January 2020

Mar Menor at Los Urrutias

3^rd January. When we first arrived here in October and enquired what a winter in Spain would be like we were told it would be warmer outside than in which we thought was odd but now we understand. The days are bright and sunny and it is lovely and warm in the direct sun but it turns cold very quickly in the shade and although inside the house it feels chilly all the time we need sunscreen to sit on the terrace.

We started the new year quietly with a short ride to San Cayetano and I did some baking. Today we decided to do a longer ride and after following the canal road to San Miguel we carried on and cycled around the Embalse de la Pedrera and then stopped at Torremendo for coffee. We then opted to cycle back via the hilly main road rather than the flat canal road. For some reason I was really struggling with my leg today and the pain was spreading up to my hip so cycling the smallest incline felt like a real effort. We cycled 64kms and I must admit I was glad to get back as it had really taken all my energy on the climbs.

5^th January. After a day of rest yesterday and doing a lot of calf and hamstring stretches I was ready to test my leg again today. We decided to be sensible and just do the shorter 44km ride to San Miguel for a coffee at the Nuthouse. It was a cold but sunny day and we now find we need our winter cycling clothes with base layers. This is quite novel as we haven’t cycled in cold weather for 6 years and although I don’t particularly like the cold it is much easier than riding in some of the extreme temperatures we experienced last summer. It was a good ride and luckily my leg seems to have improved.  

Nativity scene on the beach

Today is the start of a two day festival in Spain, Fiesta de Los Reyes (Three Kings Festival) which is celebrated on the 5^th and 6^th January every year. It is one of the most important holidays in Spain and celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem to give their gifts to the baby Jesus. On the evening of the 5^th January there are big parades to welcome the Three Kings while children line the streets to catch the sweets that are thrown to them. Traditionally children leave their freshly polished shoes outside in order for the Kings to place their gifts in them. The morning of the 6^th, the Epiphany, is when the children open their gifts and all the family come together. We have seen big displays of cakes, called Roscón de Reyes, in all the shops but hadn’t realised the significance. These sweet breads are circular in shape to represent the crowns the Kings wore and usually contain a small ceramic baby Jesus and a dried bean. 

Children excited to greet one of the Kings

The cakes are normally eaten at breakfast on the morning of the 6th January and the person that is lucky enough to find the baby Jesus in their slice will apparently have good luck all year while the person that gets the dried bean isn't so lucky as they have to buy the cake the following year. We decided to drive to Santiago de la Ribera on the Mar Menor to watch the celebrations where the Three Kings broke with tradition and arrived at dusk by boat rather than by camel!! The streets were packed with families and there was a wonderful party atmosphere. All the street cafes were full and a stage had been set up where a singer was entertaining the crowds. We stopped to listen while he sang a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah and Ava Marie.

After admiring the nativity displays and watching the arrival of the Three Kings we headed back home for a quiet evening relaxing.

Tumbleweed

12^th January. After several days of rest, partly because of some very strong winds and the threat of rain, we woke to a lovely sunny day. The only evidence of the strong winds were the large tumbleweeds everywhere. We decided to go for a ride with no clear idea of where we were heading and ended up cycling just over 100 kms heading inland to Torre Pacheco, round to La Union and then back via the coastal route of the Mar Menor. It was a great ride and my leg wasn’t hurting so hopefully all the stretches were helping. 

16^th January. We did a short ride to San Miguel a couple of days ago and yesterday we had a very relaxing day meeting friends for lunch so we decided to head out on the bikes again today as poor weather is forecast in the coming days. It has been my intention to cycle to Orihuela every time I pass the road sign when we are near Torremendo so today that was our planned destination. It was absolutely perfect cycling weather with very little wind and about 18° in the sun. It was a really nice route and we stopped in Orihuela for a coffee and tostada. As it was a long way back we didn’t stop to explore the area so we might have to go back in the car another day and see what the city has to offer. We had done 93kms when we got back so we carried on along the canal path and took the scenic route home so that we reached 100kms. 

