We really enjoyed Burgos but I feel a little tainted. Tainted by luxury. We stayed in a hotel instead of our usual albergue. It had a spectacular view of the cathedral but it was directly on the Camino! Inconvenient if one is trying to keep Camino cred. I found myself looking away from my fellow pilgrims because I was in a hotel with a private bathroom with soaps and wifi in bed. My opulence was shameful. I walked the other way when I saw a scallop shell or walking staff approaching. I didn't want to be found out.
I have a love love affair with the bicycle. It started when I was 4 or 5. I have loved everything about them ever since but I never TRULY appreciated them until now. I ride 200k all the time. No big deal. Eight to 11 hours and I'm done no matter how difficult the course. Walking is a whole different thing. 200k? Do you have a week to spare. You will have blisters and possibly a stress fracture and top it all off with some itchy bites that may or may not be bed bug inflicted. You will be wrecked. Trust me, I am a doctor.
Before heading out for our night of tapas tasting I tapped around on my phone and successfully rented 3 bikes for two days to cover the next nearly 200k to Leon. We would later confirm this by a phone call which I'm happy we made. The Bicigrino store is virtual. What that means is some guy is sitting on his couch with a laptop and he receives the orders. Then he calls around to the closest shops to the order and sees if bicycles are available. When we called to confirm our reservation which was already fully paid thanks to PayPal, Señor Virtual acted like this was news to him. Rent bicycles in Burgos for tomorrow? It may not be possible on such short notice. No mind that he had already accepted our PayPal payment. He would call us back. He called around and found a shop. They would have bicycles for us in the morning. No delivery like the virtual shop advertised as I typed my hotel address in for the third time to rent the third bike. Pick them up at 10am at Veloub bike shop across town. What about our luggage? No problem. We have special racks that accommodate the luggage.
At 10 we arrived at a boarded up bike shop. They've moved. We moved onto their new site. We were briefly fitted and then shown how to bungee a full sized pack to a regular rear rack. Put it on sideways and strap it like crazy is the basic instruction. I was skeptical but it works pretty well. We got off to a bit of a shaky start due to traffic and old town layout but soon we were on a bicycle path and zooming out of town. I felt the wind in my beard and a grinch-like grin twisted into my cheeks. K's were clicking off like never before.
Was there a wee bit of guilt as we zoomed past pilgrims limping along laden with heavy packs? Yes, but it didn't last since this was always our plan. We didn't have quite enough time to walk the entire Camino Frances. There is a long flat section know as the Meseta. We are in it.
Some take bus rides through the Meseta. Others ride bikes. We are on real mountain bikes with front shocks and 29" wheels. It is definitely the way to go. Even on these rigs we have to walk a little. The path can get quite rocky and rutted. The bikes carry the luggage well until you stop and try and dismount. Then it's like carrying a mattress solo up the stairs. The heavy packs sitting sideways on the rear racks try to throw the bike and the pilgrim to the ground on each dismount, occasionally successfully. Last night we stayed in a great albergue run by Eduardo who has been doing this for 21 years in Boadillo del Camino. We dined family style at a very long old wooden table that has presided silently over many a peregrino supper.
Writing of riding suits you.
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to roll Bubba!
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