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Rain in a tent is a nice sound, as long as you trust the tent
Im not feeling it at all today. Legs are heavy and motivation low.
Oh well. I might be a bit dehydrated and electrolytes low i guess. I doubt many miles today
Barely 40 miles today. Ive come inland a bit. Camped at Salles in the parc natural regional des landes de Gascogne.
Afternoon tea
Shit shit shit
I just tore my tent putting it up. Clumsy with the pole and put a tear thru it. 2 inch 3 corner tear
I have silnet goo and tenacious tape. Hopefully that can make a repair. Have to wait until its dry to try.
Bumwillypoo
Bad luck TJ. Does Zen application of tape whilst contemplating the above pastries help?
They look totally delicious.
As for tape repairs it'll be fine. A mate repaired his macpac tent with local sellotape in Mongolia and it was fine for years.
Still a bugger though.
Is there are bar nearby for 'sod it I need a beer o'clock?'.
40 miles is pretty good for an indifferent day! Just think of it as eeking out extra time in croissant land before crossing the border to land of pinchos and tapas.
Ta
Repair looks ok
👍
Sounds like you deserve beer / chips / tapas now.
At least you won't get back home thinking why did I carry that tape for 2000 miles or so.
Doh!
That’s what duct tape is for, now go and get chips and beer.
So you've picked up a couple of tarts and had an accident with your pole?
Yup.
Now in the bar where its karaoke night. The gods are against me
Duct tape wont stick to silnylon. Tenacious tape seems to tho.
This must be the most french campsite i have ever been on. Its fabulous. Even the old folk are effotlessly cool and the younger lot are almost italianate in the levels of cool.
All generations mixing. I can even smell gauloise for the first time this trip
I think im the only brit around
Tenacious Tape is awesome. I've used it on both a Thermarest and a tent. I have some in my rucksack permanently.
Maybe i should ask them if they have " flower of scotland" on the karaoke
@onehundredthidiot - what a coincidence that you too were on the same beach with that ladybird swarm. They crunched underfoot and got into one's hair and clothing.
We lived on the same diet as TJ - Cheese, bread, pastries and nectarines. Maybe sardines and tomatoes for dinner.
It rained in the night and the tape repair held.😎👍
I've just realised I have no plan at all for today. Oops. Better think of one. Supposed i had better look at some maps. Its all good tho. I have 2 weeks before the first of the meetups with pals and its barely a weeks riding away so i will have some time to chill en route.
The only fly in the ointment is the climbing. Ive been riding in flatlands since Calderdale a month and a thousand miles ago.
Both sets of folk im going to be meeting are going to be in the hills south of Bilbao not actually in the city so lots of lovely climbing to do.🙄
I think what i will do is get into the area then relax for a few days or i might go back down to the coast for a few days.
As ever all very vague. Its the TJ way😎🤣🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🙃
This is a brilliant read, I settle down with it at the same time as making my morning coffee. I wish I had a luscious french tart in front of me though.
Thanks TJ, I know the purpose of your trip (in part at least) but reading it makes me happy, so thanks for that.
200 miles to go with 7000 ft of climbing🙄
Id better make another pot of coffee
Just think back to the morning you left here all those weeks ago. And then the hills won't seem quite so ominous. Take care TJ and enjoy every km.
I can't even make a coherent plan this morning. Heading south east on an old railway but in 5 miles im going to cut back south west.
Huge thunderhead clouds arou d and my waterproofs are packed away deep in my bag. Oh well.
I lost a ripe nectarine this morning. It fell out of the mesh bag im carrying them in.
Still any day on a bike is a good day
You're in what you'll probably remember as the least interesting part of your trip TJ, the roads are long straight, demoralising and dangerous. The coastal cycle route is just as demoralising but has the merit of being safe. All I can suggest is seeking out small roads that don't link the major settlements.