17^th January. Feeling no ill effects from yesterday’s long ride we headed out on the bikes again today as I was keen to ensure that I reached my 1000 miles target before the end of January. It was cold but sunny as we rode to San Cayetano. The temperature rose dramatically sitting in the sun outside the café and my Garmin showed it was 31° in the direct sun. We had almost finished our coffees when we heard a bang and Glynn’s rear inner tube exploded. While I continued to enjoy the sun Glynn changed the tube but must have pinched it putting the tyre back on as it went flat. Whilst he carefully used our last tube I added inner tubes to my shopping list as Glynn definitely has a habit of getting punctures, similar to the first year we retired and were travelling in France when Glynn seemed to be aiming for the world record in the number of punctures that could be achieved in a short space of time. The bike finally sorted we headed home. As you leave San Cayetano there is a huge field full of mint plants that borders the canal path and the smell is amazing. I inhaled deeply and hoped the nice smell would last until we had passed the sheep farm further along the canal path as the smell from there definitely didn't have a patch on the field of mint!!

Beautiful Ficus tree in Santiago de la Ribera

19^th January. We decided to go for a walk on the walkway past the mud baths at Lo Pagan today. You can actually walk a circular 12km route past the mud baths out towards the high rise hotels that you can see at La Manga and round via the salt marshes where the pink flamingoes are. The first 3 kms of the path is tarmac before it changes to compressed sand. We could see a little white windmill in the distance so we aimed to walk as far as that and back. The bad weather was drawing in and we could see in the distance that we weren’t going to escape some rain later. By the time I’d reached the little windmill I was in agony with my calf right up to my hip and l was limping badly. For some reason I seemed to be getting worse lately and was in more pain than I was back in December. To make matters worse there was a strong headwind as we turned back so it was a real effort to get back to where we’d left the car. I was in so much pain by the time we got back I could barely walk. Luckily we made it back home just before the storm arrived and the rest of the day was a washout with really strong winds and lots of rain. While I dosed up on painkillers Glynn made me a lovely fresh coffee, bless him.

Storm surge

22nd January. After two days of horrendous rain, strong winds and thunder and lightning the sun was trying to peek through the clouds today. We had read reports of all the flooding that had occurred again around the roads close to the Mar Menor. We took advantage of a respite in the rain yesterday to go for a walk along the seafront. The waves were still crashing in and seaweed littered the promenade where waves had crashed over the high walls. The sea looked brown instead of its normal pretty blue. Our area was largely unaffected by flooding however the rain had caused large areas of mud to slide from the surrounding fields on to the roads. We definitely wouldn’t be cycling today so we decided to volunteer at the local dog rescue centre. They were advertising on Facebook for volunteers to walk the dogs as they had been locked up for 4 days because of the weather. The more minor roads were blocked near Lo Pagan so we had to take the motorway to the rescue centre which was near San Cayetano. I had an image of a few cages with about 20 dogs but the rescue centre was huge with over 250 dogs of all shapes and sizes and the noise was deafening as the dogs were so excited at the thought of being let out.

Big softie wanting a tummy rub

I was surprised by how many volunteers there were and we soon joined them as we walked our first pair of dogs around the nearby lanes. Our route was limited because of the amount of mud following the storms however I don’t think the dogs cared where they went. One of the dogs I walked was a big hairy thing who looked like she was part St Bernard. She was hilarious and in spite of her size she tried to leap around like a puppy. As we were walking she would suddenly throw herself on the floor in front of me and refuse to get up until I had rubbed her tummy. On the way back she seemed to realise that we were going back to the kennel and promptly lay down on a huge pile of dirt and refused to get up. It took much tummy rubbing to persuade her to get up again and we eventually got her back to the kennel. It felt really good doing our bit to help the centre and we really enjoyed it so after promising to help again another day we headed home for lunch and a quiet afternoon reading. 

