Day 5 - From Picos to Pyrenees
Thursday 3rd September 2015
In the morning it is still raining. The forecast looks bad for the next few days in the Picos mountains, but things look a little better over to the west.
So we decide to abandon the rest of the Picos route and head over to the Pyrenees in search of the sun. It is a long and very wet ride, back to the motorway and on and on to Bilbao. Finally the weather clears and in the centre of the city we see our first glimpse of the sun since arriving in Spain five days ago.
The ride down to Pamplona is fast and sweeping, and finally dry. I remember seeing the bull runs of Pamplona on TV. I remember narrow ancient streets with bravos running like hell and jumping over walls and fences just before they get gored by the angry bulls. If my memory is correct then things have changed a lot. Pamplona is big and busy and filled with traffic. There is a huge university complex in the heart of the city. Plenty of hotels but nothing very appealing.
So we head out of the city as quickly as we can and back to a fast A21 motorway. After 50 miles or so we turn off into the small town of Sanguesa and check into the unmemorable Hotel Yamaguchi.
If the weather was better we could explore the small towns and find quaint and appealing accommodations, with inspiring menus and entertaining local characters. But when it is raining and you have ridden 300 miles you just go to the first entry that Tomtom finds and if it doesn't look truly appalling or scarily expensive you just check in and suck it up.
At least they have an 8% red ale for the Beer Monster.
In the morning it is still raining. The forecast looks bad for the next few days in the Picos mountains, but things look a little better over to the west.
 |
| A very wet morning in the Picos |
So we decide to abandon the rest of the Picos route and head over to the Pyrenees in search of the sun. It is a long and very wet ride, back to the motorway and on and on to Bilbao. Finally the weather clears and in the centre of the city we see our first glimpse of the sun since arriving in Spain five days ago.
 |
| In the centre of Bilbao |
The ride down to Pamplona is fast and sweeping, and finally dry. I remember seeing the bull runs of Pamplona on TV. I remember narrow ancient streets with bravos running like hell and jumping over walls and fences just before they get gored by the angry bulls. If my memory is correct then things have changed a lot. Pamplona is big and busy and filled with traffic. There is a huge university complex in the heart of the city. Plenty of hotels but nothing very appealing.
So we head out of the city as quickly as we can and back to a fast A21 motorway. After 50 miles or so we turn off into the small town of Sanguesa and check into the unmemorable Hotel Yamaguchi.
If the weather was better we could explore the small towns and find quaint and appealing accommodations, with inspiring menus and entertaining local characters. But when it is raining and you have ridden 300 miles you just go to the first entry that Tomtom finds and if it doesn't look truly appalling or scarily expensive you just check in and suck it up.
 |
| Serious beer |
At least they have an 8% red ale for the Beer Monster.
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