Day 1 Stats:
Distance = 64.76 km
Elev Gain = 1,032 m
Time = 4h 23m
I arrived in Madrid on the 17th of September. I had used the Warmshowers app to find other cycling/bikepacking folks that could host me. After arriving and getting my bike I assembled it right there in the airport, and rode to my hosts flat about 8km away. Google Maps wanted to murder me, by taking me on the highway, so after lifting my bike over some concrete barriers and trying not to get run over by traffic I made it safely to a sidewalk and an alternate route.
My first hosts were Dace and Jesus and their 2 cats and 1 dog (sorry, I can’t remember their names). We had some good conversations about their travels and I really enjoyed them and their hospitality. Thank you Dace and Jesus.
The next morning I took an early bus from Madrid to Bilbao (where I would begin my Camino) the following day. Thanks again to Warmshowers and my hosts whom I found through the app, Ibai and Nerea. I arrived a little earlier than they could accommodate me, but this gave me time to explore Bilbao some. I didn’t have the budget to go into the Guggneheim, however, I did circle it from outside and before you think I am uncultured, I did manage to visit at least one museum on this trip and that was the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao.
I arrived at Ibai and Nerea’s place around 15:30. She still had work to do so Ibai and I talked some about my trip and his past trips before we all went for a walk next to the river and to share a beer together before dinner. Thank you Ibai and Nerea and good luck with the last bit of your pregnancy.
I started my day from Bilbao and pretty much immediately ran into some trouble. My route wouldn’t sync to my bike computer. What to do? I eventually navigated by phone for the first bit and then when I stopped for breakfast in Castro Urdiales I paid for the Komoot app and downloaded the map for the remainder of the route and for the whole trip. Problem solved.
I moved through quite a few industrial areas. I remember Henry mentioning this to me as well. The bike route is also slightly different to the walking route. I arrived in Laredo at around 12:30pm. The Albergue where I would be staying was a Monastery run by nuns, and check in was only at 15:30 on a first come first served basis, so I had to make sure to come back sooner than later. I left and went to the promenade and cycled around the town a little. They were busy setting up for a weekend festival celebrating Carlos V.
I shared a room with 3 other guys, Reese, Bernie and Marlon.
Click on the images for a full view.
After settling in and selecting our bunks we all went our separate ways to wash clothing, eat and wander around town. I bumped into Marlon on the main strip, buying a damn good looking Shwarma. He invited me to have a beer at a bar around the corner. I then realized I had no money with me, so I had to hoof it back to the Monastery to get some cash. Back at the Shwarma I bumped into Bernie this time around. He and Marlon were old friends walking together. Shwarma in hand I said I would meet him at the bar in a few. We sat with two older woman from Norway and had our beers and talked some about our days. The two women were finishing up, I had just begun and the others were somewhere in the middle or 3/4 of the way done. We finished our beers and were off again on our own. I went for a walk around town to see how the remainder of the festival setup was looking.
I had fully intended to photograph people I had met on my way during this trip, but this would only end up happening later. Sometimes you’re just in “the thing” and you don’t want to get a camera involved. Later, back in the room myself and the 3 guys were all there and Marlon insisted that we go for dinner and that he pays for mine, because it was my first night and my first Camino and that it was tradition. I was so full from my Shwarma earlier, but said fuck it! More fuel for the ride the following day. I also had my first taste of scallops and got my scallop shell for the trip. Not some bleached touristy looking one. Great!
I would find out that Bernie lives in Lisbon so we exchanged numbers so that when I went to Portugal I would reach out to him and we would catch up. Dinner was good and the conversation, wine and food was great.
Other than the shaky start, day 1 was a successful one.