Yesterday when we arrived at Hotel Arimune, our hosts asked if we would like to have their breakfast. As previously mentioned, we often take a pass on the hotel breakfasts preferring other options. Bakio seemed mostly closed up for the season leaving limited options so we thought that we would pay the 18 euros each. They did offer eggs on the menu and said that the breakfast were really good.
At 08:30 this morning our places were set at the end of the long table with a wonderful view of the beach. The breakfast was prepared by our personal chef (no one else was there) and it was indeed a "ten jammer" even though there were only two homemade jams on the table. The the local sourcing and care in preparation of each item was explained in detail. Everything was of exceptional quality and we left the table completely stuffed and ready for the first climb of the day. Or as ready as we would ever be!
In the morning, a tractor pulling a raking unit sweeps the beach. No wonder the sand feels so soft.
Our chef, Undai, preparing our toast with olive oil, homemade tomato puree and the best ham. Freshly squeezed OJ was on the table and local free range eggs with bacon are soon to arrive. The espresso was delicious too.
Leaving town, we started to follow a coastal road away from Bakio but soon discovered that there was another road that was right beside the ocean on the edge of the cliffs. We decided to back track down the hill and start again. It maybe argued that this new road was a bit of a mistake as we were soon pushing our bikes up 20+ percent inclines. Others might argue the views were worth it. Not sure who was taking which side of the debate. When we did reach the top, dripping with sweat, the road came out at the parking for the Gaztelugatxe visitors. We then entered the nicely paved highway with an 8 percent grade finally hitting the 300 metre top at just over 4 km into the ride. Good morning body!
Looking back at the beach in Bakio. The tide is way out compared to when we arrived yesterday afternoon. No surfers this morning! All those buildings in town and there were so few people around.
The parking areas for Gatzelugatxe are quite large as it must be very popular in the summer. We are at the highway intersection here where more hill awaits.
Steve Miller/GrampiesDodie noticed your string to keep your glasses from falling, and is glad to see she is not the only one with such a device. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Scott FenwickHahaha! I use them so I don't lose my glasses! I take my glasses off to read fine print and the Garmin and those strings are the best for keeping track of them! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
The ride down was great as we headed back to sea level at Bermeo! But making our way out of Bermeo we started to encounter a lot more traffic so we stayed to the sidewalks riding uphill out of town. Heavier car traffic continued as we passed the next town, Mundaka, and we began to use a combination of riding on the sidewalks and the streets to avoid the cars as much as possible on the shoulderless road.
We stopped for a coffee at a restaurant that our breakfast chef recommended for the great views. Here we could see across the Urdaibai estuary to the marina on the far side. There is a ferry that operates in the summer that takes people to the other side of the estuary - avoiding the 10km route around the estuary, but the service stops at the end of September. We tried to hire a boat but could not make the timing work with the operator. The only option was to ride the 10km to the end of the estuary and then ride back up the other side. This would add too many kilometres to our route so we had to take a more direct line to Lekeitio once we got to the end of the estuary.
A quick note from the web about the Urdaibai estuary, ¨The estuary, together with Santoña's natural park, is arguably the most important wetland in the Iberian Peninsula. The estuary is the heart of the Biosphere Reserve, which is a habitat for a wide variety of migratory and resident birds¨.
The second climb of the day was quite long and we were starting to feel the length of the day. The day was warm with one outside thermometer reading 33 degrees and riding with vehicle traffic is way more tiring. As usual, we did enjoy the downhill. You could really sense that the weather was changing as the winds were gusting as we began to head downhill back to the coast. Riding downhill with a headwind was not bad at all!
Looking across the estuary. This is where the boat would cross. The water looks really low and tides do impact the ferry schedule.
The only stop for a picture on the second climb of the day. It was mostly inland and with all the car traffic, (we have been spoiled lately) we were less likely to stop.
Arriving into Lekeitio was an easy, no peddling required coast right into Independentziaren Plaza. Here in one corner there was a simple bar pumping out Bob Marley tunes. We sat in the main square with the warm wind blowing the dried leaves back and forth admiring the view. We were in no hurry as we sipped our beer in this very pretty, historic fishing village. We discovered why some people call Lekeitio one of Basque country`s hidden gems.
Isuntza, the first beach you’ll see in Lekeitio. These guys were playing a cross between volleyball and soccer using various parts of their bodies other than their hands to get the ball over the net.
We spent the evening walking around the town with its many busy bars. We found that it was easy to get lost in the maze of twisty narrow streets of Lekeitio's old section. We continue to struggle a bit finding restaurants. Likely this has to do with looking for dinner before the 8:30 dinner hour in Spain when some bars may transition and offer more than their standard Pintxos snacks. In the end we did find a small local restaurant and enjoyed our meal. Tomorrow we are heading further up the coast to Zumaia.
Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles) Total: 858 km (533 miles)
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Scott AndersonOof! That’s a full day along this coast alright. Incredible though, and we especially liked Leikeiteo. If we ever come through again we’d stay there next time too. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
