Day5: "I was the main action today"

After day five of his ‘Once to the end of the world – and back’ tour Sigi Grabner has covered a total of 921 kilometers. In his updated blog Sigi reports about his fifth stage, the 132 kilometers – in five hours and 25 minutes – from Cistierna to Villablino.

”Today wasn’t so good. It was cold; it was gusty with intermittent rain showers, and I was riding through wild mountain terrain. The highest surrounding sierras were about 2000 meters, but I couldn’t see them because the clouds were hanging so low. Today I also stopped earlier and am now staying in Villablino – the last town on the south side of the Cantabrian Mountains. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be better because I want to make a short trip into the mountains and cycle on to Lugo. Before riding another 50 kilometers across country devoid of people in search of a room like I did yesterday, I’m going to stay here … The hotel is more like a hostel but it’s the only overnight place for miles.

I had a hefty Cantabrian meal: sheep’s cheese, a thick vegetable soup, something that they call Bomba de Arroz (liquid saffron risotto) and tortillas made from beans. I said ‘no thanks’ to the fatty sausages – supposed to be a typical regional specialty – that the chef offered me. It’s not really my thing. I preferred more tortillas!

It seems that I’m the only non-Spaniard in the whole region. In the hostel, naturally, but over the last two days on the road I’ve also only seen cars from the Castilia León region. There aren’t any tourists here of course; they’re all down south along the pilgrimage path.

It’s a lonely area, a place where strangers obviously don’t get lost. Stone houses, stone bridges, stone churches, and a castle here and there. I met up with a wheelchair cyclist going the opposite direction at La Robla, we nodded at each other in a friendly way without exchanging a word.

I cycled through nice, small villages where the people sit on the street and watch the passers by – if there are any. They were even looking out from their first-floor windows; they just sit and watch the whole day through. I was the main action of the day. Some of them waved at me.

I had to get off my bike when I came across some sheep being herded … I’ve seen quite a few shepherds with their herds and huge Spanish Alsatian dogs. There was a noticeable amount of birds circling the skies. There were some beautiful red kites; I also saw some vultures – and heaps of storks. They were sitting in their nests on top of the horses or were looking for frogs on the fields. I thought that was really nice ...”

Sigi Grabner – 07/06/09

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