Day 15: Such beautiful light

Burgos to Valladolid //Miles 87. Feet 3566

We left Burgos later than usual because the hotel did not serve breakfast until 8:00. But what a breakfast it was, a vast array of meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, cereals, eggs, bacon, and sweet breads. I stuffed myself. It was an easy ride out of the city to a road that took us up into the mountains. I stopped for photos while the others rode on, and I rode alone for the rest of the day, except for the last 10 miles. It was a beautiful and, somewhat emotional, day for me. The landscape was beautiful. Rolling fields of grain that had been cut and baled as far as I could see. Stacks of bales dotted the fields as monuments to the hard work of the farmers. Fields of green and yellow sunflowers stretched on both sides of the road, breaking up the golden fields of cut grain. The early morning light was breathtaking, making the surrounding fields look like the work of an artist. I was moved by the beauty and solitude of it.

We are in the middle of a very remote area. There were no houses to be seen, just a two lane road and stunning rural Spain. Some of the villages I passed through were vibrant and prosperous. Others were desolate and poor. I climbed up a mountain at a hard but steady pace, then rode the ridge of the mountain top for miles, before making the descent into the valley. Hairpin turns winding down the mountainside with no guard rails reminded me that I have a fear of heights. I feathered my brakes to crawl down the mountain. This same scenario occurred four times over. Inching up and inching down. I was glad my riding friends were not with me to witness the terror of my mountain side descents. A few miles from town I caught up to the other riders and we rode into the city of Valladolid together. There is safety in numbers and our Garmins have been giving strange and incorrect information in the cities. I was glad when we reached our hotel. Tomorrow is a shorter, flatter day, and the forecast is for perfect weather. Chilly in the morning and high 70’s by the time we finish.

Day 14: Recovery Ride

Miranda de Ebro to Burgos //Miles 50. Feet 2267.

After yesterday’s tough day of climbs, we had a shorter, easier day today. Fifty miles and less than half the climbing of yesterday. We rode on a new two lane highway that had a very wide shoulder. The easy-to-navigate route was a welcome relief in spite of the heavy semi truck traffic. My legs were tired from yesterday’s tough workout, so I decided to focus on cadence, not speed. I wanted to loosen the tight muscles and break down the lactic acid by maintaining 82-85 rpm the entire route. I kept my legs spinning at a consistent speed whether going up or down an 8% grade hill or on the flat by singing the entire 50 miles. Average rpms at the end of the ride, 82! Mission accomplished.

We arrived in Burgos around noon, giving us time for lunch today and sightseeing. Burgos is the home of a magnificent French Gothic cathedral and the remains of the Castle of Burgos. Prehistoric remains dating to 2000BC have been located on the hill where the castle stands and historians believe the castle was constructed before 865 AD. Today the terracotta roofs of the city of Burgos spread in all directions from the hill on which the castle stands. Tomorrow is another big mileage day with significant climbs. The forecast is perfect, sunny and high of 70.

Day 13: Mountains and Valleys

Elgoibar to Miranda de Ebro // Miles 69 // Feet 4,961

Today was a tough day. Nearly 5,000 feet of climbing. James, the Englishman who is the trip organizer and the strongest rider in our group, set out alone. The rest of us stuck together for almost 35 miles. There was a lot of climbing in the first 20 miles and by the time we got to the first sag stop I was starving. Little did I know that the fun was just beginning. We had a climb of more than five miles over a mountain pass, with the grade jumping from 8% to 15% in a couple spots. It was hard. We noticed a couple of cycling team cars passing us on the way up and several motorcycle police were on the road. When we reached the summit, we talked (the best we could since no one among us knows Spanish and the man we were talking to did not speak English) to a man leaning on a road bike. We learned a cycling race for under 23 year olds and under was coming through in about 15 minutes. Cars of parents and support vehicles gathered in the parking lot near us to watch and cheer as the leaders and then the peloton came by. It was fun, and humbling to watch them race up the mountain knowing how we had struggled to get up that climb just minutes before.

After descending the mountain, we rode through the rolling, rural countryside, passing through small farming villages. The roads are narrow and when we ride through the old village streets we are practically within reach of the front doors of the homes. I was alone at some points and thought I had to have taken a wrong turn because it was so narrow. At about mile 47 we came into a village that was having a summer festival. The streets were blocked and people filled the streets. We walked our bikes through the maze of festival goers, then remounted for the final 21 miles. The next two sets of climbs began. The first on a two lane highway, snaking its way up the mountain. The road folded around the mountain like a ribbon. After reaching the top and half way down the descent, my Garmin instructed me to turn left off the descent and I began another climb, this time on a tiny country road. I rode alone climbing for miles, inching my way up the mountain, until I finally reached the top and started the next descent. I rode it down for miles, breaking when I exceeded 30 mph, through the picturesque countryside. The light on the golden wheat and yellow fields of sunflowers fields was exquisite.

I am so enjoying learning about the culture of each country and region that we are passing through. I am fascinated that the countries are as close as states in the US, but each has its culture, language and traditions. The Spanish culture is presenting a challenge for us. Most businesses close between noon and 2:00 or later. And many are closed for the month of August for holiday. Dinner is at 8:30 and most families don’t eat until 10:00 p.m. or later. After riding all day we typically arrive at the hotel around 3:00, when most things are closed, so we cannot get food. We ride all day on breakfast and little more, maybe a cereal or granola bar. The result is that we finish at 3:00 but do not eat dinner until 8:00 or later am starved by then. Tonight rather than wait for dinner we bought food in the hotel “cafeteria” that was open. For dinner I had two beers, a salami sandwich, and a bag of chips. Dinner of champions after riding 68 miles and climbing over 5,000 feet. We are about 162 miles north and slightly east of Madrid. We will be riding south west, gradually angling toward Portugal but won’t enter that country for another week. The forecast for tomorrow is promising, high 60’s and sunshine. We have a short day of only 50 miles, but the first 30 Miles is a long, gradual climb.

