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Seven hour drive in rental car from Leon to Pamplona. Left Victorina at Leon bus station, she's on her way to visit sister, Chuni, in Gijon while I ride the Camino. Followed the eastern half of the Camino route. Saw pilgrim cyclists pushing bikes up a few hills. Maybe I'm still carrying too much weight.
I'm staying at Hotel Otano, in Pamplona, on San Nicolas Street: a cold-water flat. This is "roughing it." Had to drag bike and gear up three flights of stairs. Can't wait to leave. Weather lousy on the eastern horizon (in the Pyrenees) and not getting any better soon. Have decided to go west from here to Santiago and come back in a couple of weeks to fill in portion from France to Pamplona when weather in the mountains should improve.
Walked to the cathedral and had my passport stamped. First one: imagine what this will look like when the blanks are filled in! Just found out I can't get breakfast till 9:00am. Am leaving now (7:30am) anyway. Can survive on a banana, stale bread, and my trusty Powerade.Heavy morning traffic leaving Pamplona, but drivers are courteous. Can see wind turbines on top of Alto de Pedron. It's 14 kms up with 6-8 percent grades. Dreaming about a cup of coffee, but will hang in.Took off thermal vest and undershirt peddling up mountain. Had to shift down to small chain ring. Like to think that's because I didn't eat breakfast, not because I'm a wimp or an old fart! What a great down hill run to Puente la Reina. Legs got a rest but my hands hurt from pumping (feathering) the brakes. Novel feeling for a Florida cyclist.
Shops in town open at 10:00am, so had coffee, bought bananas and got passport stamped at local tourist office. Met a group of Scandinavian women (60+ years') who had hiked over from France. Wow! Walked out to Roman bridge over Arga River and was swamped by American tourists pouring out of bus yelling at me......"Hey! I've got a live pilgrim!" Nice being the center of attention. Anyway, had them snap my picture and moved on.
Road surface on N111 is smooth and there's a good shoulder. Surprisingly, there's no debris or litter. Bike seems to be riding OK, though wish I could shift some of the load forward. Oh, well!
Good Shoulder for cycling
Weather is holding, but some clouds. Lots of wheat fields in the valley and grazing on the hill slopes. Some road construction. Police directed me onto old N111, a bit hillier but no traffic.
Another climb and then down to Estella. Met up with a supported bike tour group (they've got it easy!), and they directed me to office in old town where I got passport stamped. Only a couple of kms. more, but its up hill, to Hotel Irache, where I will over night.
Arrived at hotel 12:30pm and had covered 49.55 kms. Not bad for the first day! Hotel is a big improvement from last night's cold-water flat in Pamplona. Room is about ten times the size. Great view with a snow-covered peak in distance. Stored bike in conference room. This place is out of town, so I'm kind of captive here. Oh, well! Lunch and dinner at hotel were OK, nothing to write home about. At least I have color TV and can watch the Giro d'Italia (commentary, however, is in Basque language).
Vineyards & Wheatfields, Castle on Hill
Decided last night to stretch myself a bit today, and so I'm heading for Navarrette which is on the other side (west) of Logrono. Able to get coffee and toast and depart by 8:00am. Rolling topography, mostly riding in middle and big chain rings. Vineyards interspersed with wheat fields. Glimpse occasionally medieval fort or church on hill tops. Cloudless sky. This is what cycle-touring is all about! Towns are located a short distance from highway so not much local traffic. Great vistas. Took a wrong turn at Los Arcos and ended up riding south on NA129 to Lodosa. Asked local farmers for advice and they suggested I take NA134 west to Logrono. Missed seeing the town of Viana on N111, but I wasn't about to double-back.
Am concerned about riding through Logrono. Higginson's guidebook recommends by-passing the city by using the limited access highway (autovia). What a nightmare! Had to navigate roundabouts, on-off ramp traffic, speeding vehicles, and major construction. No place for a timid cyclist. Tried to make myself as conspicuous as possible. On-off ramps a constant worry; wish I had a right-view mirror, too. Finally made it to the autovia exit for Navarrette. Stopped at service station to calm down. Nice attendant who pointed out the Hotel San Camilo on the far horizon and explained how to get there. Down hill to Navarrette, then steep hill to climb up to town. Happened to be noon, heard church bells tolling, and pushed bike up steep cobblestone street to take a look. Wow! Inside a rather common exterior 16th century church was the most incredible gold altar! I am beginning to understand where in Colonial Spain the New World wealth ended up. N111 Near Los Arcos, Nice Shoulder & Light Traffic
Got to hotel at 12:30pm, had covered 59.97 kms. Turned out to be a great place. Had a fantastic shower with 20 water jets. Great way to relax after harrowing ride around Logrono. Short walk up to town for lunch: soup, green beans and ham, cold beer, flan (custard), coffee. Took it easy in afternoon and watched Giro. Dinner at hotel was a real disappointment. Church bells kept tolling every quarter hour till midnight and started again at 6:00am.
