Trip Report

At the Obsidians's March 24 evening gathering, Chuck Reul showed slides and described the two-week, self-guided cycling and walking trip that he and his wife Sandy took last June through La Rioja in the Basque region of north-east Spain. The trip was sponsored by Headwater, a British adventure company that provided the Reuls with hybrid bikes and detailed maps and directions; booked their hotels and two restaurant meals per day; and transported their luggage from village to village every other day. The biking portion of their trip lasted eight days; the walking portion six days.

Thousands of wineries are registered in La Rioja, and all the villages are along rivers. There are no gift shops, chain restaurants, or other tourist attractions; the smaller villages have only a small grocery, bakery, butcher, and tobacco shop. Each village has a single hotel, most of which date back to the Middle Ages as monasteries, hospitals, or schools. The Reuls saw no slums and few people during the week, since many apparently work in larger cities, commuting home only on weekends. All restaurants are Basque, serving late dinners that consist of three courses (salad, meat, and dessert - no side vegetables, potatoes, or pasta). In every village the Reuls were able to fill their water bottles with ice cold water from a fountain in the town square.

Chuck and Sandy shared the biking portion of their trip with another couple, but did the walking portion by themselves. Many of their rides were over loose gravel with a moderate elevation gain. A Headwater guide was available by cell phone if they had a problem, and in addition to the maps and guide books provided by Headwater, former clients (mostly British) shared information in a notebook at each hotel.

This was the Reul's eighth Headwater trip. Chuck will share his travel notes and/or a fact sheet on British cycling and hiking companies to interested readers. His e-mail address is: <a href="mailto:DocReul@msn.com">DocReul@msn.com</a>.