SPAIN'S NORTH COAST

We have arrived at Donastia. This is the Basque name for St Sebastian. It also means that we have almost completed Spain's northern coast. Yesterday was a long day's ride and we knew that we had pushed ourselves hard. We had seen a fascinating array of steep sided hills, lush river valleys and coastline. We started the hills in Cantabria and followed them to Euskad, the home of the Basque people.

Our first day took us past some coastal mudflats and our first sighting was a buzzard curiously out of place away from its native trees. We were able to see lots of fish swimming in the shallows scavanging for food, then disturbe an egret looking out for a fish dinner.

The hills followed in dramatic form. Our roads were not too steep, just long pulls that seemed to go for ever. Then, incredulously, we found the first sign that gave a speed restriction on cyclists, 60kph. Even Sir Chris Hoy, king of cycling athletes, would have struggled to exceed this limit on these hills.

Our first night was at Castro Urdiales, a medium size town on the coast and we found accommodation in its old part. This was very pretty with quaint narrow streets and houses with balconies leaving into one another.

We went to a fish restaurant where each dish was served one after the other so nothing was cold.

Breakfast the next day was tortilla. This was scrumptiously delicious and ideal food for cycling. Mine looked as if it had just been taken out of the oven by someone's mum. Potatoes, egg in the form of an omelette, bacon, peppers are fried slowly then put into the oven to finish. The result was mouthwateringly succulant.

Much of this day was spent in Bilbao, where we went to the Guggenheim Museum. This is a masterpiece of modern architecture filled with art forms by aclaimed artists like Damien Hirst.

It was a long ride to Donastia. Bilbao has no cycling policy and there was only one route out on a very busy main road. It was a case of heads down, peddle fast and anticipating other drivers. So this morning, we have completed our third night and will be heading for France.

THE FERRY TO SPAIN

I had the most amazing night's sleep in my cabin on Pont Avon, Brittany Ferry's enormous ferry that was taking Jaana and me from Plymouth to Santander. I woke up to find a cat in my cabin. I did not own a cat but somehow it was mine. The cat desparately wanted to get out so I quickly got up, opened the door and let it out. Then I woke up properly and found that there was no cat. It was just a dream.

I had become something of a ferry expert last year with my bike ride around the North Sea coast. I had caught 23 ferries in all and my favourite was Stena Line who not only gave me a free meal in their luxury restaurant but also let me off their ferry first at Harwich. My current ship looked good with its cinema, pool, restaurants and amiable French crew.

We met three other cyclists, two who were doing the same journey as us to Roscoff and a third who looked scarily fit. He was off to do a month in the Pyrannes.

I had packed only tee shirts and my suncream bought in Germany last year that was so strong I could not get a suntan. I imaged Spain to be 40C heat so my surprise was total when we arrived at Santander in a Scottish mist. Luckily I had also bought a jumper and waterproofs. Because Brittany Ferries did not let cyclists off first and the loo in the cabin did not work too well, I confided in Jaana that Stena Line is still my favourite. Scarily fit cyclist overheard me and said that Stena Line is favourite ferry as well.

After a brief pedal up and down, Santander's waterfront, Jaana and I jumped on another ferry to take us over the estuary to the start of our next cycling adventure

FRANCE'S ATLANTIC COAST - A NEW DESTINATION

On Sunday, I leave for my next adventure on my trusty Trek bike. I shall load my panniers, head for Plymouth's ferry port and set sail for Santander in Spain

My friend, Jaana will be with me and we will be cycling close to the coast up to Roscoff in Brittany, a distance of 750 miles. We start our ride in Basque country where we head east to the French border and onwards to Biarritz. To our south, we will see the Pyrenees Mountains while to the north lies a rugged coastline and several towns of which I know little. I want to know what this proud part of Spain is like.
Once over the border, we hope to sample the French rural way of life, see the coast, experience the wildlife, eat the food and drink the wine.
My previous visit to France was laid back and enjoyable. I have high hopes. We plan to take 2.5 weeks and will be reporting what I see

PENNINES AND LAKELANDS

Last Saturday, East Coast Trains whisked my friend, Jaana and myself to Newcastle where we hoped to discover what it is like to cycle across the Pennines and the hills of Cumbria. We expected a challenging ride and variable weather. The cycle maps showed many off road trails, some suitable only for mountain bikes

It was not long before we found out that this is one of the World's premier cycle routes. High up in the Pennines, sheep and cyclists vied with one another on the trail. Grouse watched from the side as if interested spectators. Birds of all varieties swooped and glided around us. We had a headwind of 20mph which meant that cyclists going the other way hit phenominal speeds going downhill while we chugged uphill at a very modest pace. The scenery was open moorland, wild and remote.

We took a detour north to visit Hadrian's Wall, still remarkably intact in places. A museum near Haltwhistle gave us a story how it took just 6 years to build. It provided lots of information about the Romans and I left pondering how people could be so warlike on the one hand, yet incredibly civilised on the other. Some grit jammed itself into my front gear such that I had to partially dismantle it to release the mechanism. The ride south from the wall to Penrith was exhilerating. The wind blew from the Cumbrian hills and the rain came down, yet somehow it felt right to be out in these elements.

The Lake District beckoned once we had left Penrith. Jaana lives in London and cannot find a suitable outdoors shop there so when we arrived in Keswick, it must have felt like heaven for her to see so many outdoor shops. She wanted a particular type of trousers and it did not take her long to find a pair.

