April 30 – May 6
Sunday, April 30 (Day 39). The year is 1937. You’re Hitler and you have this shiny new toy called the Luftwaffe. What better way to see what it can do than to loan it to another dictator in the making? On April 26th, at the behest of Francisco Franco, the city of Guernica was leveled by aerial bombardment. 1,800 civilians lost their lives. Countless others were injured and left homeless. As history has repeatedly shown, there seems to be no limit to man’s capacity for barbaric cruelty.
We visited Guernica 86 years later, almost to the day. We found a restored city full of life. Just as we arrived at city center, runners and mountain bikers were beginning to complete their respective races. We joined the crowds in cheering their accomplishments. Sitting in the nearby plaza, we watched couples stroll, children play, and people enjoying coffee, cigarettes, and conversation. On this peaceful, sunny April day, it is hard to imagine the horror of that earlier time.
The rest of the day was just more of the wonderland that is the Basque region.
Monday, May 1 (Day 40). Back in the day, when a whale was spotted in the Bay of Biscay, rowing crews jumped into their “trainera” boats, and raced after it. Whoever landed the first harpoon had first claim on the animal. Fishermen used the same boats to race back to port with their catch. Whoever arrived first got the best price. Those same boats raced out to sailing ships that needed a tow into harbor. Whoever arrived first got a lucrative job. Are you seeing a theme? Little wonder that crews from different towns eventually began racing for bragging rights. That sport lives on today. All along the Basque coast we’ve seen trainera crews both training and racing.
Yesterday we took our time, exploring every little town in our path. Today, we had the pleasure of unfavorable winds, dodgy weather, but stunning scenery, so we just plugged along. At times, we were again puzzled by our map apps choice of routes. By the time we arrived in San Sebastian/Donostia (Spanish name/Basque name) the weather had cleared. We found our way to “Rooms in the City Hostel” located in what seemed to be a former convent. Awesome staff. Great location only two blocks away from the famous Donostia beach. We shall happily spend two nights here. To celebrate reaching the 1,000 mile mark on this trip, we treated ourselves to some tasty pizza, sangria and house wine. Living large!!
Tuesday, May 2 (Day 41). Walking along the quay in Donostia, I watched a sailboat leave the harbor. I think one reason I find sea ports appealing is the realization that from this spot, with the proper boat, one could literally travel the globe. The mind reels at the possibilities. To quote Annie Lennox, “Sweet dreams are made of these!”
Whilst dreaming, and wandering, we met Lillian and Steven from Vancouver. They were interested in our trip, and had done some significant traveling themselves. In a few days, they were embarking on a supported bike trip with friends, also here in the north. Always a pleasure making new acquaintances.
Many of our “rest” days are not very restful. Food, however, is a constant, Since we logged several miles exploring, it seemed prudent to refuel at a pinxtos bar. These establishments display a variety of small appetizers on slices of bread. In the south, these are called tapas bars. Here in Basque country – pinxtos. The idea is to nibble your way through the night with your friends. We’d walked enough, so we just stayed put and tried on new tastes for size. They fit well.
Wednesday, May 3 (Day 42). Today we bid adios to Spain and bonjour to France. A new country is always a big event… usually. Non-stop city driving on busy streets and highways took its toll. Thus, our big entrance was kind of a non-event.
So, not a great travel day. It was a good day for making new friends. As we were leaving the hostel, Brianne and Kristin were just arriving. Friends from the U.S., they were about to hike the Camino de Santiago. Fun fact: Brianne has bicycled across the U.S. with former boyfriend – David Moore. (Honest Sharon, it wasn’t me!) While we were sharing stories, Emmanuel from France joined the conversation. He was biking from the north of France to southern Spain – on his first ever bike tour. Bon voyage to all.
Next up was Mick and Lillian from the UK. Our age, they were stretching their version of a “gap year” into several years of wandering – before retiring. Good on you mate! We chatted for hours about life in the UK, the US, visiting Spain, France, Europe. We got serious. And we laughed – a lot! Thanks for a wonderful evening!
Thursday, May 4 (Day 43). Saint-Jean-de-Luz is another stunning harbor city. Perfect for breakfast and people watching. Several miles on, we stopped for a break at Biarritz to enjoy the scenery once again, and watch hundreds of surfers making the Beach Boys proud. As much as we’ve enjoyed the coast, once we reached Bayonne, we turned right and headed inland. The rest of the day we followed the Adour River. We rolled easily through the charming (and flat) French countryside, through small villages and past vineyards. We congratulated ourselves often on the wisdom of our choice.
Friday, May 5 (Day 44). Most of this day was spent in the pleasant company of the Gave de Pau River, a tributary of the Adour. As Sharon likes to say, it was bucolic – “relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.” It most certainly was. In addition to the ‘pleasant aspects of the countryside’ France is also well known for its cycling routes. The D81 was one such route that led us down country lanes, through villages, and along the Gave de Pau, and finally to the outskirts of Pau itself. It was a good day. At sixty-five miles plus, it was also the longest day of this trip.
Saturday, May 6 (Day 45). Reason #437 why bikes really are the best way to travel. On our way into city center, we spied interesting activity in a park across the street. We easily crossed over to explore. A woman saw us roll up on our bikes and immediately came over to explain the game. The rules of Les Quilles de Neuf escaped us, but generally involved heaving a large wooden ball to knock over upright pegs in a very specific fashion. Two seasoned players were offering instructions to an eager group of beginners. We happily joined in cheering and laughing at the efforts.
In Pau proper, we rode along a portion the Formula 1 course being set up for an upcoming race. I am most certainly not an auto racing fan, but this looks like it would be an extremely challenging and entertaining course. And right in the shadow of that course lies Le Tour des Geants…a permanent memorial to all Tour De France winners. It was fascinating to look at the photos of the races and racers through the years. Apparently, every year the Tour launches riders into the Pyrenees from Pau.
Unsure of what we’d feel like after our big day yesterday, we pondered taking a short train ride to Lourdes. Without much help from the help desk folks, we even bought tickets – only to find out that the first train that allowed bikes didn’t leave until 5:30pm. Hmmm. Eventually we just rode the additional thirty miles up an into the Pyrenees through more quintessential French countryside.
Having secured lodging in anticipation of several days of nasty weather, we went in search of, and found, the best meal of the trip – by far. As promised, a noisy thunderstorm hit just as we returned to our hotel. Perfect end to an exceptional day.
It has been a good week, filled with both physical and emotional ups, downs, and smooth sailing. Not unlike life anywhere and everywhere. We are very much looking forward to a rainy rest day tomorrow while we consider our options. Until next week! Seize the Carp!
Looks like you had a very interesting week. I saw many photos that would make excellent puzzles. Life is good!7