Day 14 - Irun to Santander - Bus day

Bed was so comfortable and it was a shame to wake up - alarm was set for 7am to get us to the bus on time. No more serious cycling just a lovely bus ride through the Pyrenees to look forward to.

Some stress still as we needed to get the bikes on board the bus and despite the website giving helpful signs that if you book your bike and it's covered (bike bags can be bought from the ticket office) it's ok. See this website for more information - ALSA Bus service bike regulations
We would strongly advise you to go to the ticket office prior to your journey to buy the bicycle cover(s) if you don't like (possible) confrontation with a Spanish bus driver!

Arrived 30min before the bus departure and checked with another driver if we were waiting at the right place using handsigns and broken Spanish. Then crunchline when the bus stops and there was some heated discussion about something between Mr B and the driver (Mr B stayed cool) which was luckily defused by a helpful Spanish girl (fellow passenger) saying it's our own risk and we need to take the front wheels off if the bikes aren't wrapped. (We tried to buy the suggested bicycle covers from the ticket office but it was shut - bus went at 8.45am and ticket office opened at 9am.)

Done that and bikes went into the hold and we went into the bus. Phew what a relief!!

The bus journey flew past - quite unexpected fabulous scenery which reminded us of Switzerland and its green valleys, huge mountains and sometimes low misty clouds. The passenger facilities on the bus had very high specs - each seat had a TV and a USB cable socket available. Passengers had a good movie menu to choose from to keep them entertained. So if you decide to use the bus, keep a USB cable at hand to charge your phone on the bus.

We arrived at Santander bus station where the undamaged bikes were put together by Mr B (only reconnecting the front wheels) and we negotiated our way out of the station via the small lift (had to turn front wheel 90 degrees to fit in!).

Rest of the day was spent looking for a Lidl to find lunch and dinner and heading to Los Reginas ferry to take us across Santander Bay to Loredo where we wanted to camp.

Ok here comes our warning - we paid to camp for two days at Camping Derby Loredo but having sat down and eating the Lidl lunch, we packed up, booked a nearby fabulous little hotel (Hotel Estrella del Alemar) and left Derby Loredo in our wake. Not the campsite for us I'm afraid.  Overpriced by far, a very very small pitch in the surfers area with other small tents, rubbish strewn everywhere and a few dodgy looking characters walking around. I didn't feel safe and we made a move. A loss of money but safety has no price does it.

We can highly recommend the hotel. Walking distance from the beach and Loredo town centre. We paid £91 for two nights (two persons). The best was the breakfast - only £2 per person (or 2.30 Euro) for a lovely continental breakfast. Amazing value and our host Alejandro was so hospitable. Our bikes slept safely in the secure hotel garage that was locked overnight.

ALSA bus which we took from Irun to Santander

Santander view from the Los Reginas Ferry enroute to Loredo

Pool (and my feet!) view at Hotel Estrella Del Alemar

Day 13 - Section 10 to Hendaye

Waking up in a dry tent was bliss which was probably one of the only few highlights of the trip.  (Only joking as the scenary was good but that's about it!) I kept waking up thinking we might need to get a train to Hendaye to get there early to sort out the travel to Santander. Being a not so flexible person was stressing me so much. I like planning and working towards goals and achieving them.  Not knowing what and how things would happen the next day was uncomfortable.

I did mention a few days ago that we jointly decided to end the cycling in Hendaye, having cycled from St. (Saint) Malo, North France to Hendaye, South France and on the border of North Spain.

The big question was how do we get from Hendaye to Santander?! I checked trains and the trip looks dreadful. About 3 or 4 changes and serious possibilities of missing connections. Anyway...later more on that.

We started the last day pedalling through more pine forests and applauded when we managed a shortcut to cut out about 5 miles of the routed cycle track by using a minor road. It was early enough in the day without too much traffic.

I just couldn't get going. Blame it on a lack of sleep,  stress about our onwards journey, this being the last day and everything else. After a couple of stops where I had some encouragement from Mr B, we cycled into Bayonne. Start of a nightmare. The weather turned and became wet and very windy - some breaks followed where you dry off just to get wet again. It was warm so I didn't use my waterproof as we had the start of so many hills which keeps your body heat up.

