Paris to Santiago de Compostel

A 28-day adventure by JaccoW Read more

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Trip start
June 14, 2024
Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Arrival in Paris
Jun 14–15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Today is the first day of my trip and I went to Paris from Rotterdam by train. Spent about half an hour putting the bike back together on the platform in Gare du Nord and headed to the hostel afterwards. It was in the Montmartre area, right down the steps of the Sacre Coeur and I met a Dutch girl that was staying in the same place so we just walked around for a bit and had dinner together.

Tomorrow will be my first big day of riding. The plan is to reach Fontainebleau and set up my tent over there.

But first, let's get safely out of Paris. 😝Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
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Day 1 - Paris to Fontainebleau
Jun 15–16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Today was the first day of riding. Down from the Montmartre in the North of Paris to Fontainebleau to the South. Cycle paths in Paris... get a 4/10 from me. The little bumps and constantly being sent to another side of the street was not ideal. I met a couple from Paris that started complaining about this part too. As the French do. 😂

Halfway through the roads got a lot better with just long stretches along the river... and some MTB single-track impersonating the EV3.

The weather was alright with only some rain during the evening.

I'm staying at the same campsite in Fontainebleau that I used to go to when bouldering in this area.

Let's see if we can sneak in a couple of shots of the bike next to some rocks.Read more
Traveler Ben je inmiddels aangekomen op de plaats van bestemming ? Vervelend van het weer en je lekke banden. Hopelijk morgen reizen zonder problemen
6/16/24ReplyTranslate
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 2 - to Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses
Jun 16–17, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Some days... you should have stayed in bed.

I knew this was going to be a rainy day but I can deal with that.

I *should* have known riding along a canal upstream meant i would be climbing all day. It got extra annoying of course when I had a headwind all day as well.

And the cherry on top was the four (4!) flat tyres I would have to contend with in said rain.

All in all not my favourite day touring.Read more
TravelerWe leven met je mee. Omgeving Bordeaux word het 29c,
6/16/24ReplyTranslate
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Day 3 - Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses to Orlean
Jun 17–18, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Day 3 - After a day and night of rain, today I woke up in a small town along the EV3. Together with four Spanish guys I rode all day, making good time in general.

We did get the now customary rainstorm that soaked us to our socks but at least it was only a single one this time.

The goals of today was to reach Orléans and after all the rain of the past few days I was greeted with 30°C+ weather... so I promptly got sunburned. 😅

Guess that's on me for not being prepared for all kinds of weather in a single day. 😝

Tomorrow I'm heading further West towards Tours after which I'll head towards the coast.Read more
Traveler Mooie foto's,en je laat gelijk iets zien van de omgeving.
6/19/24ReplyTranslate
Traveler Mooie foto
6/19/24Reply
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 4 - Orléans to Candé-sur-Beuvron
June 18, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
After a quiet night at the hostel with a room all to myself I'm on the road again. The heavy rain and thunderstorms of last night have turned many of the cycle paths muddy. But better muddy shoes than drenched socks. 😋

I'm riding towards Tours but we'll see where we are by the time it's 16:00. I left too late for really big distances today.

I'm starting to come across more of the cute little french towns built on the hills surrounding the rivers. Think white sandstone buildings with plastered walls and impossibly steep streets leading up to the town square.

That's the kind of France I was hoping for when I started this trip from Paris though the remnants of the industrial revolution along the canal certainly had its charm. But maybe not on a bike in the rain.

The weather was overcast all day but at a very comfortable temperature. I did decide to wear a sun hoody to cover up my arms and neck to prevent further exposure while it heals. So far, so comfortable.

Tomorrow I will be heading towards Tours and continue down to Poitiers as I inch closer and closer to the coast.Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 5 - to Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbos
Jun 19–20, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Day 5 was about heading over to Tours and going down south after that.

I met lots of people on the road that were heading West towards Tours and Angers. Apparently there is the Fête de la musique music festival on the 21st. Could be cool to visit but I already have plans and places to be.
Plus, it's kind of a big detour. 😉

Rode along with a girl from Germany for a while until her rear tyre blew out just outside of Amboise. Luckily a local garden truck had an empty bed and she hitched a ride with them to the nearest bike shop.

