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I'm back from my Southern Road trip but it’s nothing compared to yours TJ.
Will you be back in Edinburgh mid-September?
I'm watching your progress with interest, TJ. There's a good chance I'll be free and the sun will be shining by the end of the week. I can train and bike to intersect your route in a few hours pretty much anywhere from Bordeaux on. There's a TER which stops at regular intervals. The only doubt is whether I'll be in any state to get on a bike after the building work I'm doing this week.
From Royan the EV1 is close to but rarely on the coast, it runs through pine forests behind the dunes. I find it bumpy and demoralising. There are alternatives further inland or a long way inland. There's a railway trail into Bordeaux from Lacanau if you want to visit Bordeaux as others have suggested but don't fancy the vélo route down the right bank of the Garonne from Royan. There are more cycles routes than on the weserradweg map in Gironde:
I mentioned the compostelle bike route along the Spanish north coast. This one is doable on a touring bike, it will probably mean some pushing but no carrying.
https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-cicloturismo/camino-del-norte-en-bici-irun-santiago-102429314
A bientôt. 😉
Mrvovershhot. Probably end sept.
Edukator. We shall see what happens. I need a ponder about routes. Im windering about the areas that had fires as well
The section around the Teste de Buch is closed but you can avoid it by going through Sanguinet, which you'd have probably done anyhow given your use of Strava lines. 😉
The closed section:
https://www.lavelodyssee.com/actualites/incendies-sur-la-velodyssee
Loving this thread. Would love to do something like this one day, maybe when the kids have left home....
It feels good not to be packing up and moving on today. I am getting tired. Only 2 or 3 weeks to go.
Just been trying to sort out the logistics of meeting the folk i want to meet. One lives near Bilbao. One is coming over to walk part of the compostella and two are over on a motorbike tour. Looks like it can be done and i basically have a week in hand
maybe when the kids have left home….
We did lots of long distance cycle tours with junior, for example Paris to Copenhagen and return to Metz when he was 9. He walked from Hendaye to Gijon with us at 17 and caught the bus home leaving us to continue.
Of the cycle tours and walks I've done, walking from home to Compostelle is the one I'd most like to do again - for a fourth time.
My lad would be up for it, but my daughter, not so much....
Yeah kids are people, they vary. I'd have dearly loved to do a cycle tour or long walk when I was a kid (same as now) but my parents wouldn't have planned such a thing and my sister would have hated it. My kids now wouldn't enjoy it at all.
Things you dont think of with a long tour
My brand new before I set off ordinary shorts worn over the top of my lycra are wearing out. The arse is getting thin
My thermarest mattress was stinking and had to be washed
Fresh food needs buying daily as it goes off in rhe heat. Next time maybe an ebike and a coolbox🙄🤣 i used a cool box on a canoe trip in france and it was great but another few kilos
😉
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Sorry folks i have nowt for you today. A rest day resting and a supply run with a short mooch around the town. No pics.
I know im useless🙄😎🤣
Sounds great way of passing a day.
not even a croissant? 🙁
we do need a list of things to bring on a tour over 2 weeks as I was thinking about that today. Nail scissors is on the list, nails grow at an incredible rate when away from home. Just need a lightweight drilled out set
Croissants an pain au chocolate for berkkie. Still warm and lovely
Up and away sharp this morning a d maki g good miles I'll be in Royan soon. Time for another ferry.
Duneland estuarys and forest again this morning
Perfect timing for the ferry 😎
Why are you wearing shorts over lycra anyway? You're in mainland Europe: cast off that fragile UK masculinity and wear what you like 🙂
Public decency.
Lunch disaster. What i thought was a nice bit of cheese turned out to be tasteless rubber.
Dont forget that pain au chocolat become chocolatine in the south west.
Ta for that. It confused me this morning
Lunch disaster. What i thought was a nice bit of cheese turned out to be tasteless rubber.
Quel fromage!?
Are you sure it wasn't an inner tube?
🙃
Just had a lovely peach for afternoon tea
Quel fromage!?
Un dommage!
Montalivet for tonight in a camping municipale. I had forgotten about camping on sand! I do hope we dont get a gale as the tent will blow down and the ruddy sand gets everywhere.
Last night i was camped under an oak which dropped acorns on my tent in the night. Tonight its a huge pine with cones like pineapples.
No chips on site nor beer. Boooooo. Towns only 5 mins away
Royan is a place we spent a fortnight, during school holidays, mid 1970's. There was a swarm of ladybirds that year.
Are they French fries TJ, or proper chunky British stylee chips?
French fries but with mayo so thats ok
At the rate you're going I'm not going to be free to meet up, TJ. The MTB club (Madame is president) is out on Saturday and doing a rando in Monein with wine tasting at feed stations on Sunday. I'll keep following the thread with interest though.
