Cycling from Huddersfield to Gibraltar Day 9.

It's morning, and a nice sleep.. although not ideal food last night for tea apart from my chocky bar. I've packed up my gear and its off downstairs of this place, it must be a hotel although it just seems like a big house with a cafe part downstairs and bar area. I'm in the dining area and I see places set for Breakfast ? Wonder if one of those places is set for me, but last night the lady who booked me in quickly didn't understand that I was asking for food ! Well I will risk it and sit down.. there's a guy at the bar area (Must be that woman who checked me in last night husband)

I say "Bonjour" and he brings me Coffee with Milk ! (Result :-)) then a baguette with butter and jam (Fantastic) I'm tucking into that great.... Just about to finish and the woman appears from last night who checked me in.... "Oh no" I thought! I maybe not allowed to have this breakfast.. but shes OK :-)

I eat everything on my plate and table, and its off to their garage for my bike.. I bring it back to the entrance and start to check the spokes. There are a few that need a tighten.. I try to sort them out then spin the wheel round only to find I have put the wheel out of balance ! (Shit!) Don't panic, think about it Andy lol After a good 10Min's of messing around with the spoke tool I get the wheel back in line (Fluke or what?)

Right, I get the panniers back on the bike, ask the lady for my water bottles to be filled up, shes OK with that, I say "Bye" I'm thinking she will say "Money for Breakfast" but No... I'm out of here. Heading back to the D933.

I'm back on the D933 and heading towards the Spanish border :-) The views are excellent as I near the Pyrenees. I cycle into a place called "Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port" very nice village and the buildings are really nice in these parts. I stop at a cafe for a few Coffees, and they were so good I had three ! I was just sat outside watching the world go by it was Brill!

After a good hour I payed up and was off again towards the border. I'm cycling for around 3 hrs and I see the border (No checkpoint, just a hanging sign and a change from the D933 to the N135 (Weird, I was expecting to get my passport out to show - but no! just cycled straight along the road and into Spain)

"I'm in Spain", "I'm in Spain" I keep saying - Amazed I have made it this far from my house.

After the buzz of making it to the border the climbs start! Up and up, up and up, winding roads, head winds :-( Blimey it's getting tough now) I reach a shop just before it closes for the afternoon.. I get Red bull and water and sandwich's just in time :-) Then its onwards and upwards for seems like forever. Eventually after a lot of sweat I reach the summit church Ibaneta 1057m. Time for a photo or 2 :-)

After this summit its weeeeeeeeeeeeeee......... weeeeeeeeeeeee......... All the way down the other side of the Mountain (Brilliant !) I've never gone down any descents like this before (Switchbacks) what a great experience. I'm on the N135 towards Pamplona the rest of the journey that day was very smooth and ups and downs but nothing too hard. By around 5pm I'm on the edge of Pamplona and think I'm staying here tonight its an early finish for me I reckon, so after cycling into the centre of Pamplona I'm booked in a hotel, washed, changed and kit all sorted for about 7pm.. I'm now off out to sample the centre (Its packed out lots of people in one of the main squares, I look around before choosing a place to eat, I sit and have my well earned Spag bol complete with 3 Beers :-)

Nice stroll back to the hotel after sunset and its bedtime once again (Great day over the Pyrenees today)

Total miles = 71 miles.

Average speed = 11.0 mph.

Cycling from Huddersfield to Gibraltar Day 8.

Well that was one hell of a night, plenty of noises and also forgot my sleep mat so quite damp under the body too. There were that many noises last night I didn't get one wink of sleep especially the Wild Boar/Wolf noises - Couldn't tell if they were getting closer or staying the same distance :-)

Well that's it, I'm up with the sun, packed all the kit back in the bags and its off I go, heading towards the signs for Mont de Marsan. Hopefully I wanted to get to the border of Spain at the end of the day today.

The road out to Mont de Marsan is just a small road through the national park, not long after I set off I'm passing through a place called - Sore! Not really applying to me in that way, although my left wrist is causing me some grief, to change gear now I have to use my right hand to reach over and change gears now, there is just no strength in my left hand, good job I'm right handed anyway!!

After passing through Sore, I come to another little village with a shop that's open, I'm in there Baguette, Chocky, Cookies, Red Bull, Water the full works because I'm very hungry and need some supplies. Right I'm ready for the off, the roads are still very flat and smooth and the weather is sunny (I have been very lucky with the weather).

I'm en route to next town Mont de Marsan I'm following the D933, by around early afternoon I pass through Mont de Marsan, still following the D933.

