Days Two and Three on the Road

As we settle in our evening in Santo Domingo del Calzada at the end of our third day of biking, Paul and I are both amazed that we have come this far. Yesterday, we started our second day of biking in Puente La Reina, both feeling a little optimistic that the journey would be not too difficult. That thought was quickly dispelled. Before leaving for the day, we went to the Post Office to forward about 18 pounds of weight. It´s amazing what you think is absolutely necessary when you start the journey, but as you start hauling it the hills, the thought quickly becomes dump it all! We got on the road around 10:00 in the morning as the post office did not open until 9:00. Thinking we should do better with less weight, we crossed the bridge out of town to face a huge climb. Turns out, it was harder than either one of us could manage so we ended up pushing our bikes for several kilometers up the hill. People driving by would shout words of encouragement.
As in Minnesota, this is road construction time and there was a lot of truck traffic. They are building a new highway. At one point, a worker told me to expect a loud noise but to not get scared. What an understatement. They were blasting the hill with dynomite! It´s hard not to jump when you hear the explosion. Every turn, I kept hoping would lead to a flat section or better yet a downhill. As we trudged up the hill, Paul further ahead of me, the sun was already blazing and we were both dripping wet. It was pretty discouraging when this tiny, little and old Spaniard passed me by riding his bicycle up the hill. However, he urged me on and just ahead, he stopped to tell me the end was in sight and the downhill was just around the corner.
The downhills are exhilarating! It´s a great time to rest your legs. The sun was starting to take it´s toll and I quickly finished my first litre of water. We took a small break at the Bodega of Irache which is next to a Monestery. The Bodega has kindly put a fountain for the pilgrims. One side has water and the other side has wine. They allow you to drink your fill but not to take any for the road! At the monestary, we met two young French girls who were also biking. Our conversation was in broken English, French and Spanish. After our break we headed off down the road.
We saw very few pilgrims as we were taking the main roads rather than the trails. At the bottom of the downhill ride, we pulled into a village and stopped for a beer. We met two Finnish couples who were walking the Camino for the second time. They were done for the day, we had to push on. We bought more water and then headed once again straight up hill. For the second time in the day we found ourselves pushing our bikes up the hill. At this point the sun was straight up in the sky and brutally hot. I finished my second liter of water by this point. As we trudged into Sansol, Paul was hurting from dehydration. We found some shade and tried to cool off and get some water down. We eventually pushed off, but once again found the climb too difficult to ride so we once again started walking. Then, just to keep things interesting, it all of a sudden started raining. At first, it was sprinkles but pretty soon it was a downpour.
From the blaring sun to pouring rain, with thunder no less, I think we both were wondering what the h*** we were doing.
Once we got to the top, it was a terrific run downhill, but I was nervous about slipping on the wet pavement, so caution was required. We eventually made it to our stopping point in Logrono. As we pulled into the city, I clumsily hit a curb and took a tumble off my bike. No real damage other than a few more bruises to add to my collection, plus the great embarrasment of falling in front of a large group of tourists.
We walked into the old quarters of town and stopped at the Albergue, the hostal for the pilgrims. There we collected our stamp on our passport to show we are making the pilgrimage. We then headed off to our hotel. As we entered the main plaza by the cathedral, a large festival was under way. It had a medieval theme and was just packed. There were jugglers and all sorts of entertainment and food. Apparently, we had the good fortune of arriving in town during a rather special day. The only problem was Paul and I were so exhausted we just wanted to get to the hotel and head in for the night. We did manage to head out for another beer. We grabbed something to eat at the festival, had an ice cream and then called it a night.
Paul had a suspicion something was wrong with his bike, because he exerted alot of energy biking and on the downhills, his bike would slow down considerably. This morning, we went in search of a bike repair shop. We found one open and the owner told us we were very lucky he was in because everyone was on vacation. He spent a good half hour tweaking our bikes. Turns out Paul´s front tire was rubbing on the brake. No wonder it was hard for him to bike. When we asked how much the charge was Chema told us no charge. We were rather embarrassed he would not take payment for his services, but he told us any hand labor was a gift from God and he could not charge pilgrims for the service. He asked us to send him a postcard when we arrived safely in Santiago, which of course we will do. He showed us a folder filled with postcards from all over the world from people he helped.
Today, due to the bike repairs, we got off to a later start than we wanted to but today´s trip was shorter than the previous one. Today, we opted to try traveling on some of the walking trails. It turns out they were not too bad and in fact, the scenery was absolutely beautiful. The trails cut through spacious fields of grape vines, wheat, beans etc. We finally started running into some pilgrims. One was a young girl from Germany. We also met a Spaniard from Madrid. He was walking until he got to Burgos, our next stop, and then he was taking a break to go back to work. He planned to continue his journey in October.
It was nice today not to hear the roar of traffic in our ears. It was peaceful and what we pictured our journey would be. Today was also a much easier journey. There were only a few spots where we had to walk as the hills were too much for us. Once again, I took a tumble off my bike. I think my legs get too tired to release from the clipless pedals. Anyway, over I went and this time I gave myself a huge bruise on my calf. I think people are starting to stare at all my bruises. First, at me and then at Paul. Some of the older Spanish women shake their heads and purse their lips.
Tonight, we ended our trip in a small village called Santo Domingo del Calzada. It´s a quaint town and we´ve splurged and are staying at a Parador, a rather luxurious hotel. We are off to dinner and then rest up for our trip tomorrow, which is a longer trip than today.

