Around 6:15 a.m., I got up along with two of the eight others, and quietly packed my things to head to the dining room for breakfast. I always shower in the evening, so a quick wash and brushing my teeth in the morning is enough. I make an instant coffee and eat two delicious pastries I bought yesterday evening at a bakery: a caracolla con frutas or a suisse with candied fruit, and a typical Basque pastry. At 7:30 a.m., I leave, but once again, I have no internet. So, today will be a bit of an adventure, but with Magda’s help, it works out surprisingly well. The internet comes back during lunch at the church of Elgoibar. During the picnic, I decide to log into all the Spanish networks my phone shows, and it works again.
Zarautz in the morning mist
This morning, I first ride out of the city, which goes quickly because my hostel was located on the west side of the city. Then follows a long climb, and after about 25 km, I’m in Zarautz, another popular coastal town, but I think it’s smaller than San Sebastian. I take some pictures of the Santa Maria la Real church, and especially of the beach and the rolling waves in the morning sun and mist. I decide to head more inland now so I can ride to Bilbao tomorrow. Magda told me the roads there have fewer steep hills, and she was right. Inland, there are several beautiful or interesting things to see, such as Guernica, the town that was bombed at Franco’s request. Picasso made a beautiful painting about it, which hangs in Madrid.
Zarautz and surroundings omgeving
I decide to ride to Azpeitia because Loyola is nearby, where Ignatius of Loyola was born. My choice is rewarded: a student of Bernini built a beautiful Baroque church there in the late 17th and early 18th centuries in a small town. Pure Baroque, both the church itself, the altars, the dome, and the statues; it couldn’t be better. Lavish, as it had to be during the Counter-Reformation on the orders of the Holy Church. In the dome of the church, the letters AMGD stand for his motto. Young people know OMG (Oh My God), but "Ad Majorem Gloriam Dei" (For the Greater Glory of God) they don’t know at all. You also see IHS everywhere, the abbreviation of Jesus in Greek, which Ignatius of Loyola used. Ignatius was a soldier and organized the Jesuits, which he founded, in a military manner as well.
Loyola: the Baroque church
Then I cycle on to Elgoibar, and just before the village, where I want to have lunch, I buy some bread and cheese at Lidl, which sells many local products. As I enter the old part of the village, I meet a couple with red scarves around their necks, which usually means there is a village festival. Roberto and Olatz confirm that the celebration lasts all week because today is the feast of Saint Bartholomew, the man who was flayed alive. The highlight of the festival is Monday when everyone is allowed to throw wine at anyone all day long; this tradition dates back to the time when winemakers were encouraged to produce only good wine. There is a concert by the local brass band in the church, and I head there to enjoy it as well. The church itself is beautiful both inside and out, with many depictions of Bartholomew being flayed.
Roberto and Olatz. The cathedral of Saint Bartholomew and Yves with Ignatski
Spaniards love super-realistic images; just think of the Mater Dolorosa with daggers in her heart and the suffering Christs with almost real blood, and so on. Several people come to look at my bike, including Ignatski, who speaks beautiful English. He worked for a company that manufactured machines and was responsible for sales abroad; that explains a lot. He tells me that the area went through a reconversion after the closure of the old (steel) industry. He emphasizes that this region, and also the area around Bilbao, has experienced a real economic revival and is doing well now. Astigarraga, which I passed through, is also a good example of this.
I also take some photos of the housing of the Spaniards (or Basques). Most people live in apartment buildings, especially here, where there are many high hills and little space to build individual homes.
Eibar
After this last stop, I ride on cheerfully, also because I got my phone working again. In Eibar, 10 km from Elgoibar, Magda booked a regular room for me in an online hotel. She also checked me in, even twice. Normally, we should have received a code, but it wasn’t sent. We called them, but they didn’t respond. So, I looked for another hotel, and I was lucky: 50 meters away is Hotel Unzaga Plaza, and they still have a room for 70 euros, including VAT. What a luxury to sleep in a regular room again after more than three weeks. I take a shower and start working on my blog, because otherwise, Magda can’t edit it and insert the photos: a Herculean task she does every day for a version in Dutch and English. Thank you, darling! It’s a lot of work, but as Professor Vanderstichelen of KU Leuven says: everyone should keep a diary because it preserves many details for later research. My text is finished, and so am I. I send my draft of the text to Magda, and tomorrow she will work on it... Meanwhile, I went out to buy some food and took a short walk around the town of Eibar. A few photos capture the atmosphere of a small town where it’s raining and there are only a few people on the streets: the town hall, a little street, the church (a typical Dominican church) from inside and outside... Now it’s stopped raining, and everyone is back on the street chatting and drinking... such friendly people (except the hotel staff of Eibarrooms).
Comments