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Published: October 19th 2023
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I cycled from the port at Santurtzi into Bilbao with two cyclists, John and Ross, that I met on the MV Salamanca
It's a lovely cycle upstream along the River Nervión to the city and there is a good cycle path most of the way. We stopped for coffee near the Bizkaiko Zubia / Puente de Vizcaya.
We occupied the seats at a free table on the path outside, only to be advised by a slightly put out waiter that that table actually belonged to the cafe nect door. Ooops.
After coffee, myself and John crossed the river on the Bizkaiko Zubia and continued on into Bilbao. It is effectively a flying bridge. The platform suspended from tall infrastructure travels from bank to bank on what I hope are very strong metal cables. It is considered amazing enough to be on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
We went our separate ways near the old town to check into our respective accommodation.
After checking into my hostel, I went to the Intermodal transport hub to buy a ticket to Seville for my bike. I had already bought my own ticket online, but you can only by the
bike ticket in person.
On the way back to the old town I visited the train station at Abando. A beautiful stained glass window overlooks the concourse.
I met John in the Old Town later. We enjoyed a few cañas in the plaza where tourists and locals were enjoying a pleasant autumn evening.
I took it easy the next day. The hostel agreed to store my luggage until teatime and I set of on a gentle exploration of the city.
I climbed up into the park behind the old town . There's a good view along the river from the height. I gained an appreciation of how Bilbao fits into the landscape.
Later as I headed towards The Intermodal, it was obvious that Athletico Bilbao had a home match. A lot of red and white candy striped football jerseys were being worn. They filled the terraces of bars and cafes and streamed out of The Intermodal towards the stadium.
Before taking the lift down to the bus stands I removed the pedals from my bike and lowered the saddle. By the bus I placed the bike cover around it, a requirement by Sociobus to
protect other luggage.
It's a long trip to Seville, we left at 2100 and arrived about 1030 next morning. However, there were plenty of toilet breaks and I slept ok between them.
In a quiet, shady spot just outside the entrance to Sevilla bus station I made my bike and luggage ready for travel.
You may know that I have a love/hate relationship with Google Maps. Today the suggested route was a positive experience.
I followed a canal path out of Seville and after cycling thtough some little villages and suburbs I was on the Via Pecuaria Cordel de Triana to Villamanrique. The surface was sandy, but solid enough to cycle on. There were some soft patches, but that was part of the fun.
I was really enjoying myself until I got that deflating feeling again. My front tyre started going as soft as the sand. Nothing dramatic, but the result was an airless tyre all the same. Puncture!
The first day of my new cycle adventure started where my previous trip ended. Last day, a puncture. First day, a puncture.
I pumped it up to see how long it was until I
had to stop again. It was a very slow puncture so I continued as best I could.
I had run out of water and it was a very hot afternoon by the time I reached Villamanrique. After a rest and a couple of refreshing cañas I continued the final 20km to El Rocío on the road. I wanted to maximise the distance between air stops.
As I arrived at El Aldea Campsite a procession of people was passing the entrance on the sandy track alongside the carretera, many on foot, some on horseback, some in horsedrawn carriages. They were lead by musicians playing drums and tin whistles.
As I checked in I asked what was the occasion. I was told they were pilgrims. I thought they must be stopping in El Rocio for the night before continuing on their way. Lucky to see them I thought.
The ground at the pitch was, unsurprisingly, hard and dusty. I used my lame bike as a frame to fix one end of my tent to and I managed to drive two pegs far enough into the ground at the other end to keep the tent upright.
The tent
only had to stay up for one night as I would be staying in accommodation provided to volunteers as part of the autumn ringing programme I would be joining for the next fortnight.
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