23^rd January. With the good weather restored we headed out for a ride today but ended up taking several detours as we came across various road closures where flooding was still receding or mud blocked the roads. We had initially planned on cycling around part of the Mar Menor but with our route blocked we headed up to the canal road to San Cayetano and then dropped down to Los Narejos before heading to San Javier and then back via the N332. It was a bit of a magical mystery tour as we avoided the various road closures but we managed a nice 51kms. The poor bikes were caked in mud when we got back so we decided to hose them down before cleaning them thoroughly. While we were outside cleaning them Glynn’s rear inner tube suddenly went bang. His face was an absolute picture and I was desperately trying not to laugh. He couldn’t believe he’d got another puncture and he wasn't even riding the bike!! At least it happened after we got home this time. 

Celebrating 1000 miles!!

26^th January. We enjoyed a lovely evening yesterday with a lot of the dance crowd when we all met up at a restaurant in La Zenia for a meal and dancing. I still can’t dance as the twisting motion causes instant pain in my calf but Glynn got chance to practice his jive moves when a variety of women dragged him on the dance floor. Today I was keen to get out on the bikes again as I only needed another 40kms to reach my target. It was a lovely sunny day but we figured there would still be too much mud on the canal path to San Miguel so we headed in the opposite direction and after cycling to San Cayetano we carried on down to the Mar Menor to add a few more kilometres. All the roads seemed to be open now although there was plenty of evidence of the recent storm because of the amount of dried mud that has accumulated against the kerbs. By the time we got back we had cycled 50kms which took my total to 1619 kms (1006 mls). I was so pleased at reaching the target.

28^th January. As the good weather has continued we decided to risk cycling the canal road to San Miguel today. Although the route is largely tarmac there is one long section of dirt which turns into a bog in the rain. As part of this area is sheltered from the sun by a high bank it takes a long time to dry out. When we got to that section it had dried out fairly well but was so deeply rutted from vehicles driving through the mud that it wasn’t ideal for road bikes so after stopping for coffee at San Miguel we decided to cycle back via the main road. Most of the roads have a lovely wide verge so that we always feel safe cycling however the majority of the road back from San Miguel has no verge at all. It is a very scenic route through woodland and past a golf course and has a nice balance of ascending and descending but nothing steep. We only had one car race past too close and disappointingly it was a British car. It’s a shame there is no verge as it’s a route I would take in preference to the canal road but we are too vulnerable on a narrow road as it would only take one impatient driver coming too close to cause some serious harm. Having seen the injuries we’ve both sustained on low speed crashes, especially when Glynn was forced off the road in Portugal by a vehicle coming too close, it’s not a risk I like to take too often. We made it back unscathed and no punctures for Glynn either which is becoming a bit of a novelty!! 

The big softie laying down again

30^th January. We decided to volunteer at the dog rescue centre again today and I got to take the lovely big crazy dog out again. It finally occurred to me why the dogs were taking no notice of us at all as we were automatically talking to them in English which we found hilarious when we realised our mistake!! Funnily enough although I practice my Spanish lessons everyday and I know that dog is perro I haven’t yet had a lesson that teaches dog commands such as sit and stay. I guess that will need to be my research project for tonight. After we got back and had lunch we decided to go for another ride but only managed a short 22kms as I was really struggling with pain from my leg. As I can’t walk very far before it plays up I guess a ride on top of the dog walking was too much so we decided to head home and chill for the rest of the day. 

31^st January. The last day of the month finished with more glorious sunshine. I took the sensible option and chilled on the terrace to rest my leg while Glynn decided he wanted to tackle the winding and hilly road that leads from Conesa Castle to Rebate. As he’s long since passed his 1000 mile target for the Cycling Down Dementia challenge he decided to increase his target to 1500 miles so he needed one more ride to achieve it. While I enjoyed a particularly good book on my Kindle Glynn was busy tackling a head-wind, hairpin bends and a few steep climbs. I think I chose the better option!! When he returned 57kms later looking suitable tired he had achieved a final total of 1517 miles and raised £1072.79 for Alzheimer’s UK so he was justifiably pleased with himself. 

It has been a great month and, in spite of the cold nights, when the sun makes an appearance it has been lovely and warm. February is going to be a busy month as we have Darryl and Lisa coming to visit for a few days and after they fly home we plan on leaving here to work our way home. My dearest friend Tilly has moved to Chalabre in France recently so we will stop off and spend a couple of days with her as we head towards Calais. As we have only 12 days until Darryl and Lisa arrive we are going to make the most our last chance to get out on the bikes and explore. 