The ride from Navarrette, following N120 directly, to Santo Domingo can be cycled in about 3 hours. I had read about a side trip, south and up into the hills outlying the Sierra de la Demanda, as being a more interesting and hilly diversion. So I decided to go for it. I could visit a couple of hill towns and have a great down hill to my destination.
Stopped in Najera to get my passport stamped at the Town Hall, and lo and behold, I was able to buy the Herald Tribune. That was quite a surprise and made my day! The town has an attractive, old downtown which borders the Rio Najirillo with a park and promenade.The ride on N120 from Navarrette to Najera is gently rolling. This is the famous La Rioja region and the land is intensively cultivated in grapes and vegetable crops. However, there's a lot of traffic.
There are small market gardens on the floodplain and river terraces, and the farming involves a lot of hand labor, mostly by older folks (my age).
Turned off N120 at Azofra, and headed south on LO830, passing through Canas, Villar de Torre and Manzanares.
Stopped at the Monastery of Yuso near San Millan, a fortress-like structure with an impressive wall surrounding it. Passed through small towns, enroute to Santo Domingo, with lots of colorful flowers.
Stored bike (locked) in garage of the Hotel Corregidor which is down the street from the refuge (where I had my passport stamped) and Parador (state-run fancy hotel). Treated myself to a first-class dinner at the parador. Visited the local Red Cross clinic and had the infection on my knee tended.
Got an early breakfast (toast and coffee) and started riding, as this was going to be the longest leg todate and included an imposing hill. Stopped at Redecilla del Camino to have my passport stamped and met a group of Spanish cyclists doing the Camino footpath by mountain bike. Crossed border from La Rioja to Castilla y Leon. Am approaching Villafranca Montes de Oca with some trepidation.
On the drive from Leon to Pamplona, I passed a slew of cyclists pushing their bikes up over La Pedraja, the 1150m drainage divide. Would I meet the same fate? It was hot and close to noon and there was a good bit of truck traffic on N120. Took me the better part of an hour to make it over the hump; did it all in the middle chain ring. No place to stop as the passing lane had taken the place of the shoulder, and there was only a 3 ft deep drainage ditch separating me from the cliff face. There's mostly pine forest on the summit. From here it was all down hill to Burgos. Met some day cyclists on the outskirts of the city who encouraged me over the remaining kilometers. Burgos is a big city and I got lost trying to find the hotel. Once again, local folks went out of their way to show me the route. Seventy-one kms. from door-to-door in 5 hours. I can make it the rest of the way! Hotel Maria Luisa is an upscale hotel - nice digs! Stored bike in the ballroom.
Finally decided to do something about eating a hearty breakfast. Walked, in my cleated ATB shoes, some 8 kms to the Carrefour supermarket and bought a large box of raisin bran cereal and bananas. Got passport stamped at the cathedral which is down the street from the monument to El Cid (this is where he lived 1,000 years ago).
I had passed a billboard riding into town that announced Burgos as the cultural and gastronomic capital of the Meseta (central plateau of Spain). Wow! Maybe I can change my diet. Have been eating judias verdes or guisantes with merluza (green beans, peas, hake) every day since I left Pamplona. What a let-down, both lunch and dinner. Had difficulty sleeping: noise till 4:00am; Saturday night; window facing main boulevard.
Got a hearty breakfast this morning (my own raisin bran and banana) and started before 8:00am. Sundays are great cycling days in Spain since there's little traffic. Terrain is now meseta: broad plateau in scrub or extensive wheat fields, with towns situated in the stream valleys.
It's great once you're up on the plateau, but every once-in-a-while, you drop down a couple of hundred meters to cross a stream and go through a town before peddling up again to the high plains surface. Wow! Came across a Camino marker dated 1703. Met a couple of Dutch cyclists (my age) who had peddled all the way from Holland. Chit-chatted a while as we rode in unison.
