Europe Archives - Page 6 of 15

Tangier to Larache. Lifeday 25,318

Posted on November 20, 2016November 20, 2016

Apparently I started on Twitter 10 years ago today 🙂

However, today was another toughie with a strong headwind most of the way plus I discovered Moroccan garages only sell fuel and oil no fridges full of cold drinks and chocolate 🙁 I did find one selling bottled water from a locked fridge. I guess its a poorness indicator the shops are also poorly stocked.

Lots of cyclists coming the other way on their Sunday rides giving me a wave. It’s amazing the different styles of driving, cars overtaking coming the other way seem very common forcing the cars on my side of the road into dangerous manoeuvres around me. I haven’t at to leap off yet like in South Africa but I’m certainly keeping my eye open for the ditches.

Tanger beach is stunning with new apartments selling for £23,000 but it’s miles from anywhere and you have to cross the busy road to get to the beach. Every village and town has massive apartment construction underway all very cheap in European money terms.

Arriving in Larache I tried to find the previously booked Lukus Hotel, The pin on the booking.com website is in the wrong place and Google couldn’t find it. Eventually after asking loads of people someone said ask at the Hotel Espanol down the side street. I did, and the reception guy had a scruffy bit of paper with a note of my name, spelt Jeff, so obviously it had been telephoned to him. By far the worst booking.com experience to date.

Larache itself seems to sell trainers and track suits in every shop and on the pavement. My main problem, apart from the lack of beer, is that every one speaks French so you can imagine I don’t get understood very much!

Strava says I did 56.7miles and 2,068ft of climbing at a very pathetic 9.6mph but that contains a lot of riding aimlessly to find the hotel and also leaving The Medina in Tangier another tricky part of the day.

Tomorrow is a long one especially since rain is now forecast for the next week. So maybe the train will be taking some of the strain…

The pictures of the day are here

Tarifa to Tangier Lifeday 25,317

Posted on November 19, 2016November 19, 2016

A lazy day as you can imagine, it’s not possible to cycle across the Straits of Gibraltar 🙂 Instead I took the €36 high speed ferry to do the 18 miles separating Europe from Africa.

I had booked the Continental Hotel which overlooks the harbour in Tangier, easy to see but not so easy to get too up the steep alleys. The hotel itself is totally stunning, if a bit past its prime, inside with its gorgeous elaborate tilework covering every wall and its right in The Medina so very easy walking once the bike was stowed inside.

First task was to get a SIM card for my MiFi dongle. There seems to be a lot of competition with the main players having guys in the street all dressed up in their company’s livery. I ended up getting a SIM on the Meditel network, the first gig of data & SIM card was 40 MAD I bought an additional 5 gig for 50 MAD so 6 gigs for £8 compared to Three’s roaming charge of 6 THOUSAND pounds per gigabyte!!!! Word of warning though for 3 customers – make sure you deactivate roaming after leaving Spain on their Feel At Home plan.

The next task was getting the strap resewed on my Carradice bag, easily solved my a guy working in a tiny place just big enough for him and an industrial sewing machine – amazing and why I love places like this.

The rest of the time was spent clocking up well over 8 miles walking around The Medina I enjoyed it so much I think I will winter over here rather than Spain 🙂

Tomorrow I’m going 110km down The Atlantic coast to Larache. So it will be interesting to explore Moroccan roads & drivers.

No Strava today but some pictures here

Sabinillas – Gibraltar – Tarifa. Lifeday 25,316

Posted on November 18, 2016

Looking to Africa

A very full on day. Starting with five miles on the dreaded A-7, less busy today so not to bad. I turned of and explored the once huge gated community of Sotogrande very posh indeed 🙂 Then with relief along the old road alongside the A-7 until I reached the A383 and then a climb to over 600 feet before swooping down into Concepcion and Gibraltar whose passport control was totally perfunctory.

Gibraltar was incredibly busy, especially with my pet hates of scooters & taxis everywhere plus lots of tourists, not my sort of place at all, although interesting to see how England used to be but in the sun. I decided to take the cable car to the top, leaving my bike with the Fire Station below 🙂 Took loads of pics of the so called wild apes for Sally and the view. Before quickly descending and escaping the turmoil.

Sunset at the southern tip of mainland Europe

Then it was of to Tarifa climbing to well over 1,000 feet before dropping back to sea level in Tarifa and the finish of the European bit of my bike ride. This has taken 31 days of riding (excluding Ibiza) to do 1,907 miles and with 77,679 feet of ascent 🙂 I left home 68 days ago but have been flitting to and fro quite a bit plus spending two weeks in Ibiza so all very leisurely.

Tomorrow its the ferry across the straits and a night in Tangier, Morocco.

The Strava’s for today are:
To Gibraltar 24.7 miles 1,234 feet of ascent
To Tarifa 31.6 miles 1,843 feet of ascent

The pics are on Dropbox here

Malaga to Sabinillas Lifeday 25,315

Posted on November 17, 2016

A Lovely bendy bike path, not very practical but certainly better than nought

The day started very well with a Spanish breakfast at the cafe next door to The Zeus. Then I was on my way along the wonderful snaking cycle path behind the promenade in Malaga. All was bliss..

At the sports stadium the cycleway vered right, I needed to go straight on. The only problem it was an horrendously busy road leading to an even busier roundabout, I was amazed after all this time, Spain isn’t going to force me to ride on these roads? At the roundabout I was bemused and so was the prostitute (most Spanish roundabouts seem to have a resident worker) as I went round a couple of times. I bit the bullet and went over the bridge amidst the huge trucks! I made it only to find the exit I wanted was blocked so more messing about and eventually I arrived on the MA-21 and it’s traffic. I hugged the kerb and perimeter wire to the airport to try and avoid the trucks . After Fuengirola it got worse and became the A-7 🙁

Action was needed, so I had Google Maps plan a new route. This avoided the main road but proceeded to take me around estates built on the cliffs with incredibly steep hills leading to steps, obviously Google’s satellite resolution isn’t quite good enough yet 🙁 Later on it took me to the ocean’s edge expecting me to wade around 🙁 I gave up and returned to the traffic and the A-7

Lighting engineers are the same world over.

The problem with biking on urban motorways are the numerous slip roads a total nightmare with cars each side of you and then some nutter cutting you up in front. The other problem is that they leave a ‘footpath’ behind the barriers but the lighting clowns erect their posts dead centre making it impossible to steer around. Plus they suddenly end!

Just amazing that their premier tourist road has such appalling provision for cyclists, walkers and mopeds etc. I guess the EU money ran out.

Well the bridge is in Los Angeles, Spain

Anyway I survived to live and tell the tale. However, I will not be cycling South from Malaga ever again!

The Hotel Dona Luisa in San Luis Sabinillas is very pleasant almost on the beach, a very welcome sight after 66 miles, 2,900 feet of climbing at 11.6mph according to Strava.

The days pics are here.

Tomorrow I should make it to Gibraltar and the southernmost point of mainland Europe at Tarifa.