May 8, 2024
Estella-Lizarra to Olite
Last night neither of us felt like going to a restaurant for dinner. Instead, we bought some fruit to go with the cookies Al had picked up in Bilbao and ate at our B&B, washed down with cups of mint tea.
Our friendly hosts at B&B Zaldu provided a filling breakfast and we were off by 9:30 for a relatively short ride to Olite. Since we both had a bit of fatigue from the first two days, this was appreciated.
We were on a fairly busy highway all the way, with a notable amount of truck traffic, but there was a decent shoulder and all the truck drivers were considerate and moved over as they passed.
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We were in Olite by noon and our hotel was easy to find. I’d drawn the route right to it and Olite’s very small. We dropped our bags at reception, changed into street clothes, and went for an explore until we could order lunch. Best menu del dia yet at our hotel.
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The afternoon was spent exploring the Palacio Real de Olite. We didn’t get a map or any guidance, just wandered the many empty rooms and towers.
The room that wasn’t empty contained historical photos, models, and information about the reconstruction. The palace was a ruin until about 1940, due to a devastating fire in 1813. Restoration work of the structure was carried out 1937-1967; no wonder so much looks new!
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I guess they didn't want to be hasty and rush into anything... but really? 124 years to begin?
3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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Later, we walked around a bit more and had a light dinner in our hotel’s restaurant. We both ordered salads and they were huge! Next time, perhaps a salad to share followed by another shared dish? Maybe that’s what “raciones” are for. In any case, we’ve now made up for our lack of vegetables on our travel day and first couple of days in Spain.
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Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 189 km (117 miles)
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3 months ago
3 months ago