July 21, 2016
Itxaspe to Lekeitio
An easy day today since there was no point arriving in Deba before the bike shop opened and the campground operator thought it opened at 10. He gave me a pictorial map of Deba and indicated where to find the shop. That was very helpful since Deba was bigger than I expected and the shop is in the last building as you exit the town travelling west. Since the front brake started clacking again just as I arrived in town, I was very glad I could get this fixed here and that I had adjusted things yesterday so that I had working brakes for the descent from Itxaspe into Deba.
The mechanic arrived soon after I did, and though he spoke no English, it wasn't difficult to communicate the problem. At first, he said that he didn't have brake pads that would fit since he carried only parts for mountain bike disk brakes, but I explained that it was a mountain bike brake. Sure enough, he found something that would work and installed the new pads. I asked about the rear brake and he said it was fine. I'll change those pads when I get home and then I'll know how for next time.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
After a tapas lunch in Deba, I followed the GI 638 past the bike shop and came to a tunnel. Posted length 300 m and no sidewalk. Instead, there is a paved pedestrian/bike path around the headland and surprise! it meets up with a pedestrian bridge across the estuary that I could have taken. I should have gone back east from the bike shop and turned onto this bridge. [Update: I looked on Google Street View at home and no wonder I missed that turn! It's barricaded and blocked by a chain link fence next to N 634 and seems only approachable from the pedestrian/bike route on the other side of the railway tracks.]
The path connects with the main road (GI 638) as it exits the tunnel for more spectacular coastal riding to Mutriku where the road goes inlan for a bit before coming out onto the coast again just before Ondarroa. That's also where one crosses from the province of Gipuzkoa into Bizkaia and the road designation changes to BI 638.
Near Lekeitio there are two campgrounds to choose from: Endai, which is right on BI 638 but 3 km from Lekeitio and without wifi or a restaurant, and Leagi, closer to town but "above" it and having both wifi and a restaurant. A friendly local roadie stopped as I stood by the turn into Endai and offered his opinion that Leagi was much nicer, though "up a mountain" but worth it. He had stopped to make sure I wasn't lost since he'd seen me going the other way just up the road. I explained that I had gone back a bit to take a photo of the cliff face there. I don't think he trusted my navigation skills since he waited for me at the edge of Lekeitio to make sure I found the turn–which I wouldn't have since the sign said "bungalows." So much for my navigation skills!
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
It was up a hill, but not too bad until the actual driveway into the campground. 500 m of steep pushing. No question of whether I was going to stay once I got there!
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
I walked down to the town for dinner instead of eating at the campground restaurant. It was a steep 1.5 km down but the waterfront was nice. The trouble was finding a place that served food before 8:30. I'll never get used to Spanish time! One advantage of the campground restaurants is that they do cater to family tourists and start serving dinner at 7.
I ended up wandering and killed the time until 8, when a waterfront restaurant opened its kitchen for dinner. The food was good, but I'm sorry to say I still haven't tried the local fish. I just haven't felt like eating fish.
A steep walk back up to my tent. I can't help but wonder how all the camping cars and big trailers make it up.
35 km; ascent 463m; descent 511 m
Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 1,348 km (837 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 1 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |