Cycle day in Algorfa

10 January

Sunday’s big question was, “Do I watch cycling or do it?” It was race day in Algorfa, with our team competing among others with neighboring Almoradi. About fifty cyclists showed to run the race which starts right next to Fontana a few feet outside our gate. The course runs uphill about three km to La Finca an “urbanizacion” built around a golf course, and then back down to Fontana. It goes for sixteen laps, probably 100 km. I will measure the course tomorrow to see if I want to compete next year. Yeah, Right!!! Anyway, I opted to cycle myself and did 81+km with the regular group.

Photos courtesy of Is, who watched it for me.

Did I describe my “mates”? The average age is probably about 60, with 83 being the oldest. He rides a fixie. For the uninitiated, a fixie is a single speed bike with a gear combination of your own choosing. There is no free-wheeling. When the rear wheel rotates, the cranks (and your feet) rotate. So, when you are going downhill, you essentially peddle like hell to keep your feet from being amputated. Going uphill is another story. One guy from Belgium is a retired bike mechanic who worked for many of the big teams and was the first to use radial spoking on the front wheel. He’s 75, cycles without a helmet, despite the law, and can pull the group with the best. Another fellow has a steel plate in one ankle and took up cycling for exercise because it is less painful than walking. Most are British (from all countries), a couple of Germans, the Belgian and me, the lone “Yank”. Fourteen started today and eight finished.

I asked one fellow if, in the summer, most guys used hydration packs. His answer in a thick Scottish brogue was, “Most people stay indoors.” I guess the group cycles mainly during the “cold” months. Today was, I’m told, typical. I started in full length bibs, long-sleeved undershirt, winter top and a screaming-yellow wind vest, thin full gloves and half-finger gloves on top of that. My Bell Metro helmet, was fine until about eleven, when the lack of ventilation almost made me take it off. At our noon stop I stripped down to a minimum, removing the undershirt and my zip-off sleeves. Couldn’t do anything about the helmet or the bibs, and was wringing wet when I got home.

We have less than two weeks left here, and are both reticent to depart-but the tickets are bought and I have to leave. Gotta work on the visa thing once I get back to Westbrook. On the 23^rd we fly to Gatwick, overnight near there, take a train to Heathrow area the next day and fly off toward Manila on the 25^th. We have a 2.5 hour layover in Abu Dhabi and arrive in Manila on the 26^th, late in the evening. After that, quien sabe? We will probably spend a few days in Manila to go to embassies and try to iron out various issues, then will fly to Dumaguete and visit Geneva for a few days. We hope to find a house to rent in Valencia, where Is’ hopes to build. We want to get a feel for the climate, ambiance and general situation there, before she makes any big decisions.

A few comments on a wine we liked: Gran Viñedo de Hacendado, a red naturally, from the Tempranillo grape. No vintage, but it is “Vino de la tierra de Castillo” and bottled in Barrica de Roble. I guess that equates to Castillian vin du pays bottled in the winery of Roble. Anyway, it was very good, considering that it cost no more than €1.45, was light and well-balanced. I prefer a little more gout de terre, but can’t have everything.

I will certainly miss the food. A trip through Carrefour, a French-owned chain supermarket/department store is a major form of entertainment. Not only are there three aisles of wine, two of liquor and two of beer; you can find everything from frozen suckling pig (whole in shrink-wrap) to Ortega Taco kits. Allioli takes up about four feet of refrigerator counter with every variation I didn’t know existed. Besides the traditional, I like the parsley-flavoured version. Chorizos, sausages, cured meats-my arteries will never be the same! Lamb is not a curiosity-it is a regular feature. Serrano hams hang from racks like the carcasses Rocky used for sparring practice. Vegetables from every corner of the globe, and cheap!! The fresh seafood runs the gamut from anchovies to octopus, with shellfish galore. A week ago, we bought two very respectable rainbow trout from Iceland for €2.50. Enough! I’m making myself hungry and am going to go grab some vanilla ice cream, throw on a peach, a couple of lady-fingers soaked in Jerez Brandy and call it a night. Urrrrp!