Nativity display at Santiago de la Ribera

Part of a very large Nativity display

Disney characters entertaining the children

Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed blocking the road

October 2019

Torre de la Horadada

The Promenade

2nd October. Chris and John departed yesterday leaving us to enjoy their house for the winter and we spent the rest of the day doing shopping and getting our kit organised. Glynn had already made contact with Torrevieja U3A cycle group so today saw us up early to find our way to Los Dolses to meet the group for their ride. Their destination for today was San Miguel de Salinas via the canal path which runs from Cartagena in the south towards Orihuela, just south of Alicante. Although the pace was much slower it was a great way to start learning about the area as we didn't know about the canal path and had cycled the much hillier road way to meet the group. We stopped at a great little cafe called the Nut House in San Miguel which seemed very popular judging by the number of people there. Legend has it that it got its name from the days before it held a drink licence so you would order some nuts and then get a free beer with it!! I was delighted to discover that our coffees came with a lovely little muffin on the side, not exactly low carb friendly but hey, we all need a bit of sugar sometimes!! It was great to meet so many people so early in our stay and we were given loads of information on the area. It looks like this could be a fun and active winter indeed!! It was a nice gentle 44km ride and armed with all our new information it had been a very productive day. 

Traffic jam on the canal path

3rd October. Armed with a better understanding of the area we headed straight for the canal path just north of Pilar de la Horadada and turned left. Some areas of the canal path were covered in dirt and debris from the recent gota fria storm that had caused substantial damage in the area but it was still possible to cycle easily along the path. We continued on for some time before taking one of the many roads that link to the path and headed south towards Los Alcazares on the Mar Menor. We must have taken the worst road possible as it was well overdue for resurfacing and we rattled and bumped our way for nearly 10 kms before reaching the coast. The damage from the gota fria was also evident all along the Mar Menor although it didn't detract from the beauty of the views. After a coffee stop we decided to head back along the coast road  rather than experience the bumpy route back to the canal path and we got back in no time, a nice 52 km ride.

Embalse de la Pedrera

6th October. After a couple of relaxing days enjoying the local beach and doing some lovely walks in the glorious sunshine we decided to head out on another ride today. Glynn had been looking at the map and suggested we ride to Torremende which appeared to involve a few nice climbs without being too taxing. We were amazed at how hot it still was for October as we had expected it to be cooler, most days it was hitting around 30°. It was a fantastic route that took us up through Pilar de la Horadada and past Pinar de Campoverde. There was a really nice balance of climbs and descents and the slightly steeper sections were short and sweet making them bearable in the heat. We found a lovely little cafe in the town and enjoyed a nice coffee before heading towards a lake we had spotted on our ride in to the town. It turned out to be the edge of the Embalse de la Pedrera reservoir but we couldn't find the road to get us closer so we decided to save that for another day. A very nice 50 km ride. 

8th October. As we had done little yesterday other than visit the huge market at San Pedro Del Pinitar to get our vegetables and then chill on the terrace we decided to head out on the bikes again today. We had been told there was a cycle path that ran all the way to Torrevieja so we set off in search of it. It was easy to find the cycle path just at the top of the town however it clearly hadn't been maintained in some while and maybe the recent gota fria storm had added to the state of it. It wasn't a route I would do again but we made it to Torrevieja and stopped for a coffee break. As I hadn't enjoyed the route I suggested we head inland towards San Miguel and head home via the canal path. In spite of being a main road it felt very safe and traffic was minimal so we were making good time when I suddenly heard that dreaded sound, a loud hissing noise from Glynn's rear tyre!! Note to self..... carry wet wipes as it's always Glynn's rear tyre that punctures and he ends up with chain oil over his hands. The spare tube had a previous repair that clearly hadn't been done very well as we only got another 1km up the road before it had gone flat. Stupidly we hadn't brought a repair kit with us as we had the spare tube so a quick google showed there was a bike shop in San Miguel and we would have to be quick to get there before they closed for a long lunch break. As we were 4 kms from the town we did a fast walk which in that heat and wearing cycle shoes was not easy!! We caught the bike shop just as they were about to close early so we made it in the nick of time. New inner tube purchased and fitted and we headed over to the Nut House for coffee and a muffin before back along the canal path. It was a very nice (well most of it!!) 55km ride. Time for a visit to Decathlon for more inner tubes I think!!

