May 7 – 13, 2023 (France)

Sunday, May 7 (Day 47). We have no right to complain. Rain of any kind has been conspicously absent from our journey. Still, it is disheartening to see the rain icon show up almost every day in the ten day forecast. What to do? In all our months and miles of cycling the last few years, we have not had to confront more than a few wet days at a time. So, this is definitely a new challenge for us.

First solution – travel to a scenic mountain town and throw money at the problem. We arrived in Lourdes just ahead of the rain last night and checked into the Hotel St. Marie. Today we relaxed in our room, guilt free, and watched the clouds empty. It was.. lovely. Most of our “rest” days involve walking for miles to explore whatever town we happen to be in. Thank you rain for giving us permission to be lazy.

During a break in the weather, we did wander out to view the spectacle that is Lourdes. In 1858 a local girl named Bernadette claimed to have seen and spoken to the Virgin Mary. Now, every day thousands, and every year millions flock here hoping that Mary or Bernadette will see fit to heal the many maladies these pilgrims bring to Lourdes.

Monday, May 8 (Day 48). Being supine yesterday was divine. We read books. We watched videos. Sharon did Polarsteps. I worked on the blog, among other chores. Today, however, is the only day without rain in the foreseeable future. Sharon opted for some alone time and more rest. I decided to push farther into the Pyrenees. Without the weight of gear on my bike, the hours of climbing passed quickly. I ended up at the ski village of Gavarnie. C’etait tres beau – it was very beautiful.

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Tuesday, May 9 (Day 49). We fled the Pyrenees under heavy skies and made it as far as Tarbes before the rain gear came out. I should note that riding in the rain is not quite as unpleasant as it sounds or, no doubt, looks to passing motorists. Our tent is adequately waterproof, so sleeping in the rain is not a problem. The problem is setting up the tent in the rain. And cooking in the rain. And in the morning packing a soaked tent…in the rain. And setting up a saturated tent the next night after riding in the rain all day. Faced with those challenges – we threw more money at the foul weather. Welcome to the very nice, but eerily empty, Loft Hotel in Trie-sur-Baises.

Wednesday, May 10 (Day 50). Last summer we met fellow cyclists Ann and Marcellin on the island of Mljet in Croatia. We’ve kept in touch the past year, and they have graciously invited us to stay with them. Last night, our plan was to endure a few more wet days to reach their home in Toulouse. That was the plan last night. Twelve hours later we were heading in the opposite direction. Uphill, against the wind, in pouring rain – the trifecta of enjoyable riding conditions I might add. “Why?” you may ask. Because of this.

Moisture with no end in sight. So we rode south. And at the end of our soggy journey we boarded a magic carpet of sorts. Five hours and 240 miles later, our magic carpet (train) delivered us to the sunny Mediterranean coast, and to the city of Montpellier. A huge thumbs up to yet another country that makes train travel fast, simple, and affordable.

Shortly after arriving in Montpellier we went into a park across from the station to get our bearings. We noticed that there seemed to be an unusually heavy police presence. One friendly and very intimidating officer questioned us about our trip. It seemed simple curiosity…but perhaps it was more? They were checking papers of all the people in our park. Several officers had detained a motorcyclist just outside the park. Neither of us picked up on any danger vibes, but we wondered if we were misreading our surroundings. Welcome to Montpellier.

Thursday, May 11 (Day 51). For a variety of reasons, we chose to stay in town until mid-afternoon. Sharon went sightseeing. I worked on the bikes, watched people and listened to a book on tape. At the appointed afternoon hour, we headed out of town. Beach time on the Med did not disappoint. Then it was dinner in a park off the beach. Then it was off to our carefully researched (thanks Google maps). It was especially gratifying to find a secluded little spot in a very busy touristic area.

 

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Friday, May 12 (Day 52).  We set our sights on Arles today. Mother Nature set her sights on us. Oh, how She toyed with us. A helpful tailwind over flat terrain made us believe all was right with the world.  It even encouraged us to ignore the building clouds and take our time seeing the sights. There was the walled city of Aigues-Mortes (literally dead waters). It was built near the marshes at the mouth of the Rhone Riverby Louis IX in 1240. It was meant to provide a Mediterranean port from which to launch the Crusades.

Even when thunder and lightning started, we thought we would easily make it to Arles before it got bad. We felt comfortable stopping to chat for a while with Laine and Benoit from Montreal. They are touring this part of Europe for a month. They too have made significant changes to their plans because of the weather. We exchanged contact info and made plans to meet up later for drinks and more conversation.

Then, with only a handful of miles left to Arles, all hell broke loose! A light rain suddenly changed into this psychotic Flagstaff gully washer monsoon rain, complete with the electrical sound and light show. Then the waterfall changed to pea and marble sized hail…even better! We were stunned by the ferocity of the storm. We rode furiously for ten minutes without finding any kind of shelter. It was getting a bit desparate when we spied a carport down a side road. Without ever meeting the owners, we huddled there for close to an hour while the barrage continued.  

We had planned to camp in Arles. Big surprise – before leaving the carport we had a room for the night.

Saturday, May 13 (Day 53). Arles has been around since at least the sixth century B.C. Julius Ceasar made it the capital of Roman Provence in the first century AD. The ampitheater and 20,000 seat coliseum, still in use today, date from that time. Although today, the coliseum is no longer used for chariot races or gladiatoral combat.

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Arles was a fascinating mix of modern, old, and really old. Upscale and run down. Touristic, posh, and working class. After wandering, we joined the masses at the Saturday open-air market. You could buy mattresses, squid, dresses, produce and pastry. Having sampled the last two items, we made our way to Avignon. As usual, we enjoyed several stops along the way.

This week ends with us safely in Avignon, another historically important city. While we’ve enjoyed both natural and man made beauty, rain has been and continues to be the big story. It will be interesting to see where we go and how we cope in the coming days. Until then… STC!

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.

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The rest of the day was just more of the wonderland that is the Basque region.

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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.

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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!!

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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.     

 

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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.

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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.

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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!