Spain Day 2

Wow what a day! Bilbao  is a sprawling city and has the effect that most large cities have on me - A feeling of total insignificance in relevance to the size of the population  and also  (more worrying) bemusement as to where we would keep our pigs should we end up living there. Last night's meal was done and dusted in no time -  both feeling spaced out from the days riding. The beer was never going to be flowing - eyelids getting heavier and heavier. 10 PM we hit the sack – boring bastards. The accommodation i suits us as it's only drop in and go, it's clean but has many annoying facets. One being that the facilities are shared and the light is on a movement sensor meaning that if you don't dance whilst sat on the toilet you are in no time  in total darkness. We are getting back to routine and after an 8 o'clock meet straight to the local supermarket for The 1 PM pitstop fuel (anybody who followed last year's blog will understand this is pivotal point in the day for the commander and prevents him from becoming a whinging snail) we make hard work as we leave Bilbao. Much of the commanders amusement I get a puncture. its next door to a street full of whorehouses The commander suggest that we haven't got enough time to stop and anyway they wouldn't be any good at fixing punctures we then push outs of the city and then 28 miles later whilst eating the miles up The commander blows a tyre  mainly due to the fact he is too frugal to buy new ones before he leaves.  The Commander mutters 'that's when you know you've had value - when you've written it to destruction ' - False Economy ' I reply. Excuse the pun it's all becoming rather tiresome! We then push on through some fantastic countryside beautiful valleys reminiscent of the Aosta Valley. We stopped for lunch at Deba it's name sake being the River Valley we travelled through. The rest of our journey today was no less than fantastic.  As we skirted the Bay of Biscay hugging the coast tightly we witnessed sunbathers, fisherman staring anxiously at the floats and in the exposed areas surfs big as I either of us have ever witnessed before. Surfers Paradise. The angry waves surged over our pathway and drizzled salty water on very hot foreheads riding in some 25°C. Like the greedy pig's we are we were not happy with San Sebastion and agreed we had much more left in our legs. San Sebastien is full of people in wheelchairs and with limps all apparently searching for divine healing we felt there was nothing really wrong at present and pushed on. We now find ourselves in Hendaye ( France) enjoying a pint and the landlord fixes us up with digs in the local Hotel de Gare. 95 Miles today and nearly 4000 foot climbing again. Looking to head north to Biarritz and then south east along the River Valley hopefully in Pau tomorrow evening. I have been in trouble today for the questioning of some of the commanders navigation skills - he was not happy but I  explain that there have been more cock ups than would usually occur . The Spanish signposting has taken all the blame Thought for the day - spend some EU money on Spanish signposting it's shite!

Riding safe ( very American)

Le  Commander et Le Spall in France now xx