When you break out of the forest just before Bayonne you exchange people flying along the long staight roads through the pines for irritated urban drivers. The Basque coast between Bayonne and St Seb is highly populated and hectic, if you take that route it's best to take the cycle route around the coast to Hendaye, the roads are awful. In Spain the Camino bike route goes up and down a lot but the alternative main roads are not bike friendly.
The other posibility is going through the mountains, for example making a bee line for St Jean Pied de Port and over to Pampelone following el Camino Frances bike route to Estella. It goes over the Col de Ronceveau but the total climbing isn't any more than the constant up and down along the coast.
Godd luck whichever way you go and stay alert when being overtaken on those long straights, it's the part of your journey you're most likely to be run off the road. 🙁
Ta
Ive got some cycleways to pick up in a bit and gonna head back down to the coast on them.
Coming inland didn't change the acenery much
+1 for st jean pied de port. It is a beautiful climb and you get bragging rights for getting over a "proper" Pyrennean col.
Maybe we could all vote for the route you take?
Maybe we could all vote for the route you take?
Yeah right. This bunch of comedians has already sent me over loads of hills. Gospel pass mutter moan grumble
Long way for a short cut today. Im only about 30 miles from where i camped last night. Matters not one jot.
Im back on the eurovelo route near Gastes right on a lake. Ever such a nice place i have to say.
Im bored of riding traffic free routes thru forest now and going inland made not one whit of difference hence back to the coast.
Still. I have a rather nice pint of belgian beer in hand right now.
A bit of history for you:
There might still be oil production platforms in the lake.
I have a rather nice pint of belgian beer in hand right now
Perhaps it's hot hands after a day's riding that causes them to evaporate so fast?
I have found talking to other tourers really interesting. A few days ago i met a woman who had chucked her job and bought a midrange gazelle bike, some cheap panniers and a cheap tent and just set off. No overthinking it. Tonight a chap who proudly told me his bike cost 40 euros so if he gets fed up he can just chuck it in a hedge and he doesn't have to worry about it being stolen
I find it really life affirming to meet these folk who get the simplicity of bike touring
Wind and rain forecast towards the end of the week, maybe an idea to stock up on duct tape if you happen upon any diy stores.
Breakfast
Breakfast
of champions and our favourite bike packer thread.
The randomiser failedme today. I went to a small 1 star campsite that looked really nice. No longer taking tents🙄😥
Ended up on a huge 4 star campsite instead. Oh well. I can get beer.
Near Leon beside the lake
Hot hot hot today. My goats cheese is rather runny
Bon Maman TJ. I was down near where your heading a few weeks back (Edukator - Pau is one of the loveliest cities I have been to).
Loving these updates, and on behalf of the silent 000's, thank you for letting us share the journey with you and Julie.
Errrmmm
With julie? I do have some ashes in my bag.......
....😀😎
Surfs up
Random lighthouse
Lac du Leon
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Effing stupid software
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Oh ffs. Why do pics not show randomly
I am getting rather tired. I do have a week in hand tho as its nearly 2 weeks untill i meet folk and its only 4 or so days riding left to where i am meeting them.
I think i might take a day or two off in the next couple of days. The pals I am meeting are too far apart to do by bicycle given the time constraints so what ill probably do is go to Estella where i am meeting one pal and hire a scooter to get to aguilla whete i am meeting another pal.
Not really looking forward to crossing the pyrenees. Oh well. 150 miles to Estella so not far to go
Also all my kit stinks🙄🤣🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️
Nice downhill stretches of road after every difficult uphill struggle 🤔⛰️.
With julie? I do have some ashes in my bag……
Forgive my clumsiness. I was thinking of 'her spirit rides on'. I read your updates like she's turning the pedals with you.
Apologies.
No problem at all. I was being a bit snarky. I am not sensitive about it.
I should be careful about making folk feel awkward tho really
TJ, are you on the camping sandaya le col vert campsite?
I stayed there a few years ago, it's massive but I loved it. We had 2 kids though and made good use of the pools and bars!! Got the kids to cycle out to the beach a couple of times, but that's all the cycling I've done out there.
Keep up the good work.