March 11, 2022
Rather bad luck
Day 21 - Elgoibar to Donostia-San Sebastian (by train)
Donostia-San Sebastian to Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Regret is a funny thing isn't it? Pretty useless and a big waste it time, really, unless it stops you doing a bad thing again. They say you are much likelier to regret the things you didn't do, than the things you did...
We decided to get a train. There was a station in Elgoibar, and given yesterday's experience, we thought we wouldn't miss much by skipping the little bit between there and Donostia. About 60km or so, but crucially, over 1000 metres of climbing, which realistically would take us at least a day and a half if not two.
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Taking a bike on another kind of transport is rarely a pleasure, but this came close. The train was modern and clean, we both easily rolled on, and there were several spaces for bikes which accommodated even the large tyres and otherwise enormous bulk of ours fairly easily. It was also €5.10 each for the 90 minute journey (no way it would have been less than £20 in the UK). No regrets here.
So, we enjoyed a pleasant journey, looked out the window at passing mountains (tunneling underneath a few), saw cloudy jade-green rivers, and played a bit of blockudoku.
After arriving and having our now habitual café con leche and slice of tortilla, eaten in the sun in a beautiful wide open square, busy with Basquians having their midday glasses of beer and wine, Sarah was ready to write the day off for cycling and to spend the rest relaxing in Donostia. I was not! We had had a rest day very recently, and I insisted that we do at least a bit of riding - the 35km to Saint-Jean-de-Luz couldn't hurt could it? The coast! The sea! A new country! France!
Reluctantly, she gave in.
After the nice cycle path that led out of the city disappeared and we joined the road, I would say we were passed by an average of 10 cars a minute, had no shoulder to cycle on, had to cycle on a dual carriageway, and got rained on so much I don't think my shoes will ever be dry again. Who are all these drivers? They can't possibly all be local. Is it French and Spanish half term or something? What happened to the wide shoulders even most small roads have in Western Spain?
Most ludicrous of all, there are huge toll-road motorways that follow the same route, that nobody uses because they don't want to pay, which would be safer for us to cycle on as they have a hard shoulder and no traffic anyway. But we aren't allowed on them.
We stopped a few times to try and wait out the worst of the rain, but it was no use.
My apple was rotten.
It was a total and absolute unbelievable travesty of a bike ride. I have regrets.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 722 km (448 miles)
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Good luck with whatever you decide
TRicia
2 years ago
2 years ago