On Spanish trains - with a bike

They're infamous - Spanish trains - especially for cyclists. In Spain's defence, if I had been a fluent Spanish speaker, I might have understood the more sophisticated possibilities (no one I talked to in the stations spoke English).... my Spanish is basic - so here goes...

The challenge - to get from Santiago de Compostela to Santander with the bike in time for the Plymouth ferry on a Monday afternoon.

In preparation I checked first at Lugo station - here I was told (I think) that bikes are only allowed on regional trains - these are slow and inexpensive. The helpful bloke in Lugo wrote down the times of the trains I could catch on a Sunday (would involve 3 changes and 12 hours) - not exactly convenient - but possible.

On arrival in Santiago a quick tour of the public library (free internet access) to check the trains on line - according the website - there were no trains on a Sunday. With this horrifying news, I legged it to the station.

According to the wee man there - there were trains on a Sunday, but no bikes allowed. What about Saturday I asked (well bleated - I had gone white by now) - no, not allowed on Saturday either (at this point I sensed some delight in his tone). So I mustered my best Spanish, looked him in the eye, explained that if I didnt get the ferry from Santander my husband, closely followed by my boss, would beat me - and please please, could he do something?

And indeed he did - with a Galician flourish, he stabbed furiously at his computer - and printed out my solution - depart Santiago on Saturday night - arrive in Ourense in the middle of the night - stay there (finding my own accomodation), depart Ourense early on Sunday morning (before any cafe or shop is open for life saving coffee) for Leon. Change at Leon for Palencia - and then again finally for Santander. Oh, and by the way its not possible to buy a through ticket - so at each station, another queue, new instructions and another ticket. Cost around 45 euros.

Was it worth it? Yes. The trains are slow, the scenery is fabulous, the natives are warm and friendly, and the craic in Ourense was great!

Santander to Santiago de Compostela

The facts:
9 days of pedaling
1 day of rest in Lugo
average distance per day 60 - 80ks
maximum distance (last day) 107ks
terrain: steep and difficult (good level of fitness required)
road quality: surfaces good, some single track roads
accommodation - mostly hostals (limited camping available)
weather: cold, cloud, rain, sun, wind
food: menu de dia (8 - 12 Euros)
language: Spanish (English is rarely spoken in this region)



The route:
maps: Michelin regional Espagne (572 and 571)

• Santander to San Vicente CA 131 (camping at Playa de Oyambre)
• San Vicente to Potes N621 (uphill through gorge) - choice of hostals in Potes
• Potes to Riano N621 Puerto de San Glorio (1609m) - choice of hostals in Riano
• Riano to La Vecilla N621 (over a couple of minor passes) - one hostal in La Vecilla
• La Vecilla to Senra CL 626 (hostal in Senra is the only one in the area)
• Senra to Sisterna LE 493 / AS 212 (hostal in Sisterna is the only one in the area)
• Sisterna to Fonsegrada AS 212 / LU 721 (80ks of very steep climbs) - choice of hostals in Fonsegrada
• Fonsegrada to Lugo C630 (choice of hostals and cheapest pulpo in Spain!)
• Lugo to Santiago de Compestela (take the small rural roads straight through)
  

In praise of travelling with strangers

We've all been there - on holiday with a partner or a close friend or a parent - tempers fraying, walking on opposite sides of the street - stomping into a shop and refusing to come out (and once even hurling the mountain bike into a ditch in Tasmania only to be spotted by an astonished pair of Canadians as they came round the corner unexpectedly in matching red anoraks...)

But not with strangers - with strangers we are on our best behaviour - we show respect, we don't hoard the food or take the last cake, we leave the bathroom clean, we turn off the light at a reasonable hour, we don't curse and shout when they miss the turning and add an extra 10k to the trip, we don't take all the blankets when we are forced to share a bed in some one horse town, we smile gently when they eat pig knuckle even though our stomachs are turning, we murmer contentment when they hang washing all over the shared hotel room, we don't mind that they don't share our penchant for shoe shops or Joseph Beuys exhibitions, we refuse to weep when our tendons have turned themselves inside out and there is still 25k to go, we gaily pedal up mountains in howling gales when we would rather stay in bed and watch Spanish day time soaps, and of course we laugh at their jokes and at our own expense day after day after day....

Take a pedal from Santander to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain with an Irish stranger - and this too could be all yours - until the stranger becomes your friend, your behaviour deteriorates and you have to split before the sodding bike is thrown into a ditch....