Europe 2016 – billrider2013

It was very wet when I awoke in the camp site outside of San Sebastian. The weather report on the app on my smartphone said that it was cloudy. This was one of those clouds that delvers rain.

Good Cycle Path

I headed down the hill into San Sebastian and followed the cycle path around the bay and along the surf beach and out of the city. This part of the ride was good. A lot of money and effort has been put into building cycling paths in the city, particularly to and from the beaches and the old town.

Things get Ordinary

Not long out of the city, the cycle paths cease and you are back on the roads. Fortunately, they were not as busy as the N 634 further west, but they were still not the best to ride on.

To Hondarriba

The signs led me to Irun. My final destination was Hondarriba, but there was no mention of it until I passed Irun.

I had looked up a campsite in Hondarriba. It took a bit of finding. As it turned out it was really good and only and couple of kilometres from the centre of town.

I pitched my tent in the area that was set aside for travellers, mainly cyclists, without vehicles. This is good to see. There were a number of walkers, they are a tough lot.

Happening Place

Hondarriba is great place. It has a small ‘walled town’, which as you would expect is very old.

It also was as wide waterfront area that looks over the bay that it shares with Handaye on the other side. Hendaye is France.

I had decided to spend a couple of days in the place. The next day involved a lot of walking and really good lunch in a restaurant on the waterside.

In the evening the street behind that the waterside really came to life. There are lots of small bars selling Pintxos. People just wander around all over the place. It shows that ‘outside drinking’ can be civilised.

Trip to France

Next day I caught a small ferry a cross to Hendaye in France. It has a good beach.

I had lunch in restaurant on the beach. I had Moules as you do in France when on the coast.

Bike Problem

Next day I packed up with the intention of taking the EuroVelo 1 Cycle Route from Hendaye past Irun and on to a Green Way Rail Trail into the mountain to the east.

This involved taking the small ferry across the bay to Hendaye again.

The trip across was okay.

As I load the panniers on the bike there was loud ‘BANG’. My front tyre was flat. Not only that it was split.

I repaired the puncture and rode off very slowly looking for a bike shop.

I ask a number of people if they knew where a bike shop could be found. I was told that there wasn’t one in town.

Stopping Short of Saint de Lux

I hadn’t gone all the far when the inevitable happened, the inner tube blew again at the point where the tyre had split.

I walked along the path until I came to campsite.

I checked in and asked if they knew where I could find a bike shop. They told me that there was one “just before the bridge as you approach Saint de Lux”.

I took the bus into the town and after a bit of confusion I found the bike shop. The mechanic pointed out that that as well and the tyre issue, the wheel was not true. Anyway it was all fixed and I purchased a new shock absorber pump from them.

Long Walk

I had missed that last bus heading back to the campsite.

The walk back assisted in me achieving my FitBit target and more for the day.

Flickr Link

https://www.flickr.com/photos/twwilko_photos/albums/72157670768412371

Garmin Link

Leaving Sebastian

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1269977938

Very Short Ride Due to Puncture

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1279460466

I ended up staying in Bilbao for a few days.

The hostel where I was staying was not far from the river and about 800 metres from the Guggenheim Museum. It was quite good.

Walks through the City

I went on a number of walks through the city. It is quite compact and has a vibrant old town which comes to life after 7.00 p.m.

There are plenty of restaurants and small bars.

Guggenheim Museum

Of course the main attraction in the city is the Guggenheim Museum. It is one of the best known buildings that have been designed by the architect Frank Gehry.

I have seen his Disney Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago and the Dancing House in Prague. He has recently designed a Building for the UTS University in Sydney.

The Bilbao building is spectacular.

One of the features of the building is the titanium cladding and the way it changes colour during the day.

The exhibition areas are very big. Some of the pieces are an ‘acquired taste’. The work of a French artist, Louise Bourgeois, reminded me of the Damien Hirst’s stuff – a bit weird.

There is currently an Andy Warhol exhibition on show. It is the only are where you can take photos of the paintings.

Problem with the Bike

Some readers of this blog will know that I have a rather interesting bike with a single shock absorber on the front. It is ‘air filled’. It occasionally requires charging. I have a special pump to do that. When I tried to charge it in Bilbao I managed to ‘cross the thread’ on the connection between the pump and the shock absorber.

I took the bike to a bike shop near to the hostel.

The mechanic only spoke Spanish. When he looked at problem, he said something in Spanish. I took what he said to mean: “what the fu&$k have you done”. He managed to charge the shock absorber. I hope I have not done irreparable damage. I have had to replace it once before. It isn’t cheap.

Haircut

I had a haircut in Bilbao. I won’t need another for a while. I tried to indicate I wanted one centimetre taken off. The barber seemed to assume that I wanted only one centimetre, or less left.

Flick Links

Guggenheim

https://flic.kr/s/aHskE8XrJu

Other

https://flic.kr/s/aHskEbE1eg

Links to Guggenheim Museum

Collection

http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/the-collection/

Building

http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/the-building/