Embalse de la Pedrera

9th October. We did a really lovely ride today. After setting off early to ride to Los Dolses to meet some of the U3A group we then carried on to San Miguel to meet the rest of the group so there were thirteen of us in total on today's ride. We did a stunning route that took us around the Emblase de la Pedrera reservoir. It was a nice mixture of climbs and descents with nothing too taxing and after a coffee break in Torremendo we headed back to San Miguel. After another leisurely coffee break myself and Glynn set off back to the canal path with 2 of the cyclists, Neil and Jackie, who lived near us in Pilar. When we got back we had done a very nice 75kms. This was the longest ride I had done on the test saddle and I was really impressed that I'd managed a decent length ride with no discomfort but as it had been a very casual ride because of the differing abilities of the U3A riders I was looking forward to testing its comfort level on a normal faster ride.

San Javier

11th October. Today we went out for a ride with Jackie and Neil and headed towards San Cayetano along the canal path and then after a quick coffee break we cycled down to San Javier and then Santiago de la Ribera on the Mar Menor. By this time we had progressed from coffee to caña, well there is only so much coffee you can drink!! We then cycled along the coastal roads and they showed us a track that cut through from Lo Pagán to El Mojón via the nature reserve, avoiding the need to cycle the N332 back. It was a great route and we did a very pleasant 43kms. Another thumbs up for the saddle comfort. 

13th October. After a quick 36km training ride to San Cayetano we headed back home so Glynn could watch the Japan/Scotland rugby game. After the game Jackie and Neil picked us up and took us to San Luis Square  in Torrevieja to see The Big Jam.  An entertaining afternoon where singers and musicians get together and perform a variety of songs and people get up and dance. It was great fun and Jackie told us about modern jive classes that are run by Paso A Paso in the area so we decided we would check it out out as we'd had a few bachata classes when we were in Goa last winter so we liked the idea of learning modern jive and it added a new dimension to our activities. 

16th October. After a couple of quiet days enforced on us by some rain normal weather has resumed and the sun is shining again. Today we went on another bike ride with Jackie and Neil to San Miguel de Salinas clocking up a nice 52 Kms, another decent length to test the new saddle which was so far passing every test. Wednesday evenings the jive classes are held at the Olympia in Mil Palmeras which is not far from us so we spent the evening learning our first jive moves and we had a great time. Everyone was so friendly and we soon picked up the basics. During the free-style dance session afterwards we were both asked up several times by various members and it is amazing how well you can dance when being expertly led by someone who knows what they are doing. Poor Glynn had the disadvantage as he is expected to lead but the women were gently with him and led him instead. We videoed the routine we had learnt so that we would be able to practice all week. We had also been told about a badminton club at the local sports centre several times a week so guess where we will be at 10am tomorrow!! 

20th October. After a hectic 2 hours of badminton on Thursday and walking round the enormous market at a Torrevieja followed by a very fast 40km ride to San Cayetano on Friday we spent yesterday just strolling along the beautiful seafront to ease our poor aching muscles!! With bad weather forecast for the coming days and the potential for another gota fria storm we went out on the bikes again while the sun was still shining and did a lovely 37km ride to Lo Romero and then down to the Mar Menor.

23rd October. Rain might have stopped us cycling but it didn't interfere with badminton. After 2 hours of badminton yesterday we went back again today as I was advised there was a coach available on Wednesdays and to be fair some guidance wouldn't go amiss based on my current level of ability. I did have to feel sorry for whoever got drawn as my partner in each game and I look forward to the day I don't need to make my apologies at the start of every game. On the plus side I can only get better!! The coaching session was great and I left there optimistic for my chances of occasionally winning a game!. An evening of Jive practice in Mil Palmeras rounded off a very nice but hectic day and I don't think I crushed too many toes in the process.

