A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

I couldn’t get out of that campsite fast enough. €20 a night and couldn’t supply toilet paper… I heard they are going to get more expensive as well.

On one pf my many coffee and croissant breaks i met Rob and Meredith.

They were cycling from Copenhagen and been on the road for a bit. We had a natter (I was quiet as of stopping for fruit.

I was successful in following Veloroute 8 for a bit then my route deviated, I did come back to it later for a bit. The routes like to tell you are stopping but seldom where they start again or an alternative. I also went along what must be the longest avenue in the world. It was straight, tree lined, and went on for at least 10kms and very lorry busy.

I got across a bridge onto Cavaillion more by luck than judgement and got onto a small road which followed the River Durance. Well I turned off to a beautiful campsite far enough from the traffic. Great to put trying clothes in the sun and solar charger.

But I ambled to the pool in my board shorts and the lady, you cannot wear them, why? It’s the rules. So she lent me some budgie smugglers which I thought looked pretty disgusting. Anyway that’s the rule here. 🤗😎

The wind was howling all night and I just knew it was going to be in my face all day.

Surprisingly I slept ok and was up with the alarm at 05.00. Packing is a bit problematic in the dark and with the wind. But I was out the gate by 07.15. I didn’t make my coffee but instead stopped at the first town for coffee and croissants. The cafe had the most amazing decor I could so have spent 3 or 4 cups of coffee there. But the boulongerie was calling

A quick couple of croissants and on my way.

I popped into Beziers which was a nice town Cathedral castle… The usual. But also some of the most beautiful houses.

I pushed on. I am trying to follow Eurovelo 8 that follows the coast. But just when you need a sign they disappear. I went round a roundabout 3 x also I followed s path for a good 5km to god knows where.

I met a girl Eva who was out training for a ride to Bordeaux at the end of the month. She helped me not yo get lost a few times.

€20 for a campsite now I’m just going to have to get used to it.

So far I am not 100% happy with French drivers.

I was out the hotel by 06.15 this morning. I got 100 meters down the road and stopped for coffee.

The morning gloom is dangerous to ride but 2 back lights are best.

Then 40km in I get to Figueres. I knew Salvador lived and worked in the region but a museum dedicated to his work was too tempting to miss. Martin the owner of Dalicatessen Museum Cafe suggested I put my bike in the cafe while I walked round.

I have loved Dali’s since a teenager my fathers took me to an exhibition, I think at the Tate gallery. Anyway he’s a genius.

After that I lost a bit of forward impetus so I stopped early. But i did cross into France…. so far abysmal inconsiderate drivers compared to the Spanish.

I have washed everything I own. Better get it up before bed time so it dries.

Yesterday morning I got up at 05.30, having breakfast and packing my stuff up seems to take ages so I was on the road at 07.00. I put my blinkers on and rode north eventually I arrived at a campsite at about 16.30 and cruised in. Tent up in the shade, washed clothes I didn’t get to the pool. A quick noodle meal and into bed. Surprisingly I slept quite well.

Thus time I woke at 05.00 but I decided to reconfigure my packing a bit and of course thus took longer so left at 06.40. Yesterday evening I organised a route to circumnavigate Barcelona. Unfortunately this morning I pressed the route to Barcelona. Madness.

Then I got close to Girona and aimed for a campsite, unfortunately it was closed and there are no others around so I wimped and booked a B & B.

Both days I rode quite consistently. I halve very little organisation of eating patterns. Every so often I feel hungry… I eat. Simple

I have discovered on my Garmin a reminder to drink. I set it for every 5kms. The Garmin just flicks a message up. ‘5km Drink’ I am pretty crap at remembering to drink so this is fantastic.

From my routing I am sure you have deduced that I have not taken a bus (we know that was never a realistic option), I have not taken a boat although I would have liked that. But I am riding he’ll for leather to Florence. Let’s see how fast I can do it. 😀😎

I reckon I have got to get up earlier. I did leave at about 07.00 this morning but better to rise in the dark and leave just as it gets light. Now how am I going to persuade my Spanish neighbours to be quiet at night?

Not a lot interesting about today. I’m on a distance mission, but easing myself in slowly only 126kms today, see what tomorrow brings.

I have had a great few days.

In the campsite 2 Italians, Elia and Gianni, moved in and parked up an appropriate distance from me. They were riding BMW 1200GS, I owned the 1150GS the predecessor. So I walked across. We talked all bikes of different kinds, our respective journeys, and general things of life. What I enjoyed most of this experience was all our instabilities to speak the other language, but we made each other understand. It is an interesting fact that if you are proactive in a conversation being understood becomes easy and a pleasure.

