Well, my 2nd home. I’m currently on board a flight from Liverpool to Alicante and trying a different budget airline ‘Blue Sky’. So far, so good. They’d have to try very hard to be worse than ‘the other Airline’.
The Pyrenees awaiting the first snows of winter
The usual nonsense of photographing the numerous dents and scratches on the hire car awaits me and of course, the first few nervous minutes of getting out of the airport and on to the right road but after that I hope to enjoy the 2 hour drive on relatively quiet roads and bathed in warm autumnal sunshine.
I must remember the car has a clutch (I now drive an automatic). The last time I got off a plane and jumped into a manuel car my driving attracted ridicule and derision!
So, 2 weeks in Andalusia, a chance to catch up with family and do some long overdue cycle touring. It’s very close to a year since my back surgery and my days on the bike have been few.
It’s a pity the ‘catching up with family’ won’t include catching up with my brother Nick on the bike. He’ll need patience next week as he will have some long waits at the top of the hills.
You never know what surprises await when you’re travelling and my first surprise of this trip just happened, a complimentary drink and sandwich. That certainly doesn’t happen with ‘the other airline’. Ok, the surprise was more pleasant than the ham and cheese bagel but the thought is appreciated.
I’ve planned a 5 day tour around Murcia province which consists of a big clockwise loop from Zurgena and drops down to the coast returning westwards back to the start.
It’s not quite the beast of a tour we’ve done in the past but nevertheless it’s 5 consecutive days, each of which is harder than any day I’ve done in the past year.
I usually rise to these challenges but sometimes regret having planned them, we’ll see?
2 Wheels and a Walking Stick 