Welcome to Spain and Stage One.

Well. I had hoped for a little time buy the pool before the big Off, but hey ho, nothing every turns out as you expect or hope. We walked along the beach track to the port which was our start point in the morning. I would have liked to have walked the beach for longer, it is an amazing pedicure don’t you know! But The Cyclist hates the beach, despite the fact that I love the beach compared to a pool any day.

It is an amazing coast line, clean beaches, hardly any people and no package tours from any country. In fact the only tourists are Spanish campers. ThenCyclist is amazed by the campsites. He says they are so jam packed that they look like refuge camps. I looked at the tents literally pitched on top,of each other and I had to agree.
At the Port of Vilanuevo  de Arousa, they were still constructing the start ramp for the Vuelta. They have some way to go and it is amazing that they are scheduled to finish in time considering they look as if they have just started.
We walked back but not along the beach this time, then while I pottered we watched a couple episodes of Ashes to Ashes as the room got hotter that Venus (or so it felt) and I got more uncomfortable. I can not believe that the Spanish have not discovered air con. This is something that I will wonder for some nights to come. I can’t settle and I can’t sleep. The Cyclist keeps telling me to calm and not be so snappy but he also knows it is because I am so worked up and stressed.
I was absolutely petrified of  driving around here. It is silly but it is purely because my Co-Pilot can’t find any of the roads. The Michelin map and the sat nav’s need you to input the English spelling of the roads or towns but that is difficult as the map is not detailed enough and I only have the official Spanish tour info to go on and that is with Spanish spelling.
Stage One.
Before we set off to do the actual stage, the Cyclist wanted to do a ride Round the island of Arousa as the Garmin software didn’t have the roads on but he knows that there are some as the Vuelta is cycling them. He set off and I had to pull out of the hotel car park and turn right. I drove around that god forsaken south of Italy so why was I so scared now?
I managed to follow the cyclist and take a couple of photos. As it was we had to use my sat nav to get us off the island on the official route and now off to do the the first stage which is supposed to be a time trial but we will just do this to get a feel for the area and the roads. As we went I saw these little house like buildings on stilts. I had seen them yesterday but today I saw more. Not all houses had them In their gardens and I wasn’t sure if they were some old relics or some thing?
Our route went through country lanes south to the port of Sanxexo. It was a lovely little beach area and The Cyclist got out of his kit and we walked about for  while before getting back I tomthencar to head back to the oven that was our room. I cooked up some pasta for The Cyclist and made some for tomorrow too.
The driving and roads were not as bad as I had worried about so I just hope tomorrow’s 140 mile route was similar in its type of roads. Meanwhile I will just burn up and be thankful that I bought the fan with us. Please make me cool as I am fit to boil.

One Response

  1. And another trip through your bizarre record collection – which is great fun, as most of what you listen to has completely slipped my memory. I was listening to Marty Robbins El Paso and Devil Woman, thinking of you :0)