Category: Travel (page 6 of 9)

My early morning wake up call of fireworks on the beach had me up by 7.30am, so after a shower I packed my gear up. Before hitting the road a quick coffee was in order before hitting the road. The weather was a little overcast as I pedalled down this small country lane. Today I’m going to get to Valencia I said to myself. I knew it would be at least 70km but I had made my mind up as I was packing. First sign post said 69km, not a bad guess I said to myself. The ride was going well and about an hour into in noticed a railway track to my right.. Am mm. I wonder if that railway track goes to Valencia? I had past Gambia which Is a larger town and was coming into the next town, the name of we which I can not remember. Getting closer to the turn off for the town I could hear a station loud speaker saying something. As in looked back at the line a could see a train coming. It was to late but at least I knew where the station was. You have just missed the train the ticket officer said. I know I replied. When is the next train to Valencia? I asked hoping that there would be more. In 45 minutes he said. Great news. In found a coffee shop a stones throw away and parked my ass their. I asked for a coffee, some toast and a fried egg. Can you believe that it took the whole 45 minutes to get my coffee and egg with toast and I burned the roof of my mouth because I had to eat it so quick otherwise I would of missed the train.

About an hour later I got into Valencia. I’ve now learnt that you always find out if there is s train going your way and what times they leave. So before leaving the station to have as look round I asked if there was a train going to Barcelona. The next train going there was at 5pm. Wow major luck. I get to spend all of the day having a look at Valencia and get to be in Barcelona by 10pm tonight. Now I can here you say, i thought this was a riding adventure! Yes it is but I’ve seen a lot of Spain the past month and I feel its now time to move on. I think I’ve had my fill of Spain’s Coastline.

Sometimes the only thing to do Is do nothing. When i say nothing i mean no cycling. So I’ve spent the day catching up with family and friends but mostly sitting on the beach watch the world go past quietly reflecting and looking towards my next route and where that will lead.

So as I lay here on the Costa Blanca I thank you Sierras Nevada’s for your stunning beauty and challenging climbs and u look forward to my next challenge whatever that my be. 

What a day. Where do I start. Well firstly the camp site I stayed in last night was great. So I took my time this morning. I hit the road about 10ish and the hills were there to great me first thing but that’s normal now. As I rode I noticed a great photo op so I stopped to take a photo and then dropped the camera. Bang it hit the ground hard.. Wow I said, I now need a camera to go along with as new pair of shades but to my surprise the camera still works even thru the pop up flash has taken a knock and doesn’t clip back right.. At least it still works.
So on with my journey and I started to think to myself, crap comes in three so I thought I would play it really safe today. The day was going great and I felt good I rode in to a town called Mojacar which is a lovely placed and had a cycle path. So I went on to it and stopped to take my helmet off a listen to some music. After a mile or two the path ended and I went back on the road. There was virtually no traffic as its a Monday and late afternoon. As I went on my way two motorcycle cops past me. Thinking nothing of it I was in my own little world. Then I hear the sound of a police siren. I look back and the coper wants me to pull over, so I did. He asks me where my riding hat is and points to my ears phones as well. To cut a long story short he is telling me that the fine is €400.00 euros. €200 for each. I think my face said it all and then he said that he would only fine me for the hat which is €200.00 but if I pay know I get a discount of 50% €100.00 changing my arm I said I didn’t have that sort of money on me and could give him €30.00 I TAKE YOU CASH MACHINE.. was the reply. So off I went with a police escort, one in front and one behind in search of a cash machine. Image the sight of a cyclist with a police escort, people must of thought I was an arch criminal. Cash point found and I handed the €100 Euros over. I could see one of the coppers was a little sad at taking my money but he still did. I nearly took a photo of the thing but thought better if it as I didn’t fancy a night in the cell. I thanked the nice police men for showing me the errors of my ways and office went. Hat firmly on my head.

So let me recap the on go cost of being an idiot.
Lost sun glasses £150.00
Damaged camera £00.00 it still works
Police trust fund.. Sorry I meant fine. £100.00

So as I cursed under my breath just in case the police could hear me 10 miles away I started to feel a vibration. I knew the front wheel had a very slightly buckle but  nothing that would make it feel like that, also this felt like the back wheel. So I looked down and could see it was the rear tyre. I pulled over and noticed that the side wall of thee tyre was coming away from thee wheel. This is all I need I said. I was about 30 miles from a town / camping site but the tyre was not losing air. So I carried on slowly. As I rode along a saw this guy coming the other way on a touring bike. We stopped and said hello. It turns out he is Portuguese and speaks perfect English. He is making his way from Switzerland to Portugal for a short break then going off to Africa. Luis was a breath of fresh air and made me remember why I’m doing this trip.. We had a laugh chatting for 15 minutes and then we went on our way. So taking it easy and not speeding down mountain roads as normal I was started to think that when I get to my stop I would change the inner tube at the capping site and fix the wobble. What caused this tyre to bulg out like this I thought. Well the day before I come down that rocky mountain road and the tyre must of hit a big rock but why not bulb out then, why wait a day to show its self. Well there was nothing I could do until I stopped and I was still moving, thank god. I come into Aguilas and my Goole maps said there was a camping site there. So I followed the map and finally saw road signs.. Great I said. I can now stop fix the tyre and set up, but one last hill to get to the site as always. I get to the site and to my amazement it said CLOSED. F@@k me, when it rains it pours.. I had just ridden 65 mile 20 of them with a now very wobbly wheels, its late, I’m tired and the next camping site is 30 miles away. Not to mention the hills, heat and the coppers who by now were enjoying a few cold beers thanks to my donation. Well I said to myself, you just have to come up with a plan. I checked to see where the next town was and it was about 5 miles away. Hopefully there will be a hostel, hotel or a nice place to hide and camping in the wildernesses.
I got to the town and looked at Google maps. It said there was a small hotel. Now one thing about Google maps for portable devices. There was an option to make the maps work offline which meant down loading the area on your device. But Google has just updated google maps and the offline option is no longer there. What does this mean.. I can hear you ask.. The standard map when not connected to the internet is basic, so it only shows the main roads not the small side roads and the hotel I was looking for was not on a major road. I rode around the area looking for the hotel and had given up and was making my way out of town when I saw a sign for it.. Again one more hill to climb before getting to the hotel. Why is it that my stop is always at as top of a hill.???