Slipped and crashed on the other side of town and bloodied my knee but nothing serious.

By the time I got to Tours the chain was howling again so I dipped into a local bike shop to ask them for a clean. Turns out @rad_spad (the shop) and @rovarcycles (Alex) know eachother. #vintagebikes is a small world. 🤓

Even though the day had been slow I decided to keep going and headed further South. Just in time to set up a tent and order some food before an absolute downpour came in.

Tomorrow I push on towards Poitiers.Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 6 - to Poitiers
Jun 20–22, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Just another casual day riding through the fields of France, seeing small towns and ending up in Poitiers just before the next wave of intense rain came down.

For the next two days I'm staying in a hotel here to get some more rest and to get a chance to clean and dry my clothes.

On the way here I met an older German gentleman and we rode together until he split off to meet up with his wife. Mostly talking about politics, globalisation and climate change. You know, light conversation. 😝

Tomorrow I'll explore the town and on Saturday I will probably take the train to Bordeaux and skip some of the countryside (and the rain) so I can head over to the coast.Read more
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Day 8 - Train to Bordeaux
Jun 22–23, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
With one more day of rain expected I decided to take the train to Bordeaux. It will get me within half a day of riding to the coast and gives me some time to explore the city.

I'm staying in a hostel tonight and it's fully booked. The area is pretty nice though. It's a bit of an art district in a former industrial area but pretty slick in most places. Pretty much all the design hotel chains are here. 😋

The city itself is pretty nice. Along the river is a long row of waterfront shops and restaurants, some of them even being useful!

Tonight I will just relax a bit in the hostel and start riding towards nicer weather in the morning!Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 9 - Bordeaux to Biscarosse
June 23, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
We're finally getting better weather here as I head to the coast. At the suggestion of someone I met in the hostel last night I went to Toque Cuivrée to pick up some #canelés, the local specialty.

They're pretty nice! Taste is a bit similar to a rum raisin oliebol but without the rum... or the raisin. 😝

The road towards the coastal area was fairly alright but the coast is where it gets interesting. It's home to some giant dunes, such as the #dunesdepilat though the entire forest around it was burned down 2 years ago and there was a lot of construction going on. Still, even from a distance they were impressive.

Tomorrow I'll push on so the next couple of days will be more pine trees, dunes and expensive touristy coastal towns.Read more
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Day 10 - to Saint-Girons plage
Jun 24–25, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Today I continued along the coast through the endless pine forests and minor dunes of South-west France. Staying at another affordable campsite tonight.

I would have preferred a coastal pathway but a nicely paved bicycle path through the forests is a decent alternative. Especially as the heat increases.
I just wished they didn't put in these insanely tight corners and just randomly took out parts of the asphalt for maintenance. Unannounced 10cm drops are no fun while touring with a load. 😅

I think I'll ride to the foot of the Pyrenees tomorrow and push up to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port the day after. Then again, maybe I will get up early and make a push for it, including the climb at the end. I'm fairly close already.

We'll see if I can get out of bed in time.Read more
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Day 11 - to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Jun 25–27, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
From the beach to the mountains! Today I rode to the traditional starting point of the Camino at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

I might have however bit of slightly more than I could chew on... but I made it.

For those who said I had too much water carrying capacity, suck it! I nearly finished my 3.5L before I could restock it and I definitely needed it. Ended up drinking well over 5L of water + some soda here and there.

Should have brought more bananas to keep that empty feeling in my legs away for a bit longer. But I digress.

The route was beautiful with some more coastal forests, many small towns that felt like a mixture between the Mediterranean and Switzerland and hilly countryside with views for days.

I contemplated doing this part in two days but I don't think it mattered in the end. Tomorrow is going to be another extremely hot day and now I have time to explore the town a bit more.

After that, onto the Camino!Read more
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Day 13 - to Donostia/San-Sebastian
Jun 27–28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Day 13 - So while I started the Camino yesterday, I really wanted to drop by Donostia, also known as San-Sebastian at the Basque coast.

The countryside in the mountains was beautiful, even though the route led me up and down some pretty steep roads.
The kind where you would hit 50kph in the first 10 meters, hit a very tight right-hand corner at the bottom only to be faced with a 10-18% climb right after. 🥵😎💨

Up-and-down was an understatement.