Into Biarritz with its crazy tourism and sharp uphills followed by similar downhills  - no flats, just up and down constantly. The marked Eurovelo 1 also sent us up and down two ridiculous paths. For the whole 11 days cycling I never pushed my bike but I had to here.  About a 30 degree incline - ridiculous!!

Out of Biarritz we had to cycle on the main road - that's the route - to Hendaye. Strong headwinds with rain in your face, long hills with relative downhills which became precarious due to the strong headwinds.  I could feel my heavy bike wobble which was really scary.

Mr B booked us a B&B in Irun, the first Spanish town alongside the (French) Hendaye. After a few more miles we got over the border - what a feeling! The B&B was fantastic. Excellent facilities and a brilliant English speaking owner Alberto who helped us getting bus (ALSA) tickets sorted after some research whether we would be allowed on the bus. When we mentioned to Alberto that we were considering taking the train, he was very wary about our train plans and suggested we take the bus instead, hence why he did all the kind leg work on our behalf. So kind.

His sister owns the pub next door, Izartxo so after doing some reconnaissance to see where the bus station is, we headed for their pub for a bottle of Crianza Rioja and a celebratory meal.

A day I won't forget easily and when the lanes in North Wales loom I will reflect on this day for perspective!  

Cap Breton

The well signposted bike paths

We arrive at Hendaye!

My angry moment!! I didn't push my bike for the whole trip up to this point - very unfair to give cyclists this ridiculous steep path to get out!

Ok so I have a different top on - I got cold so pulled this one over the pink sleeveless top

In Biarritz

Day 7 - Blissful beach day

Ok so no cycling today but instead a semi lie in and a fab beach day. It was cloudy most of the time but looking at our tan results you wouldn't say so.

Lunch overshot by two hours as we left all phones and watches back at the tent.

Chilled evening with a cheap bottle of white chardonnay (lovely by the way!), Camembert and a Baguette. Had to factor in Sunday tomorrow as France shut down at 12.30pm. A fellow camper lent us a table and two chairs - what bliss. 

We are booked in at a campsite 50mi from here so plan to leave early to get there over lunch time. Weather prediction is 32C !

Day 3 - Who plotted 71 miles on a flippen hot day?

We pitched yesterday on a slight slope so I kept waking up feeling my feet at the bottom of the tent.

I've developed an attitude of hills? Ok - just autopilot. It was more gentle slopes today than big hills. The day was exceptionally hot and that tapped the energy out of us.

We cut the day short to stop at a campsite north of Challans.  We don't consider this a fail but rather the start of a proper summer holiday. We need some relaxing time too!

Tent pitched with the solar charger seeking the sun to charge the phones and Garmins

Best Hamburger in the world and I am NOT joking!

Results for the day

Day 2 - So A day divided by three sections

Sleep a bit on the left side. Wake up aching. Sleep on the right side. Wake up aching. Ok maybe a bit on my back. Oh no too uncomfortable. That's the story of last night. I hope tonight is better.

The day has three distinct sections. Some lovely quiet roads with some serious climbing, then onto a very busy road (not planned as D773 sounded mundane when I plotted it) and the last bit (15 miles) along an off road canal cycling path which we prayed would finish quickly but it didn't. And that after we looked forward to it as it was flat! The canal path was brown loose gravel. Rocking bottoms and bouncing wrists. And endless! Ouch!

Saw a lot of Geraniums, Hydrangeas and huge churches.  The French like their churches!

Tonight we are at Camping St.Clair in Guenrouet. Lovely site. We cycled past the pool on the way in which was crowded with loud children. I didn't go.

We were so so tired when we arrived. Just flopped down on a picnic bench which formed part of an empty pitch. Tent got up eventually and we found some free electricity to charge our several devices. I forgot to add the Ravpower solar panel and power bank to my equipment post. It comes in handy.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, we have a whopping 71mi to do but thinking we might cut it shorter. We will see.

Distance today 58 miles
Climbing 2574 ft

Beautiful flowers in baskets everywhere!

Another haybale animation - made me smile! 

So many big churches in the towns 

Day 1 - Hello Brittany!

Ok so the zzzzz wasn't so fantastic. The bed was very narrow and we were in the bowels of the Ferry so close to the engine. When we were offered a cabin last night, the first offer was Club class (benefit is breakfast is included). Mr B asked if he had any alternatives and they said yes, a 4 berth on deck 1...he took it.

