Category: EuroVelo
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Off to Portugal!
We left Cadiz on the first of 2 trains to get to Huelva, though Seville. There was no space for “bikes” on the trains (the limit is 3) but there was unlimited room for bikes in bags, as long as the bags conformed to the size requirements. We learn something every trip about how to…
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Najera to Burgos: the heat begins to break!
These two days marked the beginning of the end of the current heat wave affecting Spain. We have one more day of heat and then more normal temperatures as we head into Burgos. Burgos also marks the place that we’ll stop going west with the Camino and begin heading south towards Madrid. It’s been fun…
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Another day following the Camino: Los Arcos to Najera
Once we left Pamplona, we knew the forecast for the next 3 days was hot, in escalating temperatures until Friday, so we planned our cycling accordingly, with distances and elevation gain decreasing in proportion to the escalating temperatures. So with high temps forecast for 102, 105 and 105 degrees, we planned 48, 37 and 27…
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Out of Pamplona, on the Camino de Santiago
We left our apartment in Pamplona at 7:30AM, in the cooler hours of the morning. The sunrise was lovely over the square. We crossed over the first of many scallop shell icons of the Camino leaving Pamplona, only a few yards from our hotel. Our exit out of Pamplona was pretty easy, and we found…
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A day in Pamplona
Pamplona is most famous for the Running of the Bulls, a spectacle that ends badly for the bulls and sometimes even for some of the hundreds of people who run with them. It’s also a major religious site along the Camino de Santiago, where there are no fewer than 9 churches and the cathedral, which…
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Into Pamplona, over the Pyrenees!
One thing that was amazing when we crossed from France to Spain was how quickly the culture changed. Within a mile, many people didn’t speak any French at all, and the food and drink choices had all changed. One of the most dramatic food changes occurs at breakfast. French breakfasts are all basically empty calories:…
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¡Un gran día! First day cycling in Spain!
We stayed a couple nights in Irun, got some rest, did a little bit of sightseeing and ate well. One of Irun’s main attractions is that it’s a popular starting point for hiking the Camino de Santiago, but otherwise seems like a pretty ordinary place. We did find a restaurant for lunch that was recommended…
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Crossing into Spain!
France, with its familiar language and culture, is an easy place for Chris and I to travel. Once we left Brittany, the coast route was mostly flat and the temperatures perfect for cycling. But today we cross into Spain, and need to retrieve our Spanish phrases and pronunciation, and also cross the Pyrenees. The mountains…
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Three days: From Bordeaux to Bayonne
We left Bordeaux under cloudy skies, but the sun prevailed as we navigated back to the coast and the Vélodyssée. We were on regular roads for a good deal of the trip back to the coast, and it was OK to not be weaving between people along the coastal paths. As we got closer to…
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A day in Bordeaux
The day dawned sunny and warm but not hot. We did laundry, caught up on the last few days of the blog and then went out at the crack of noon. We decided to follow a city walk from an app we’ve used a few times called GPSMyCity that works pretty well. And so, we…