Along the coast I came across another German tourer from Berlin and we rode most of the rest together.

Tomorrow I'm going to find a bike shop for some minor technical issues and after I'm taking the bus or train to Pamplona to continue my Camino.Read more
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Day 14 - to Pamplona
Jun 28–29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Day 14 - Halfway there

Since I didn't want to ride up the mountains today to get back on the Camino I took the bus to Pamplona.

Rode together with another German girl and hung out at a weird Chinese restaurant until the hostel opened.

Which turned out to be a good thing as the "small" issue with my pedal turned into an actual problem. 😅

Remember that crash I told you about last week? Turns out it cracked something inside the mkspedal quick-release which turned wobbly after an extra 800 km of hard work and standing on pedals.

By the time I was at the next big bike shop... It almost literally fell out.

Never had this issue before on any of my other bikes, but seeing how it dragged a hole in my Restrap rando bag and broke the wooden dowel inside my Carradicebags with barely any injury to me... Well, I'd say it handled it well.

Anyway, Larequibike fixed it with a new NDS crank and pedals so I can be back on the road without delays tomorrow.

Let's see if the weather plays nice and I can cover some distance or if I'll have to wait out some intense rain

Let's see what the morning brings!Read more
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Day 15 - to Azqueta
Jun 29–30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
This morning I left Pamplona and waited for a little bit for the rain to pass and had some coffee together with Anna, before each going our own way.

Most of the day was dry, if a bit cold, and I spent most of my time riding up and down different gravel paths, just following the Camino.

I wasn't covering much distance and at first I thought it must have been because I left late but it turned out I just did a lot of climbing today. It's a very hilly countryside.

The views were great though. The cloudy skies gave a lot of dramatic backgrounds against the endless fields of grain and the small towns were dotted around and built around hills, sometimes very steep.

At 17:00 I called it a day and looked for the nearest hostel or auberge.

Let's see how dinner and breakfast is here. It smells delicious...Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 16 - to Nájera
June 30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Just another short day heading East again.

Started in Azqueta and had breakfast at La Perla Negra before heading out early.

Tried covering more distance by staying on the roads as much as possible but while I had covered 50km already by lunch, I just felt like riding a bit more and settling down for the day.

Currently in Nájera and i think I'll have some pizza.

Tomorrow I'll get up early and head over to one of the bigger towns on my trip, Burgos.Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 17 - to Burgos
Jul 1–2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
I love tours that reward you for a day of hard work! 🥰

From Néjara it was a long climb uphill for the first 50-60 km. Mostly riding along the N-120 regional road because while slogging up at 7.8. Kph is still technically faster than walking, the little stretches of downhill were fun and gave great views where I easily hit 45 kph.

And doing the same on the gravel roads of the Camino was about half the speed.

That being said, the final big mountain had a lot of trucks overtaking me next to a beautiful looking forest. But as I went over the highest point I was rewarded with nearly 40 km of glorious high-speed downhill riding where I would hit over 60 kph and could keep riding at a fast pace for more than an hour as I rode into Burgos.

Tonight I'll be doing a bit of sightseeing and figuring out where I want to go tomorrow.

Santiago is only 500 km away!Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 18 - to Carrión de los Condes
Jul 2–3, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Just a mellow day waking up early and covering some distance. 😄

The hostel in Burgos started playing classical versions of popular songs at 6:00 sharp and turned on the lights shortly after. Kind of a fun way to wake up!

As i got moving I overtook most of the walkers in the first hour or so, and saw most of my bunkmates on the road. Zooming by on the bike while yelling #BuenCamino !

After I got some breakfast I ended up at a mountain with a 12% climb on gravel and an even steeper 18% descent on the same loose stuff.

Broke a bolt in my #Carradice #Bagman rear rack but fixed it temporarily with some straps and replaced it in the next town.

As lunch neared I finally realized most other pilgrims or #pelegrinos start early, and check in around 13:00 to spend the rest of the day sipping wine in the sun. Not a bad way to spend the day to be honest.

Then again, I'm going 2-5 times faster than them so #Santiagodecompostela is, in theory, only 4 days away for me.

