Day thirty six

 

My bike complete with luggage about to be serviced.

I slept pretty well last night and went off to sleep straight away, which makes a change. This morning the rear tyre was completely flat so it's clearly punctured. I pumped it up again and hoped to make it to the nearest bike shop some 7km away. Otherwise I would have to remove the rear wheel and insert an inner tube, which is not an easy job these days with hydraulic disc brakes. (Actually it was a doddle but never having done it, I imagined the worst). The rear tyre is also quite worn so having it replaced at a bike shop would make sense, as it has done almost 2000km.

Anyway it's 11:00 here as I type this and I must leave the campsite by midday otherwise they will charge me for another night so I will finish packing and get on my way.

One hour later ... The bike is being repaired at Cloot bikes. Super express service, no hassle, I could be on my way to Alicante in 30 minutes and I've already done 7km.

Minutes later ... WOW! That was faster than a F1 tyre change. On my way again at 12:50. New tyre and inner tube + express service (39 euros).

 

Cloot bikes, Valencia.

Many thanks to Antonio who spoke perfect English at Cloot bikes in Valencia for a great service. Also made possible by the excellent network of cycle paths in Valencia. Valencia gets 5-stars for their super cycle paths. The best I have experienced anywhere. After that I visit the Deutsche bank in the city centre and around the corner have another fantastic 3-course Menu del Dia for next to nothing.

Valencia, now that is a place to visit again...

The enormous glass science museum, touches of Crystal palace.

The breathtaking science museum was just one of many interesting buildings in this beautiful culture park in Valencia's centre. Below an egret searches for fish in shallow waters and beyond another interesting building in the park, which I believe was a theatre.

Later on I pass by a large lake south of Valencia and take a selfie as it's about time and there was not much else to see on the lake though it was impressive if only for its size.

 

Lake just south of Valencia.

I leave Valencia behind with a view to heading for Alicante. I find a hotel on the outskirts of Sueca and against my better judgement book it while still 10km away. I get confirmation from Booking.com and choose Google maps to take me there via Booking.com's app. Once again I am taken for a ride (literally) by Booking.com and Google. I am abandoned in an olive grove with just small shacks and no sign of any hotel. I call the hotel number and discover my booking is now a hotel with a very similar name but in a completely different place called Cullera. I had noted this hotel too while booking but it was in the wrong direction so I had chosen the hotel near to Sueca. When I try to find the Sueca hotel again that I had booked on Booking.com it had vanished, just like the campsite I tried to reach a few days ago using Google maps. What is going on ...!

Eventually five people stop to help out but none can understand the problem really, which is no surprise, I could hardly understand it myself. It's getting dark so I decide to ride back into Sueca to find a new place and cancel the Cullera hotel via Whatsapp. Then I remember there are no more hotels in Sueca, so I message the Cullera hotel that I will try and make it but will be late. I switch on my lights and soon find myself riding down another gravel track in darkness with large dogs behind fences barking at me, praying not to get another puncture. (courtesy of Maps.me). Only 10km to go. OMG you cannot be serious!

Well I made it, as you can see, I am typing up my blog, drinking a can of Monster, which tastes just like Red Bull but you get twice as much and supposedly it has Ginseng in it. Pull the other one. At least there were some restaurants and grocery stores open in this part of town so I won't starve even though it's quite late now. Below an old church in Valencia. 72km today, I will assess the damage to my legs in the morning and I shall not be booking anything anymore until I see it in the flesh.