Circle Tour 2014--First Weekend

June 13 & 14

Donostia is our home base. A beautiful city with a wonderful beach and a view often referred to as El marco incomparable, like it has no equal. The beauty of God's creation is so evident everywhere we go in the Basque Country. If you have had the time to open the links I include as a travelogue of our past trips, you will enjoy a glimpse of what we experience every day.

These two days are a good time for team members to connect with their Basque families.

Our friends, Amaia's father and neighbor are planning an extra bicycle tour of some areas otherwise missed. They are putting great effort and heart into this. Hopefully most of the riders will be up to it. 

A meal at their Sociedad is in the works for 12 of us, riders and walkers. Our Last day in Donosti 2013 will help you visualize some of this.

In 2013 three guys from Hondarribia--Alberto (Amaia's father), Gonzalo, and Imanol—joined the riders on a rainy and very cold Saturday mountain pass ride. In this 2013 blog post you can read about that day and see us huddled with our friends in an inn, the one featured in the movie The Way.

Sunday is our opportunity to join our friends at Amara in San Sebastian or go to Tolosa.

Charlie García with his family (lower left) is the young man who drove the van that accompanied the cyclists last year and plans to help out again this year. 

Dave Berry, our chaplain, pictured with Jaime Ardiaca (lower right).

P.S.: Four locals and four of our guys just took off on an 80 mile ride through the valley.

Alberto, Imanol, Tate, Vance, Dane, Danny, Gonzalo, Mike

Ondo ibili!

P.S.1: Sunday a surprise awaited us in the morning--our van had been towed away! Though it was parked in a spot oft used, on this occasion they decided to impound it. Our leaders spent the whole morning bailing it out of 'van jail!

Mary: "What's happening with the van?"

Our change of plans was nothing compared to what happened to the Berrys on their way from Germany with their daughter and little ones. Just ask Dave sometime, he's a great story teller!