Enjoying the sunset

26th October. We've enjoyed a very relaxing couple of days and our friends Jan and Del, who live in Calpe, came to stay for a night so we had a great evening catching up as we would being with them in Goa this winter. Today after watching England beat the All Blacks in the semi final of the rugby World Cup we decided to head out on a quick training ride but the weather was so beautiful we got carried away and ended up doing 62kms exploring lots of the local areas that link to the canal path. To stretch our legs afterwards we did a lovely walk along the seafront just before sunset when the temperature was a very comfortable low 20's. 

view from Conesa castle restaurant

27th October. After watching Wales lose to South Africa in the other semi-final we decided to mirror the route around the Embalse de la Pedrera that we had done with the U3A group albeit with the freedom to do it at a much faster pace. It really is a wonderfully scenic ride and with a couple of 10% gradients thrown in it gives a good balance to a ride. We stopped at the Nut House in San Miguel for a coffee and as it was really busy we were invited to join a local Spaniard and his mate that were enjoying a beer. We had a lovely chat with them while drinking our coffee. Their English level matched our Spanish so we managed quite a good chat and a bit of sign language filled the gaps in understanding. After carrying on and cycling round the reservoir we headed back via the main road as there are a couple of nice climbs as you head towards Pinar de Campoverde. A very nice 70 km ride although the test saddle failed to keep me comfortable today so maybe my seating position when doing climbs accounted for that? We will see as the weeks progress.

Conesa Castle

30th October. After a terrible badminton session yesterday when I was convinced I had no strings in my racket we went to the sports centre again this morning so that I could have another coaching session. There were 4 of us wanting help this week so John, our coach, had us doing all sorts of exercises to improve our game before letting us loose with the main games. I felt much better and even managed to be on a winning team a couple of times. Afterwards we dashed home for a quick shower before cycling back to the centre to meet Neil and Jackie. We had arranged to cycle to Conesa Castle at San Miguel where the restaurant does a fantastic choice for a 3 course menu del dia at only €8.95. This was our second visit as myself and Glynn had driven over for lunch one day after it had been recommended to us. We were so impressed we invited Jackie and Neil to join us and decided to cycle there. It would hopefully help counteract the tiramisu that I planned on having for dessert!! We enjoying a really chilled afternoon in a fabulous setting and we were all rather full when it came time to cycle home. Being a Wednesday meant it was jive night at Mil Palmeras so it was another quick shower and then a quick practice jive around the lounge before we set off for the Olympia bar. It had been a really busy day with 2 hours of badminton, a 44km cycle ride and 3 hours of jive. We were shattered when we got home!!

With Jackie and Neil at Conesa Castle

31st October. We spent the last day of the month taking it easy after such a busy time yesterday so I baked a few cookies and some brownies before we enjoyed a nice walk along the beach. We have now been in Torre de la Horadada for a month and it has far exceeded our expectations. We have been introduced to so many lovely people and discovered there is so much to do with the badminton, jive lessons, the cycling and the beautiful walks. It really is a stunning area and offers so much. There are more activities, such as paddle tennis, that we haven't tried but to be fair I'm not sure we can fit anything else in. I'm impressed at how cheap everything is as a 2 hour badminton session is only €2 and an evening learning to jive is €6. I have never felt so fit. The weather is far hotter than I expected for this time of year and seems to be averaging around 27° most days with the occasional day where it was over 30°. I was initially worried we would miss our usual winter in Goa but I have to say that so far this area of Spain is making a very good substitute and actually has a lot more to offer. We have an exciting challenge ahead as Glynn has signed up to do the Cycling Down Dementia challenge which by default means I will be doing it too. This means we will be cycling 1600 kms (1000 MLS) over the next 3 months to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK. Following Glynn's mums diagnosis it is a cause close to our hearts right now so we look forward to doing our best to raise money for them. 

The Mar Menor