I'm back! I find it hard to imagine that my last post was over a month ago, but time goes by so quickly while guiding. It is too easy to be caught up in the daily activities of guiding, which are actually daily duties because it is my job. The latest trip was the Pyrenees Sea-to-Sea, which is a 10 day trek (advertising plug) across the Pyrenees from the French Atlantic coast to the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Specifically, there are eight days of riding, one rest day, and the last day (non-riding). This was my first trip with another new guide, and we had a really great time.
Coming along with me as I retrace the trip, in brief, starts you off in St. Jean de Luz near Biarritz on the French coast. Having the trip start there was very stressful because there were too many unknowns; where will we park the van AND trailer, what if it rains (high likelihood in that region), and where can the guests change. Needless to say, we thought about those things all week and were always running scenarios through our heads to try and be prepared. Long story short, we found parking right in front of the fit spot, the hotel next to us allowed us to use their changing rooms, and it was nice and sunny. Although, neither of us enjoyed the amount of unknowns before day one. Everyone was fit to their bikes with the Atlantic as our backdrop, and we began to ride toward St. Jean Pied de Port. Half-way through the ride was a picnic lunch prepared by moi on the top of the Puerto de Otxondo (we crossed into Spain briefly). You can access my snapfish account and I will post a photo of the spread. We hit the road again after a hearty meal with a lot of leftovers, which are great for the guide lunches on our following guest choice lunch days!
St. Jean Pied de Port has a lot of history lessons to offer for those that are interested, and since Greg and I both enjoy the cultural aspects of this job, we were able to relay a lot of information to our guests. The town is well known for being a starting point for the Camino del Santiago de Compostela, and was involved in many wars, political situations, religious events, and always caught in the Basque struggle for independence. I really enjoy the Basque country because there is an abundance of character along with their cultural pride. The landscape, architecture, food, and people are much different than the average French population; and I mean that in a good way, because those differences are waning in contemporary cultures as smaller populations become absorbed into the masses.
Our non-Basque style accommodations, Hotel Les Pyrenees, in St. Jean Pied de Port had a 2-star Michelin rated restaurant where we ate for dinner. I wish we had known what to expect, because I probably would have fasted for the day in preparation for our meal that I would describe as a gastronomic jamboree. After the pre-starter starter, we had the entree, then the main plate, followed by the small dessert plate and finished with the large dessert plate. I was about ready to explode, and now following a breakfast of pancakes and cinnamon toast... I don't really want to think about that night. The next morning we wiggled our way out of St. Jean Pied de Port and went out toward St. Savin near the Tourmalet. I rode day three, which went over the Col de Marie Blanc, Aubisque and Soulor. For some reason I did not feel very well on the Marie Blanc, but slowly came to as the day progressed not knowing what would strike me down the next day.
The next hotel, Le Viscos, was slightly above the valley so it was a cold descent the next day. Let's rewind for a second because we successfully followed up on the previous night's meal with another delectable meal. We had an entree of crab salad layered on guacamole, a natural pairing, and moved on to the main plate; a very tender piece of lamb with a local preparation of beans and a side of pasta. Everything was very fresh as a result of being locally sourced, and the chef is also well-known in the region for his cuisine. Although, the next day, four, I was hit hard with a virus and barely made it up the Tourmalet. On our way up the climb we found a full pack of Marlboro Reds, so there are a few funny photos with those; we think the owner of those decided midway up the climb that they really needed to quit, ha! I made it to 8km from the top where I sat down, drank a coke, and proceeded to get a lift from Greg. Although, I'm too stubborn to get off my bike, so he towed me with the van for a kilometer or two. The last few kilometers were the worst as my whole body felt as though I was hit by a car and everything hurt, even my finger joints. Cresting the Tourmalet was never so satisfying as that day, and I cruised right past the sign, people, and views toward the van. This is where I called it quits and Greg switched out with me. The rest of the day was spent driving van support and having everyone tell me how bad I looked... like I needed to be told, haha. Finally, we made it to Bagneres de Luchon and somehow managed to find parking right outside of the hotel and squeezed the trailer down the narrow alley. Simple foods were managable, but I settled down for the night early.
The next day, five, was our rest day. Greg and I used the time to do laundry, clean bikes, organize the van and trailer, and I even did some resistance training in the hotel's "gym". I was not quite feeling up for the Luchon Thermes, but we still had a productive and restful day.
Thus concludes the first half of the trip, and stay tuned for part two of our "cross country" Pyrenean adventure! I have a few days off here in Provence, so I will update later on. We should try to get out and do something today, 2 of 3 woke up at 11:30 while I was up at 9. I slept in the van out back, so the sun woke me up earlier; and I'm a morning person, so I am up "earlier" regardless. We had about 4-5L of beer from around Europe, so we had a late night translating into a late morning. Talk to you soon!