So I’m finally stopped for thee night  after 11 hours on the road, a wobbly wheel, a slightly broken camera and €100 euro is lighter. Just to add a little more paid. The problem with the wheel is not the inner tube, its the tyre its self. It looks like the tyre is made in two parts, an inner and outer wall. The outer wall has come away a bugling out. But maybe lady luck is shine on me because the tyre didn’t go flat and the hotel owner has said he will drive me In to town to see if we can find tyre.
WHAT A CRAZY DAY. Still smiling..

Yesterday I took the train from Granada into Almeria. Then I had an off road ride thru gravel, rocks and sand ( ever tried pushing a 45 kilo bike thru sand! ). When I got to the camping site they charged me €23.00 for one night and a further €3.50 for the WiFi. The night before I stayed in hostel with my own bathroom double bed and free WiFi and it cost me €30.00. Then to add to the pain I lost my sunglasses. I’m sure I put them on the reception desk.. I did ask them if the found my glasses put lady luck was not on my side.

So I left the camping site a little pissed off and hoped that my on ward journey was not going to be a repeat of the day before. The path started off the same as the day before with gravel, rocks and sand but soon the familiar feel of smooth tarmac was under my bike. The sun was hot and it was only 10am and then the hills were back but with the Sierra’s as a backdrop it still felt good. After one long climb i decided to strip down to my riding shorts. I was sweating so much that my top was making feel uncomfortable. So here I was in just in my riding shorts trying to put suncream on back as cars past me on top of a mountain side with only room for one car at a time. Sun cream on I set off, after about an hour on the road it suddenly come to an end. There was a mirador / light house there and people looking at the views. There was a small gravel path which i saw people walking on and a hut bedside it. As I approached it, two Spanish girl who clearly work there, looked at me with a strange look. Must of been the site of a two tone bald headed guy riding a bike with bags all over it and no top on and sweating like I just got out of the shower that got me those looks.
As I approached them I asked them if people can cycle on that path. Yes she replied but all of them use mountain bikes. Its 15 kilometre long and in places very steep and very gravely. Is there a road at the end of it I asked. Yes they both replied. So with that off I went to the sound of be careful in stereo. The gravel path soon changed to rough tarmac but man was it steep. I climbed for an hour or so and at times I wondered if this was a good idea, but then the summit was insight. At the top I was greeted by some hikers who had come the other way. As we said hello I asked where they had come from because the rough tarmac road had stopped. The chap pointed to a wooden gate of sorts. Past the gate there was a rocky path that lead down the mountain. I asked if it got any worse than that and he said no. So off a went. It was mostly OK but a mountain bike was what I really needed not a touring bike with 45 kilos of bags on it. After 20 minutes on rocky ground and on the brakes for most of it my front wheel hit a large rock which help me have a meeting with the dirt. As I felt the front wheel go off to my left I jumped off the bike to the right like a cat on a hot tin roof. My cat like reactions prevented any injury and the bike was OK too.

Taking stock I thought this would be a good time to have a break. Pot Noddles on the side of a rocky mountain path with views to die for. The rest of the day was much the the same. Hot hilly and gravel roads but the views are amazing. There are hidden beaches which only the locals know about and look like paradise. I past a lovely little seaside town called San Pedro which the Spanish have kept a secret. No holidays makers allowed here my friends. So this hard to reach Golfo de Almeria is a little treasure that the Spanish like to keep quite about and the odd cyclist..

Please forgive me if this post goes a bit crazy but as I’m typing I’ve just finished dinking three pints of beer with a lovely elderly couple from England and I’m now pissed

Back to my post.. Random acts update 4. As I was riding today I found a wallet on the side of the road. Inside it had all the chaps credit cards, drivers licence, and his ni card. So I picked it up in the hope that I would find a copper to hand it to. As predicted a copper was found and the wallet handed over. Let’s hope it ft finds its owner..

Also I met up with a lovely couple who were on bikes. I’m sorry but I’ve forgotten their names. They told me a route that followed the coast to my camping site.

Update Sunday morning
Just woke up with a little hangover from my drinking session with the couple from the uk and realised I’ve list my Glasses.
I’m a little cheesed off now. I really liked them shades. Come on lady luck of random kindness and find my glasses.. 

In the main I’m not a big fan of graffiti. I find most of it just tagging and spoils the area. When I visited Roma a few years ago, I was really disappointed that almost everywhere had tagging which made the area feel run down and left me wondering why the powers that be let this happen. Now Spain has the same problem but in some places you can see that some people have embraced street art and showcased it. Here is a selection that I’ve seen and like.

Alhambra just might be heaven on earth.

A dusk walk on the cobbled streets of Granada