Today was almost surreal. We left the hotel, rode 17 miles, crossed a river, and James said, “Stop. We are now in Spain.” There was no immigration check and no sign indicating a border. The road signs were a different language. That was the only indication we had entered a different country.
We are in the Basque region of Spain, an area of of southern France and northern Spain between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees. This region does not speak Spanish. It has its own language known as Euskadi or Basque, its own culinary traditions, and its own culture. It is stunningly beautiful. Today I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen in my entire life, and I saw it from my bicycle. The first 20 miles of the route were rolling hills, with the Pyrenees rising in the distance. At about mile 30, we rode into San Sabastian. The beauty was breathtaking. San Sabastian is a coastal town with beautiful beaches and stunning architecture. Today was a holiday, and there were people everywhere. The cycle path was crowded so we inched along dodging surfers, families, and other bikers. After riding several miles along the coast over major climbs and long descents, we started to angle inland, away from the ocean. The longest climb of the day was a five mile climb to a summit with amazing views of the ocean and surrounding countryside. We had a long descent with hairpin turns into the town where our hotel is tonight. What a glorious day. We won’t see the ocean again until we reach the Algarve in Portugal. We saw hundreds of cyclists today. I imagine it was because it was a holiday. Cycling clubs and groups of cyclists were out in full force today. It was fun to see the bright colors of their kits as they flew by. Cycling is such a part of the culture here. The forecast tomorrow looks promising. Overcast skies, but I think we will dodge the rain as we continue the trek through Spain.
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