Transpyrinaica and beyond - a cultural voyage

[laouen]

ahhh, that desert was just fantastic!

[duibhceK]

Day 10: El Pont de Suert (ESP) to Lekunberri (ESP) - 375km

Having spent the night in the cabin packing up is finished quickly. That allows us to get on the road extra early. We are on our bikes at 7h40 and immediately ready to attack the Col de Fades. The road is in worse condition that what we've been used to the past days, but still smooth as icing on a cake compared to Flemish roads. The continuous swinging and swaying round the corners does help sharpen the attention this early in the morning. From the top of the pass we have a great view of the Aneto summit, with 3404m the highest peak of the Pyrenees.

We keep the sun in our back and ride towards the moon that is still in the morning sky.


Like we agreed yesterday we'll be riding to the region of Pamplona today. We're aiming at Lekunberri, partly because of the cool name, but also because according to our Michelin map there should be a camp site around there.


After the Fades pass we dive into some gorges. The mountain stream that has carved them is rather narrow, but fast flowing. And there's clearly some power behind it. That same power has over the years produced the impressive rock faces we are riding through.

Just before Campo we exit the gorge and approach a gas station. When laouen notices it is a Repsol station She is unstoppable. She absolutely wants to fill up at the sponsor of Dani Pedrosa.


Then follows a faster stretch where she can test out whether the MotoGP fuel really makes her FZ any faster. Meanwhile we can enjoy the scenery and the views on the mountains around us. Here and there we spot picturesque villages glued against the mountain flanks. Like a giant hand sculpted them and then with a throw popped them against the mountain.

In Ainsa we stop for a small breakfast.


Leaving town with filled stomaches we spot a super market where we grab some provisions for lunch and dinner. Not too many pictures today, we have a long ride ahead of us. And more importantly we forgot to charge the battery of the camera yesterday. A bit silly of course, since the cabin had electricity and plenty of sockets.

Alto Laza is the perfect spot for a pick nick. Although it is very hot up here, the view and the surroundings are more than just a bit agreeable.




When we ride on the landscape starts to gradually change. It gets less mountainous and the pastures make room for cornfields. It feels like we're riding out of the mountains for a bit. When I look in my mirrors at a certain moment I am so impressed with the view that I promptly park the bike on the side of the road and squeeze a last few pics out of the camera.


It is around four, after a long and varied ride that we arrive in Lekunberri at the camping. The lawn is perfectly groomed and a lush green color. It gives the strange impression that it rains on a regular basis around here. It feels strange because it is so warm today and there's nothing to see in the sky but a blazing sun.

After pitching the tent we walk into the village for some extra supplies. But the siesta only ends at 5. So we strawl around a bit for a while. We notice that in this town, and actually every part of Spain we rode through so far, there are a lot of construction sites just abandoned. It looks like the financial crisis did not miss its effect on the regular folk.

Back at the camp site I charge the battery of the camera while I take a shower and shave. Afterwards I find a spot in the shade of a tree to continue my reading.


The Tenere attracts a lot of attention from the other camp site guests. That seems to happen a lot.

The ride today took us for a large part along the pilgrim's route to Compostella by the way. It is actually a pedestrian highway marked with large signs, regularly crossing the main road. And occasionally also marked with smaller painted tiles.

[ManolisMRC]

Great report!!!
Keep it coming...

[ata]

jejejeje
tortugo´s a is a bit sensitive with these topics

people who live in the northern spain have nothing to see with siesta, bullfighting, ole, paella, sun etc, etc

but anyway, tortugo is a little bit torero

great RR

[duibhceK]

Originally Posted by ata

people who live in the northern spain have nothing to see with siesta, bullfighting, ole, paella, sun etc, etc

ok, not siesta then. So what is it called when shops and tourist offices are closed between 2 and 5?

We didn't notice it so much in Catalunya, but in Aragon and especially in Navarra and the Basque country shops and services seem to close for the afternoon in many places we rode through.

I love Catalunya by the way. Visited Barcelona more then once (for pleasure, ac ouple of times for work and for a summer school at the UPC) and it is an amazing city. Too bad it did not fit in our plans this time around. Neither did a visit to a friend in Riells unfortunately.

[duibhceK]

We cook some ready-made rice dish and add some fresh peppers and tomatoes. As has become custom we accompany it with a bottle of local tinto. For desert we have some fruit salad, nice and refreshing in these hot temperatures.

Our little MSR/Trangia kitchen has already proven its worth so far. But some of the people on this forum that warned about the power of the whisperlite turn out to be right. If you turn it up just a tad too far you can run a small smithy on it. The Trangia does not cope with it very well. Some parts have started melting away.


It doesn't affect the use of it, but we will be a bit more careful in the future. That means turning up the whisperlite only a quarter turn of the possible 2 full turns.

Meanwhile the camp site manager still has not turned up. That is a bit annoying because she seems to be the only one that knows how to work the computer and can provide us with the password for the wireless. Oh well, without her here we can't pay for our pitch either...

