Euro7: Bikes

So Marie gave me the extra motivation to try to hire bikes, Plus she could actually speak Spanish.

Thats good.

It was a bit of a challenge to actually hire them and they were only valued ~$40.

Thats Bad

Then after hiring them on the evening of the 1st we had a farewell dinner for the rest of our travelling companions. Shared many laughs and much Vino.

Thats Good

After dinner Maries Bike was flat, she had run over a sliver of city glass.

Thats Bad

In the morning we found six Spannish biking amigos who were able to fix Marie's tyre. So off we went to have breakfast and visit an ATM.

Thats Good

After brekky we saw the Spanish Amigos riding and followed them out of town, lost the camino and got very lost then we all had to ask for directions.

Thats Bad

Thus we decided to all eight of us stick together.

Thats Good

Then Maries tyre went flat again, slowly.

Thats Bad

But our Six Spannish Amigos were able to fix it, twice.

Thats Good

Then the camino got so muddy that we had to get off and push our bikes. Then the mud turned to clay. Then we mostly ended up dragging/sliding out bikes through the clay.

Thats Bad

When we finally found ourselves free of farmland there was a really big hill and I got to go superfast. At the bottom we found some builders who let us clean our bikes of clay, and a place to eat.

Thats Good

After lunch I found I had a puncture, in both tyres. After fixing that Marie had a new puncture. Then my back tyre was flat again, I had two punctures there, not one.

Thats Bad

That was the first day of three.

The rest of the bike trip was marvelous. Hard work, slept well, ate a lot of good food, my knee got better and we went much further than I expected. The bike ride was defiantly worth it and without our Spannish Amigos Marie and I would have been stuck stranded in Burgos or slowly walking bikes through muddy fields still.

Thats Good

Here ends the first day.

As we travelled the Six Spanish Amigos took nearly every opportunity to ring home and tell their wives that they were safe and they loved them.

I kind of started this, was lunchtime and Diego sleeping like a baby at the table. I shared some chocolate and gave him a piece, then there were lots more things Diego got given, and piled up on.

Oh, nearly forgot

2nd to Carrion de los Condes, ~80km

The up and down adventure day
3rd to Leon, ~120km
Very long fas day where I didnt wear my backpack put attached it to my bike. In the evening I met again Vincent the frenchman who walked ~50km per day and proposed a game of chess.
4th to Astorga, ~60km
I don't recall why we had a short day today, possibly because of all the food. This was a little extra because Marie and I were not quite ready to give up on the bikes and our Spanish Amigos just yet, plus it didn't look too hilly.