October 5, 2024
Sare to San Sebastian
Spain has a cool system of Paradors -- unique, unusual, historic buildings that are government-restored and rented to the public. They're tend to be a bit out of the way (and oftentimes perched on top of a hill), aka perfect for a bicycle tour. I'll try to hit a few of them as I cycle back down to the Mediterranean through Spain.
I've heard so much about Basque Country, and I'm excited to eat eat eat in San Sebastian. This morning, I'll head to Saint Jean de Luz before following the coast to San Sebastian.
I see lots of roadies out and about almost immediately. As I get closer to Saint Jean de Luz, separated bike paths emerge. One gripe I have is that the bike paths are disjointed, but if you get onto the actual road to complete a turn, motorists get grouchy. On one bike path, the branches were overgrown so several cyclists took the road. We were all descending, and at the speed limit, but an irate SUV honked the ever living fuck out of us and the passenger rolled down the window to scream at each of us. It was pretty freaky.
Crossing over to the Spanish side, you had to get onto the highway for a few short stretches (I would compare it to Marine Drive on the way to Horseshoe Bay). So overall, a ride with a lot of mental spend. I follow two cute kids (they must be no older than twelve?) in Movistar kit to get into the city.
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I check into my hotel, and even manage to squeeze my bike into the single room. After a while in the countryside, being back in a city is a bit of a shock. I get a few pintxos to tuck into before some exploring on foot.
When I get to La Concha, it hits me that I've actually made it to the Atlantic Ocean!
This cheesecake is not at all like the Basque cheesecake on the French side. It's light, fluffy, and flecked with vanilla bean.
Dinner service starts at 8pm here, and I can't hold out that long, so I hit the grocery store at a respectable 5:30pm to get back before a vicious rainstorm.
Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 1,500 km (932 miles)
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