Update one
I was asked to do a selfie with my bike. Here it is ... The best I could do I'm afraid and believe me I tried. Without a selfie stick or holder it proved difficult with a smartphone. The timer also started on 10 seconds, which was fine but when I went to take the photos it would only do 5 seconds. Nowhere could I find how to adjust the timing and as such never quite got it right, so frustrated I gave up.
CORRECTIONS:
I note a major error in my blog that I wish to correct. One of no doubt many that I will find as the days pass.
I described the plastic wrapped landscape in south eastern Spain as 'Andalusian', (Day 43) which is incorrect. The province of Murcia is where the plastic wrapped landscape is particularly noticeable. My apologies to Andalusia.
Also as bad as the N340 is for cyclists near Fuengirola, it is possible to cycle parallel to the road on the inside of the barrier for the most part. However a cycle lane would be a big improvement and make cycling safer.
Other mistakes, corrections and things learned will be posted from time to time to ensure the blog not biased or inaccurate.
I hope to add an analysis of the trip eventually in particular of the equipment taken and used and how I could have made it easier and more enjoyable by doing or avoiding certain things.
Lux Mundi & GoFundMe.
Today Lux Mundi received the 600 euros that was generously donated by the many followers of my journey. I would like to thank all who made donations and also commented on the blog as both helped me to complete the task I had planned. This kind of support went a long way in keeping me motivated.
Lux Mundi like many organisations has recently suffered badly due to the Covid crisis and also Brexit. The organisation still helps anyone in need, regardless of faith or nationality, but still lacks funds and volunteers to continue to function. I noticed today they had secondhand clothes for just 1 euro, but they are not on any high street but tucked away on a small side road where few people go. Many of the services they had provided in the past have been cut back and like many their future is uncertain. Your contributions will have made a difference, you can be sure of that. Thanks again!
SUMMARY:
After a few days rest from cycling long distances and with time to reflect I can now add some final thoughts.
My original plan to go via Granada was always going to be a challenge but after seeing the elevations involved (1600m) and losing my solar panels early on it became a very questionable route. Instead I opted for a coastal route, which is explained in more detail in the various posts. It was also clear early on, even on the first day riding through the Black Forest that 30-35kg of weight (bike+luggage) was always going to make hill climbs hard. So approaching the French/Spanish border and the Pyrenees I chose not to climb the mountains but to ride along the coast instead, which was equally spectacular with many interesting coastal town and landscapes.
My main option for overnighting had been camping and this worked reasonably well until reaching the south of France and Spain. After that campsites were no longer campsites in my view but parking places for caravans, dormobiles, camper vans and such like. Surfaces were mainly hardcore rubble or sand and in most cases it was impossible to drive tent pegs into the ground without a heavy hammer (something that backpackers and cyclists would never carry). The price of a one night stay with a small tent varied between 8-24 euros but most were well above 12 euros. Showers, washing facilities and toilets were standard and sometimes swimming pools, restaurants, bars and small supermarkets were also available on site. These sites were taken up by 90-95% of vehicles so that tents were rarely seen and were usually allocated the same plot as a vehicle. Electricity was available at all campsites, sometimes included in the fee and sometimes at extra cost. The most I paid extra was 6 euros for one night.
Halfway through Spain I found enduring the campsites more trouble than they were worth and discovered that I could often find excellent hostals or hotels for just 10-20 euros more. Staying at these saved a great deal of time and energy, they were much more comfortable and in the long run it was probably as cheap, if not cheaper than camping. Wild camping would have been a better option but that was illegal in most places and without solar panels to recharge batteries for lights, GPS navigation, smartphone and laptop, plus a host of other items it was impractical. So my initial vision for the trip was soon changed to fit the real world, particularly after my solar panels stopped working.
It still annoys me that everywhere a tent icon is used for camping but in reality, on the route I took at least, it was anything but. Camping (sites) to me means staying in nature with trees, grass and soft ground that at the very least consists of soil and not a hardcore surface that can damage the groundsheet and bend tent pegs. Rarely did I find a flat, smooth, horizontal surface for the tent so that at most campsites sleeping was uncomfortable and difficult and noise often compounded the problem. Some campsites were close to motorways and railways, one was on a flight path close to a major airport with aircraft landing at 1-2 minute intervals until midnight, making even conversation impossible. In Spain dogs barking throughout the night was a problem at many campsites and one dog often set off dogs barking for miles around, sometimes trigging dogs in kennels and even those on the campsite.
As is often the case with many backpackers and cyclists I took many items I never needed and carried that unnecessary weight for almost the entire trip. I posted two boxes of items back home at various points and that reduced the weight I was carrying by more than 6kg.
Things I never used included: A large water carrier, a small water filter bottle, selfie stick, mini tripod, action camera/accessories, jumper, chain lock, AA battery pack, socks, pen knife and some dried food.
Had I simply stayed at hotels overnight I could have dumped 90% of my luggage thus reducing the weight by 20-25kg and that would have made a huge difference on how long the journey took me. It could have saved maybe 10 days or more and that would also have saved on costs dramatically. So camp sites ... forget it!
Cycle paths varied from the ideal (Valencia) to the downright dangerous. That said I would guess that at least 75% of the journey was on some sort of cycle path and through France probably nearer 90%. Almost every town and city had made some sort of effort to accommodate cyclists but many were incomplete or not thought through or simply neglected and impossible to ride on. The Maps.me GPS navigator often took me off a perfectly good road onto a cycle path for just 100m only to return me to the road again, which was more hassle than it was worth. Often it would take me across a main road to a cycle path and then further along the cycle path would be on the other side of the road and so I was often forced to criss-cross a major road with traffic just to ride a cycle path for a short distance. Eventually I ignored such diversions and remained on the main road like most cyclists. In other words many local authorities had done the minimum to accommodate cyclists but it was rather half-hearted and unserious.
More soon maybe ...
Outback Fuengirola : Monday 18th October.
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