Archives: April 2008
In Which I Eavesdrop
April 30, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cap D'Agde So I'm sitting in a cybercafe in Cap d'Agde. Two terminals down, an Englishman is having trouble connecting to Skype. I find him a set of headphones, the kid who's running the shop helps him to log on, and he's away. It's a public place. I've spoken to...
In Which The Speedos Stay *On*
April 29, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cap D'Agde Route: Narbonne - Cap D'Agde Didn't ride too far today. Two reasons: 1. France's southern coast is so short. Remember the old Twix advert - "One snack.. and it's gone"? Well, this part of France's coastline is the same. It's so.. short. There's lots down here, but everything...
In Which France Is Very French
April 28, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Narbonne Route: Port-Verges - Narbonne In my little world, where things pretty much only happen in order to provide ammunition for this blo-- I mean diary, it goes without saying that as soon as I'd ridden out of Port-Verges, I was surrounded by campsites (having settled for an hotel yesterday....
In Which I'm No Longer In Any Spain
April 27, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Port-Vendres Route: Lloret de Mar - Tossa de Mar - Figueres - Cadaques - Port Bou (France) - Cerbere (France) - Port-Vendres 236 days and a shade under 6,000 miles after I rode into Spain, today I rode out again. [PICTURES ON THE WAY] Blimey. So much has happened In...
In Which This Entry Nearly Didn't Get Written
April 26, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Lloret de Mar Route: Barcelona - Lloret de Mar 32,500 miles on the clock, 18 months after I started the trip.. (not to mention 42 years since I started this life, the little white-walled house by the sea, all that slog through skool, college and mortgage payments, one marriage, three...
In Which I Pay Homage To George Orwell
April 25, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona Still here;-) But this will be my last night: every room at the inn is taken tomorrow ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday. I looked at prices to go to the circuit.. not really my thing but I'm here and it could be interesting.. and nearly choked. *Hundreds*...
In Which I Pay A Visit To The Holy Family, Of All People
April 24, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona I'm not getting tired of Barcelona: hope you're not. Another brilliant Barcelona day -- the Sagrada Familia is worth the hype.. as architecture, as icon, as achievement. Part of the attraction is that it is famously unfinished. I don't suppose the tourist board will ever let them cap the...
In Which I Spend The Whole Day Grinning
April 23, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona I've been a bit cheeky over the last couple of days: lovin' Barcelona; not reporting back too much. Sorry, but I've been too busy having too much fun. And no, nothing like that, thank you missus. (*sigh*) But I really should give you a taste of today. It's been...
In Which I Appeal To Reason(s)
April 22, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona Still here; still loving it. I'm trying to think of a *single* reason why I shouldn't move to Barcelona when the trip is finished. Nothing so far. -- Update: OK I've been thinking and thinking. Lots of the women here wear tights under their summer sandals. Not good --...
In Which Many Of The Beautiful People Appear
April 21, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona Still here; still loving it. I think perhaps they put added Cute in the water supply. The Catalans are beautiful. The many people who have immigrated here, internally from poorer, southern Spain, and the many faces from around the world, they're all beautiful. Hell, even us tourists are beautiful:...
In Which There Is No Room At The Inn
April 20, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Barcelona Route: Peniscola - Amposta - Tarragona - Sitges - Barcelona OK I have to confess there's a bit of downbeat news to report -- I'm sticking it at the bottom of this page and if you don't feel the need to read it, 'sOK with me. Because this is...
In Which I Am Shocked, Again
April 19, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Peniscola I'm still here, then. For a town I planned to spend 20 minutes in, I'm getting used to Peniscola. To waking up in my tent on the slightly misleadingly-named Camping Eden (did Adam and Eve have to borrow an electric drill to make holes for their tent pegs? I...
A Little Bit Of Website Business
April 18, 2008 by Mike in Diary
I'm holed up in a little town called Peñiscola -- stop sniggering at the back -- after the rear suspension snapped on the bike. If it had to happen anywhere, I'm kinda glad it happened here: a campsite 50metres from the scene of the .. not crash, more of a...