A cool breeze sets in towards the evening. It is a like breath of fresh air, because today was scorching hot at times. So warm that even the ride wind does not provide any solace. The only thing that provides temporary comfort is stopping for a couple of minutes so you start sweating like a pig and then riding off to let the wind dry evaporate the sweat. Unfortunately that cooling feeling is only short-lived. I don't handle heat very well, but for some reason I do let myself be convinced to holiday in southern France and Spain. And I can already tell you what we've experienced so far is peanuts compared to the heat that still is to come.

[duibhceK]

Day 11: Lekunberri (ESP) to Ondarroa (ESP) - 151km

Our tent was pitched on a slight slope, leading us to sleep with our heads to the bottom. According to laouen that's a healthy position. But I seriously doubt that after the past night. Nevertheless we slept in and by 9:30 we are ready to leave.

In the village center we stop for some breakfast in a nice looking bar. I can't help loving the breakfast culture in this country.

We also quickly pass by the shop for some bread for lunch.

The plan for today is to do a bit of cornering, some small passes, some more cornering, a visit to Guernica, more cornering and then find a camp site near the coast. A rather short trip.


Even though we had prepared our routes for the entire trip in the GPS, we regularly deviate from them while we are on the road. And one of the big disadvantages of riding on the GPS is that you tend to lose the overview of where you are and where you've been. My preferred solution for that is to make some copies of the Michelin Europe road atlas and roughly mark the routes on there. Not exactly detailed enough for continuous navigation, but it helps keep track of where you are.


Did I already mention there are quite a few bends here in the Basque country?


Guernica turns out to be bigger than expected. And tourism does not seem to be high on the priority list. We know there should be some monument to commemorate the bombing that Franco requested the German Luftwaffe to perform on the city. The massacre that was so brutally depicted by Picasso. And indeed, we spot 3 small signs along the way. But then... nothing. We find a small park with some statues, but no memorial. Inside the city it is even hotter than what we've experienced yesterday, so our patience is running a bit thin. Eventually we give up in search of cooler places.

The Michelin map shows a view point on a hill in the neighborhood. Its name, "Balcon de Biscaye" sounds promising. But again tourism does not appear to be the region's forte.

This is the Balcon


And here's the view.




It is a pity, because this is truly a lovely region that would have a lot to offer to tourists.

After the disappointments we ride on to Lekeitia at the coast, where there should be a camp site. The town is pretty busy and has a more tourist atmosphere. But the tourist office is closed until 5. We don't really feel like just waiting around so we decide to continue along the coast and just watch for signs of camp sites. We spot the first one just outside of town. But that site appears to be closed.

By the time we reach Ondarroa it is getting close to 5. So we pop by the tourist office there. A friendly girl is very helpful in providing us with directions to a local camp site and a gas station.

The camp site itself is basic, but clean and there's a little beach nearby. Via a walkway along an embankment between the sea and the cliffs the center of town is only a 10 minute walk away.

It turns out we're not alone on the camp site.


The beach is located in a bay protected from the worst waves and wind by some protruding rocks.




After a quick shower we walk along the beach to the town center, looking for a restaurant. Ondarroa turns out to be a pretty little fisherman's town.



And there's still 'real' sports being practiced here in stead of the popular sissy ones like soccer. Here's the club house of the local sea rowing club.


There's about 16 of them in a boat and once in open water they really speed off. There should also be an official tug-of-war club, but we did not get to see them practice.

Street life is really vibrant, especially compared to where we're from. Around 8 everyone seems to come out for a drink and a snack. Even the elderly are flocking together on squares and street corners. They would be perfect candidates for a famous Belgian TV show called "Benidorm Bastards" where elderly freak out youngsters by acting like them.

[duibhceK]

We order some dinner in a small bar next to the river. It turns out we'll be the only ones eating here tonight. The cook even needs to be called in by telephone.

So we make it easy on him. A nice salad, followed by the suggestion of the lady at the bar. A local specialty, cod with loads of garlic. It is more like a mountain of garlic and olive oil with a fish hidden underneath it somewhere. Very tasty though.

After dinner we make a short walk back to the beach for a brief paddle through the water. Followed by just sitting on the rocks, enjoying the sound of the waves rolling in and the last glimpse of light coloring the cliffs and beach.

[laouen]

Originally Posted by duibhceK

I don't handle heat very well, but for some reason I do let myself be convinced to holiday in southern France and Spain.

and the best thing: I can convince you every year again

[vander]

Originally Posted by duibhceK

And there's still 'real' sports being practiced here in stead of the popular sissy ones like soccer. Here's the club house of the local sea rowing club.

This rowing is called "Traineras". http://youtu.be/GokiNMqInn0


Basques have several "real sports" . In fact, basque people are commonly known in Spain to be very strong, very proud of themselves and all the opposite to sissy There are a lot of jokes that play with this topic, especially from the people from Bilbao.
For example:

"What is the major proof of Jesus Christ’s humility? That he was born in Bethlehem,
when he could have been born in Bilbao."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_rural_sports

Originally Posted by duibhceK

A local specialty, cod with loads of garlic. It is more like a mountain of garlic and olive oil with a fish hidden underneath it somewhere. Very tasty though.

