I decided instead of taking the train that I would bike from Biarritz to Toulouse (now that I have achieved the Amsterdam to Paris plan, I no longer feel tied to bicycling the whole year). This was perhaps folly, as these really are still the foothills of the Pyrenees, even if they are low elevation, there are constant hills interspersed with rivers making for many ups and just as many downs. I try my best to appreciate the downs, but really, I am thinking that however much elevation I'm losing, I then have to gain back again. It's interesting that in life we use the opposite wording--talking about the ups and downs--than with my biking. Perhaps some of the lessons learned translate in reverse. In life, try to appreciate the ups as much as you can, because there will be downs, and during the downs, realize that not too far off there will be an up. Or some such happy moral.
Here are some of the things that make up for those hills:
Picturesque rest stops
A campground on a kiwi farm. I realized I've never seen kiwis grown. Strange, but true.
Yes, that is my giant mess in my tent and lots of lovely food :) some things never change.
Solar-powered sheds/cottages.
Watching Ted Talks in campground bathrooms while it rains, and gathering the strange looks from other camp-goers. Also, I now have something to say on almost every topic, although no real knowledge to back it up. And because I can't remember names and details, I'm just useless: "there's this thing, I saw on a Ted Talk, where you can grow packaging out of mushrooms to eliminate the need for styrofoam" . . . and that said in my minimal French is completely ridiculous.
Getting to see the sunflowers turn from just open to fully open, and bike through fields of them with a giant grin on my face.
Watching kayak polo (my current campground is hosting the teams). That sport looks ridiculously difficult and vicious.
A great decision in the end, although my muscles hurt quite a bit. And from there I go off to a bee farm. Wish me luck and no bee stings! (postnote: I wrote this a few days ago, and have since arrived--only one bee sting so far).
Here are some of the things that make up for those hills:
Picturesque rest stops
A campground on a kiwi farm. I realized I've never seen kiwis grown. Strange, but true.
Solar-powered sheds/cottages.
Watching Ted Talks in campground bathrooms while it rains, and gathering the strange looks from other camp-goers. Also, I now have something to say on almost every topic, although no real knowledge to back it up. And because I can't remember names and details, I'm just useless: "there's this thing, I saw on a Ted Talk, where you can grow packaging out of mushrooms to eliminate the need for styrofoam" . . . and that said in my minimal French is completely ridiculous.
Getting to see the sunflowers turn from just open to fully open, and bike through fields of them with a giant grin on my face.
Watching kayak polo (my current campground is hosting the teams). That sport looks ridiculously difficult and vicious.
A great decision in the end, although my muscles hurt quite a bit. And from there I go off to a bee farm. Wish me luck and no bee stings! (postnote: I wrote this a few days ago, and have since arrived--only one bee sting so far).
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