September 5^th to 9^th October 2022

 Cycle ride from Santander to Salobrena

BP 139/76

Resting heartbeat: 56

My weight: 15 stone

My age 75

Cycle weight including me and luggage was 300 Ibs

(22 stone) The bike with just luggage weight was 7 stone (98 Ibs)

All ready to leave on Spanish trip

 

Left the ship at Santander on Wednesday 7^th September. The Journey to Santander via Portsmouth was by Brittany Ferries. The journey to Santander on the ship was smooth and enjoyable. Went to the train station in Santander and bought a ticket to Palencia. But had to wait for permission to take the bike. The journey took about two and a half hours. After the journey cycled about 37 miles towards Medina Ja Furcia and got a room at the Hotel Vittoria Colonna for the night.

On board going across the Bay of Biscay

Exercise machines on the deck of the ship

 The next day left the hotel and eventually found Eurovelo 1 and headed towards Zamora. It was about 54 miles but never saw a signpost there was a headwind and it was just one long road and very hard going. Eventually got there and spent the night at the Hotel. The receptionist could speak English.

Very close to the rocky coast of France

My bike on the car deck

Eurovelo 1..... It was one long road with a constant headwind

When I got to Zamora I got a very nasty text from the oldest of D`s sons. It told me to get out of the house and they were removing all my stuff from the house and putting it in my car while I was in Spain. This is a cowards thing to do and to do it to an 80 year old man who has been looking after their mother doing things they should have been doing. I personally would not treat a dog like that. What a man!!!!! I manage  to get the hotel to look after my bike while I caugh the train to Madrid, then Malaga, then the bus to salabrena

Salobrena with the Arab castle at the top

Photograph taken from the bus window between
Malaga and Salobrena

My house in Salobrena where I stayed
for most of the timeI could, buying lots of stuff for her Airbnb business, and paying for holidays and other things so I`m still wondering why this happened as when she first moved to the Isle of Wight her sons didn`t seem to care much. 

I lived in my house for over two weeks. It was hot, dry and sunny. It helped my asthma and each day I could go out on my other bike which I keep in the house. During the time I was there I did over two hundred miles on the bike, but what had happened was always on my mind and I felt totally helpless.

The warm Med was pleasant

When it was time to start returning to Santander to catch the ferry home, I caught a coach from Salobrena to Zamora and it arrived in the early hours. I booked into the hotel where my bike had been kept and in the morning set off towards Santander where my Brittany ferry sails to Portsmouth. The journey back on the bike over three days was excellent with a following wind and through the mountains. Sometimes the downhill sections went on for miles and progress was excellent. The scenery was superb.

On the way back to Santander through the mountains

I stayed in many difference hotels

On the way back to Santander through the mountains

The roads were quiet and well maintained

There was a water shortage in Spain. Look at the level
of the reservoir

Saw many churches and castles in Spain

The city of Santander

Arrived in Santander after several days of cycling

Walked around the ship early in the morning

On the ferry back to Portsmouth

It`s always good to get back home

Later after getting back to the UK I sorted through my stuff and found some of my possessions missing. I contacted the youngest son politely and listed what was missing. I had an abusive text back. Later another text to say he had been to the house found most of my stuff and taken it back to the mainland and if I didn`t collect it, it would be handed to the local charity shop. I text back and said if it was taken to the charity shop I would take out a court summons and he would have to come over and explain.

He then decided to bring it over the next day. I waited at Red Funnel ferry terminal at East Cowes. He came over with the stuff shouting and barking abuse at me in a terrible violent state. I think it was all rehearsed to prevent me asking any questions. He then accused me of being violent and having affairs and said they were one step away from calling the police. It was all so false and almost stupid. It`s hard to take this when you have never been violent and never cheated on her. It just shows total ignorance.

The bit that was my fault

I think this all happened because I didn`t want to cycle alone and wanted a cycling travel companion for support. Unfortunately the only person who wanted to cycle with me was female, so I invited her to come with me. 

I`m not going to write much as the ride did not go as planned and life-changing things happened. I will try to publish some photographs as I have plenty.

My room in one of the hotels

              The End    😀😧😄😘

Extra photographs taken on the trip

In the village of Molvizar

A distance view of Santander

Near Salobrena...... A good place for fishing

Sheep on the road with the shepherd. Spot the shepherd.

Near Salobrena, there was a forest fire in the hills
which just wouldn`t go out. The authorities had been trying for a week. It was so hot with no rain

Name of the town where I lived on the Costa Tropical

The End