Those of you who have been keeping up will know how my day started yesterday; with some Deep Thought.
Having Thought Deeply, and shared, I went off to breakfast. Breakfasts in Paradors are worth a homily of their own. There is a table for cake. A whole table. Then there is another one for cooked meats, another for cold. Cheese gets to share with the cold. Bread gets to occupy its own space and a lot of it. There is fruit and there are fruit drinks. You can have yoghurts, or cereal, or custard. There are eggs in all their forms. There is tortilla and other stuff that I havent seen before. And there are churros, a kind of cake rope that you douse in chocolate. I just stood in the middle of all this in a flurry of indecision before settling on cake and sausages, which I felt covered the extremes.
Plus coffee. I’ve been drinking a fair bit of coffee on this trip. Angela and Selina, who work with me, will be horrified at this news. They forbid it at work as they think it turns me into some form of hyperactive loon. I just like to think it gives me an edge. But the coffee here is marvellous and the tea not so much, so I have adapted.
And so to the bike. I had a destination in mind. This was going to be a kind of rest day, no big miles, so I had decided to visit Bardanes Real. This an ecological park within about 30 miles of Sos Del Ray Catolico and I’d heard it was spectacular. It is also a military training ground, firing range and practise area for the Spanish Air Force, so access to certain areas is limited. Interesting though that you designate an area of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest – then bomb the crap out of it.
The ride there was glorious. I know that some people reading this don’t ride bikes, don’t understand the attraction, may not like them. Understood. Riding well on ‘technical’ roads, for example where there is a significant drop in elevation and a hair pin, maybe with camber, isn’t the same as it would be in a car. There is a lot more thought needed and a lot more input required to get it right. Quite often you don’t. Most times I don’t. But when it works you know it. And it’s challenging and fun and very addictive. Have I lost you yet?
Suffice it to say that the road in was wonderful with a lot of bends and then a secfion of unexpected hairpins so good I went back and rode them again, and then once more. And one more just for fun. Well, I’m on my holidays. The road ran alongside a canal full of deep green fast flowing water.
Not a soul for miles.
Anyway, I pressed on and turned at the sign for Bardanes. Truth be told, I’d didn’t know what to expect. What I hadn’t thought about was the road surface; Gravel, rocks and loose shale. Now, a fuelled up GS is 229 kilos (500 lb). I am very aware of that fact right now as the thing tips and bucks and the back wheel acts like I’m riding on marbles. I have decided that it is not a question of when I fall off but when, and where. The surface looks not only loose but painful and I keep thinking “muscles and bones” to which I have a added ‘face’.
I’m also thinking that I’ve been here now so just tick the box and bog off to proper Tarmac. Except I haven’t really, the ‘road’ stretches into the distance and is intriguing.
Now, the proper technique for riding in these conditions is to stand on the pegs and go faster. Let the bike go where it will provided it stays in the middle and not in the 2ft drop either side. Yeah. That makes so much sense right now. Let’s make it further to fall and harder. Except I know what is going to happen.
When I was about eight or nine I had an irrational terror of a corner in my mum and dad’s room. I can see it now and feel the fear. There was a space there, between the wardrobe and the wall diagonally across from the door, that at night was pitch black with just the light from the hall falling in. I don’t know what I thought was there but it made my heart pound. Like I said I was eight or nine so bear with me… Anyway I used to stand there for an age until I walked across the room and pushed myself hard into that space and stood there, eyes closed, till the fear had passed. Wierd little bugger, eh?
And that comes back when I get scared. It’s happened before and it happens now. I am s*^t scared knowing this 500lbs of bike is going to get out of control and spit me off into the rockery. Yet, all of a sudden, and seemingly without making the decision, I’m on my feet and accelerating. And it works! The bike is moving in several directions, but mainly forward, and it doesn’t seem to matter. I’m in (enough) control and feel like I’m flying.
And then the landscape opens up and I see what I would have missed had I turned back.
It is an amazing landscape, made more so in someway because it is not that far from major cities. You can wait for what seems like forever for someone to pass. The silience is deafening. Apart from idiots on motorbikes that is.
I gradually got more confident in my new way of riding, handling turns, drops, climbs. Too confident as at one point I lowered myself to give more spring in my knees ( to better soak up the bumps) but forgot to loosen my grip on the throttle, which turns with me so all of a sudden the world shoots backwards at speed. “Don’t brake, don’t brake, don’t brake”. The mantra works and I scrub off enough speed to stay continent. The lady’s symbol from Cap Breton again..
One jaw dropping sight after another for 18 miles and then I come across a military camp with a camaflouged helicopter outside. It is fairly clear from them that I turn right and not left and pretty soon I’m back on normal roads. I’ve been out for 7 hours and it’s obvious from my riding that I’m knackered . So I wind it off and enjoy the scenery till I’m back at the parador for a beer, craving the ability to share the day. There is an upside and downside to travelling alone.
Strangest sight of the day? Not the rock formations or the missiles at the base but the woman doing a selfie swimwear shoot in the middle of the desert. Just her, a camera, a tripod and a bright green bikini. And you thought I was wierd.
Anyway, must go. Its time for breakfast, and I may be a while…
peteryder2003 