descent from Alto de Erro didn’t disappoint either. It was long and twisty reaching speeds of 40 mph and more. Being Saturday there were lots of local riders out too with gangs riding up in the opposite direction. It was all very friendly with waves and Hola’s. Even white man van was blowing on his horn, not in anger, as in the UK, but with a friendly wave towards the Camino shell hanging from the bar bag. The rapid descent steadied into a gradual downhill just about all the way to Pamplona where we gathered together on the outskirts before entering what the guide book described as a busy and confusing city.



Church in Pamplona



The first job in Pamplona was to find a bike shop to get the broken spoke on Ricky’s back wheel replaced. We experienced real kindness from a man who guided us first to one bike shop that was closed and then to a second where the repair could be made. This took a good quarter of an hour but he declined our offer of coffee. Whilst Ricky’s wheel was being fixed we took up residence in a cafe in the park and realised we were on the Camino route out of town. We also realised just how cheap everything was with coffee and tortilla costing just €2.90.

After collecting Ricky’s fixed bike we were stood in a plaza debating what to do when we our English voices attracted a couple who had walked the Camino three years before and had since married and moved to live in a village just outside Pamplona. The girl was from Burnley and the man from Capetown. They advised us to get inside the church on the plaza quickly as they had never seen it opened before but it was open now for a wedding and was stunning inside. We did just that and they were quite correct about the beauty of the place but we had only moments before the bride arrived and the wedding commenced. We then rode back through Pamplona to the cathedral to collect their stamp on our credentials before setting out once more. It seems that we were there on a festival day as there were bands everywhere, and very loud firecrackers. In fact, most days seemed to be festival days throughout the whole trip.

Typical Pamplona street - no bulls today!

It took a while to find our way out of Pamplona and we sizzled as the temperatures went over 30 degrees. The guide book had warned about roads being upgraded and that bikes were no longer allowed on the A12 route. Being warned, we had studied maps and found a route through Cizur Menor and Cizur Mayor onto local roads but even this proved problematic as a new development had plonked a huge (and I do mean huge) car park serving office developments (all empty) where we had expected the road to be. Eventually we found a way through using the car park and a dirt road beyond it to link up to a roundabout and on to the local roads. In the meantime, Malcolm had been dissuaded from riding along the A12 and we later learnt from some people that did just that, that they had been escorted off the Autovia by a “Camino Support Vehicle”.



Aubergue in Puenta le Reina



Our next big climb was now on the horizon and covered with windmills! The Alto de Perdon (Hill of Forgiveness) was gradually getting nearer and looming large. This gave us a climb of about 1,000 feet in height gain over just a couple of kilometres making it fairly short if pretty steep. It was a slog on a very hot afternoon but once topped it was a fast, cooling descent down the other side (42mph) and from there it was downhill generally all the way to Puenta le Reina and our night’s destination.

We stopped at the first aubergue in Puenta le Reina to scrub up and wash out clothes. The aubergue had a big garden with lots of bike racks, the only down side that we had to carry the bikes through the building next morning to get on the road again.

Roman Bridge in Puenta le Reina

Puenta le Reina itself proved a good stop. We ate at a local cafe, again from the Peregrino’s menu, before having an explore of the place and a walk across the Roman bridge. It was an evening to match the day and everyone was out and about in the streets as we returned to our beds for the night

Day 2 St Jean to Espinal

St Jean to Espinal

22.97 miles (total 57.54)

On the way up

Up at 5:30. This was going to become a regular happening over the next two weeks. Breakfast in the aubergue was toast and coffee. The coffee was served in bowls and one tablespoon of coffee went into each bowl – strong stuff! As first light dawned I was outside getting the bike ready but I had time to stroll around the walls and up to the Citadel before we set off. This was magical. As the rising sun caught the mist in the valleys there was truly beautiful moment as everything lit up. Lots of photo’s were taken but photo’s do not catch the magic of the moment. St Jean is a beautiful place, though, and would be worth visiting for more than a day.

By 7:00 we were on the road and riding down the cobbles into the centre of St Jean. Malcolm had indicated the road out on the day previous and we followed walkers as they set out towards the Pyrenees. It was a good day, the sun was up and warm with a clear blue sky. A perfect day for the job in hand. Sadly, none of us had noted the comment in the Cicerone guide that we needed to head back out of St Jean on the D933 clearly signed to Pamplona to take the route up the Ibaneta Pass. We were 5 kilometres on when we realised that we were on the walkers route going straight over the top. This climbs up to about 4,750 feet (that’s 300 feet higher than Ben Nevis) and is not recommended for a bike, especially a bike carrying a full load of panniers. But by the time we had realised we were well up (or so we thought) and were not going to go back down to climb up the road.

A Welcome Break

So there followed a tortuous day where we managed to ride 13 miles in ten hours. In the course of that ten hours we met some lovely people including a young lady from Melbourne and a fellow cyclist (mtb) called Jose who stayed with us for most of the day and, indeed, was a great help in some very tough spots. We stopped for coffee at Orisson and enjoyed the views and again later at the cafe van further towards the summit. We also passed a shrine to the Madonna which was both beautiful and poignant as it had various notes and artefacts attached.

The Summit

The views from the summit, once we got there, were spectacular, especially when we look down a thousand feet or so towards the church at the head of the Pass which should have been our route! The descent to the church was twisty and quite rough. In fact, we had more problems on this day then on any other as Malcolm punctured just before the summit and Ricky broke two spokes on the descent. One of the spokes was on the drive side of the back wheel so we could not make a repair.