After cycling for a few hours more, I now reach the town of Orthez nice place! I cycle around the town and see a bike shop, I need some spare inner tubes as I'm getting low. I buy 2 packs (About 12 euros) The lady in the shop asks me where I'm going, shes amazed when I tell her where :-)

After Orthez I appeared to be taking the same road, although after a lot of nice buildings and open fields, I do eventually find out I'm heading West and not South ? How did this happen? Probably due to no sleep last night :-) I eventually turn around and head back to where I probably went wrong.. until I must go past the turning I should have taken AGAIN! Blimey, whats wrong with me !! I keep seeing the Mountains (Pyrenees on my left side, then heading back on myself I see the Mountains on my right side, but I still don't seem to be going South !!

After sitting down, taking stock of the situation, having a bite to eat and a load of Red Bull I take a look at my phone map application again, and this time I have cracked it I find the road I should be on (Hooray!) I'm back on track and heading the right way - Eventually after a detour of around 30miles. Well by the time I'm now heading for Pyrenees its starting to get a little dark, I have around 1 hour before sunset. I pedal faster and faster to try and get as close to the border as possible, its not going to happen as planned but I will get as far as I can.

I eventually pull up at a little hotel/bar in a tiny village around 20 or 30miles to the Spanish border. I walk inside and ask for a room, the landlady and 3 guys around the bar do not understand me, and I don't understand them... After a few hand signals I get a key put in front of me (Number 9) Bingo! I have a room tonight, at least I will get a decent nights sleep tonight, and charge all my phone/camera etc.. I try to ask if there is some food available but its no use she does not understand what I'm trying to say, so its up to my room with my panniers, I did have some Chocolate and Cookies and Water so that will do for me tonight.

I look out of my room window, and the Mountains are really not too far away now! Pity I could not have made the border today, but I guess these things happen where you can get lost I suppose. My bike is in the hotels garage so should be safe for the night.

Total miles = 125 miles.

Average speed = 13.1 mph

Cycling from Huddersfield to Gibraltar Day 7.

Another sunny morning leaving Saintes, heading out of here was pretty easy, although it was uphill out of the centre. I was heading for Bordeaux. Nothing much to see on the way to Bordeaux other than a Large bottle of Red, and a very large Chair on a roundabout.

I was looking for a McDs to get some free wifi, and just on the outskirts of Bordeaux Bingo! I found one :-) Time for some Chicken Nuggets, a Coffee and a Doughnut, also a chance to say hello to my wife and daughter via Video clip :-)

After leaving McDs I was heading out on the wrong road !! I soon realised and changed course.. funnily enough I came back past McDs again to get back on the correct road. I'm now headed to the centre of Bordeaux, there are a few bridges to cross with nice views of the rivers. Before I know it I'm making my way through Bordeaux its very nice and lots going on as I cycle past at a leisurely pace.. I'm seeing lots of people out and about, lots just sitting around enjoying the afternoon sun, others busy on their ways..

I go down some side streets and go past several doorways of houses where I see lots of people in their doorways sat on their steps smoking out of a Hookah ! lol

I'm heading out of Bordeaux on the D651, it took me right into a National park (Very nice and remote) I'm cycling towards the town of Sore where I plan on stopping tonight. There were some fantastic Buildings coming into the National park (Chateau's) the roads are like little country lanes for miles after miles.. eventually I reach a shop/petrol station and I need to buy some supplies just in case I decide to camp out, although I don't think I should have been allowed to camp in the wild! Oops!!

After cycling for a few hours its just the same scenery Tall wooded tree lands with little roads linking remote villages. The sun is soon to set and I have to make a decision, Will I or won't I camp out? Well I have decided and I'm headed off the road and about 100 yards into the woods off the road. A few cars go past while I'm putting my tent up but I don't think any of them have seen me ! Although a car went past the road very slow, did a U turn, then went back same direction it came from ( I was thinking have they seen me - maybe they will come back when its dark to rob me!!) Do I go ? or do I stay ?

I stay ha ha.. sod it! The sun looks really nice setting in between lots of trees, and soon the sun sets and the camping takes on a totally new dimension! As soon as its dark - The noises start I can hear a Dog in the distance... it must be a farm around half a mile away as the sound of the barking seems the same distance away each time of the barks... Then there are Owl noises (That's OK :-) then the Dog again (That's OK ;-) also branch's breaking most of night here and there (Not a problem after a while got used to it) Until I hear a bark/scream type howl ?? Whats that I'm thinking.. Its not a Dog for sure! Is it a Wild Boar ? The guy at previous Hotel warned me of those (Nasty pieces of work those I can remember his words!) Oh dear I'm thinking.. my main concern was that every time I hear this noise, is it getting closer ? Luckily most of the night it seemed to stay a distance away, even after me emptying my bladder a few times ;-(

As you can imagine this was going to be a sleepless night....

Total miles = 117 miles.

Average speed = 13.4 mph.