"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." — Martin Buber
The next day we were both very elated at the stroke of
luck we had yesterday. After enjoying a small break for breakfast with a great
view on the Atlantic, we rode straight ahead to a big bridge to Saint-Nazaire,
called very originally the Saint-Nazaire bridge. Oliviert warned us that it is
impossible to ride a bike there due to strong wind so we were very cautions.
The bridge had a separated lane for bikes, but still, if one fell down, he or
she would fall right in the front wheels of other cars. In the end, the wind was
not as bad as we had been afraid of. We reached Saint-Nazaire just in time to
do some sightseeing and Krzysztof could accomplish his adventurous vacation
with a swim in the ocean. It was quite windy and rather cold, but he looked
that he did not mind and enjoyed it to the fullest. Short thereafter, a big
rain surprised us and we had to take cover in nearby shipyards. That was the
moment when we quite by chance bumped into a touristic attraction. Saint-Nazaire
was namely the major port for German submarines and the port there is a living
museum of this historical event. One hour before the planned departure, Krzysztof
invited me for a great lunch – local moules-frites, mussels and fries which is
a popular dish in Belgium and Northern France. It was just awesome! I could not
better taste the local food than eating Atlantic mussels and drinking some
local beer - absolutely spectacular!
I have not mentioned one particular thing that we were
pondering on for a while before Krzysztof left. He gave me a generous offer to
swap our bikes so I could arrive to Compostela safely, with no risks of other
unexpected difficulties with my bike. Indeed, my bike, even of a good quality,
was not fit for this arduous journey. My uncle warned me before departure that
it would be a miracle if the chain lasts more than 2000 or 3000 kilometers. You
could easily say, alright, you would just buy another chain, but it is not as
easy because hardly any chain would fit my current old gears. In order to
function properly, the chain and gears and chain must come from the same set;
therefore, it is advisable to buy several spare chains by upgrading your gears.
That is something I will do definitely in the future, but my travelling budget
did not stretch to any luxurious bike upgrade at the time of my departure. So, a long story short, my
bike was deemed unfit for this ride, even though it valiantly managed 2000 kilometers.
This generous offer was very tempting and I did my best to arrange the change,
but I had to firstly ask the driver of my ride-share if he could go through Basel.
I could not reach him the whole morning and when I gave up this idea, he
suddenly called back. Luckily enough, the bike swap could be arranged and we
changed our bikes at the last minute (as I always do and in fact, Krzysztof admittedly
as well). I did not know how to truly thank him for his mostly generous offer.
You cannot imagine how deliriously happy I was to have a brand new bike with
reliable luggage that is not likely to fall apart any minute. I made a promise
that I will have his bike blessed when I arrive in Compostela - that was the
least I could do to show my gratitude. We barely managed to say goodbye to each
other as we were busy with exchanging things. After the train left, I had the
eerie feeling of being alone again. I got used to Krzysztof's company very
quickly and I somehow felt strange to ride alone again.
At least
riding Krzysztof's bike was something that boosted my spirits. From now on, I
will be referring to his bike as Eva, alluding to the funny cartoon Wallie. Eva
was namely a super modern robot and the main character, robot named Wall-E,
paled in comparison to her in many ways. I should have actually called my bike Wall-E
to make it a match, but who could have known that I would have this pleasant
opportunity to swap my bike.
After seeing
off Krzysztof, I rode to the city to take some pictures and watch the Atlantic.
On my way back I could not find the right direction to the big bridge and once
even ended up on the highway. When I finally did find the bridge, I realized
that it was virtually impossible to ride due to very strong wind after the
heavy rain from the early afternoon. Now I understand Oliviert warned us - the
wind we experienced in the morning was just a morning breeze compared to this.
All things unattached on my bike and backpack slapped me in the face like
crazy. I had to stop biking and go on foot instead. It took me half an hour to
pass the bridge. Believe me, if there were a slightest chance to ride the bike,
I would have done it, but there was no point in risking that your lopsided bike
opposing the wind from the left side would not fall right under the car wheels
when the wind suddenly stopped. For an unknown reason I was rather tired so I
had my dinner half an hour later from gracious food supplies that Krzysztof had
left me.
I connected
to a new bike route called Velocéan and from the starting point, it was
incredibly well marked. It would be impossible to get lost; even I did not
manage that which proves that marking is absolutely flawless and idiot-proof. I
was also thrilled to finally change the usual scenery from rivers to the
Atlantic Ocean. If only the wind had not blown so ferociously! It was really cold;
I cannot understand how Krzysztof could swim in the ocean supposing that I was
trembling with cold on the seaside. I guess his excitement warmed him up.
For the night I put my tent on a private property outside the city hoping that
the proprietor would not spot the tent in the dark. The lane was mowed and I
did not really felt like trudging through high grass at night.
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