Followed N120 about 20 kms. to Villasandino where I turned onto BU404. Now riding on a nice, narrow, country road. Yellow and red (poppy) wild flowers cover the fields as far as the horizon.
Passing a shepherd with flock. What will I do if his dogs come after me? Made it over the hill and no chasing dogs!
Rode into Castrojeriz around noon, church bells tolling, super hot. Met farmer walking into town, says I can get my pilgrim's passport stamped at refuge. But, there's only a couple of foot-weary pilgrims there, and it doesn't open till 4:00pm. I decide to move on and make Fromista.
Ruins of castle on hill top. Visions of El Cid Campeador (Charleton Heston) looking over my shoulder. Castrillo Matajudios (strange name for a town); only a few old folks living here. Left turn onto BU403. Now crossing into Placencia Province. Hey! My first kilometer post noting distance to Santiago (making progress).
Boy is it lonely out here, and hot!!! This is the month of May; what can it be like in August!!! Nobody, no cars, no sign of life, have I seen the past hour. What will I do in an emergency? Oh, well***
Riding out from Boadilla del Camino; another shepherd and flock; dogs didn't seem bothered by me, the bike, or the bright yellow-covered panniers. Very impressive series of locks at entrance to Fromista which are part of the 200+ km-long Castilla Navigation System, built during the 19th century to offer a cheap, water-borne mode of transport across the meseta for heavy, bulk products, and now being used for irrigation.
Fromist is a pleasant surprise. Nice, moderately-priced hotel facing San Martin Church (where I got my passport stamped) and there's a great restaurant down the street where I had lunch and dinner. Lots of storks (really big birds) nesting on the bell towers of the churches. Best day's run: 5 hours and 76.91 kms; maybe the hearty breakfast does make the difference. But, after that long, hot ride, am feeling sore, you know where! Put bike in store room.
Early breakfast and start (no problem asking for cup of milk and dragging out my bag of cereal to fill cup). Still sore from yesterday's ride. Camino footpath parallels P980; this country road even has a nice shoulder to ride on, and traffic is light. All kinds of signage for Camino, some dating back a couple of hundred years. New ones, too, with elaborate multi-colored maps. Got passport stamped at church in Carrion de los Condes.
I'm back riding on N120, heading west, with considerable traffic. Hot again, today. Applied liberal amounts of powder, but still raw and sore; need to deal with this problem in Sahagun. Had Powerade/Harvest Bar break (photo) in a shady spot by the Rio Cueza, and meet up with the Spanish cyclists from Redecilla del Camino. Keeping up with the young bucks - not bad for a 63+ year old***
Heavy traffic approaching Sahagun, although most of the cars and trucks are being diverted to the new limited-access highway which parallels N120. But still have to contend with local road maintenance (tar and gravel). Easy entry to Sahagun and arrived at Hotel Alfonso VI. Put bike in private garage of hotel owner. Respectable ride today: 4 hours and 62.97 kms. Modern Camino Sign Post
Got passport stamped up the street at the refuge and a fellow pilgrim took picture of me and modern statue of Santiago which stands in front of the refuge. Went to local pharmacy and explained chafing problem. They said this is a common occurrence with cyclists and recommended Eryplast, by Lutsine (French pharmaceutical company) which is used for baby's diaper rash. White paste - kind of messy - but, boy, did it work! Within an hour, I had relief. Great lunch and dinner at hotel (only *star but this, probably, is the best for the least price, so far).
Early start after breakfast of cereal, banana, toast, and coffee. Kind of excited that I'm reaching Leon today: mid-point of the Camino. Not much traffic on N120 since the alternate limited-access highway is open. Lots of wheat fields. Am riding on gently undulating terrain. Turned north on N601 which is the main highway between Valladolid and Leon. Good shoulder so I don't feel intimidated by traffic. Stopped in Mansilla de las Mulas to get passport stamped. Took photo of highway marker that had been painted over with a political statement, '
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Solo Leon, ya!
Hair-raising ride on last 12 kms into Leon. No shoulder, heavy traffic, noon heat, and major road construction. Hot tar pouring out of the tankers, steam rollers pushing and flattening the goo, an army of workers raking the surface, and I have to ride through that mess!!!! How am I going to clean that goop off my 'dream' bike??? Finally in Leon. Stopped at a bike shop and they gave me rags and solvent to clean up. Pedalled to Hotel Quindos just a block away from the Parador Hostal San Marcos and around the corner from Coque's (Victorina's nephew) apartment. Made the 68.42 kms in 4 hours. Half-way point reached! Called Victorina and saw Coque and family. Bought Herald Tribune. Good lunch and dinner at hotel. A little celebration tonight.