Our next stop and final one together was Cockermouth. The cycle route out of Keswick meandered initially along the foothills of some high peaks, then abruptly turned left and went straight up one. Moreover, it was a rough muddy trail. This was impossible to cycle so we puffed our way up. Behind us we looked down on Bassethwaite Water. When we reached the top, a breathetaking vista opened in front of us with wild flower meadows, forests and fells showing themselves in a glistening shimmering sunlight. It was awesome.

At Cockermouth, Jaana left to cycle on to Workington for a train home while I turned round and went back to Keswick. My destination tonight was Staverley, near Kendal. Unfortunately there are no byeways going south to Windermere so I had to wrestle with traffic on the main road. I did mean however that I cycled fast but I still time to appreciate the countryside

I cycled 180 miles on this trip. I continue to be amazed at what this country has to offer.

My next ride starts on 4 June when Jaana and I cycle what is becoming known as "The Atlantic Coast Ride". It starts at Santander in Spain and finishes at Roscoff in Brittany

SMILES FOR MILES

If miles can be measured with smiles, 50 cyclists of all ages and abilities generated 600 smiles when they followed a 12 mile route around Plymouth today. It was organised by volunteers from Sustrans and was attended by children, oldies, enthusiasts and casual cyclists

I wore my Wildlife Trust teeshirt to remind myself and others that an important part of the health of the nation can be measured by how well our wildlife is thriving. Plymouth is a trendy city. We cycled along the Hoe, through the historic Barbican and past the National Marine Aquarium before heading inland to see avenues of houses built in the 19th century to the north of the city centre. Central Park and Devonport were revelations. A huge sports complex is under construction and Devonport is being tastefully redeveloped where Architects have designed new buildings that sit comfortably alongside the best of local historic buildings. We finished at Royal William Yard, one of Plymouth's jewels.
Plymouth is a city transforming its life and soul and is playing its role in a vibrant West Country. This was a day for plenty of smiles.

CYCLING IN PLYMOUTH

I have taken a fresh look at Plymouth from a cyclist's perspective. It is my nearest city. The journey by bike into the city is a delight especially if you are a touring cyclist. Here are my suggestions for the best access:
a) From Cornwall, take the coast route to Cawsand and catch a water taxi into the historic Barbican
b) From East Devon, go through Yealmpton to the coast at Staddiscombe, take the water taxi from Mountbatten into the Barbican
c) From North Devon, take Sustrans Cycle Route 27 down the Plym Valley, passing the ancient oak tree at Meavy on route where Libby is taking a break

All these routes offer the most scenic journeys and make cycling into the heart of Plymouth a pleasure.

Plymouth's Fresh Air Miles Cycle Ride is 10 miles long on Sunday, 1 May. Meet at Cafe Roma beside the Civic Centre at 10.30. It is organised by Sustrans, the national cycle charity

SPRING'S WILDLIFE CYCLES

Without doubt, Spring is an exciting time of year. Wildlife at our home is exploding. We have a wildlife pond and babies of all types are appearing. There are tadpoles everywhere. A mother duck appeared with 13 baby ducklings last week. They scatter across the pond in joyjul play that knows no boundaries. Ten canada geese have appeared and are squabbling with one another as to whose territory it is. Meanwhile Mother Goose sits quietly on her one egg at our neighbour's pond next door while father goose tries to fight off the others saying our pond belongs to him

While this is happening, a moorhen looks out from her nest in the reeds waiting for her eggs to hatch. Two weeks ago at about the time when the first bluebells appeared, we watched a male wren courting a female. He was fluffing up his feathers and dancing to show his preferred partner the best place to nest in the overgrown bank.
The relationship between the moorhen and goose is fascinating. It is real David and Goliath story where an angry moorhen easily chases off any canada goose that invades its territory. Mostly they live in harmony.

I think that we are living in a time that is crucially important to us where we must work with the grain of nature. There are so many pressures in modern life and it is easy to think that nature is always there. Actually, nature needs to be savoured and nurtured. It is good for our soul and our children will thank us if we look after it.
I love to be out in the wild and a bicycle is my way to keep me fit and my mind uncluttered. Here is a picture of the Erme estuary in Devon at low tide waiting for me to peddle across it. It is as picturesque as anywhere in the whole World. I am hoping that cycling charity, Sustrans, will put it on their cycling map for their new route from Plymouth to Salcombe

For those who are dubious about cycling for wildlife, here are two cyclists whose exploits I intensely admire.

John Grimshaw was one the founders of Sustrans back in the 1970s. With single minded dedication, he has opened up cycling in Britain from no cycle routes to where we now have over 12,000 miles of superb journeys dedicated to cycling touring. These routes range from the remote hills of Sutherland to the mountains of Snowdonia, the moors of Cornwall and the glades of East Anglia. In my rides on these trails, I have seen peregrin falcons, ospreys, huge numbers of wading birds, a white deer, many other deer and much, much more.

Alastair Humphreys is a man who cycled the World, a mammoth journey and he wrote about his experiences. His two books tell not just his tale but that of the World we live. There are so many rich experiences that he has brought to life but he has also created an awareness in me of the dangers if we do not care for and cherish our wild places and wildlife.

I will be cycling two new adventures in May and June. My first journey will be the very first C2C from Sunderland to Whitehaven, a distance of 140 miles across the Pennines and through the Lake District. My second is from Santander in Spain to Roscoff in Brittany, 750 miles alongside the Atlantic coast.

Next year, I have an embryo of an idea for a journey. I want to cycle to the Arctic Circle. I have not fully decided this yet. The embryo starts at Malmo in Sweden or possibly Copenhagen. The journey that really appeals is to cycle north through Sweden to the Norwegian frontier. I want to experience how midsummer is celebrated in the far north of Sweden as part of this journey