Hasta luego,
Adelante and Ultreya,
Cristina and Paul

Our Spanish Adventure....We're so Cutting Edge!!!

Paul, Leigh and I went to see Shrek 2 this past weekend and Paul and I got a good chuckle about the suave Spanish Puss in Boots, voiced by that handsome Spaniard Antonio Banderas, commenting that he was the best cat burglar in all Santiago de Compostela...which is our final destination on our Spanish biking trip.


Then, in the wee hours of this morning as I surf the web, I see this picture on the Drudge Report with the following caption....



Wed Jun 2,12:55 PM ET


President Bush (news - web sites)'s daughter, Jenna, right, walks with unidentified friends on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain, Wednesday June 2, 2004. Jenna and her friends started the estimated 112 mile (180 kilometer) pilgrimage last Saturday and are expected to arrive in Santiago Thursday after completing 19 miles (30 kilometers) a day. (AP Photo/EFE, Lavandeira jr)

Are Paul and I on the cutting edge of popular culture or what!

Paul and Cristina's Marvelous Spanish Adventure!

Well, it's less than one week before Paul and I head off to Madrid with bikes in tow to start our 400-mile bike ride across Spain.
I have created this blog page so I can share our experiences with our family and friends. We are both so incredibly excited about this amazing journey. I am still dumbfounded that I even agreed to do this, considering my exercise routine has consisted of only a morning two mile walk.
For those of you we haven't talked to in awhile, our trip follows the Pilgrim Path called the Camino de Santiago or The Way of Saint James in the northern part of Spain. As we love visiting the country, we felt this would be a unique way to experience some old and new places.



The following description of the Camino de Santiago is taken from this website:

http://www.jrnet.com/travel/articles/santiago.html


"Santiago (St. James), the patron saint of Spain and the first Christian martyr, is buried in Santiago de Compostella at the northwest tip of the Iberian peninsula. The Apostle James was beheaded in Jerusalem in 42 AD, and legend has it that the remains were transported by his disciples to be buried here. Stories of the discovery of the Apostle's tomb in the 9th Century brought pilgrims from around Europe, and the "Camino de Santiago" - Road/Path/Way to Santiago - soon became the most important Christian pilgrimage of the Middle Ages.
While there are many paths to Santiago, four major routes developed starting from Tours, Vèlezay, Le Puy, and Arles in France, to cross the Pyrenees at the Somport or Roncesvalles passes, joining together at Puente la Reina in Navarra (near Pamplona) to form a single path across northern Spain to the saint's shrine at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella. The Spanish part of El Camino de Santiago (which is the route we are taking)runs some 800 km (500 miles) from the Roncesvalles pass through Puente la Reina, La Rioja, Burgos, Leon and finally crossing Galicia to Santiago. The Road to Santiago is a fantastic tourist venue for hikers, bikers and walkers. The Road crosses some of the country's most spectacular landscapes, and is dotted with beautiful Romanesque and Plateresque churches, chapels, and monasteries.
A proper pilgrimage must be made on foot, bicycle or horseback - the pilgrim has the use of free hostels along the route (We of course are staying in hotels,since we are on vacation after all!), and gets his pilgrim's passport stamped along the way and certified at the Cathedral in Santiago. Whether you plan to do a proper pilgrimage or not, the Road (or just about any a part of it) is a great way to see Spain, and enjoy the Camino's period architecture, shrines, villages, countryside, and hospitality."


Paul and I have been doing some training rides around the Twin Cities...literally around the Twin Cities to get ready for this trip. We've been doing a 48-mile loop, around both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, which is longer than any one leg of our trip. Of course our success will depend heavily on being able to do this for 12 consecutive days!!!
We have planned this on our own and will be carrying all our supplies and clothing on our bikes. For those of you who know me or have travelled with me, you would be mighty impressed to know that my entire wardrobe fits in two gallon-sized zip-loc bags with room to spare. With a few assorted odds and ends, that's all this clotheshorse is taking to Spain. (I am thinking of treating myself to a little shopping spree in Madrid when we finish, as of course, I hope to be fit and toned after this workout.)
I also figured out doing this blog and writing my entries in a cyber-cafe while drinking a glass of Rioja or Sangria would lighten my load since I wouldn't have to carry a journal! Every ounce is gonna count as I peddle my a** across Spain. Check in often, if you'd like. I hope to post daily and add pictures of our journey so you can follow along vicariously!

Adelante and Ultreya!!!

Cristina and Paul