Blogs are great, they let you record each day’s travels. What they’re not good at as being easy to read from start to finish as the start is at the bottom and the end at the top. To make this a little easier I’ve added a ‘forward’ link at the end of each day’s riding… Read More »
A first aid kit is an important part of any touring cyclists packing list. Injuries tend to happen to me almost daily, and the ability to patch up, stop any bleeding, add some antiseptic and get going is essential. There’s a temptation to pack everything you may need an fill a whole pannier. If you’re… Read More »
A constant in European summer cycling pilgrimages for me has been miles and miles of sunflowers. They invariably signify that it’s too hot and you’re miles from the next village, so my advice is if you find yourself heading into sunflower country, check you have plenty of water and don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen!… Read More »
Holy cow! We were awoken at 6am by the sound of Ave Maria super loud. I opened my eyes and saw dark wood above me barely visible in flickering candle light. I thought I was dead, only to look around and see a statue of Madonna and child – argghhhh! Then a chap in the… Read More »
The day started very slowly as I was definitely not on form. We took a meandering route out of town, taking in a fair bit of the Camino track. I could really have done with being on smooth tarmac as I felt so ill, but on our attempt to get back on the road an… Read More »
We got on the road late at 8:30. It was a steep climb. Strangely we found ourselves caught up with all sorts of other cyclists, notably a team of six Italians, an older French couple who seemed to have packed everything they owned, and a retired German chap, Harold, who became our ‘Dad for the… Read More »
We got the bikes out of the cellar and on to the road to Astorga. There was lovely flat tarmac, and rolling hills. A big climb before Astorga meant we had a cool, long descent into the suburbs. Another big hill into the city centre, guided in by the Cathedral which had a decidedly cheap… Read More »
I slept OK, considering. All our roomies were men and the dawn chorus of escaping gas was interesting. Lou’s ear is painful after our water fight and there was some blood in it so we’ll find a hospital in Leon today. I’m writing this bit in hospital! It’s a very nice hospital and the nurses… Read More »
We were on the road out of Carrion good and early. It was a cool morning and the long, straight, flat roads really got us moving. All that water from last night started to take effect. I really needed to pee, but all the bars en route were shut. When my bladder could hardly hold… Read More »
This was by far the worst day so far for me. We arrived at Carrion de los Condes at 7:30 after an 8:30 start. I’m lying here watching ‘The Weakest Link’ in Spanish on a tiny TV with my feet up on a couple of pillows. We cycled out from Burgos after a really poor… Read More »