2 MID-LIFE CYCLISTS IN A MOTORHOME: May 2017

May 2017.

Well it has been an eventful time since we got home from Goa on the 19th March. We carried on where we left off in November and finished decorating the house and had a new kitchen fitted so it was all pretty chaotic for a while. The aim was to get the house up for sale before setting off in the Motorhome to Spain to spend a few weeks at the Mediterraneo Camperstop in Calpe meeting up with friends before heading round to northern Italy and then to the Alps after we'd had to delay our planned trip to the Alps last year. As with all the best ideas they rarely go to plan and much to our surprise we had a viewing the first day the house went up for sale and they made an offer which we accepted. This meant we were suddenly trying to arrange as many viewings as possible in order to find a replacement home before we set off for Spain and it meant we would probably have to return at the beginning of June to sign contracts and pack up everything. It looked like yet again my trip to the Alps was going to have to be postponed but for good reason. Luckily the house hunting went well and we soon had an offer accepted on a bungalow we are keen on. This meant we had a few weeks to escape before we need to return and deal with the house move so on the 25th April we set off for Eurotunnel and soon found ourselves back on French soil. We spent 3 days travelling to the south of France and the weather was a mixed bag of rain, wind, snow and sleet. After we passed through Millau and rose up the other side the weather suddenly seemed to change and the snow on the ground quickly disappeared as the temperature rose from near freezing to 15° and sunny.

Beautiful orange tree

1st May. We spent the last 3 days of April at Gruissan just relaxing and enjoying being back in the Motorhome. As it was very windy we had only managed one 30km ride along the cycle paths inland as it was too blustery along the seafront. Today we set of for Palamos in Spain as we worked our way south and the Pyrenees looked stunning still capped in snow as we crossed the border. Palamos is a favourite stopover for us as we always like to go and see Jose and Nuria at Commercial Ferrer where we bought our Trek bikes two years ago.

5th May. After two nights in Palamos and a further two in Peniscola we were now heading for Barx to meet up with our friends Teresa and David who we met in Goa through mutual friends . They live in Barx but spend part of the winter in Goa and had invited us to visit them when they heard we were heading for Calpe. The beauty of heading south in Spain is the increasing number of orange groves that occupy a large part of the view. The lovely contrast between the dark green leaves and the bright orange fruit never fails to please me.

Monastery of Santa Maria at Simat

I assumed we would be staying in our Motorhome parked on their drive but they had a fabulous 1 bed apartment on the ground floor of their villa which Teresa had kitted out for us with everything that you could think off and showing that she was the hostess with mostest she had even included brandy and chocolate. I knew we were going to be spoilt during our stay. That evening after David had picked up his niece Lesley and her daughter Abbie from the airport we enjoyed a lovely meal and lots of wine at one of their local restaurants and I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when the entire bill for the 6 of us was only €60. It just goes to show how much prices drop when you head away from the tourist resorts.

the view from near Simat

7th May. We have spent a wonderful 2 days with Teresa and David. They took us to a bodega where we could buy brandy by the litre decanted in to empty water bottles at a price you wouldn't believe and then on to a cheese factory to buy some fabulous cheese. What greater combination is there than cheese and wine followed by a snifter of brandy!!

They also took us to Simat to explore the monastery and admire the incredible views down to the coast. After chilling by the pool all morning and enjoying David's lovely chicken paella for lunch we set off for Calpe late afternoon. It was just as well we were leaving as Teresa knows how to put on a spread and I think we probably gained about 4lb each in the 2 days we were with them!!

What do you mean no purse!!

9th May. After a lovely coastal ride to Moreira yesterday we decided to go a bit further today and cycled in the opposite direction to Albir. It was a gorgeous hot day and after a lovely ride we arrived looking forward to a nice coffee and tapas. It was at this point that we realised that neither of us had packed the purse. Classic mistake!! Our drinks bottles were already getting low as it had been a hot ride so we decided we should head straight back. It was a lovely 36km ride but would definitely have been better with a coffee break!! Guess what was the first thing we did when we got back!!

10th May. Today we went out on a ride with our friends Sandra and Colin. They are much fitter than us and always take us further than we would go on our own. We did a lovely but hilly ride to Xalo (Jalon) which warranted 2 cups of coffee when we stopped for a break!! We had a great day and cycled just over 45kms and I was definitely in need of a rest when we got back.

With Colin & Sandra at Xalo

16th May. 2 days ago we did a ride to Benissa via the coast road as the views are stunning. It is a long steady climb with occasional dips and I was delighted to do it without stopping as hills are really not my favourite thing. We got to Benissa in 1 hour and 3 minutes so I told Glynn my aim would be to do it in less than an hour next time. Today I decided it was time to do the ride again and with a target of less than 1 hour we set off. When I arrived at the café in Benissa looking rather red faced after a hot and strenuous ride I was absolutely over the moon that I had done it in 57 minutes and 29 seconds. Glynn's response was that I could aim for sub 55 minutes next time, I can't print my answer!! Colin and Sandra had invited us over to their Camperstop for a BBQ so after a very fast ride back down to Calpe and a cool shower to refresh we headed over to theirs and enjoyed a lovely relaxed afternoon.

Colin ready to rock the BBQ!!

17th May. Today we had arranged to cycle to Benidorm for a big full English breakfast with Sandra and Colin. We figured after riding that far we would deserve it. It was a very hot day and it was lovely to arrive and relax in the shade fortifying ourselves with our breakfast and coffees before we headed back. The nice thing about riding with others who are fitter is it pushes you out of your comfort zone both in terms of distance and speed and I was pleased to see we had cycled just over 49kms by the time we got back. The afternoon involved little more than relaxing by the motorhome and a few games of crib which I lost 3-0!!

20th May. We did another ride along the coast to Moreira 2 days ago and enjoyed a lazy day yesterday morning followed by lunch with our friends Jan and Del who live in Calpe and then drinks at Tres Palmeras, a Friday afternoon ritual to see if we could win the meat raffle ( I didn't but did win a meat pie!!).

Me and Jan with our prizes!!

Today we had no plans to do anything strenuous and then we got one of those phone calls you never want to get. My son called to say that his wife Lisa had suffered a stroke that morning and had been rushed to hospital. He was desperately trying to hold himself together and it was heartbreaking to hear his distress and not be there immediately to comfort him. They had celebrated their first wedding anniversary only 3 days ago!! I assured him we would be home as quickly as possible and within an hour we had packed up everything, paid our bill and were on the road. By the evening we had made it as far as Sabananigo in the Pyrenees. It was a relief to get an update from Darryl to say that although Lisa was still paralysed she was showing signs of improvement.

22nd May. After a mammoth 11 hour drive yesterday and a 4.30am start today we finally made it home just after 5pm. it was great to be able to hug Darryl and be there to help support and reassure him through a really tough time. We know it will a long and difficult recovery for Lisa but hopefully with the support of all her family and friends she will make it as she is a strong and determined girl.

UPDATE. I am pleased to say that a week after Lisa suffered the stroke she had an operation on her brain to untangle and repair the damaged blood vessels that had caused the stroke and she awoke from the operation to discover that she was no longer paralysed. It was a huge step forward but as she still has no feeling on the left side of her body there is a long and hard rehabilitation period to come and we are all praying that she continues to make good progress.