After finishing walking the Camino, I decided to go on a bike trip through northern Spain.
Why? Who knows. I had no plan.
So I flew to Bilbao. You know of Guggenheim museum fame.
Honestly, the building didn’t do much for me. I’m sure some would think I don’t get it. They are right.
The cycling company drove me to a nearby small town to start the ride.
They provided me with an E-bike (thank God), a series of GPS directions, hotel reservations, and wished me “Adios”.
There was no formal guide or leader, but I wasn’t alone.
A couple from New Zealand joined me along with a couple from England and a couple from Philly. We had all signed up for the same trip and following the same route, but at our own pace.
The Kiwis and Brits were quite proper cyclists. The Phillies, not so much, but they were older and credit given for making a go at it.
All good folks. Each had their particular quirks, including yours truly.
We were all there with the same goal. Squeezing as much out of life as possible while we were were still able.
Being thrown into a group of people that you have never met before and probably won’t ever see again lends to an interesting dynamic.
What is our relationship? We aren’t friends, at least yet, but we are all stuck together.
We all do share dinners at the end of the day’s bike leg, but do we eat lunch with one another, too? What if we don’t like one another?
What is our responsibility if one needs help along the way? I am not talking about injury help, our humanity requires us to render assistance to our fellow humans, but more like they are confused by the bike, the route, or how to get food at the bar. When does the responsibility begin or end?
What do we talk about? Our respective countries to start. Then, onto family and trips, past and future. Soon, politics and cultures. What we each call something in our country versus other countries. It’s frankly fascinating.
There has been a lot written of late about our tendency to avoid strangers. Apparently, we drive alone, park directly in our garage, eat dinner by ourselves, close the blinds, and stay inside. Strangers are dangerous.
If you want to break that trend, take a bike trip in northern Spain or anywhere else.
Talking to strangers got me a standing invitation to visit new friends all around the world and country.
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