Day 12: Au Revoir, France. Hola, Espana!

Biarritz to Elgoibar //Miles 72 //Feet 3550

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.

Day 11: Rest Day

Biarritz, France Ahhhhh, rest day. 7:00 Breakfast 7:30 Laundry 10:00 Beach 1:00 Walk 2:30 Poolside. Finished a good book. 5:00 Shower 6:00 Happy Hour 7:00 Dinner 9:30 Garmin and lights charged, clothes laid out 10:00. Lights out Ready for lots of hills, miles and heat. Heading to Spain tomorrow. 11 days to the finish in Praia da Luz, Portugal What an adventure.

Day 10: Another wet day

Parentis-en-Born. Miles: 75 Feet: 2,430

On the ride across the US, we took our bikes into our hotel rooms at night to clean them and to keep them secure. Many of the hotels on this trip will not allow bikes in the guest rooms. They offer a shed (outside) to store your bike or perhaps a meeting room that is near the front desk. When we arrived at the small resort last night (and the only one in the vicinity) the young man at the desk said we had to take our bikes to the back of the hotel. We followed him around to the back, and he motioned that we could rest them against the fence, next to a piles of trash and various discarded items that had not been touched for a long time, as evidenced by the tall weeds growing around them. We said, “No, we can’t leave them outside. How about in that shed?” pointing to a rusted, little tin shed nearby. He agreed, and when he opened the door, I could see we were not the first riders to arrive that evening. I guessed there was nearly $70,000 worth of bicycles in that little shed. It gave me comfort knowing that my bike would be with such good company that night.

I woke to the sound of rain and the forecast was for rain the entire day. The hotel did not serve breakfast until 8:00, causing us to start later than we usually do. As we prepared to set off, Gene discovered he had a flat, so it was nearly 9:30 by the time we started. The roads were wet, the rain continued, we had a late start and we had 70+ miles to ride. I was grumpy. We decided to ride at a leisurely pace to take care on the wet pavement, and as it turned out, most of the day was on cycleways, which doesn’t allow for riding as fast anyway. The five of us rode together the entire day. It was great fun. My bad mood quickly changed.

We continued south along the border of France, riding through the heavily wooded region. The forests of tall pine trees lined both sides of the road, and I thought I could very well be in northern Michigan, until we came upon the typical white stucco home with red tile roof, bringing me back to southern France. It was a holiday week end and every village we traveled through had art shows, food stands, and people everywhere. It reminded me of Petoskey or Traverse City on July 4 weekend. At mile 54 we stopped in a small village and had lunch at a boulangerie. The rain had stopped and we sat outside at picnic tables to eat. As we were preparing to leave, I let out a scream. A huge slug had attached to my shoe. I turned out to be the entertainment for the other customers having lunch there.

The closer we got to Biarritz, which is a fairly large city, the heavier the traffic became. We were on a cycling path until we got into town where we stopped for photos on the bridge. The last five miles I would have been biting my nails had my hands not been clenched to the handlebars: rush hour traffic on big hills in a downpour. Quite a finish. I hope to get out to see the city tomorrow because I was too focused on the road to take in much of its beauty today. Biarritz is in the southernmost tip of western France nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees. Our next riding day we will reach Spain, but tomorrow is rest day and I am happy for that. This is an amazing adventure, but after 10 straight days of riding, I am ready for a break and I need to do laundry!

Day 9: A short but hard day

Bordeaux to Parentis-en-Born Miles: 55 Feet: 656

Be careful what you ask for. I thought I was tired of hills And asking for flat terrain, until we had wind today. Give me hills over wind any day. The course today was flat with a strong headwind. We left Bordeaux as a group and did an off-course tour of the city. Bordeaux is a beautiful place and I hope I can come back someday to do a decent visit of the architecture, museums and restaurants. It is a beautiful place. We rode 15 miles on city streets and bike paths through the suburbs before we got into the countryside. I was riding with Jed and at mile 15 he had a flat. His second of the trip. Thus far we’ve had five flats and three accidents. But all is good. I had a really hard time today. I am very tired from yesterday’s 120 mile day. This morning when we set out 55 miles seemed like an easy day, until the wind hit us. The terrain today was very different from what we’ve seen in the rest of France. No farms, orchards, or vineyards here. We are in southwest France, getting close to the border with Spain and just a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. It is flat and wooded. We rode a two lane highway that had no shoulder and drivers were not happy to see us there. Many cars honked and yelled at us. I was tired and frustrated by the wind. Jed and I rode together, taking turns pulling each mile. I just wanted it to be over. When we finally reached our destination for the day, it was too early to check into the hotel, so we had lunch. When the rooms were ready, I went straight to my room, took off my sweat drenched biking clothes, and laid across the bed for a nap. I was totally spent. When I got up, I showered and took a walk to the lake. We are in a resort area popular with French families. No Americans here, just campers and vans in the campground on the beautiful lake. Our resort and restaurant is the only one in town. I sat by the lake watching the families while I did some stretching. My knees are sore and the legimemts in the backs of my knees are tight from all the climbing. I am so looking forward to the rest day. Just one more day of riding and then we have a day off. I need it. James (who organized this adventure and has ridden the route once before) warned us that the toughest days are ahead. The heat and terrain in Spain are more brutal than anything thus far. I hope I am up to it. I am so tired this evening, it is hard to decide. The forecast for tomorrow is for rain. I am actually hoping it does, because it will be cooler. 77 miles tomorrow with little climbing. I am hoping there is no wind.