Hello from Granada, Spain! I’ve been doing my best to limit my computer time while traveling around Europe, and I think I’m managing well, though my boyfriend (BF) might say otherwise. Luckily, my wonderful virtual assistant has been handling most of the work behind the scenes, and I scheduled all my posts in advance, which is quite a feat given my tendency to procrastinate.

Back to the trip! I arrived in Paris a couple of weeks before BF and had the chance to catch up with family and friends, and take care of a few errands. The weather was beautiful for the first ten days, feeling like summer, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I even bought new jogging pants and went running every other day, covering about 10 kilometers each time. Running in Paris was a delight compared to hot and humid Guatemala—mild weather, smooth asphalt, and flat streets made it so much easier. No wonder Kenyan runners, accustomed to high altitudes, excel in European marathons.

All that running made me quite hungry, and I went a bit overboard with the food. When you’ve been dreaming about certain dishes for months, it’s hard to resist trying everything. This led to some unusual meals—cheese and oysters, anyone? I know, it’s a bit odd. Every day, I bought a fresh baguette from the baker and paired it with some nice cold cuts or cheese.

One fortunate thing was that I had little trouble adjusting to the 8-hour time difference or the three-day journey from Guatemala to Paris, despite a major flight hiccup that eventually cost me over $1,500 to get across the ocean.

After those couple of weeks, BF arrived, and we set off on the bike to Mont Saint Michel in Northern Brittany. The scenery was lovely, but the weather turned cold and rainy, making the bike ride a bit tricky. We visited the bay of Mont Saint Michel, which I hadn’t seen in decades, and enjoyed oysters and mussels for lunch by the sea. We spent the afternoon in St Malo, a charming medieval coastal town.

On our way from Paris, we also stopped by the fishing port of Honfleur and other coastal towns known as “Paris-on-the-sea” because of their proximity to the capital and the many Parisians with holiday homes there. You have to venture further away to truly experience the countryside.

By coincidence, we met up with a French-Guatemalan couple who were also vacationing in Brittany, and we spent a night together. BF and I then headed south to another oyster haven, Marennes-Oléron. BF often jokes that the French have an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) for everything, ensuring the origin and quality of various food products, from Champagne to Roquefort cheese and even oysters. We enjoyed three dozen oysters and a dozen clams with a bottle of regional white wine—it was a memorable feast.

Next, we reached Bordeaux, one of the most beautiful cities in France, especially now that the historic center has been renovated. There, we met another French-Guatemalan couple; the wife was a high school friend of BF whom he hadn’t seen in years. They took us to their holiday house at the surf beach of Hossegor, where I enjoyed a nice run along the ocean and a small interior lake. Of course, we had another amazing seafood dinner with them—so much delicious food!

After that, we headed to the Basque Country. The French side is very picturesque; you can visit the town of Espelette, known for its dried chilis, where many houses are painted white with red chilis hanging from the windows. It’s a beautiful and unique sight. We also visited the coastal town of Saint Jean de Luz, with its lovely beach and stunning summer houses.

On the Spanish side, the landscape isn’t as picture-perfect, but there’s much more life. In France, the countryside feels almost empty, whereas in Spain, you see people everywhere, harvesting, growing, and selling their products. We made a quick stop in San Sebastián and then headed to Bilbao.

That’s it for France and the first leg of our trip. More updates to come next week!

As for the costs so far, I haven’t kept a strict breakdown because I want to enjoy my holiday, but we’re spending around 100 euros a day ($130) for the two of us. This is roughly divided into one-third for the bike (tolls and gas), one-third for accommodation, and one-third for food and activities. I’m trying to cover most of the expenses with my online income since BF covered last year’s Europe trip.

In France, we often stayed at Hotel F1, a budget hotel chain with prices starting at 19 euros a night. These hotels are clean and functional but have shared bathrooms. They can accommodate up to three people and are usually cheaper than hostels, though you need a car as they are typically located in the suburbs. For a private bathroom, we stayed at Ibis Budget, with rooms from 35 euros a night. We booked these through Accorhotels.com. The downside of traveling by bike is the uncertainty of where we’ll end up each night due to rain, traffic, or extended sightseeing, so booking hotels at the last minute doesn’t always offer the best deals.

By combining these hotel chains and using booking.com in Spain and Portugal, we’ve averaged about $40 a night, which is pretty affordable for Europe. Currently, I’m writing from a 25-euro ($30) hotel in Granada that is well-located and clean.

For meals, we usually opt for the “meal of the day” at lunch, a special midday offer that costs about 12 euros in France and less than 10 euros in Spain and Portugal. This typically includes a starter, main course, wine, and bread. For breakfast and dinner, we buy bread, cheese, and fruits from local markets.

Breakfast costs can add up, so sometimes it’s worth paying an extra 5 euros for a room with “free breakfast,” which is often more cost-effective than buying coffee and a croissant at a café. Hotel breakfasts usually include a buffet, albeit a simple one with bread, jam, and biscuits rather than a full spread with eggs and cold cuts.

If you know your travel dates in advance, book early to get the best deals, as European tourism remains busy even in October, well past peak season.

That’s all for now. See you next time!