This week’s Travelsonabike2 bicycle touring on this day post comes from Spain on the 23rd-August-2009. I’m at the end of my tour around Portugal and am now in Spain, about to catch the ferry to England.
There is a more embellished version of this post, along with all the posts from my ride around Portugal, in my tour book, available to buy from Amazon.
Sunday 23rd August 2009. Castro-Urdiales to Santurtzi (Bilbao). 18 Miles.
As predicted, I never did see Edward this morning, although I did hear him snoring away as I packed away and loaded my bike up, ready for the short ride to the ferry. It was a very short ride indeed, with some short steep climbs, the ones that I really don’t enjoy. But on this occasion, I didn’t mind too much; after all, it was my last day of cycling in Spain.
I was the first to get on the ferry today; I even beat the bikers, which made a nice change. Usually, I’m left waiting around until last. Once onboard, I dropped my bag off in my berth and headed straight to the bar to get my favourite seat next to the window opposite the bar. That way, I can see down the length of the boat and watch people as they walked up and down—the most amusing part of being at sea: Watching people sway from side to side as the ferry sways from side to side, it’s like synchronised walking.
A False Start
We set off from Bilbao and had only been out of port for approximately an hour when the captain came over the public address system and said that we would have to return to port due to a medical emergency. I wasn’t worried. I was quite happy sitting at the bar people watching.
While we sat in port waiting to depart, I got talking to the family sitting next to me. There was Tracy, her sister Val, their mother Emily and Tracy’s daughter Paige. They, along with about forty other people, had come down from Nottingham by coach on Friday, got on the ferry at Portsmouth and had the day in Bilbao. I think P&O billed it as a mini cruise; how lovely not! They were a jolly bunch and invited me to come and sit with them rather than be a saddo sitting on my own. I was happy enough being on my own, but they insisted.
We eventually set sail again four hours late. Hopefully, we’ll make that time up and still arrive in Portsmouth at 6.30 tomorrow evening. I spent the rest of the day and evening sitting with Tracy and her family. It made for a pleasant day at sea, and we agreed to meet again at the same place tomorrow morning.
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