This morning I had to sit on the public stairs to get some internet connection to post my first Spanish blog, (better late than never), and it was so slow which meant that we left later than I wanted. Hey ho. The Cyclist is shattered as he was up until after midnight trying to do some work for a client. People have asked what he does for a job as they do not realise that we have my lap top so he can work in the evening if he needs to respond requests from clients as well as update his website.
The start of the day was on a major road that said no bicycles on the stretch we were on before we arrived at the start. This was very concerning for The Cyclist. I had the map out and could see a tiny road that went on and off the N520. We drove past the start point to where we had to get on that road and joined it to see if it had a sign saying no mopeds, cycles or tractors. It didn’t. Unfortunately the first junction off was onto another major road that didn’t have an exit for some Kilometres. I Navigated us back to the Major road as I thought that was where he wanted to start today. But no. He wanted to go to the start point. The very point he sailed past earlier. All this delayed our set off by at least half an hour so it was after 9am. Flip.
Today was relentless sun with no cooling sea breeze. It read 40C on the car temp and its damn hot. I keep forgetting to put some thing on my seat when I get out to wait for The Cyclist or take photos. Consequently each time I jump back in the car I am burning my backside. I’ve done it loads of times. The seats aren’t leather but they are half fake leather but even the cloth gets red hot. Italy had its issues with the rain and snow, but Spain brings its own problems as I put my arm out of the window to rest it and get burnt on the metal.
It got to 37C by 11am this morning. I know this because I had been speaking to Angel Boo who is on holiday in Spain with The Physiologist, Angel One, Halo King and Bambino at their dad’s place. I have been p,acing a text game with my Angels where I give a line from a movie or a clue to a movie and they have to guess what movie it is. But they are competing against each other to see who texts me back first. It may seem silly to you, but I won’t see them for4 weeks and even though they are on the Costa Blanca, we are not going anywhere near there. Besides, my Angels enjoy it and they are used to me making up games with them, I have done it since they were Tiny. The reason I spoke to Angel Boo (besides to see how she was and hear her voice), was because she had text me to say that Angel One was cheating by reading the clue before showing Angel Boo so she had longer to guess or to get the answer back to me first. The text made me smile so much I had to call her.
Today was classed as a medium mountain day but we seemed to be climbing all day. In fact when the temp got to 40C I really felt for The Cyclist. He was peddling as hard as he could up the steep climbs, without any respite from the sun and with his shirt unzipped to try to get some air. He never bares that chest of his so I know he was roasting like a chicken on a spit. At the top of the first mountain he stopped for a photo and a sandwich. That was the last time he would eat anything but gels until we got in the car home. It got so hot that he said he couldn’t eat real food. I had kept him fuelled with energy drinks. In fact he had ten bottles which is approximately 7 litres. With only three bottles it kept me busy to keep swapping them, putting the new ones in the fridge to try to chill them before having to pass them trough the car window.
I had put one drink that I had made up plus his shake bottle, in the freezer the Hostel owner let me use, over night. I gave him the still mostly frozen drink before the first climb and next time I looked some ten minutes later, it was completely defrosted. That was super fast so I knew it must be hot out there. I constructed a little tent thing on the dash using the silver windscreen shield. It was only on the passenger side and I was trying to keep the sun off the sat nav’s as yesterday they got very hot. It worked a treat. It doesn’t stop my view most of the time so that will be the order of the day from now on.
Today seemed to drag on, partly because the Cyclist couldn’t go very fast. It’s not surprising but it means he is out in it longer. I slapped loads of factor 50 on the bits of him that are on show. So thick it was a white layer. It would sink in but when he stopped to have a cold can of pop before the next climb I could see that he was covered in dead flies and dust that had stuck to him. Poor thing he was a sight. He didn’t get to clean up until we finished by a lake, which we couldn’t actually see because of the thick trees, but it was packed with Spanish people visiting the man made beach there.
Now for the 2.5 hr drive to the next hotel. The terrain here is just like the Nevada dessert near Las Vegas. I said this to the Cyclist as he was driving and he agreed, adding that it felt just as hot during the day too. Bless him.
At the hotel he said he needed a sleeping pill. These are not English pills but Spanish ones brought over by his aunt who lives inland from Alicante Spain. They do the job really well and you don’t feel groggy afterwards. I only gave him half as I only have two left and I used Mrs Chimney’s stocks for Le Tour. He went out like a light where as I was awake until after midnight writing my blogs as I was so so hot. At least there is air con in the room and it works.
