The big bump

June 11, 2025

(getting over it)

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Yesterday's hotel didn't do breakfast, so I found myself wandering the streets of Bilbao at 0800 in search of fuel. I think I might be getting the hang of it now. I found a comfortable but improbable looking bakery, majoring on lots of sweet pastry things; but by a combination of mime, pot luck and a little prior knowledge, managed to negotiate some more savoury items that weren't immediately apparent. Toasted bread with oil and tomato, fresh orange juice, and a decent strong coffee. I knew that there were stops en route today, so I didn't need too much. What had been worrying me more was the prospect of 72 hilly miles in stifling heat. But - hoorah! - the weather gods were with me again, and although it was about 23 degrees, clouds covered the sun, and there was a breeze. It looked like we'd be ok.

I retrieved Raven from her privileged position behind reception, and clipped in to head off across the city. I love these bits, the start to the day. We covered three or four miles without even noticing, as we hopped onto cycle lanes, turned here and there, and weaved a way through the traffic. It was actually quite slow progress, because there were so many traffic lights, and I think today we spent as much city time stopped as we did travelling. But then, time wasn't at a premium, and I wanted to make the most of our final day's riding.

The exit from the city, taken during one of those long waits for the light to go green. Ahead, the road rolled up and down, reminding me slightly of one of the virtual spinning classes that I do fairly regularly. Except, with more noise.

We were soon away from Bilbao though, and back into a mixed bag of country roads. By the look of things, today was going to have some climbing challenges. We'd tire ourselves out on two early bumps, then lose all of our hard-earned altitude, and start again with a long, stiff ascent. Thanks, Komoot. Maybe I should start using google maps, instead.

An early summit, before any of the three main peaks. Sometimes it's nice to stop at the top to catch breath. But sometimes, the view takes your breath away.

A random cycle path through hilly territory, which again was ours alone. In the middle, you can see the Basque flag fluttering.

There was a planned stop at two hours for morning break, and another at about three and a half for lunch. I was slightly flabbergasted to find that the first supermarket had put seats outside, for eating, drinking and socialising. More than that, they were seats with big padded cushions. That's a nice touch when you're spending the day in the saddle. And if I thought Google reviews would drive any business their way, I'd log in and give them five stars. I had a cold can, a banana and a rice pudding, and a cheese roll and chocolate for lunch. It's going to be strange seeing a vegetable again when I get home.

There's not too much to report from the main body of the ride today. Plenty of other cyclists, some stunning views, and those challenging climbs. I wanted to do the main climb properly, having bottled an ascent earlier in the week because of the heat. And we sort of achieved it. Sort of, because although I didn't choose to stop, the roadworks half way through caught us with a red light, and I was forced to take a two minute breather. Annoyingly, it was on one of the few sections with a relatively shallow gradient.

A view from half way down the other side of our steep climb. The top felt anticlimactic, because the road bent away through forestry, and we were hemmed in by taller peaks on several sides.

Just because. Some of these vistas don't really require explanation, do they?

The final stage of our ride was to be a bit of a celebration. last year, we'd marked the end of LEJOG by getting a ferry to Orkney. This year, we took one to the far side of the port at Santander. Not quite the same, but still a decent crossing, and one that saved about ten miles of trudging around flat, industrial port areas. It was a good choice.

I met a Dutch couple while waiting for the boat - they were three days into their trail to Santiago de Compostela, with two weeks yet to go. I envied them: but we all have to return to reality at some point!

Sandwiched uncomfortably between two dutch bikes, Raven looked balefully at me as we crossed. At least this time she wasn't getting soaked.

View to the main centre of Santander, on our final approach. The hotel was only about a mile's ride from here.

The hotel is in a residential area, a few streets and a lot of height up from the waterline. There's a lot of street art, most of it deliberate and decorative. This wall is about twenty yards away from reception.

Final scores. I'll do some tallying tomorrow, but you can see how excited I was by the blurriness.

Tomorrow's ferry is at three-ish, just down the road, and they're happy to look after Raven until then. So today, I didn't explore the city much. I figured that bit could wait. Instead, I wandered into the centre, ordered a cold beer, and chose a couple of promising-looking raciones.

I'll do a final entry before closing, but for a minute, that's it from Raven and I. Another successful adventure completed.

The very impressive Bank of Santander building. It's as much sightseeing as I could be bothered to do, today. And only then because it was directly in front of the bar.

Today's ride: 71 miles (114 km)
Total: 751 miles (1,209 km)

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Mike AylingThanks for a greatjournal.
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1 month ago

Mark M.To Mike AylingThanks Mike, glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate you following along 😊
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1 month ago