5, 6 and 7 May 2015

So, we arrived on the north coast of Spain yesterday evening (Wednesday, 6 May) after a fairly uneventful 2 days driving.

We haven’t yet decided  whether it was more stressful driving away from home with the bikes in a van than riding away from the front door.  Either way, there is a feeling of impending disaster.  We eventually had to stop worrying and just leave.  Time will tell if we have everything we need.

As we approached the north coast of Spain the roads became busier and busier, with long lines of traffic, mainly lorries, travelling in both directions.  There were frequent tunnels where bikes were prohibited.  During a pit-stop we decided to head for Hendaye, a small town about 18 kilometres east of San Sebastian, where the Eurovelo 1 becomes a dedicated cycle track.

Our idea was to check into a hotel and leave the bikes there whilst we returned the van to San Sebastian.  We would then be able to take a leisurely stroll around the city before catching a train back to the hotel in Hendaye.  Good plan.

It didn’t quite work out as convenient as we had hoped.  We had to park the van on the outskirts of Hendaye when we realised that the main town is in France.  We were not insured to drive the hire van outside Spain.  We loaded the bikes and rode about 4 kilometres or so to the far side of Hendaye where all the hotels are located.  Followers of our previous tours will know that we have great problems adapting to the eating patterns of the French (early lunch 12 -1pm and early dinner around 7pm).  This trip we were determined to do better – adapt or die, as they say.  So far, it isn’t going well, as we arrived at the hotel well after dinner time, so we’re already out of step on day one.

Today  involved a fair amount  of walking to retrieve the van and a very stressful 2 or 3 circuits of the centre of San Sebastian trying to find the van rental company.  Even so, by mid-day it was all sorted.  Now we can relax, get back in step and look forward to the start of the exciting stuff tomorrow.