I was being apathetic at the campsite and luckily Ben persuaded me to come and visit him about 150km south. Cycled into Sagunt dropped my bike off at Pedalier to have the components transferred. I then took a bus to the train station and took the train south through Valencia to Denia. Many a professional cycling team has been seen riding this area… not by me I might say. It’s always great to catch up with old friends. Best I pop across to Perth some time.

Train back the next day to pick up my bike. Well the bike was not ready so I had to hangout at the beach for 3 or 4 hours, not the best no suntan cream, 10 km from the camp site. Grrrrrrr.

18.30 I collected my bike and rode off back to the campsite.

Last meal out at the beach bar. An hour of putting luggage on the bike and bed at 22.30. Some bloke was playing the guitar badly and trying to whistle to his already out of tune tune. Oh the he’ll to my ears. 🙉

Up at 05.00 and on the road by 07.30. 🙂😎

So my friend Ben Vickers is over from Australia he runs The MMA Clinic in Perth. And at present he is staying in Denia which is just south of Valencia.

I have been an idiot not to visit earlier. But my head has been occupied with my frame. But today it arrived and I am getting the parts transferred tomorrow. The perfect opportunity for me to visit Ben. Cutting down my time available be 1.

The situation is, I have about 40 days to get to Skyros in Greece and about 2850 Kms to cover in total.

You can do the math.

The dilemma is.

Choice 1.

I can ride hard get to Florence (about 1590kms) cruise the Tuscany Way, cruise The Appia Way, then ride on to Greece

Choice 2.

Take a boat to Savona just west of Genoa cutting out about 1121 Kms. Then ride up Florence…. Tuscany…. Appia……. Greece

Choice 3

Take a bus to Genoa, cutting out about 1170 Kms. Ride to Florence………

Well I have eaten this,I have ridden here,I have sewn this rip on my shorts,I have done a reasonable amount of this,I saw one of these and ushered it off the road,My son has had his Masters graduation (so proud of him)I have had both wheels trued. But I most certainly have not seen a replacement frame yet and I am peeved.

I left Sagunt and ambled my way up to La Torre do la Sal. I had decided to slowly move up the coast waiting for a few tricks to unfold.

I got settled in I met a German guy Horst and his wife we spent a convivial afternoon together.

Then as I was doing a very unroutine inspection of my bike I discovered this,

Well no matter which way you look at it it’s not good! That’s a crack in my frame.

I immediately contacted Mark Reilly who told me this is the first frame that has ever cracked in over 9000 frames. As you may all remember I was in a substantial crash in late December last year and I can only suppose that started a weakness (but I’m not an engineer). Anyway Mark R. immediately offered to replace the frame. So I have sorted out a shop for it to be sent and the components transferred. I will then send the broken frame back to Mark to be analysed.

I am also contemplating getting a large frame instead of a medium. This hopefully would be more comfortable on long journeys and also get rid of stacks of spacers and the laid back seat post. Yet I k ow madness while already on a long journey.

So I rode back to Sagunt, where the bike shop is that is going to transfer the components.

I then rode into Valencia to find some cooking fuel as I have run out.

On the way back from Valencia I met Lori and Jonathan who are from the USA and touring Spain on a tandem. I spent an hour or 2 riding with them and talking life. I would be hard pressed to find a more pleasant couple to spend time with. I wish them the greatest of onward journeys.

I know I seem to have done a great deal of riding on a cracked frame (175km). Well I have sort of done all business now so can kick back and wait for the frame to arrive.

There were heffalumps running up and down the stairs last night. Then my room neighbour started singing, it could only have been worse if he had whistled as well, I was at least spared that.

My meal last night was ginormous, cheap and delicious, and I finished it with an ice cream.

This morning I had a slow start. 2 cafe solos for breakfast. There was no shop. So I jumped on and rode up the two 4km hills before it goes nearly down hill all the way to central Valencia. And that is just about what happened. I stopped for some food 20km in, opting for the slightly more down to earth cafe but their coffee and tostadas y tomates were excellent.

As usual riding through cities is terrible, traffic, people, multiple direction changes. But with great excitement I arrived at the end of my route whoop.

About my route, this is the route I followed Altravesur. It is from bikepacking.com a fantastic resource if you are thinking of going on some adventurous (or less adventurous) travels. The Altravesur was for me a tough ride. The route mainly followed the GR8 this is a walking/hiking route across southern Spain. As a consequence there are a multitude of occasions that I had to hitch the bike on my shoulder or pull/push manhandle it up slopes over rocks. These times were tough but for me eventually became a bit of a pain in the ass. Unfortunately sometimes a necessary evil. 🤨. We’ll see how the route in Italy goes.

In central Valencia

I plugged the nearest campsite into my Garmin and it took me here. I jumped into the sea. I washed all my clothes and am now kicking back. (2nd 100km today substantially easier than yesterday’s 😎😀.