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Diary Andalucia

Travel Notes

Andalucia (Spain) 2005

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RIDE

Travelling by bike is like having the house on his back, how to utilize the essential everyday hectic and selfish that makes us forget.

August 10

We arrive in Civitavecchia fortunately in advance and I'm going to do the check-in. In a row someone tries to move forward and the usual crowds argues aloud why the employee makes the tickets and slows down the line.

The ship of Grimaldi Ferries seems fairly new and comfortable armchairs. The day is beautiful, so we are on deck to read. You can dine at the cafeteria.

August 11

Joan The Mad and Philip the Fair. Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles V .... sitting at the table on the deck, read, time is running well

About three o'clock we put ourselves in line to get off the ship, but the intrusion of too many people bothering them both and change output.

In Barcelona we do three times a round, laugh thinking about Beppe Grillo, then we take the right road to Tarragona with the indication of a gentleman who speaks a little 'in Italian, it is immediately clear that the language will not be a problem, they are but those clouds there that we hope to avoid, but we end up continuing in the middle and we baptize. We take a few moment's rest under the canopy of a Chinese restaurant where a lady tells me that the season is not beautiful and she has a friend who lives in Italy. We leave, but soon after we stopped the motorway again, someone else is running again almost immediately thanks to the suit for the water that we have led, others like us, take a coffee and wait. It starts after five o'clock met a Spanish lady who speaks fluent Italian, her husband is from Milan, but live in Switzerland. He tells us of the serious incident that has happened to their jaguar, the trip with Masda, the daughter who went on holiday in Japan, but only because if you can afford and then the other studying in Australia ... But we are in the province , it is one of Arezzo, Milan, we were sometimes, we are in motion ... but only a Harley! Finally the rain stopped and we defiliamo. The child brings us out of bad weather, even along the highway the show is unique, in the left temporal and right of the sun. Let Tarragona and exit at exit 39 of the country Ametella we stop at Camp de Mar Boat. We mount our beautiful tent, shower and then quietly, calmly let's eat. We anticipate the fish dinner and go to a restaurant near the harbor. The guide recommends that you choose restaurants where people, is a guarantee. It seems to be right good paella, a little 'less Urublanc the wine produced by the University of Tarragona.

August 12

We started from camp at about 9.30, a must for breakfast the motorway, then departed for Valencia, but wrong output, we pay 12.00 euros and re-enter .. at noon and fourth we stop for a stop drink and study the map. In Alicante missing about 250 km The city did not like, ask about a campsite, but we do shoot a lot ', about six o'clock at last we find him. They are polite and tell us that with us and our tienda pequena are full. (Camping Bon sol.) It takes a little 'luck.!

At 7 and a half, the sun still beats strong, take a shower and relax a bit '. Michael takes note of some camping to Granada with the guidance we have given the manager of the campsite.

August 13

The campsite is to be reported only in case of emergency, because the neighbor does not own breeding roosters sleep.!. Dismantle the tent and set off for Granada, in Andalusia when we enter the desert landscape is fascinating and so the spirit becomes more again .. We stop for lunch and eat tapas, I also like the place, "Los camioneros" quaint and cheap, the whole room just seven Euros! Coffee and around 2 and a half again.

We find the campsite in the early afternoon, we assemble the tent in the middle of a pine forest and overlooking the lake. I like it. A dip in the pool after it takes a lot of miles. Then we decide to go to Granada, we turn to find a restaurant, then a square, the waiters tell us we can bring the bike up over the sidewalk. It is 8 and a half is still a bit 'early for dinner, but we order the same without us noticing the square is filled and there befriends a lot' of people. Then we return to camp, tomorrow morning you wake up at six thirty ..

August 14

We stand point and three minutes at 7 am and wake up the doors of the camp. When we get to the Alhambra. the line is already long and occasionally announce how many tickets are left, but we did well to try it despite the campers we were discouraged.

We visit the Alhambra, the gardens, the palace Charles II, and then we do not like the rooms where he lived and where the emir was killed because her favorite surprise with her ​​lover. It 's very hot and the sun beats down and we have forgotten their hats in tents.

After the slush and get down to rest a few minutes walk to the Arab quarter. Wonderful, do some shopping. With an effort to take back the bike and go camping.

August 15

The night's sleep we were waiting, at about 9 and a half I eat a Meja, or rather two continue and arrive at Baeza, convenient paid parking where we also take kindly helmets. We stroll through the city and then we sit at tables in the square which was filled with people, there is a fiesta. We eat paella and drink beer, a little 'siesta while we watch the horses go, and the girls with traditional clothing .. At half past three we try to go to Ubeda. It is very hot, you look for a bar for water, it is really tiring to walk. The city is deserted, apart from us, two Italian gentlemen who ask us if there is hot and very noisy Spanish family with a three year old girl who occasionally breaks into song pensame mucho. We return home with a little 'hard work for the landscape that never changes and with the heat.

