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Nice
France

Venice by beyuve HR-5951.jpg

Journal

Follow here my journey and stories around the World. 

 

Filtering by Category: The Saint James Way North

Going North: Day 2 St. Jean de Luz - Ulia

Ivan Blanco

Español aquí

On your first day of holidays, there's nothing better than wake up from a good night's rest in a very comfortable bed and indulge into the wide and great breakfast buffet that most hotels offer... Well, that was going to be the first and last time I would have such a rest on this Northern Saint James Way pilgrimage.

It truly was one great day to continue my journey and enter my dear home country: beautiful Spain! Sunday, brightly blue lit sky and bustling Saint Jean de Luz was anticipating a day full of pleasant surprises.

First pleasant surprise? Breakfast!

Champion's breakfast

With typical French pastry and products, this first meal of the day was a glorious one. Bonne Maman marmalade, French bread and toasts, mmmm Nutella, freshly pressed orange juice, fruits and the king fruit for cyclists and Minions... bananas! It was one great treat to myself after one hard month of work; the F1 is obviously the busiest time in Monaco (my place of work, check back on day 0). Besides, it's always good to fill up your belly and specially so before any long day cycling as you will see later on...

Second pleasant surprise? Without even leaving St. Jean de Luz, on another attempt to find a Camino credential (see day 1) at the town's church, music was in the air and when I approached, there was a very peculiar dance of sticks and jumps going on. A group of about 10 dancers in typical Basque region fashion were bickering sticks and jumping from one side to another, the energy and mood were fantastic and like the txikoli from the day before, it dived me again into Basque Country's culture.

2nd surprise: Paloteadores

However, going on to look for my credential, sadly the church was closed, but I found a priest just leaving it. I asked him if he had one, but he didn't, though, it was enough to start a conversation and make it the third pleasant surprise of the day!

3rd surprise: Dominique

Father Dominique who is in charge of the impressive Church Saint Jean Baptiste, kindly invited me over to his nearby house to at least get a stamp on a blank page. His kindness and positivity made me continue with him a photo project I started on my first Saint James Way; my photo-interviews of pilgrims and locals that I came across.

Having slept until quite late, this great encounter and the mesmerizing beauty of Saint Jean de Luz made me run late even more. After a detour to the lighthouse and the port, I quickly entered again into wild nature of thin thin paths, threatening cliffs and... punctures! Every cyclist's most annoying issue didn't wait long and it wasn't going to be the last one... but with the Basque Country's landscapes, even punctures are a great thing.

With views like this... even punctures are a good thing!

When I managed to get some traction, I got to cross the border to my dear Spain and reach its first town, Irún. This Basque town is usually the starting point for the several Northern Saint James Ways, which is reflected on the services and signs of the Camino. With the help of some fellow cyclist, that had engaged all his family for a Sunday ride, I entered the town easily. On my way out, there was only one route and it took me at least 10km inland and away from any coast, when I suddenly realized that I had taken the wrong Camino and was following the Basque Camino.

You can check out my rerouting below:

A little discomforted from my accidental detour, my fourth pleasant surprise was right in time with the sun starting to set down. I arrived to Pasai Donibane which had a great mood and energy in every corner. The orange colours of the settling sun, the children playing everywhere, families and friends enjoying a beautiful Sunday evening was the best thing I could wish for ending yet another cycling day. 

But pleasant surprise number five was heading towards me while I was looking over to the seaside next to the town's church. Many teenagers were queuing in front of it and wearing some kind of uniform... then they entered, and on 3 to 4 minutes intervals, applauses were heard from inside... after the third time, curiosity struck me, so I locked my bike and went in... it was full of people, no sitting place available and one of my best experiences was about to happen! Ranging from age 10 to 18, these kids were singing in chorus from some rather ecclesiastical songs up to some more commercial ones like Robbie Williams' "Angels". Nonetheless, the highest emotional point was reached when they started to sing "Caminante no hay camino" (=Wanderer, there's no path), based on a poem from Spanish writer Antonio Machado from the 19th century. It is not only a symbol for any Saint James Pilgrim, it can actually be considered one of our anthems!

Here's the moment:

5th pleasant surprise

If this wasn't enough to make me want to stay in this wonderful town, only one thing could... the town's fully booked albuergue (=pilgrim hostel)! Thus, the choice only was to continue my route... however, an inconvenient or... rather, pleasant surprise number six was on its way: I had to cross the town's estuary by boat, there's even an arrow hinting to that! 

Excited to literally embark my dear Orbeiña (see day 0 for reference) to go over-seas, I first did a quick pit stop to have some delicious tortilla (=Spanish omelette; one of our national dishes) and a beer. While fuelling up my engine a curious local approached me, Miguel. I told him about all my stories and journeys, and he told me where I could find the next albergue. We actually still keep in touch and I discovered he likes photography too. He told me some peculiarities of this little town, but I'll better just let his words speak about it:

Mascarón de "La casa de Iriberri" - © Miguel Artola

"In a small book about Pasai Donibane, when it starts to talk about the houses of important lineage, it states this: 'The house of Iriberri - One of its walls corresponds to the church's portico side. Its kitchen used to be right next to the parish which nowadays is the door that leads up to the cemetery. On the left side of this door, there's still a mascaron with no clues of its provenance. This house belonged to Alonso Villaviciosa."

