Ep. 24 – Cycling 2750km from Belgium to Spain

All Music by “Under the Skin”: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0AvLxd0MOteC026aTgu8KX
Intro music by NRA lab, Audio File ID: 119647
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I woke up feeling anything but rested. Our “quiet” campsite turned out to be anything but peaceful.
Around 1 a.m., a car pulled up, a dog was let loose, and for a tense moment, we thought we were discovered. The dog sniffed our tent, knocked over our bowls, and then—thankfully—wandered off. Little did we know, his owner was up to some seriously shady business.

When the sun finally rose, we packed up our bikes, pretending like the night’s madness never happened. The day started strong — a good climb, fresh legs, golden light on the hills. Until, of course, the trail turned into a thorny jungle. We fought our way up, only to hit a locked gate and a Private Property sign. So down we went again — scratched, sweaty, and a little wiser.

The detour? A casual extra 25 kilometers. Wim, as always, turned the frustration into speed, and I clung to his wheel for dear life.

Later, the sun cranked up to 34 °C, and the Spanish plains felt endless. Villages asleep in siesta mode, skinny cats watching us from the shade, and trash in the ditches reminding us that even “nothingness” is never truly empty.

At last, we reached Consuegra — home of the famous white windmills that inspired Don Quichote. After days of climbing and sweating, seeing them on the horizon felt almost magical. We celebrated with a cold drink on a terrace… until the phone rang.

It was the call we had both been dreading.