Wed 25 May – Wed 15 June 2005

Photo Gallery

General Remarks:

Travel: The flight to and from Seville was booked via Ryan Air.

Newquay – London Stansted – Nequay = £93.36
London Stansted – Seville = £10.23 + £17 for bike
Compostela – London Stansted = £13.93 + £17 for bike

The total fare per person plus bikes and booking charges was £156.83.

Roads: The route we took followed roads rather than the Camino itself because two out of the three of us had road bikes. As far as possible we followed minor roads between points on the route with the exception of the stretch from Monasterio to Canaveral long the N630. Most of this was easy to ride since it followed alongside a motorway and was threfore deserted. The stretch between Casar de Carceres and Canaveral (approx. 20 miles) should, however, be avoided, since it is a very busy and narrow and quite dangerious.

Spares & Repairs: There were very few cycle shops. It was necessary to wait until we hit the majot towns (Merida, Salamanca, Zamora and Santiago de Compostela).

Maps & Books: Ideally .

Accommodation: We stayed in one or two star hostels and hotels and the standard of accommodation and service was impressive with the exception of the Hotel Pyrimida in Revuca, which seemed rather the worse for wear and tear. We were charged about £12 per double room with two singles or one double including breakfast in most places. Towels and soap were provided in all hotels and there was plentiful hot water. The main tourist season is in July/August and December/January (skiing). Most hotels were almost empty in September.

Climate: In 21 days were had only two wet days. Otherwise we were greeted by brilliant blue skies and sunshine. This fine weather is typical of September and stretches into October, though mornings and evenings can be very cold. The lowest temperatures were experienced were 10/11ºC on just one or two days. Otherwise the temperature during the day was around 20ºC.

Clothing: It might be risky to leave your ‘longs’ at home, but I did not use them at all throughout the trip. Short-sleeved shirts were normally all I required for cycling together with a long-sleeved top with sleeves rolled up in the hotter part of the day. For evening wear it was useful to have a pair of long trousers, a pullover and a long-sleeved shirt, because temperatures were decidedly cooler in the evening after sunset, which was about 7.30pm. Hotels did not have drying facilities, though it was possible to dry synthetic materials by hanging them on hangers in the shower. Again, disposable briefs (from Boots) were a good investment – light, easy to wash and dry.

The Food: Beer, mineral water and fruit teas were the most popular drinks, costing no more than about 50p. Pilsener Urquell and the local Šariš beers are excellent and available in a dark variety or without alcohol. It proved very difficult to get anything like a ‘good’ cup of tea with fresh milk, though. Slovaks do not drink their tea with milk and provide a single pot of artificial whitener if pressed very hard. If you want fresh milk, you’d better bring a cow with you. (Certainly preferable to causing an international incident). Much confusion also arose over coffee, which exists in a variety of forms but not, so it would seem, as coffee with hot milk like we drink in the UK. Language was often a barrier, of course, and getting your drink was often a pleasant or sometimes unpleasant surprise. Bread is measured and charged by the slice in many places, as is sugar and butter. Beware when asking for steaks and fish – it may cost you considerably more than the price stated on the menu, because meat is sold by weight. Slovaks seem not to be used to eating large quantities of food and you may have to work very hard in some places to get exactly what you want to eat at breakfast and put up with some rather strange looks. Apart from these frustrations which cropped up regularly along the route, food is excellent and very inexpensive in comparison to the UK. We enjoyed many delicious evening meals with excellent service.

Shops: The different between the UK and Slovakia was very obvious in department stores. Presentation of goods was unsophisticated. Although some goods from Western Europe were on sale, they were very expensive in local terms and the choice of foods was sparse. Food halls were well stocked and fruit, vegetables, meats and things to nibble along the way were in plentiful supply. The general grocer’s store is called a ‘potraviny’ and was adequate for most purposes. Prices for locally produced goods were much lower than in Britain.
Route Summary:

25.5 Newquay – Standtead – Saville  
26.5 Seville   
27.5 Seville – Castilblnaco de los Arroyos 37 miles
28.5 Castilblnaco de los Arroyos – Monasterio 60 miles
29.5 Monasterio – Mérida 68 miles
30.5 Mérida – Casar de Caceres 55 miles 
31.5 Casar de Caceres – Galisteo 47 miles
1.6 Galisteo – El Cabaco 70 miles 
2.6 El Cabaco – Salamanca 47 miles
3.6 Salamanca – Penausende 60 miles
4.6 Penausende – Zamora – Lober de Aliste 60 miles
5.6 Lober de Aliste – Puebla de Santabria 50 miles
6.6 Puebla de Santabria – A Gudina 36 miles
7.6 A Gudina – Ourense 70 miles
8.6 Ourense – Lalin 36 miles
9.6 Lalin – Santiago de Compostela 38 miles
10.6 Santiago de Compostela   
11.6 Santiago de Compostela – Finisterra 65 miles
12.6 Finisterra – Noya 58 miles
13.6 Noya – Santiago de Compostela 28 miles
14.6 Santiago de Compostela    
15.6 Santiago de Compostela – Newquay  
 
TOTAL DISTANCE: 885miles