He also made me aware that there is a shipyard nearby where they create vintage boats like the one shown in this beautiful photo he shared with me:

Boats from Pasai Donibana - © Miguel Artola

Very sadly, with the sun already hiding on the nearby hills, I had to leave Pasai Donibane which automatically became one of my preferred towns on the whole North Saint James Way, and it was just day two. However, as we say in Spanish No hay mal que por bien no venga (=Every cloud has a silver lining), it made me climb up to Mount Ulia where I shot one of my best pictures and it still gives me goosebumps when I remember being up there and seeing this:

Mesmerizing

After such a journey, with the clock ticking 10pm (pilgrim's usual going to sleep time...) I arrived to the only albergue up there just in time before they were closing. The restaurant guys had just left and unfortunately, the nearest restaurant had closed too, and the vending machines weren't working... I was there, hungry, tired and left with just one apple! It pretty much looked like one hard starving night and one of the best eaten apples I ever had.

Nevertheless, the stunning views over the night lit San Sebastian and fellow Valencia pilgrims with whom I started to talk were worth it. So much, that providence, destiny or just my seventh pleasant surprise of the day made that, they weren't hungry anymore and left a slice of tortilla and some crackers, which they kindly offered me. 

This truly was another example of the beauty doing the Saint James Pilgrimages have and specially, all the amazing, kind and helpful people you find along the Way. 

 
2nd Camino cycling tip: always carry a meal’s worth of food, you never know when you’ll need it most.
— June 7th 2015
 

Start and end of this day were all about our most basic need, food, but all what happened in the middle made this another unforgettable Camino experience!

If you wish to see more, stay tuned for amazing people and stories on my next Going North posts ;)

Going North: Day 1 Biarritz - St. Jean de Luz

Ivan Blanco

Español aquí

Did you ever have that tingling feeling in your stomach while getting ready for a new trip? 

That's some stuff to carry!

I'm talking about that small tickling, butterflies for others, nervousness or even some goose bumps that, in my case, come every time something new and exciting is about to happen, like in this case, another adventure: cycling the Northern path of the Saint James Way!

After a little planning some weeks before, the previous travel night should be easy... but that's when all those emotions arise and I end up most of the night packing, and checking, packing some more, checking again, taking out some stuff, put it back again, checking some more, almost ready, but back to checking my stuff, in, out... and so on for a few hours, ending up with less sleep than desired.

Ready to fly!

Ready to fly!

But first things first, being too far a journey to leave from my actual home, Nice (France), I flew over to Biarritz to start closer. With some helping hand from my dear friend Alfio, or Rinco for friends, we carried my 20 to 25 kg heavy boxed bike so I could fly without any back pain before the real challenge :) However, once on the plane and without even starting my cycling trip, I suffered my first accident... true, accident and airplane are not a good combination... but rest assured, I just ended up drinking less beer and just got my legs wet. This didn't however avoid me jumping in my seat when I was approaching Biarritz; a town on the South West region of France, with such a diversity that it used to be visited by Monarchs from all around Europe and is now one of France's major surfing spots (more info here). Still warm from the mild and California-like Côte d'Azur, I quickly plunged into gloom and cloudiness, more typical from the Basque Country.

HOPping out for a new adventure!

As soon as I literally HOPped off the airplane, I built up my dear Orbea and in no time I was out on the road with clouds but no rain, and with that tingling feeling of a new adventure to be reckoned!

What was supposed to be a quick trip to Saint Jean de Luz, ended up being a sweet Saturday ride, slaloming among all the tourists, surfers and beach lovers. Without being able to find anybody in the churches to get myself a Camino credential (the pilgrim's stamps passport), I left the bustling Biarritz to join the beauty of nature going through narrow pathways all along the amazing Basque coastline.

 
Camino cycling tip:
enjoy the ride!
— June 6th 2015
 

Amazing Basque gastronomy!

Starting the route as relaxed as on my 1st Saint James Way (which turned out to be some gruelling 20km uphill, see it here), I couldn't resist temptation to stop at one lovely bar on the way when I saw their pillows, deck chairs and a counter over the beach with the magnificent sea view. Seeing the Basque dishes on their menu and the smell of their kitchen, some great txistorra and a Basque beer were more than enough to convince me for a pit stop before heading to the day's final destination.

Once I finally reached Saint Jean de Luz with sunset stalking me, I entered this beautiful town to discover that, although being on the Saint James Way, it doesn't have any specific accommodation for pilgrims. On the Camino, the most typical form of accommodation is the albuergue which rather than a hostel, it's a shelter conceived for pilgrims. The options you have can range from a hostel-like housing, a private owned home with some rooms for pilgrims, a church, a town's pavilion (during periods of time when there are many pilgrims on a given route) or even some amazing monasteries!

Visca Barça!

