I did not consider how much time I would be looking down as I cycle. We have passed through some grand scenery, yet I’m amazed at what I see in the shoulders and hedgerows we ride along.
I put my head down when I’m finding the riding hard, which is often. The first thing I see is THRIVE the model of my bike. I ponder how appropriate this word is for this adventure. Other things I’ve seen as I look down :
Slugs of all sorts
Frogs
Lizards
Porcupines (as roadkill)
Chestnut casings
Acorns, longer and thinner than our Garry oak acorns
Empty cans
A knife
And a multitude of foliage.
Since I wrote last we spent two nights in Leon, the weather was nasty (rain and high winds) but we had a comfy AirBnb studio and had time to visit the outstanding St Isidore Monastery museum. Next stop was Astorga — a smaller city with surprises—Roman walks and mosaics, a Gaudi designed Bishop’s Palace and a gothic cathedral heavily influenced by Flemish and German traditions.
Today was one of the most challenging days. Our ride took us to the highest point of the Camino, 1500 metres. It was cold and foggy but the 25 km descent was exhilarating.
Highlight of the day was a visit to Rabanel del Camino, a small village home to a monastery. We met up with our Slovenian friend and I had a wonderful interaction with a monk who made the rosary I bought.
