I had to add this post because Paul and I had the most incredible meal at our hotel. The food is one of the things we love about our trips to the Iberian peninsula. Spain is just becoming known for its gastronomie. El Bulli near Barcelona is world renowned for its cuisine. While not quite at that level, tonight's dinner was a marvel, especially after today's truck stop working man's lunch.
Tonight, we had a gazpacho that was a perfect blend of flavors. Not too sharp and not too bland. I had a salad of bacalao which is salted cod with balsamic vinaigrette and Paul had solomillo which is a steak. However, it was incredibly tender served with a small slice of fois gras on top and a balsamic reduction and something that was like an apple sauce, but we think was pear and dried fruits (cherries, raisins and dates). As odd as that may sound, everything was delicious. More so were the desserts. Paul chose a dessert which was three scoops of ice cream: banana, chocolate and strawberry with a drizzle of chocolate on the plate. Mine was a tarta de queso, something like a cheesecake, but it was the most incredibly light, not overly sweet or eggy cheesecake I have ever had. It was absolutely heaven. It was topped with a fresh raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries on the side.
Anyway, the reason why I rave so much about the food as we feel that we earn every single morsel and calorie after our hard day of biking. The contrast to the day´s earlier truck stop lunch also plays into my going on and on about our dinner.
The other part of the trip that Paul and I are enjoying is the wine we are being served. Even at the truck stop lunch stop, the table wine we order is absolutely heads above what we have been getting in the States, unless we fork over more than $25.oo a bottle. And even then, the quality is lacking. Anyway enough on the food. Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Some Random Notes from our First Day
On our first day, when we had all our bike troubles, there were several memorable moments.
- The first had to do with our trip back to Pamplona to repair Paul´s bike. As we headed down the valley with our two young rescuers, we were pulled over and quickly waved on our way at a police roadblock. A search was underway for several Basque terrorists thought to be in the area. During the Tour de France, part of it entered into Spain not ten kilometers from where we were staying. The Basque separatist group ETA exploded a bomb on the route. One of their members was recently arrested, but several others were thought to still be in the area, hence the police roadblock. Taking a quick look in the back seat, the police waved us on our way.
- Paul finally got his picture of Roland´s monument, something he has wanted to since our last trip. The monument commemorating where Roland sounded his horn for the ignominous retreat of Charlemagne´s army is about two kilometers above Roncesvalles. Since it required uphill biking, I remained in the little square having a cafe con leche while Paul went up the hill to take his pictures. He just made it before the evening fog covered the hillside making nearly impossible to take any photos. Paul said it reminded him of Brigadoon (impressing me with his reference to a Broadway musical-not usually his strong point!)
- Other memorable items are the sounds and smells of the camino. The clanking of the old church bells calling the pilgrims to Mass. The church chimes are also quite necessary due to the aforementioned fog. Last year, Paul said that two hikers got lost up in the mountains when the fog rolled in. The bells are used to guide people back to safety, however, they were unable to and one poor hiker died on the mountain. As to smells, well, we are in the country and there is nothing like the strong aroma of cow manure to greet you as you bike along your way!
For more information on the origin of the Camino de Santiago, Wikipedia has a great entry. You can find it at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/camino_de_santiago.
We´re Biking Now!
Paul and I are finally on the road. We left this morning from Burguette and headed off to our first end point: Puente La Reina.
We could not ask for better weather. The morning was crisp with beautiful blue skies. We started our morning following the actual camino, which is a path that winds through the countryside. Man calls it a path, nature says not so fast. The way was very rough. The trail was barely two feet wide, rutted with shale rocks jutting out and many a tree root. Paul and I humbly walked a good portion of the way, but we were in good company. Many fellow bike riders were having to do the same. Walking pilgrims smugly passed us with a nod of the head and what I considered a smirk escaping their lips. We went about 3 miles in an hour and quickly decided to go to the road instead.
We left the camino at this point, due to recommendations by previous biking pilgrims. We returned to a road we took on our previous journey which went through a magnificent tree-lined valley along the Erro River. While the river itself was small, you could see how it´s efforts over the millenia carved out the valley, slowly but surely. The ride was gorgeous. Along the way, we were passed by quite a few older gentlemen out for their morning exercise, decked out in their finest riding regalia. In this land of Alberto Contador, current winner of the Tour de France, biking is a passion and we saw the backside of quite a few enthusiasts.
