Friday, September 10, 2021

Santander, Day 1

Bike Route: Naveda to Santander, 55 miles, 2400 feet of climb

Walking Route: Apartment to Mailboxes, Etc., and back, 3 miles

Today we closed the circle on the first half of our trip, returning to Santander on the Atlantic coast. Monday, September 13, we will travel to Girona by train. For long-distance trains, we have to box up our bikes. After failing to find a bike store that would save boxes for us, we ordered them from Mailboxes, Etc. Like most businesses, MBE and the bike stores are closed Saturday and Sunday, so we had to pick them up between 3:30 and 7:00 today.

We were up before the rooster started to crow. This would be our longest day of riding yet, and we were a little concerned about the weather; it had stormed during the night and was still raining lightly.

After filling up with scrambled eggs and bacon, we packed our lunch on the bikes and took off just as it was getting light. It was cold, and we had on our raincoats and tights and gloves.

We were glad for the extra clothes the first 15 miles, almost entirely downhill. We had not expected the riding or scenery to be too exciting on this trek from farm and river country to big city on the ocean. But both were stunning. We had very little traffic that early in the morning, and there is something so exhilarating about floating downhill through twisty roads, trees, small towns and villages, farms. About halfway, we stopped in a little plaza and had a snack, took off our warm clothes, and got ready for a couple of climbs up over the hills into Santander.

We had one steep, steep, climb up a bike trail about 45 miles into the ride, which we both walked. Otherwise, the biking was perfect and the rain turned to sunshine, and we arrived in Santander in time to go find lunch/dinner before picking up our boxes.

MBE was about a mile and a half from our apartment. We trekked over there and carried the boxes back, only to discover that instead of two bike boxes, we had one and a half. Someone had cut one down the middle. The boxes were also not very sturdy. (Note: Shipping boxes from bike shops are a better option, when you can get them.)

After some careful measuring and calculation, Ken decided he could make the boxes work--cutting some off the full box and taping it to the half box. He got started on that while I ran a load of laundry and tried to be helpful.

That was enough for one day. We had accomplished our two major goals: getting to the apartment and getting our bike boxes. Oh, and our third, ever-present major goal: getting food!