Prologue:
It’s been a lean year on the bike, too many excuses not to ride, some of them almost genuine. My last worthwhile outing was a week long tour of the Hebrides in May, a tour I almost missed out on due to a niggling Hernia, or was it a groin strain? The ‘hernia’ pain had almost vanished prior to my surgery at the end of September after which I truly understood the meaning of groin pain. Four months on I have finally parted company with my Cumberland Sausage sized swelling and apart from the numbness and general discomfort after cycling a few miles I think I am over the worst of it. My lasting legacy of the experience is to always distrust the surgeons optimism about the consequences of their handywork.
Having survived my ‘minor’ surgery I’m keen to get away for a quick adventure before my proper surgery which should happen in March/April. After 30 years of grief and 6 years of immobility I have finally been accepted for spinal fusion surgery. No guarantees and unusually little optimism from the surgeon ‘there is a chance of some improvement’. There is at least some light at the end of the tunnel albeit it a feint glimmer. I’d like to think I’ll be climbing mountains this time next year but nevertheless, I think it may be a good idea to visit my beloved Andalusia whilst I can.
To describe this particular tour as vague and nebulous would be to imbue it with an unwarranted specificity. I really haven’t got a clue what I’m doing which is kind of the way I like it. The longest ride I’ve done in many months is 25 miles so I’m not sure what I can physically do. Added to this my usual Spanish touring companion, my brother Nick, is busy earning a crust for some or most of my trip.
The idea then is to embark on a relatively easy tour for a few days of my first week to see if my ailing, aged and heavier than ever body can still propel a pushiron around the hills of Andalusia. I may then be able to drag Nick out to play for a day or two in my second week.
As I write this post, five days before departure I see there are reports of imminent Siberian weather for parts of Spain and indeed there is snow today in some Mediterranean resorts.
Orihuela Costa: 18 Jan 2017
2 Wheels and a Walking Stick 