August 16

We start slowly and make breakfast for the road and then on to Seville. The indications for camping are absurd, two riders with the appearance of Vikings greet us at the traffic lights. At the reception of Seville, are perfunctory: there is room.

The restaurant manager opens the grocery store for me, thank you, we are now and we are hungry. Then a nap and swim in the pool. We have dinner at ten o'clock at the camp restaurant. At midnight we go to bed, I can not read and I sleep right away, even without a mattress.

August 17

At eight o'clock has sounded the alarm, and shortly after we left for Cordoba, a city that seems to attract a lot Michael. In fact we like now. It 's been hard to find parking for my back and my patience .. We go to the Mesquita, through the Jewish quarter, I am attracted by the shops and go out as before, but it's good that I hasten. Inside the Mezquita Michael hands me the guidance, of course I understand it, is beautiful and absurd to see the violence of the building which was built at a Catholic center of the Arab. Ebony, marble, gold contrast with the simplicity of red and white arches. Then we look at the fortress that is not so beautiful, but there are substantial gardens, at half past two we look for a place to eat before leaving the Baco gives me a little 'time to the shops.

At the campsite we ask about the bus that will take us tomorrow in Seville and we phone the campsite where we want to go the day after tomorrow, now is a ritual phrase "now-today, tomorrow is tomorrow."

"Don Quixote replied that he had not a farthing, having never read in the histories of knights-errant that anyone had ever taken."

August 18

We arrive at the cathedral and I relax because being in the midst of something so grand it makes me feel good and then go to the Alcazar, which is really nice, but I'm tired and hungry, we go out to two and a half and look for a place to eat. The guide Lonely us towards the first room that is closed while the second is very nice. We eat ham sandwiches and drink beer sitting on the wide steps of white and colored blue. Just very Arabic. Then we go a bit 'Park St. Catherine, and go back to camp, tired and collapse.

August 19

Dismantle the tent and go back to Granada, so we do not really want to go home so we adopt the technique of reference and a few minutes we stopped in a village where the houses are all white are preparing an exhibition. We reach the campsite before the two, time is running out fast. The camp is first class, the plot is bounded by hedges, the bathrooms are large and clean. It 'sa bit more expensive, but we should stay here one night, because tomorrow we will take the bus to visit the city again.

Vagabondiamo for the city, we stop at a bar eating tapas and drinking cerveza then get back in camp.

August 20

We cross the Sierra Nevada, the landscape we love, we see the houses built in the caves and I hit a large windmill from Don Quixote .. We stop for gas, a gentleman from the camper asks us if we Tuscan "eh you smile" he and his wife They'll be away again until early September. We wish you all a safe journey and leave again. We arrive at your destination early,

The campsite is near the airport, we give three plots, but I do not like, it's just a big parking lot and sad. He takes my sadness and I can not even swim. The campsite is really depressing, I wonder how they can spend their holidays in this place. We fall asleep with the music coming from the party, roaring and then we hear the voices of people who wakes up, someone knocks on the picket lines. Michael pulls in the towel and told me that the only thing to do is sleep.

August 21

In the morning we make our packets and leave for Alicante, we will have breakfast along the way because the weather is threatening. In Alicante but it's sunny, I do not ever go down from the bike, but then you feel hungry and we stop the motorway. Outside, two riders are preparing a sandwich like ours, we agree that the best thing.

We stop to Vinaros, the camp is first class "but where I brought you," says Bachini, yesterday but did not say. After mounting the curtain go to the beach, which is really nice, then we give the evening a dinner for our anniversary.

August 22

We leave for Barcelona, ​​we choose a path along the coast and it is beautiful. The day is quiet, looks like we get bored a bit '. We dine at the table with other campers, foreigners and others.

August 23

We go to Barcelona by bus, go down too soon, to the Spanish Steps, but it fascinates the convention center and climb the wide stairway, at the top of the museum. We have a little 'of regret for having wasted the afternoon yesterday. We go to the port to see the caravel of Columbus, then walk for Lambra market and end up in the middle there are the fish stalls, exposed in an inviting, then all around the stalls of fruit, the color a bit 'strong.

We go to the Sagrada Familia are fascinated by the idea that it is under construction, we really feel that is ours, the expression of our time. And the great Gaudi, his idea of art, his works .. We climb the towers. Take a drink in the center, then try the 'L94 to return to the campsite.

August 25

Dismantle them for the last time our house. After lunch, we go to the harbor twice a round, now is a ritual, then we go to check-in. Outside there are two guys in motion, a Harley, they are Italian, the province of Arezzo, Poppi are not from ... .. No place on the ship and decide to make the long trip back to France. It will be hard on the seat there .. We line up with other riders, then we do go in and greet the mate on the ship that was there and who, with his face to remember becomes nostr'omo. At 19.00 o'clock we start and then you will want to own: ... Adios Espana! See you soon, because like I always say Michael and the goal is to turn the world back in the same place twice.