Day 13: Wednesday 17th June 2015 - Bayonne to San Sebastián (Donostia) Spain

San Sebastián (Donostia)

Day 13: Wednesday 17th June 2015   -  Bayonne to San Sebastián (Donostia) Spain

Today's Ks': 83.37k  Total for Trip: 951.25 ks'

After my few days rest I was ready to hit the road again and get moving. Looking out though, the weather was obliging at all. My plan for today was to head for Hendaye on the French/Spanish border.

With bike loaded, I waited for a good time in reception and decided, that's it I was going, and I did. Leaving Bayonne the traffic was heavy, and it remained this way for most of the time. It was just a constant flow of trucks and cars and to be honest at times, I really felt vulnerable. Along my way I met a German cyclist and we talked for a few minutes. He was doing a different route than myself to start but was heading the same way today. Along the road we met up a few times until Hendayne.

monument in Urrunge

On my way I passed though a lovely little town called Urrunge, where there was a small little food market. Nothing for my taste buds but I stopped here for a while just looking and watching the locals going about their business.

Eventually arriving safely to Hendayne, I saw one of the velo signs saying, end of velo and I followed it. Just ahead of me the police had the traffic slowed to one lane and in the other armed police were searching a car and the other officers were watching the occupants. As I was unsure where I was I pulled in to the side to get my bearings in the town.

Unable to ask anyone, as no one passed me....I went over to one of the officers who were all busy concentrating on their task. I approached one of them who wasn't a busy as the others and asked him for directions. Turning towards me with his machine gun across his chest he mumbled something to me.......I thought at first it might have been "well boy hows it going" but somehow I think it was something different :-) Another officer came over to me and was very nice said I was now in Spain and not France side so he was very helpful and gave me directions and in English too. The other officer can feck off if he thinks I'm sending him a Christmas Card.....he wouldn't be so tough without his machine gun :-)

walked most of this section for a few ks

As I was already in Spain and it was only lunch time, I decided to continue on to San Sebastián today rather than tomorrow. And while I think of it, the weather had broken on my way out and it was a fantastic day after all. Obviously I wasn't going to be taking the motorway, I was now on country roads that were climbing from a few percentage gradient to a mad percentage. It felt like I was walking, pushing the bike more then cycling.

Whoa Momma ! a down hil

Cycling and walking I kept going until I hit a small village (few houses) called Gurutze and turned right only to be faced with another climb. 

Pushing my bike I reached the top and there before me a downhill....whoa momma...let's get ready to roll.

What a beautiful downhill and although I din't go all out, it was a welcome relief and arriving at the bottom the gps shows off course. Not possible as there was no turn anywhere on way down. Ignoring it I pedal on and all that was ahead of me was an industrial area and a motorway to one side. 

Giving in, I turned around and started to make my way uphill before having to get off to walk. After a few metres, I thought to myself feck that for a game of soldiers and I turned around again and headed further back down the road only to realise again that I had no option but to turn around again and face that big hill I had come down.

Luckily for me I don't know how far up the hill there was a tiny little lane into my right and once I turned on to this the gps was back on track and I was away.  Before long I was on the outskirts of San Sebastián and it's excellent cycle tracks.

These tracks not only here but in all the bigger cities I've been in over the last two weeks are fantastic and it's great to know you have a safe place. 

As I neared the centre I started to come a long side the beach before hitting the centre itself. San Sebastián is my favourite city of the whole trip, it's just beautiful.

Tonight I stayed in a hostel as it wasn't much dearer than a camp site. I was in a four person dorm that was mixed. Found this unusual as this was my first ever stay in a hostel. But it was clean, dry, had wifi and I had a great craic with all the guests that evening as we sat around the kitchen. There was mainly Australians plus a German girl, couple of Americans and a Canadian, that I met.

Lucidly for me I had eaten, as every time one of them cookie it was even healthier than the one before........people eat green stuff, for real :-) It was a great evening and stayed up until we were hunted to bed by the reception guy.

Here's some views of the city

this young girl was on the rear rack pulling her school bag and as I passed there was another child on the front handlebars

That's it for today......

Keep smiling :-)