clairedavieswriter

Look! Blue sky!

To be fair, we were probably also smiling because it was lunchtime and we’d already finished our cycling for the day.
I’d originally planned to ride from Bilbao to Burgos in two days, but added an extra night in case the weather was bad and the distance too much straight out of the blocks. Which meant a short ride today. And what a lovely ride it was. Our first day without rain, and although the air was a chilly 6 degrees when we set off, the sun was soon warming our legs, and we had the wind on our backs the whole way.

We cruised along at such a wind-assisted lick that the photo above was the only one I took, but it tells the tale pretty well. Almost 30k on smooth empty tarmac flanked by arable fields, and chalky hills. It wasn’t all plain sailing though, as three stiff climbs took us up to 963m above sea level, over 200m higher than the col we passed on day one.
After that, we fancied a coffee, and it transpired that a golf club cafeteria was the only place for miles serving it. Which presumably explained the diverse clientele: business types in shirts and ties, boiler-suited farmers, and mountain bikers in Lycra. Sadly, the menu didn’t include bollos de mantequilla, but Jon maintained his 100% record for tortilla sandwiches (this time with jamón York).
Burgos greeted us with a fantastic cycle path beside the river Vena, which gave us priority at road crossings and led us to our hotel without the need to tangle with traffic.

Burgos is a lovely city, which punches above its weight in terms of architecture and historical significance. It is known by some as the capital of Castile and birthplace of El Cid, by others as the HQ of fascist forces in the Spanish civil war and by many as the home of an extraordinary cathedral.

Which for centuries has welcomed pilgrims on their way from France to Santiago de Compostela

Even if you’re not a pilgrim or a history buff, there is plenty to admire on a wander through the city’s broad pedestrianised streets..

And did I mention the blue sky?

But as much as we appreciated the sights, it was lunchtime. And Jon was keen to try Morcilla (black pudding) in its home city. Amazingly, we found a place that served a vegetarian version, which was delicious, and indistinguishable from the real thing.

And obviously, in order to keep our strength up, we had to have pudding too. Fortunately we weren’t offered these dubious delights, that were on sale in a nearby shop:

The house dessert was altogether a classier affair

As always, there were sights that caught our eye. This seemed a strange choice of branding for a tanning salon. Should someone tell them?

We’re hoping to avoid an Icarus moment, but we’re certainly in for a sterner test over the next three days.

Hasta luego!