With almost zero options at what was already 10pm in the evening... I had to resort to a thing I usually don't, a hotel! Strolling around, the cheapest I found was one with a very familiar name to me thanks to my work in Monaco... Café de Paris! My choice was based on availability, a safe storage for my bike and the nearby Pub where they were screening the Champions League final between FC Juventus and FC Barcelona, which was won 1-3 for the latter: visca Barça!

After a few pints and some surprise concert during the game, my first short, but intense, Camino day came to an end with a luxurious rest before heading to some very tough 14 days of cycling the coastline to my hometown.

Stay tuned for more Camino days every week and discover how it was to drag a heavy mule across Spain's Northern Coastline ;) ! 

Going North: day 0 of my Northern Way to Santiago!

Ivan Blanco

Español aquí

Bull runnings, punctures, clay roads, branches, vineyards, puddles, tornado like storms, singing, laughing, amazing people and many stories more... that’s the “Camino de Santiago”!

The "Camino de Santiago" is a historic pilgrimage route that leads to the grave of the Apostle Santiago (St. James) and the most popular path is the French Way that goes from St. Jean Pied de Port (French Pyrenees) to Santiago de Compostela (Spain), crossing unique cities like Pamplona, Burgos, León, Astorga and many more. There are 3 ways to do it, the classic walking, with a bicycle or riding a horse. The almost 800km that separate the French border with Santiago, the capital of the Galician region, are one big 30 days hike away for walking pilgrims or around 15 days for bike pilgrims. Keep in mind, most parts of it go through narrow forest paths, treacherous stoned and tree rooted hills, clay roads and only sometimes, some neat tarmac... With this in mind, I gave my dear Orbea mountain bike a very relaxing flight trip to St. Jean Pied de Port, before putting her to the biggest challenge yet! 

The “Camino de Santiago”: cycling 800km, 15 days of fun & many amazing stories!
— September 2014

It was in September 2014 when I had the chance to live this unique adventure that ended being one big turning point in my life. It brought me back my passion for cycling, adventures and photography as a means to tell stories. It pushed me to create my blog and start telling the incredible experiences I lived during this journey... if you’re curious, go over to www.theworldisahandkerchief.com/caminodesantiago where you can read and see my 15 days journey.

See below a few pictures of my last year's trip:

So it was then, that this journey reignited my love for the two wheels movement which I abandoned for some years. Thanks to this and my writings on this blog, it lifted up my involvement with the cycling World and soon after concluding my adventure I started to collaborate with LikeBike Monte Carlo: the most prestigious bicycle show in the World, managing their social media presence and content, as well as providing my photo skills for their events. It’s an exhibition of The Best in cycling in all its forms and colours; the next edition will be back in June 2016. On the other hand, I also started to bike commute to work, some 22km each way, which not only gets you fit, it also helps to avoid the very very common delays and strikes that the French rail system has us so much used to... and, it’s pure joy to overtake the cars queuing in traffic jams!

The incredible routes of the Camino de Santiago

Having an 18 days holiday in June, my head started to look for options... hmmm the amazing Norway was always on my list, but I'd rather visit it in winter and see its Aurora Borealis... Iceland is another one on my bucket list and they even have a mountain bike competition in June... Oh! But maybe I could do another Camino, though the Northern route seems too long to do in those days with it’s almost 200km more than the French one... “let’s check” I told to myself. Once the idea stuck in my mind and since this route looked like a rather flat trail things started to get going.

Therefore, I was slowly preparing for yet another unique journey. It was very clear to me, that my trusted Orbea (also 'Orbeiña' for friends) was going to be again my inseparable companion. Not only, I also had some amazing new apparel to try out, two cycling kits, one more urban the other more road like, from the French clothing brand Café du Cycliste, with a style not far from the great tradition of French cycling, but with the quality and performance of today’s best clothing brands. They are mainly an online retailer, but they just recently opened a real Café which perfectly reflects their brand and in one of the best spots of Nice’s Port.

The Real Café! ©Café du Cycliste

Being on a better shape than on my previous Camino, I was pretty confident to drag my 25kg loaded bike and bags across the 'easy' Northern path... delusional ... that’s probably what I can say now, from my former mental state!

A UNESCO World Heritage Site!

The Northern route is not as popular and crowded as the French Camino, but it's known to be a very beautiful route, harder than the French option and apparently closer to the St. James Apostle’s real one. Overshadowed by its French counterpart, which on top of its greater popularity, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, this North against French rivalry finally reached equal terms; within the last meeting of the UNESCO committee on July 8th, the Northern path is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site too, due to its growing popularity (2nd option after the French Way) and its historic relevance. This will obviously increase the number of pilgrims going for it, but it will also increase the protection and services attached to it.

The Northern Saint James Way (purple line)!

As I said to myself back on my first Camino “Off I go!”!

It was in June this year when freshly landed in Biarritz, bike mounted, gears in place and with the thrill for a new adventure growing and growing, I was getting ready for a 15 days journey crossing the Northern Spanish territory to encounter fascinating stories, stunning landscapes, delicious food and amazing friends of the "Camino del Norte"; the Northern St. James Way!

Stay tuned to my next blog entries to see what happened on my "Camino del Norte"!