RideEatCamp

Casalarreina

Europe

From Bilbao we’ve begun our journey south to reach Madrid, where we’ll be ending this great adventure. Although Spain has been a delight so far, Carrie and I have been fighting colds most of time we’ve been here, which means we’ve been sleeping indoors a lot more.

We climbed the steep Puerto de Orduña with great views of the valley we had passed through.
We climbed the steep Puerto de Orduña with great views of the valley we had passed through.
Spain has fountains everywhere. A bicycle tourist should not grow thirsty here.
Spain has fountains everywhere. A bicycle tourist should not grow thirsty here.
This castle in the village of Sajazarra, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, was built of local sandstone.
This castle in the village of Sajazarra, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, was built of local sandstone.

We’ve quickly learned that Spain offers a wide range of accommodation. There are *hotels, hostals, hostels, pensiones, hospedajes, posadas, albergues,* and probably more that I’m forgetting. What the difference is between these options is vague. So far we’ve gotten an en suite room with options for dinner and breakfast for a little extra. We’ve paid as little as €30 and as much as €70. The price doesn’t seem to reflect the quality of the accommodation however. All of our nights indoors have felt luxurious.

Despite the nice digs I was looking forward to sleeping in our tent again this evening. My air mattress, inflatable pillow, and sleeping bag provide consistent comfort that’s tough to match when going from bed to bed each night. At this point our tent feels like home.

That’s not to say we can’t wait to jump back into our bed at our real home. We’ll certainly feel like royalty. If our tent feels like a home, our house will feel like a castle.