06 November 2007 17:15:37
SANTIAGO!!!
Ah great! But first ive got days to catch up on! Sorry. I will attribute my lack of e-mails either to bethan hogging the solitary computer wherever we are or there just not being a computer at all. Its strange.... these e-mails were meant initially just to let you know im still alive but they seem to have turned into some kind of journal.... anyway...
Villafranca del Bierzo
I know youve had the story up til now but later that night our friend Hans (Danish guy we met in Leon ) Managed to catch up with us! Very exiting! so we decided to get a bottle of wine an... well whatever.
My cold is slowly getting better as bethans is slowly getting worse! An hans has a time limit of when he can arrive in Santiago. So we got a talking. If he powers ahead an we take it easy we can end up in the same hostal again- good plan! Also part of the plan (cos only one shop was open on all saints day an that shop only sold eggs in groups of twelve- thus we have shitloads of eggs!) was to cook pancakes- I think its a grrreat plan!
So. The day we left villafranca... We rode for a while an found an apple tree which we pillfered for everything it was worth an continued on til we stoped for second breakfast. At which point hans cought up with us so i had a third breakfast there before we carried on. Then we hit a hil. We rode up this hil pretty much all day! It was really long an really hot! (So hot that at one point i took my gloves an helmet off cos i was sweating to much- I didnt die but the blisters on my hands are back an hurting! an i drank all my water by about half way up) Anyway we had agreed to meet hans in a place called hospital de... something- doesnt matter!
So. Onwards! to hospital de... Whatever! We arrived there an thought "maybe not!" Im pretty sure thats the village they based resident evil 4 on. It was really scary!
So we rode off ........ 6 km on we found a hostal to stay in that was very nice !
The next day.
We were right on top of the mountain! There was no more up! Just down! an we were above the clouds- it was a really nice warm day! It was like being on an island looking out at the sea of clouds below with other little islands popping up in places (other mountain tops) It was really nice!
Coming down that mountain was amazing! in some parts the wind was against us but then when the road spiraled round we had the wind pushing on our backs! faster an faster! And going into little ravines of shadow where the rocks are all covered in ice crystals an its actually like riding through a wall of cold water when you go through an coming out the other side dry an warm again! It was amazing! a magical descent?
So we got to the bottom of the mountain- Like crashing into the sea- freezing.... an you cant see the sun for the mist! So we stopped to have breakfast! and as we were sitting there a cyclist ....... pulled up!! Turned out he was from Galicia an was very proud of it! By the end of that conversation we had decided that wales (Gales) an Galecia were cousins! in both policy, geography an historical roots! Which is truer than i knew!(ill get back to that) He insisted that the monostery in this town (Samos) was well worth the visit so we went to the monostery!
... Anyway! After that we rode on to Sarria which had a cloud of smog hanging over it an a choice of hostals- We didnt know which one to choose or how hans would find us so we sat in the sun in a big courtyard outside a church where the pilgrim trail leads to an waited until Hans arrived. And arrive he did! then we found this lush place upthe hill a little with a really nice garden with a room on the other side with a log fire to keep us warm. We made pancakes (which was good) an drank .... til late in the room with the log fire! It was lush!
The next day was awsome! Dirt tracks an country roads all the way! I now completely agree with the cyclist (whos name was Modena by the way- very cool!) about wales an Galecia Being cousins- I could have been at home- The landskape was exactly the same exept that i was lugging panniers with me! I could have been in wales (just in an exectionally nice july or august-seriously) I was loving it! Anyway- after plowing down narrow paths an breaking sharply to avoid flying into river passes all day we got to a town called Gonzar- there was nothing here an only four of us in the hostal (Hans agian an a czek girl weve met a couple of times before) an we had a kitchen an showers an everything! But no cooking implements!
So me an hans went to the bar (hans with props- like some carrots an a tiny milk soucepan) where i was going to try an explain that we wanted a pan big enought to cook soup in! Hans stopped to talk to some americans that turned up (one of which from west virginia) an i maneged to get my point accross to the bar keeper without the use of ridiculus props (i was quite proud of myself) An we made a good meal. An then left! Another day od dirt tracks an country roads to Arzua! Very tiring but Great great fun!
This morning our bikes were locked in the garden an we had no way of getting to them! We waited for a while for someone witha key to turn up and it didnt happen so i ended up climbling over the wall an lifting the bikes over to bethan on the otherside where we loaded up an went! After a short distance the trail went off road again- i was well up for it but not bethan so we split up- Bethan took the big road to Santiago an followed the signs. I took the crazy paths an had a good time ploughing down narrow country lanes! Unsurprisingly bethan got to santiago before me. She turned to look just in time to see me fly down a hill, bounce off a curb an have the metal bit that holds my panniers on... uh ... fall off... So i cant actually ride my bike til i get it fixed- im gonna have to find somewhere here but first... Ive agreed to walk the last hundred k to finistair (the end of the pre-american world as they knew it! Big celtic culture place!) with hans. Should take four days there an i havnt decided if im walking back or not afterward! I might buy a decent rucksack.!
Anyway! Im here! I ache! An im gonna hobble my way round the city! Gonna meet up with hans later an have nice meal an then were gonna walk to finistair! ! Anyway til next time... Adios
Deri
Ps- I wanna start a commino in britain when i get back! I was thinking to stonehenge maybe, accross the lay lines.... maybe. Anyway im gonna need all the help i can get so help me! Adios
No comments:
Post a Comment