|
|
|
Out of Roncesvalles
Riding North through the Pyrenees Valley June 13
We were already packed and out of the Albergue, we headed to breakfast that cost us 5€ each with the rest of the pilgrims We sat by 3 Spanish women that were friends and shared stories of prior Camino's. Thinking about the morning's ride we took some apples for a mid-morning snack. The first few kilometers out of Roncesvalles were difficult due to the elevation change. I had to go back to help Carmen with her bike several times. I pushed my bike up the hill and then went back to help Carmen finish pushing her bike up the trail. It was un-ride able. Since we were headed to Irun which is at sea level soon there were a series of downhill with lots of coasting. We got a little lost in the woods and were unsure of which road to take, fortunately we ran into a woman with a couple of dogs that helped us with directions. She told us her daughter was a teacher and sometimes came out to visit her. Carmen got friendly with her sheep dogs. Once back on track when we were a few miles off the Spanish border we reached the town of Saint-Etienne-de-Balgorry where we bought some chocolates. Then we had lunch. Our lunch time is always a little off from the locals since they eat a little later then go have their mid-afternoon break. The owner was very accommodating and set us up out in the terrace. We were at Hotel Jauntorena restaurant, I had octopus which I enjoyed slowly my first really good seafood of the trip with a few vegetables. Carmen had a salad…. and a great desert of Vanilla ice-cream in a tall glass with some fruit and chocolates. |
|
After lunch we rode for a few more kilometers and we came to the small town of Cambo-les-Bains, because Carmen was a tired we checked into a hotel. In the basement of the Hotel Du Trinquet on the edge of the river La Nieve they had a Jai-Alai court there they also played Pelota. We had to store our bikes in the basement and walk thru the area to get to our rooms. We rested, the room did not have air-condition so we kept the windows open,we were cool but the flys were out of control, we had a similar experience in France before. What is it with the fly's? We did not have any food in the room, thankfully at dusk they went away.
This evening we were not able to find a place for dinner, we took different roads out of town with our bikes, a kilometer this way or that way, we were ina small town with not much in the sorrounding. We should have eaten at the hotel but we didn't even think about that option. We took a walk around the small town and found an area near the church were some teens were practicing the game of Pelota. Carmen walked around the cemetery and I moved closer to the guys practicing. I started up a conversation with the trainer and discovered that he had the title of World Champion with Pelota which is one of the top sports in the Basque Region . They let me try out the game with me hitting the ball a few times with their coach. At the end, the trainer gave me a Pelota to keep as a memento which I ended up leaving a week later at a hotel because I did not have space for it.
This evening we were not able to find a place for dinner, we took different roads out of town with our bikes, a kilometer this way or that way, we were ina small town with not much in the sorrounding. We should have eaten at the hotel but we didn't even think about that option. We took a walk around the small town and found an area near the church were some teens were practicing the game of Pelota. Carmen walked around the cemetery and I moved closer to the guys practicing. I started up a conversation with the trainer and discovered that he had the title of World Champion with Pelota which is one of the top sports in the Basque Region . They let me try out the game with me hitting the ball a few times with their coach. At the end, the trainer gave me a Pelota to keep as a memento which I ended up leaving a week later at a hotel because I did not have space for it.
|
|
|