Decided to mount the two front panniers and better distribute the gear. Hope I'm not making a mistake! Hotel stamped pilgrim's passport. Took photo of me with bronze statue of tired pilgrim in front of parador.
Morning rush hour traffic leaving Leon on N120. No shoulder for 2 kms till Virgin del Camino. Beginning to climb some hills. Boy, did I make the right decision, adding the two front panniers? Stopped at Hospital de Obrigo to get passport stamped, and walked the bike across the cobblestone-covered Roman bridge. It's an impressive, long bridge. Lots of storks roosting in the bell towers. Bet those nests must weigh a ton!
More road construction (tar and gravel) entering Astorga. Wouldn't you know it, but the town sits on top of a hill. Had to use the small chain ring to peddle up it. Stopped at the Hotel Gaudi (***stars) which is situated on the plaza facing the cathedral and Gaudi's Bishops Palace. Hotel stamped my passport. Got my beard trimmed at beauty parlor around corner. Rash is clearing up. Well-stocked bar at hotel: had a rusty-nail (courage-building for tomorrow). Early to bed. Today's run was 4 hours and 47.12 kms.
Apprehensive about riding across the Leonese Mountains with all the gear. This is the area known as Maragateria. Towns have slate-roofed houses and cobblestone streets which are not condusive to cycling. Out of town picked up LE142, small country road which I'll follow to Ponferrada. Some climbing to Rabanal del Camino (passport stamped at refuge). Lots of stone fences and extensive grazing (sheep, goats); no farming.
Hey! That's neat! Look, some weary pilgrim left his boots on top of a kilometer marker.Steep climb begins just west of Rabanal. Four Spanish cyclists passed me with words of encouragement; they were working hard but were not carrying any gear. I'm in the small chain ring and lower rear cassette gears most of the time. Concerned about stopping on an incline of 8+ percent: don't want to fall; need to stay focused.
Finally, approaching Foncebadon, abandoned Maragato village, and road levels out. Stop for Powerbar break. Belgium tourist takes my picture (smile in photo belies mixed feelings; relief I got this far, but there's more climbing ahead). Will I make it over the summit?
Now, above the tree-line. Beautiful wild flowers are everywhere.Beginning to see snow stakes along side of road (similar to those on last year's climb in the south Tyrol). Snow-capped mountains to the south. Reached Cruz de Hierro (iron cross) and threw my pebble on the rock pile (pilgrim's tradition). Met up with Spanish cyclists again. Hey! They have a Sag car; that's the way to do it! Still climbing. Noticed the kick-stand is loose and I don't have a wrench to tighten it. Arrived at Marjarin refuge and Tomas, the warden, offers me coffee and provides a wrench. Got my passport stamped. Wildflowers Everywhere
Met some walking pilgrims who had called a taxi to pick them up and drive them to Ponferrada. One more climb to the summit. Noon, hot and dog-tired! Pushing on. This one must be over 10 percent and I'm climbing in the curve of the road. Down to my last ounce of energy and lowest gear. Just made it over the top! Pilgrim, resting at top, give's me a thumbs-up, well-done. Pass El Bierzo signpost announcing I have made it, barely, to the westernmost province of Leon. Am sitting on top of the world - impressive landscape (photo).
Steep descent, hairpin curves, narrow road, no shoulder (just space). Keeping my speed under 20kph. Feathering breaks. Frequent stops to cool rims and stretch cramped fingers. Riding through El Acebo. Could be a movie set from a Clint Eastwood western. Cobblestone main street (only one). Better walk bike down. Street littered with hay and cow/sheep manure.
More exhilerating down hills but getting tired and hungry. When will Molinaseca appear? Around the bend come across Spanish cyclists having picnic. They invite me to join them which I do.
Am now feeling better. Finally arrive at Posada de Muriel in Molinaseca where I will overnight. Today's run was 5 hours and 49.71 kms, with 5,000 ft of climb. Definately the hardest day. Feel sense of accomplishment - rode the entire route and didn't have to push the bike over any hills. But lower back is sore and I am bushed.
