Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard
Today
I am reaping the reward of the yesterday's grueling cycling quest.
The Atlantic wind was still present, yet it blew not so strongly anymore. This
basically means that I cannot ride faster than 20 km/h without taking some
more effort. It does not really pay off to rush anywhere because I am
sitting on the bike 8 h a day and due to my health problems, I have to use my
resources cautiously.
The road goes
once again through touristic destinations. This is a polar opposite to what
I experienced yesterday. Instead of dilapidated buildings and shipyards,
I was to see breathtaking beach resorts with plenty of opportunities where
to spend all your vacation pocket money. Only for 20 km I went once again back
to rural areas, but this did not last long.The road itself, Velocéan, was once
again very well marked, wide, and easy despite the fact that it goes mostly off-road
along beeches and in the forest. That gives me at least a good opportunity
to gauge Eva's reaction to unpaved road, sand, mud, and other off road
obstacles that I will most probably encounter on my Camino Francais. We
will see how it will go with a road bike on off-road routes, but now
I think that it should not be of a big problem. The weather today is
also nice and shiny, just the Atlantic wind puts away any temptation to taste
the Ocean in my swimming shorts. I will head South anyway and I guess
that every 100 km the weather will be hotter and the wind easier.
I am
really mesmerized with the idea of passing through places where other people
take their vacation. I can enjoy them only for a flicker of
a moment, but still it is fascinating to see these people knowing that
they will probably not see much, but the place where they are staying in.
I am thinking about making a small chart of most stunning resorts and
if one really grew up on me, I might spend my vacation there in the
future.
As usually,
my best moments today were while eating. In the morning I overindulged
myself with true French croissants and chocolate cookies and for lunch
I took a fresh French baguette with olive oil. I am becoming
very fond of olive oil and I put it almost on everything. Yesterday
I bought a bottle of an organic extra virgin olive oil because the
small bottle was better for transportation than other available products. The
higher price really reflects in the quality of the product, I like it even
more than the last one.
Today
I also did a little bit of shopping. I found an outlet centre and
seized the opportunity to get some new things for my closet. I am lucky
that the new bike offers ample room for my luggage; otherwise I could not
buy anything. I have also bought a sleeping bag. It is a small
one for children, but that does not matter because I need it just as
a blanket at night. In Spain it should be warm enough anyway.
It is
really fascinating to see the Atlantic all the time. Some places look very nice
with well cared beaches, but some very tough and unwelcoming. I have realized
that looking into the ocean and observing the relentless waves emphasizes the
feeling of one's solitude. Therefore it is interesting and inspiring for ideas,
but it might not be a good idea to overdo with musing by the seashore. Still, I
find resting in peace better than bustling streets of touristic resorts in big
cities.
Early in
the evening, I encountered a dangerous situation which happens to everyone from
time to time by walking. You know, you run into someone because you both unconsciously
choose the same direction and change it at the same moment several times. This
can be quite dangerous by biking though. I was overtaking one runner and
speeding downhill when suddenly a dazzling young blond girl appeared from the
opposite side. I slowed down and turned to the right to avoid collision, but
she did the same and into the same direction J This repeated for few seconds
several times until I finally managed to dodge her. I could have easily bumped
her which would not have been nice :)
Later at
night, I tried to turn Eva on – I mean the light, of course. I could not figure
it out, and when I gave up trying and set off on the road a miracle happened.
An aurora light started gleaming by itself – I suppose that the bike contains
some kind of a generator or so. Unbelievable! No more worries about flat
batteries, broken light as I had on my first bike. This built-in light does its
job perfectly. I rolled the road just for fun for another half an hour to enjoy
this ultimate experience. This is really the
road bike.
At night a
very weird noise suddenly woke me up. It was an insect that found its way to my
ear, but could not get out. It got so deep and near the middle ear that I heard
its subtle limbs as a clash of a thunderstorm. This was a very scary experience.
I tried to get it out and later drown it in water in sheer despair.. I do not
know whether I managed it or not, but the fact is that it stopped after a
minute or so. Still, I have the eerie feeling in my ear and now the only
question remaining is whether that is due to water, or the insect is nicely
rotting in my ear. No idea how it could find its way right to my ear. Next time, I will
rather plug my earphones to prevent similar encounters.
By the way,
the smell of the Atlantic early in the morning is just wonderful. The noise of
the ocean works as a tranquilizer. No wonder that such sounds are often
recorded on tapes for a better sleep.
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