Tomorrow you may find yourself on the "piste allemande" at some point. It's a concrete road built to link all the Atlantic wall fortifications. I can't remember if Vélodyssée takes it but I do each time I go up or down that part of the coast.
You're doing a good job finding nice campsites, are you using an app? I use the info-camping site.
Just google maps and read the reviews
Shame if you cant meet up. Im gonna take it easy the next couple of days.
Ta for the route tips
Ive been looking at maps and trying to co ordinate with my pals. Looks like i need to be in agilla de campoo on the 17th then estella on the 20th. Dunno if the logistics will work. Might have to hire a scooter somewhere around estella to do the run to aguilla and back. Pal I'm meeting in estella is the one im going to walk for a few days with. Then home
Im tired today. I think cumulative fatigue is building. Mind you best part of 50 miles again today
Git a puncture today. Swapped in my last unpunctured tube. 250m later a bike shop selling spares so i could get some new tubes
Ladybird swarm in mid 70s! I was there on the beach it was weird and slightly scary. Millions of ladybirds like a locust swarm but.....
Anyway, I remain envious of the adventure.
Have you got that the right way around, Agilla de Campo is after Estella?
Agilla de Campoo in 17 days should be on. There's a lot of climbing once you're over the border pretty much whichever way you go but it's 40kms a day-ish, I reckon I could walk it in the time you have, it was about 9 days walk from St Jean de Luz to Santander on el Camino del Norte.
You then go back to Estella which is odd. The easiest route will be down to Burgos and then reverse along the Camino Francès bike route - perhaps 260km of hilly but not mountainous terrain in three days, possible.
I can't remember much about Estella apart from the free wine tap for pilgrims at the local wine co-op.
Edit: a word of warning, once you start walking along el Camino it's very hard to stop, and whatever else you had planned may suddenly seem inconsequential so you just keep walking. 😉
I think I'll go to estella and dump my bike and kit with my pal who lives there and then go by scooter to aguilla to meet the other pals who are on holiday. Back to estella and then go walking. None of this makes ant sense really does it?😎🤣🙄
****ing pics not working again
Lunch disaster. What i thought was a nice bit of cheese turned out to be tasteless rubber.
Cant be having that, not in Europe. They should have a wide range of quality cheeses over there.
I've just been spending freely on a few sample pieces - Truffle trove..Vintage cheddar with a lot of black truffle through it.(From Snowdonia) Cornish Yarg, and Jumi Aarewasser.(From Switzerland).
Croissants and juice on the beach for second breakfast
Yum
That's better Pan d Rasion my touring food of choice (necessity;) I don't do chocolate croissant options. Take it easy and enjoy the ride. C
Camped up in camping municipale la gringe but its a disaster. The bar is shut despite advertising happy hour at 5 pm.
I am bored now of riding down the coastal forests nice tho they are. Found the road for the Atlantic wall bunkers and one of the bunkers. 40 miles today
Atlantic wall bunkers
bar is shut despite advertising happy hour at 5 pm
Seems like the high season campsite staff left without taking the sign down 😭.
Hopefully the nearest supermarket isn't too far away?
I think its just about to open. Chap said i could have a beer in 5 mins
Saved
I can smell chips as well
I am bored now of riding down the coastal forests nice tho they are
"Bumpy and demoralising" was how I described it a page back, only another 120km or so before the pine forest ends. 🙂 You get a respite through Andernos tomorrow but only if you ride along the sea front rather than the railway trail which runs through the forest behind the town. You'll miss Arcachon and Dune de Pilat because of the fires. You've passed Lacanau which says you've decided not to take the railway trail Le Porge - Bordeaux.
At risk of demoralising you further you'll have a headwind and 55% risk of getting a thunderstorm tomorrow. 😉
Edit: I see the bar is open now which has clearly improved morale.
I have had tailwinds virtually the entire ride since the first week or two which is amazing. A bit of rain would not go ammiss. Dagnamit I've been carrying a full set of waterproofs.
Ive a week in hand pretty much so all looking good
Lovely french couple on the campsite who i actually met 2 days ago as well charged my batteries for recharging my phone as they have an electric hook up even though they are riding non e bikes. Kindness of strangers again. Ill offer them coffee in the morning as its about the only thing i have to offer and i find it goes down well
Bad choice on the food front tho. Campsite restaurant was not good and they told me they had a good meal just outside tbe campsite
Rained heavily in the night which woke me up tho i did go back to sleep. Finally woke aftr 8 am which is very rare for me. The fellow cyclists next to me packed up and left and as they did the heavens opened again. Im hiding in my tent.
Coffee has been drunk but a slow start today
Good job im not in a hurry.😎🙄🤣
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