"Cocochas al pil pil".

[duibhceK]

Originally Posted by vander

This rowing is called "Traineras". http://youtu.be/GokiNMqInn0

Cool! That video is even shot in Ondarroa. Lovely little town!

Originally Posted by vander

"What is the major proof of Jesus Christ’s humility? That he was born in Bethlehem,
when he could have been born in Bilbao."

It was very clear that the Basque are a proud people, and even more nationalistic than the Catalan. They seem a bit reserved at first, but once you get talking to them they are very friendly. Maybe it also has something to do with a combination of them speaking their own Euskal language and our limited knowledge of Castellano.

Originally Posted by vander

"Cocochas al pil pil".

That's the cod dish indeed. Tastes very nice, but you would not want to walk into a crowded room afterwards if you want to come back out alive.

[laouen]

Originally Posted by vander

"Cocochas al pil pil".

That was it indeed! The lady knew the english for Cocochas (cod) but the pil pil was a big mystery and put us a bit off... Sounds like pilipili so we thought it would be spicey cod. Spicey indeed, but I would never have guessed the garlic part

[ata]

Originally Posted by duibhceK

ok, not siesta then. So what is it called when shops and tourist offices are closed between 2 and 5?

We didn't notice it so much in Catalunya, but in Aragon and especially in Navarra and the Basque country shops and services seem to close for the afternoon in many places we rode through.

.......................

jejejeje

that´s another problem, dude

only one person attending instead two or more

crisis maybe

by the way, can´t imagine your ride after the "kokotxas" dish (this is the correct way to write it)

[duibhceK]

Originally Posted by ata

crisis maybe

Quite possible. As mentioned the many abandoned construction sites already suggested the region was hit pretty hard with the crisis.

Originally Posted by ata

by the way, can´t imagine your ride after the "kokotxas" dish (this is the correct way to write it)

I can tell you, riding with an open visor for the next couple of days was not an unnecessary luxury

[duibhceK]

Day 12: Ondarroa to Bilbao to Ondarroa - 150km

Weather forecasts for today aren't great. And indeed it started raining early this morning. The kind of weather we tend to associate with the Gulf of Biscay. Not sure how warranted that preconception is, but today looks rather dreary anyway. It does make us choose to stay in our sleeping bags a bit longer than usual. Eventually and inevitably we do get up and have a breakfast of baguette and Nutella.

Chocolate, especially flavored with hazelnut, is the best way to get over a sad morning. Certainly when the weather does not look like it will improve for the rest of the day. It is not a disaster though. We plan to spend most of the day inside anyway. We rode this far past the Pyrenees for a reason. It is easy to get into Bilbao from here. And as you may know that's where the Guggenheim museum is located. Well, at least one of them.


The ride to get there is wet and rather boring. Also because we try to avoid the toll on the highway by following the main road next to it. It is very busy and there are plenty of road construction and repair works going on. We end up parking our bikes almost directly in front of the museum.

First we make a walk around the outside of the building. That is already quite impressive. It is almost completely built out of some sort of yellow sand stone, metal and glass. Not 2 volumes of the building are alike. Rumor has it Frank Gehry made the first draft of the design on a beer coaster on his hotel on the one night he visited the city to have a look at the location for the design contest that was organized for the building of the museum.




The pedestrian bridge floating partly over the pond and over the river is a nice touch.


In front of the entrance of the building stands a construction of a totally different kind. This dog is fully covered in colorful flowers.

And unless you are in need of a shower, better not stand underneath the mouth. The dog is drooling quite a bit.

It is lunch time already so we decide to grab a salad in a restaurant nearby.

Afterwards it's about time to have a look at the inside of the museum. The entrance is located deep beneath street level.


It is strictly forbidden to take pictures inside the building, but when we reach the immensely huge Arcelor Mittal hall laouen accidentally trips and snaps a shot... It is a true miracle the picture turned out like it did. Really.


Besides that the museum was surprisingly interesting. It is limited to modern and mainly abstract art. The variation is refreshing and the amount of works is just right for spending a pleasant afternoon. Especially the Cobra-collection appealed to me. The more paintings by Alechinsky I see the more I appreciate them.

There's also some weirder stuff. Like a separate room with a big wooden table that has wine bottles with drip valves suspended over it. The wine slowly drips and soaks into the table. Between them are pieces of uncleaned leather and animal fur. The smell is, well... interesting. But if you are a fan of modern art and architecture the Guggenheim in Bilbao is definitely a must.

After a nice day in Bilbao we return to the camp site. It is dry now and hopefully the tent will dry up as well before the morning. We'll be riding some passes again tomorrow and by Friday we hope to get to Bagnère-de-Luchon where we'll have to do a bit of washing. It is getting urgent.