But hey ho we were horizontal and I slept a bit. I don't think Mr B slept more than I did. I dreamt of work.

It wasn't a speedy exit from the Ferry as somehow the bikes bred overnight - when we arrived back to saddle up there were at least 13 more of which 3 were on top of ours.

Pedalling out of Saint Malo was easy. We found the Intermarche to stock up on ham, cheese and pain chocolat (traditional cyclists lunch everywhere!) as France shuts shop at 12.30pm on a Sunday.

The route that I planned took us out and then along a fabulous off road section that took for miles along the river. It was a bit dusty so my bike has turned from grey to caramel.

There have been two really mean hills enroute. Both near Iffendic, the last town we cycled through before getting to our first campsite. I stopped five times on the last hill.

The campsite is huge. It's situated near a lake and there is a wedding on which provides free French music! Dinner will be the rest of the cheese and chocolate bread as we can't be bothered to find alternatives.

Tomorrow is a longer ride. 56mi heading in the direction of La Rochelle but not quite there. Let's hope for less hills as we move towards South Brittany.

1742ft climbing
49 miles done

Route for day 1 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/24247997

 

Well signposted route - all in kilometres which makes it seem further!

A lot of haybale animations publicising upcoming harvest festivals

Velo District ride 3, shared path

Setting up tent for the first night - a bit of a slope down

Planning ahead

The Ferry trip is an overnighter but because we had to change our original dates, we lost the opportunity to book a cabin so there will be some running to the main reception on the Ferry to see if a cabin has become free. If that fails, it will be self-inflating mat and sleeping bag on the floor of the Ferry lounge!

So packing will commence in the morning - see the photos attached!

Extras that HAD to go with

My packing for the trip

Trial and failure

We decided that it would be a good idea to do a test run with the bikes fully loaded to be followed by a night in the tent.

Initially my mad idea was to go camping away from home to simulate 'real' conditions but I was soon persuaded that it is not necessary - after all the house and the campsite is less than a mile apart. No need to spend money on a fake night - just camp in the back garden!

Anyway, we packed all the panniers and did our short 9 mile circuit ride. My bike performed very well - almost sighing with relief that it's finally a touring bike as that is what it's been since birth. At some very slight ups I felt I had a bit of a load but generally it was just another very pleasant ride.

Back home we unpacked the tent and proceeded with setting it up. The tent is daughter's borrowed by us and slightly bigger - a 3 man dome with an enclosed porch - than Mr B's 2 man (very) older version (never would've worked anyway as it is too small to put our panniers in for the night and it also tapers down towards the feet so sleeping mats wouldn't have fitted ).

Mr B will need to embrace patience which isn't always his virtue. Despite the 3 Atom being a much smaller tent than our large polycotton which we usually take to France, there was some impatience when poles got slightly stuck when they were threaded through. Careful now - don't want to sit with a ripped tent even before we've set off! I can see dark days after each ride when we need to pitch and both of us are tired.

So pitching done (with arguments about where it should be pitched on the back grass) and both mats and sleeping bags unfolded, mat and pillow inflated (very easy!) and ready for the night we went back into the house for an evening in comfy chairs and dinner before retiring to the cold English outdoors at 10pm.

Falling asleep was easy but it didn't last long. I woke up with my arms freezing despite being inside the sleeping bag and after employing all types of warming up tricks like rubbing arms, curling up, lying on my front, I just couldn't go back to sleep. Time? 2.30am

"Are you awake" I ask
"I am now" muffled reply from the dark shape next to me
"I am absolutely freezing!"
"Do you want to go back inside?"
"Yes please..."

Well that was the end of our English tent trial.

Despite the failure to stay the night, lessons were learnt.

1. Patience when pitching is paramount
2. How to inflate my sleeping mat
3. How to fold both my sleeping mat and bag away in the morning making small packs of both of them
4. Don't forget you need layers when sleeping in a thin tent! Memories of French nights springs to mind when the nights really cool down despite very hot days
5. When repacking the panniers make sure that they are the same height so that the rackbag doesn't look like it's about to fall off!

Better next time in Brittany!

Posing at the Village shop just after our trial run

We thought it worth that you see the load from behind!

Tent pitched in the backgarden ready for the nights' inhabitants

The porch area of the tent was useful to store our luggage in the night