In Which I Lock Myself In
April 15, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Benicassim I'm staying in a very nice, very quiet, very cheap hotel on the seafront. For the same price as the campsite in Benidorm, I get real walls, a roof, a bed with sheets and a blanket, a loo, loo roll (and a loo seat), a bath and shower, towels,...
In Which I Wuz Robbed
April 14, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Benicassim Route: Malva-Rosa - Villareal - Castellon - Grau - Benicassim I was saying yesterday how good the campsite was, wasn't I? Hmmmm. Spoke too soon. Soft ground to pitch yr tent and a ready supply of both loo roll and loo seats are all well and good. And the...
In Which I Check In To The Hotel California
April 13, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Malva-Rosa I liked Valencia yesterday -- not just the beautiful women, but the buildings big and small, the sense of space, and it helps to see a big city like this on a warm, clear day: the light glistened -- and looked forward to returning today. But when push came...
In Which I Find A Use For My Chewing Gum
April 12, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cullera Sunbathed. Checked email. Drank.. coffee. It's a quiet place. And in the afternoon, rode in to Valencia -- 40km north -- to go to the footie: Valencia were awful: Koeman fuera! Valencia, the city: this is of necessity a non-scientific survey, but I guesstimate that between 42-45% of the...
In Which I Am Spoiled For Choice
April 11, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cullera Route: Benidorm - Calpe - Moraira - Denia - Gandia - Cullera Nobody had much advice for me when I was in northern Finland, Kaliningrad or Belgium. It's a different story here in sunny Spain. Apart from people angling for a holiday out here (come on down! Nick and...
In Which I Find Myself Singing Shang-A-Lang..
April 10, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Benidorm Last night and tonight, Benidorm has done me proud. I've seen -- for free -- the Beatles (twice), Elvis, Tina Turner, Abba, the Temptations, Eddie Cochran, Lionel Ritchie, three of Take That (plus Robbie, solo), a Dutch hypnotist, Frank Sinatra, two comedians, one of whom was funny, and three...
In Which I Am Much Vexed By Snogging Pensioners
April 9, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Benidorm Route: El Campello - Villajoyosa - Benidorm First things first: if anyone ever corners you at a party and tells you there just aren't enough old people snogging in public these days, tell 'em from me: 1. They've clearly never been to Benidorm; and 2. They're wrong. It's wrong....
In Which I Have A Little Plan
April 7, 2008 by Mike in Diary
El Campello Route: Cartagena - La Manga - Torrevieja - Santa Pola - Alicante - El Campello <RANT> Out of the city and as far away from that brothel-cum-pension as possible. I had a lousy night's sleep caused by the crack-whore in the next flea-pit room falling asleep with her...
In Which I Get On My High Horse
April 6, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cartagena I spent Sunday doing the museum thang. It's been a while: somehow, southern Spain, and the Algarve before it, for all its history and culture, doesn't suit the cultural tourist in me. I hope you'll forgive me, cultured residents of the Iberian peninsula.. but maybe you'll identify with my...
In Which My Loins Are Stirred
April 5, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cartagena Route: San Jose - Carboneras - Mojacar - Puerto de Mazarron - Cartagena Let me show you why I enjoyed this ride so much: Coast roads aren't supposed to be that curvy! The coast is supposed to be at sea level... flat! And if those curves don't stir your...
In Which I Take A Stroll Down Strummer Street
April 4, 2008 by Mike in Diary
San Jose The French schoolkids were up and out of the site, tents, zits, teenage angst and all, before I emerged into the morning sun. Either that confirms it was them.. or, more likely, I'll never know. Unless they *did* take pictures of me nudie sunbathing and they're all about...
In Which I Hum 'Spanish Bombs In Andalucia'
April 3, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Cabo de Gata I've slowed right down. As I write this I'm sitting in the bar at the campsite in San Jose, listening to the Mescaleros. Mine host is an old friend of Joe's. Joe Strummer, in case you were wondering - formerly of the Clash and the Mescaleros.. and...
In Which I Know The Way To San Jose
April 1, 2008 by Mike in Diary
San Jose Route: Orgiva - Motril - El Ejido - Almeria - Cabo de Gata - San Jose I cheated a bit yesterday. I wasn't busy, but the day was simply packed. After clearing up the garden and stacking the empties for recycling, I took Vicki on the bike for...