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Yes we have been finding it rather tough!! What doesn't kill you etc etc...
2 years agoUs neither! And after changing our plans last minute, what luck!
2 years agoIt was astonishing!
I've tracked it down, it's this place:
Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3ZiV8ojLezXbiNEAA
Spectacular. I had no idea there were real Badlands in this part of Spain.
2 years agoWow, some amazing tours you've done there Scott, and how fit you must be!
We are already a bit nervous about the ride up the coast - not huge elevation but lots of very steep little-ish climbs.
Beautiful scenery!
2 years agoVery wise to stop!
2 years agoThat’s sad you didn’t get to enjoy the coast down but glad to hear you were able to get it properly repaired.
2 years agoWow, that looks really tough even without the gravel!
2 years agoGlad to hear your getting in shape!
2 years agoThat’s really wonderful. It’s sights like this that make Spain one of our favorite destinations. Do you know where this is?
2 years agoYou might have already planned how to leave Bilbao, but if if you have time I really recommend biking down the river to the coast (there’s a good bike route on the right bank) and then following the coast east toward Plasencia and Bermeo. Here’s how it looked when we biked the other direction: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/girona2014/bilbao/.
2 years agoThanks Tricia! Haha well we like some hills, some are a bit much for us... Guess we'll have to see which type these coast ones are.
2 years agoThanks Scott - changing route has certainly seemed like a good choice to us so far!
Haha yes it does seem a bit early for the Pyrenees... I'm a bit worried, but the route I have is for the "foothills", doesn't go much above 75om so hopefully it'll be okay!
We’ve seen the outside of this museum twice but it was closed both times so we’ve never been inside. It looks as amazing inside as outside.
2 years agoRegarding the time and distance question though: there are also the considerations of weather and difficulty. I agree that you’re not likely to make Istanbul on two wheels before your 90 days run out, so I’d be looking more at what’s too arduous rather than what’s less interesting. One idea is to change your idea of how to cross France - your outline from your first post shows you going through the interior, which is generally very hilly - and it crosses the Alps at the Italian border, but they’re really serious climbing and will almost surely feel too hard, and likely they’ll still be snowbound in spots. Some of these passes don’t normally open up until late May.
So, maybe along the Mediterranean coast all across France, and then staying south of the mountains across Italy. Beautiful, interesting, often reasonably easy cycling, and it’s easy to stay close to a train line if you find spots or weather you want to skip over.
Beyond Italy though, everything along your planned route gets harder all the way down the coast to Greece. One idea would be to head south along the eastern coast of Italy instead of the Balkans. The coastal terrain is easier on the Italian side, and there’s reliable train service the whole way down if you want or need to make up time. You could catch a ferry from Bari to Patras and then bike east along the Gulf of Corinth.