Leaving the valley, we wound our way through the countryside which was start to bake under the hot sun. It felt as if someone left the oven door open. Going downhill, besides providing rest for legs after climbing, also provided a cool breeze.
We stopped for a bite to eat at what could only be described as a Spanish truck stop with a homey touch. All the tables were covered in a green checkered table cloth and filled with loud, boisterous working class men taking a break from their outdoor jobs. Spanish meals usually have one price for two courses, bread, a bottle of wine and water and your choice of dessert or coffee. As this was a country-side establishment, the menu consisted of a lot of game or river fish that was a little bit to heavy for the heat. However, Paul and I didn´t want to order just a side salad or something smaller since the place was so busy, so we went for the whole meal. Trying to ride our bikes after such a heavy meal was not the best, especially in the heat. We vowed to go lighter next time.
We stopped quite a few times along the road to take pictures of the many breathtaking scenes we encountered: the vast field of sunflowers, the golden ochre expanse of the recently shorn hay. Nature in all its glory. We couldn´t have asked for a better day to ride after our delay of yesterday.
We arrived to our day´s destination around 4:00 in the afternoon after 7 hours or so of biking. We checked into our hotel, a lovely restored building filled with antiques, stone walls and lots of charm. Of course, we are on the third floor and did not realize there was an elevator until after we hauled our bags up the three flights.
Our first goal was to wash off the road´s dust and get our clothes washed as well. It´s quite a picture to see us handwashing the day´s clothing in the sink (Paul´s choice) or the tub (mine). Once done, they decorate our lovely window looking out on the tiny main street of Puente La Reina. After our chores, we promptly collapsed for a well-earned nap.
Evening finds the air cooling off. We´ve headed down for a beer or two and some dinner, before we turn in for the night.
We could not ask for better weather. The morning was crisp with beautiful blue skies. We started our morning following the actual camino, which is a path that winds through the countryside. Man calls it a path, nature says not so fast. The way was very rough. The trail was barely two feet wide, rutted with shale rocks jutting out and many a tree root. Paul and I humbly walked a good portion of the way, but we were in good company. Many fellow bike riders were having to do the same. Walking pilgrims smugly passed us with a nod of the head and what I considered a smirk escaping their lips. We went about 3 miles in an hour and quickly decided to go to the road instead.
We left the camino at this point, due to recommendations by previous biking pilgrims. We returned to a road we took on our previous journey which went through a magnificent tree-lined valley along the Erro River. While the river itself was small, you could see how it´s efforts over the millenia carved out the valley, slowly but surely. The ride was gorgeous. Along the way, we were passed by quite a few older gentlemen out for their morning exercise, decked out in their finest riding regalia. In this land of Alberto Contador, current winner of the Tour de France, biking is a passion and we saw the backside of quite a few enthusiasts.
Leaving the valley, we wound our way through the countryside which was start to bake under the hot sun. It felt as if someone left the oven door open. Going downhill, besides providing rest for legs after climbing, also provided a cool breeze.
We stopped for a bite to eat at what could only be described as a Spanish truck stop with a homey touch. All the tables were covered in a green checkered table cloth and filled with loud, boisterous working class men taking a break from their outdoor jobs. Spanish meals usually have one price for two courses, bread, a bottle of wine and water and your choice of dessert or coffee. As this was a country-side establishment, the menu consisted of a lot of game or river fish that was a little bit to heavy for the heat. However, Paul and I didn´t want to order just a side salad or something smaller since the place was so busy, so we went for the whole meal. Trying to ride our bikes after such a heavy meal was not the best, especially in the heat. We vowed to go lighter next time.
We stopped quite a few times along the road to take pictures of the many breathtaking scenes we encountered: the vast field of sunflowers, the golden ochre expanse of the recently shorn hay. Nature in all its glory. We couldn´t have asked for a better day to ride after our delay of yesterday.
We arrived to our day´s destination around 4:00 in the afternoon after 7 hours or so of biking. We checked into our hotel, a lovely restored building filled with antiques, stone walls and lots of charm. Of course, we are on the third floor and did not realize there was an elevator until after we hauled our bags up the three flights.
Our first goal was to wash off the road´s dust and get our clothes washed as well. It´s quite a picture to see us handwashing the day´s clothing in the sink (Paul´s choice) or the tub (mine). Once done, they decorate our lovely window looking out on the tiny main street of Puente La Reina. After our chores, we promptly collapsed for a well-earned nap.
Evening finds the air cooling off. We´ve headed down for a beer or two and some dinner, before we turn in for the night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