Need to decide what gear to take from here forward. Discussed gear/weight issue with Victorina by phone and decided to strip bike to minimum required to complete the estimated five day ride to Santiago. Weather report is good for the period. Lunch and dinner at Muriel's was first-rate. What a jewel of a hotel. Treated myself to fillet mignon (which was better than anything I have eaten at the Sovereign (Gainesville's top eatery). Stored bike in barn. Took two Advil and plastered my lower back with Biofreeze (pain-relieving gel). Turning a new page tomorrow.
Lower back feels OK. Had early breakfast. Landlady very kindly agreed to store four panniers and refused to charge me (will pick them up with rental car next week after completing ride to Santiago). Short ride down hill to Ponferrada where I had my passport stamped at the Town Hall. Boy, this is really a lot easier riding with just the dry-bag on the rear rack. What a difference! Asked policeman for directions to Camino (got lost couple of weeks ago when I drove this section with Victorina).
Ended up on the walkers' path, which is taking me through folks' backyards. Its unpaved but passable with my semi-slick tires. Lots of small family gardens between villages. Rejoined N120 at Cacabelos and started climbing again. Beautiful rolling hills covered with vineyards. Easy climb with the lightened load to Villafranca and rolled up to Hotel San Francisco off town square: 31.40 kms in 3 hours. Stored bike in room off bar. Good that I conserved my strength because tomorrow is a big climbing day. Treated myself to dinner at the parador. Lots of noise until the early hours of the morning.
Hotel owner showed me a way to bypass tunnel on highway. Whew! I was concerned about riding that section in the dark (no headlamp). Riding on new N VI, under construction with flagmen, fresh tar and gravel (Ugh)! Steady climb. Passing lots of pilgrim cyclists and walkers. They tend to back up at the passes (images of prospective miners heading to the Klondike). Most are travelling alone or in pairs, no groups (interesting).
Twelve kms up hill, signed for Ambasmestas, so turn off on old N VI. Nice country road, low traffic, passed through villages. Winding road, climbing steeper now. Neat ruins of Saracens' fortress on hill top. Old N-VI with Saracen Castle on Hill Top
Around bend come face-to-face with farmer herding cows down hill with tour bus behind him edging cows towards me!!! Intimidated and get off bike.
Can see new N VI bridges way above me as old road winds its way below. Hard to believe that I will eventually climb up to new highway. Really steep climbing on last turn into new N VI. Meet Bud and Sally, 50-ish, 'professional'-like, touring cyclists from Vermont. They're finishing a year's sojourn in Europe doing the Camino. Chit-chat as we pedal along, take photos, then, they're off exploring a side road. Cross boundary into Galicia and see Piedrafita village at pass a short distance ahead. Lots of traffic (this is the main road from Madrid to northwestern Spain). Lots of tar and gravel patches in shoulder. What a mess!
Stop in chapel to reflect on life, accomplishments, travails. Cebreiro is a unique village: only a dozen or so houses, some ancient-looking pallozas (thatched-roofed). Lots of pilgrims outside refuge mending their feet. Got stamp at chapel. Moving on. Road rises and dips following ridge line. Series of sharp curves and steep climbs to Alto San Roque. Tourist takes photo of me at pilgrim's statue.
Continue riding and final climb to Porto de Poio (1335m). Overnight at hotel/bar/restaurant, one of only two buildings at pass. Made it here, 42.72 kms, in 5 hours of continuous climbing. Rest, wash clothes, clean bike, watch sunset (10:00pm). Bare-bones accommodations.
Turned off new N VI onto nice country road, LU634, but steep and unrelenting climb for 5 kms to O Cebreiro (1390m). Beautiful day, fantastic views, frequent stops to take photos. Wow! I've pedalled above the clouds; can see N VI way down below.
I feel good about the past two day's rides, and decide to go for it, and ride a greater distance. Up to this point, I had telephoned ahead for hotel reservations. Today, I'll gamble on finding decent accommodations.
Leave at 8:00am. Bright sunshine at summit. Ride descends slowly then I begin an exhilerating 12 km run to Triacastela. Temperature drops dramatically as I descend (air drainage). Stop briefly for coffee, then continue riding. Getting foggy.