As we rolled down the road from the road summit we had no clear idea of where to stay. We considered stopping and looking around the monastery at Roncesvalles but we decided against as we needed to make some time up. We were also pretty tired after getting the bikes over the Col Lepoeder and were keeping an eye open for somewhere to stay. We asked at a aubergue in Burgette but there was a festival and we were told the night would be noisy. A lady in Espinal offered us Bed & Breakfast for €18 which we were pleased to accept. We had an evening meal in the restaurant in the village square and we talked to a couple who were wild camping. We also had a long conversation with a Spanish gentleman in the restaurant. In his younger days he had spent holidays in Bangor. And all followed by an early night and a good sleep ready for the next day’s ride.

day 1 Lost in France

Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port

34.57 miles

We arrived in Bayonne about 9:00am. The bikes and bags were soon unloaded and everyone was getting set up for a days ride in the nice warm sunshine. Malcolm disappeared behind some bushes to strip off and get his cycling gear on! We only knew he was there because we could see the smoke from his pipe. We got chatting to Chris from Kendal who was also going our way and he tagged along with us for the day and then later for the next two weeks.

We did eventually get away (we were the last to leave) and there was instant disagreement about where we were and the best way out to St Jean. Our route involved crossing a six lane highway to cross a bridge which we managed to do without incident. The ride out of Bayonne was a steady rise but eventually the road quietened as we headed to a lunch stop on the A64 at Cambo le Bains. For some reason, perhaps the mountain terrain, it became very windy and there was lots of small branches littering the road but it nevertheless stayed pleasant and the roads became ever quieter as we followed the river gorge. There were large birds of prey circling in the sky and I saw a chap with a bird cocooned in some fabric as we rode on.

One unusual aspect of the ride was noticing a new type of road kill – snakes!

We arrived at St Jean mid afternoon, had our Pilgrim credentials validated and booked into the aubergue by the Pilgrim’s Office at the top of the old town by the Citadel. Later we went back down into the town to attend the Mass for Pilgrims before setting out on the Pilgrimage proper. Hardly surprising that the service was in French but the sharing of the peace was recognisable and there was some final words in English encouraging Pilgrims to enjoy the experience and to allow the Camino to affect their lives. After that it was food from the Pelligrno’s menu and bed, lights out at ten ready for a six o clock start.

Bus day

Leeds to Bayonne

Having prepared for the ride it was like going to bed on Christmas Eve as a kid, waiting for Santa to pop down the chimney. Not surprisingly. Sleep was in short supply, not helped by the Police helicopter doing a lap of honour at about 3.45 am. In any event, I was up at 5.45 am (setting a pattern for the next few weeks, as it turned out) and at Colton in plenty of time for the 6:30 pick up. Malcolm being concerned about over sleeping he had stayed with us so the two of us were up and raring to go. On top of bikes and panniers we were laden down with provisions for the journey, added to by Ricky and Christine. These supplies kept us going well into France.

Bikes and bodies were soon on the bus and we got a big send off from Sue, Christine, John and Andy. Richard ‘phoned me shortly after Le Grande Depart as he had arrived on time, but the bus had gone a few minutes before. There were only a few people on the bus as we boarded but we kept picking folk up as we journeyed south, and a friendly lot they were too; sharing stories of past trips and advice about trips being undertaken. I got talking to a chap from Rugby who had cycled the Camino a few years before. He had enjoyed it that much he had returned to walk the route later.

There were also a lot of return customers on the bus. Jason, our courier, knew many and most knew him. Two lads from the Stockton area had used the bus for the last ten years.

The journey down was a long one despite Jason attempting to land a plane on the bus as we go under the runway at Charles de Gaulle airport and then trying to enthuse is about views of the Eiffel Tower, a blip on the horizon many miles away. We ate on the bus from Jason’s excellent menu and after our last stop at about 11.45pm it was lights out. During the evening Jason had been telling us about a chap who got lost in Montpelier and could not find the pickup point. What was good was that Jason and the crew had gone to much trouble to pick him up even though it took two hours to do that. Much to my surprise I slept pretty well and awoke about 6:00am to find lots of empty seats where people had disembarked.

Final day of preparation

In exactly 12 hours time self and bike will be waiting for the European Bike Express at Colton. It is a strange mix of nerves and excitement. Just like waiting for Santa as a child!

Final preparation was a short 9 mile spin down to Roundhay Park and home again calling at Edinburgh Cycles for a couple of spokes, just in case.

Sue and I went to Caring for Life for lunch and, would you believe it, the camper van got a puncture. But you can't get better than a Kwik Fit fitter; £16 saw it fixed and back on the road again. Phew, that quickly built into a nightmare scenario in my head.

Next blogs will be from the road, we hope.

4 days to go

I cannot believe how poor the weather remains. Yesterday it was wet and cold. Today it is different, now cold and wet. And fairly breezy too. So despite being in need of a short spin, getting the bike out just does not seem sensible.

Radio - make up not needed!

Luckily there is still plenty to do. This morning I had to be up and out to be at Radio Leeds for 9.15 to do a live interview with Jake Yapp. I must admit to really enjoying the few minutes I had in there. Straight after we had arranged a breakfast at the Lord Darcy and Richard came along having recorded the interview on his iphone. The general view appears to be that it went well. I talked with Martin Patterson afterwards and we are going to see if we can get another slot when we come back as Jake mentioned that St Jean Pied de Port is one of his favourite places. It would be good if we could.

All of the bags are packed and ready to go. Travelling clothes are waiting and I can't think of anything left that I can do in physical preparation. The trip has now taken over entirely and my mind will not concentrate on anything other than cycling. Already there is talk of doing a cycling tour of northern Spain next year using Santander as the base.

Brilliant!!!!!