Stage 3 – I see the sea.

So we spent last night in the city of Vigo. The very same city we went through this morning. The Cyclist had said that the first few stages criss crossed each other and as usual, he was right.

The stage started from Vigo but within 6Km it took the suspension bridge across the cove which was a motorway. The only other way round the bicycle could take added about 30Km so we left the cycle on the car and took the bridge, stopping immediately the other side to begin the day. It was still early and the sun wasn’t fully up. Today we would follow the coast north most of the day, going on and off a couple of peninsulas and islands. One of which was where we stayed on the first night and walked along the beach. The island is what we practiced driving around before starting stage one, of you remember? .
This is truly a beautiful area and completely unspoilt. I have taken photos of the beaches that have hardly anyone on. It is so lush too, obviously earning its name of Costa Verde. The coast line is rugged but there are little be achy coves all along. The wind is gusting though and I k ow that he finds it hard enough in the heat without battling the wind.
I was on the peninsula in the town called O Grove and I was stuck not moving. After 15 mins phoned The Cyclist who said he was already off the island and 15Km in front. He said a bus had hit a Porche and the two were in dispute about it which had blocked the one way system in the town. I followed a local and left the way I had gone in rather than go all the round. So I didnt domthe 13Km lap of the peninsula which I am sure was very pretty. my mission was to catch the cyclist as he was running out of fluids and needed to eat. When I caught the cyclist we stopped in the shade. he flopped into the drivers seat as he was too knackered from battling the wind. He can’t stop for too long or his legs stiffen and he can’t get going again.
I took the opportunity and rubbed sunscreen into the Cyclist as it was getting hot. He told me he had seen some accident near misses, nearly been knocked off twice at islands and the bus incident. He doesn’t rate the driving here in Spain at all. Most of all the women. In two separate I code nets he was nearly knocked off by women drivers at islands. He says they don’t slow down or look they just keep on going. So these two separate times the drivers had to slam their brakes on, screeching the wheels to avoid knocking him off. Italy’s driving was fast and poor but they were very good with cyclists. Not so here!
As we went in land for a bit a bloke overtook me as I was going slow because the car in front was slow and indicating to go left. The overtaking Passat had to slam on brakes and squeeze into the micro space between me and the car in front. Idiot!  I held my hands up and he apologised by looking in his morrow and putting his hand up to own up.
We had to go a little north then swing back past the hotel from our first Spanish night to get onto Isla De Arousa. To get there we followed the road that was literally next to the beach and The Cyclist had stopped to wait for me to catch up so I could take a photo. He had got ahead of me in the traffic at the last town. After that,  As the Cyclist went to the island I ducked into the  Eroski supermarket for much needed supplies. How to pronounce? I say E-Roski but The Cyclist says Euroski. Mmmm. I don’t know?
When I got outside to the car The cyclist was waiting outside. He said he had seen his second car accident of the day. He has now decided not to count near misses but only the real thing as there are so many. Not a good advertisement for their driving I guess?
The last bit of today looped back on itself a number of times down tiny country lanes and up a steep climb. Finally finishing in a little village. Now to pack up and head North for stage four.

2 Responses

  1. Lovely photos again, Kay, and now you’ve said it’s early in the morning that explains the lovely light. Have to go and look at the map to see where you are, sounds confusing with you going back through the same place twice! But the mountains look just as steep – can’t imagine how The Cyclist is managing to keep going in that heat.
    Be careful on those roads, they look more like main roads than the ones in France and Italy.
    BTW, I’m with you for enjoying strolling on the beach in bare feet 🙂 so relaxing, never mind the free pedicure! Best wishes for the trip x

  2. Thanks Karen. I have given Kyle a sleeping pill and he is now zonked by my side. I was just finishing the stage 4 blog from yesterday. It was a real stinker as you will see. I can only load a few photos using ipad so that’s why there aren’t as many as I would like to put up. Kyle is shattered. Not so much from the constant steep ups as from the heat. The 40C temps make him feel like he is on fire and it slows his cycling speed down quite a bit. It will get worse for the next few days as we head to Costa del Sol through the hottest parts of inland Spain.
    By the way, he hardly slept the last two nights and asked for the pill do he can sleep. I’m going to join him now……..