Tomorrow I'll be heading to the bigger city of #Leon and spend an extra day there exploring.Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 19 - to Leon
Jul 3–5, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
So, 80 km done before lunch and just a nice afternoon exploring León in the scorching Spanish sun together with a roommate.

The terrain is getting flatter and Santiago de Compostela is getting closer but I'm staying an extra day here to just get a bit more rest and give my muscles some time to recover.

Besides, there is plenty to see here. To start we went to the big gothic 13th century Cathedral with its gorgeous stained glass windows.

Other than that, I'm just enjoying the town and I'll continue at a leisurely pace the day after tomorrow.

León is a pretty nice town with lots of cute cafes and terraces during the evening but during the day its just scorching hot in the sun and most shops are closed due to fiesta.

Still, nice place to visit.

Tomorrow will be a hot day (33°C) and with 110 km + 1100 meters of climbing to go. So it's an early night for me and lots of early cycling!Read more
TravelerDat word een pittige klus. Zorg dat je voldoende drinkt,en een zonbescherming gebruikt. Het einde komt in zicht..,. de laatste loodjes wegen het zwaarst,dus doe ook rustig aan.
7/4/24ReplyTranslate
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 21 - to Ponferrada
Jul 5–6, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Only about 200 km until Santiago. Today I rode through the mountains and was treated to some dirt roads looking like they could be in Africa or Australia, beautiful views of peaks in different shades of blue and plenty of food at different places.

All being enjoyed under a scorching sun and 35°C weather. 🥵 But nothing I'm not used to by now.

Tomorrow I'll get an early start again and gather plenty of stamps. I need a few to be able to gain the Pilgrim's certificate.Read more
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 22 - to Sarria
July 6, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
When I started this morning I thought i would ride as far as I felt comfortable with and just look for a place to stay as I felt like it.

My legs had other plans.

I've been getting used to riding in the mountains in the past 3 weeks and while 1000 meters of elevation were getting standard fare around here, I'm still not the biggest fan of long continuous climbs.

So, as my luck would have it, today I was treated to 600 meters of climbing in 7 km, meaning it was a continuous 7-14% climb for quite some time. I think I hit my highest heart rate so far at 172bpm. 😅

Before that however I had some lunch together with former tattooartist @somaa.ttts and went up the mountain.

Had some great views going up, some not so great views at the top (#fog) and raced down (and climbed back up) all the way to Sarria.

There is still 118 km until #Santiagodecompostela, with a similar amount of climbing, so let's see if I'm up for it. 😁Read more
TravelerWell done
7/6/24Reply
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Paris to Santiago de Compostel Traveler
Day 23 - to Palas del Rei
July 7, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
So, originally I planned on reaching Santiago today but my legs had other plans. Looking at the statistics I understand why though. I climbed more in 50km than I did in the 125 km going to Saint-jean-pied-de-port. 😅

The first couple of hours I was barely faster than the people who were walking the Camino. And I kept bumping into the same people again and again.

There were some pretty intense 12% climbs constantly and by the afternoon i just wanted to be done with it. Grab a shower and drink some wine.

Luckily Palas del rei turned out to be a great spot to lay my head for the night and I met a fun group of piligrinos in their last couple of days on the Camino.

With only 66-80 km to go to Santiago de Compostela, tomorrow should be a rewarding day and maybe I'll even catch up with some of the cyclists of the Camino that should be arriving as well.

Edit: not shown; 8 hours elapsed, 3 hours moving time.Read more
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Day 24 - to Santiago de Compostella
July 8, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
And that... concludes my Camino! Today I arrived at Santiago de Compostela to the square in front of the Cathedral.

As Marco, another cyclist I met on the route here, said; "My legs felt like glue and rocks today". 😅
We probably pushed ourselves too hard on the days before with Santiago in sight but these last couple of hills were a killer.

Still, small towns, planted forests of different trees and lots and lots of churches.

Ran into @claudioferreira.jr , one of the Pilgrims I met in Pamplona.

I'll be taking a day or two to recover here and find a way back home, together with the bike.

But for now?

Buen Camino to all of the hikers that are still on their way here. I'll be looking for the best spots for food and drinks for when you all arrive. 😜

Signed,

JaccoRead more
Traveler Well done. You can be proud of yourself. We are proud too. 😘
8/3/24Reply
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Trip end
July 11, 2024