By the time I ride into Samos and see the famous Benedictine monastery, I'm enveloped in dense fog and dripping wet. Weather remains foggy all morning, but I have no complaints as the kilometers and towns are clicking by. Down Hill to Rio Mino Reservoir & Portomarin
Big, long hills as I ride through Sarria and on to Portomarin. Stop for a sandwich (bocadillo). Meet again, briefly, Bud and Sally, and continue riding west. Fog begins to lift and by 1:00pm, sun is shining. Fields are bright green. Lots of wild flowers. At Ventas de Narron, cross N640, and continue on country road.
Lots of cow and sheep manure (will have to give bike a thorough cleaning and disinfecting). Come to N547 before I know it, and in 3 kms, to Palas de Rei. This has been my best day's accomplishment: 86.51 kms in 6.5 hours. Find room at Hotel Vilarino. Go across street to refuge to have passport stamped and dry clothes (foggy again). Lunch and dinner at hotel. Call Victorina with news about today's ride! I can feel Santiago is within by grasp!
Overcast and cool. Lots of morning traffic on N547. Groups of day-tripping Austrian and German cyclists riding to Santiago. They've got a tour bus providing Sag support (wimps)! Stop in Melide and Arzua to get passport stamped at Town Hall and local refuge. Just crossed into Coruna Province and on last leg of ride.
Eucalyptus forests cover hills. The terrain is all slopes, no valley floor, just up-and-down, up-and-down
***
.. Road maintenance continues with tar and loose gravel in shoulder. Must be vigilant in order to avoid going down.
Will the hills every end? The last one, Monte de Gozo, just outside Santiago, just keeps going up and up. Santiago's cathedral on the horizon . Lots of traffic going in to the city, but signs are clear and its' an easy ride down to the cathedral.
Surprise! Meet Spanish cyclists I first encountered at Rodecilla. We take photos, congratulate each other, and go to Pilgrim's Office to get Compostela. Hotel Artes, first-class, next to cathedral, even supplies dressing robe. Treat myself to pasta lunch at first-rate Italian restaurant. Call Victorina with news. Arrange car rental. Gustavo, A Jubilant Pilgram, Cathedral Plaza Santiago
On drive to Gijon to meet Victorina, I stopped by the Posada de Muriel in Molinaseca and picked up panniers I had stored there. Spent a week visiting family and then drove to France with Victorina in order to complete Camino legs from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Pamplona. See details of those sections on next pages.
Drove to St. Jean yesterday afternoon, stayed at non-descript hotel, but had great dinner at Michellin-*ed restaurant, Le Pyrenees. What a great send-off for today's ride.
New experience seeing Camino road signs in French (Chemin de St. Jacques) and in Navarese. Got passport stamped at refuge in old town within walls.Ride out of St. Jean on D933, narrow two-lane road that passes through Arireguy, small agricultural village in river valley. Trout fishing big here. French-Spanish border almost imperceptible; can only tell where road signs change language.
Serious climbing begins from Spanish town of Valcarlos. From there on, N135 winds it way up the valley, at one point I can see the cross at Ibaneta Pass on the skyline. Smooth-surfaced road, some heavy truck traffic but all give me a wide berth. Not a difficult climb, but final 3 kms I drop down to small chain ring.
Feel somewhat like I'm cheating a bit, riding without the full gear and panniers, so loaded up the rear rack bag with the Goretex rain suit (no rain forecast today). That gear, plus the handle-bar bag, lumbar pack, and filled bottles, brings the load to 15 lbs. Also, riding round-trip to Roncesvalles since Victorina doesn't drive outside Gainesville.
Land cover is forest, with pasture on the slopes, some farming on valley floor way down. In contrast to harsh, rough, landscape of Leonese Mountains, this mountain area appears less rugged though the pass reaches an elevation of 1057m.
Small wayside chapel at summit. Loads of tourists disgourged from bus are picnicing. Short 3 km run down to Roncesvalles. Elapsed time is 2 hours for the 34 km. one-way ride. (Return trip to St. Jean Pied-de-Port was exhilerating.)
Drove to Roncesvalles the preceding afternoon and overnighted at La Posada. Got passport stamped at refuge (large building housing museum).
Early morning start, nice down hill through mountain villages, like Burgete. Had to climb a couple of hills, like Alto de Mezguiriz (922m). But the biggie is Alto de Erro which requires a steady climb of 12 kms replete with a fair number of hairpin turns. Nice view from summit. Gentle Downhill Ride Through Burgete
Long descent is great, about 10 kms, to Zubiri on the outskirts of Pamplona. Lots of day cyclists riding this route. Plenty of traffic entering Pamplona.