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

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 time

A beautiful sunset in Salobrena

  

  I've been asked to delete most of this blog

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 or four 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

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