Day 56 – Madrid 13/9/16
A tricky day technically again. Had brekkie of creme croissants and lots of tea and coffee to bring me round from a slight hangover.
I don’t think city life is very good for my digestive system!
Met English couple Garry and Denise from Chelmsford and had a good chat, they had a lovely caravan and had been on the road for a month. Garry gave me a gas canister as I hadn’t seen any Coleman type fitting ones, I offered to pay but he said I could have it. Did my washing and showered just in time to leave at 2pm when the forecast rain, that meant I stayed another day, arrived. I went on anyway and I’m so glad I did.
I was trying to stay dry at first by riding on pavements under the roofs. Stopped for coffee and then decided to go for it. The water was running like a river down the street and it had frothed up as if fairy liquid had been waiting for the rain to show up.
It was brilliant dodging in and out traffic and avoiding spray.
Then it dried up a bit and I realised that front wheel needed some attention but my phone had frozen possibly due to wet and I had no iPad battery. So I found my way to Hat hostel where Kieron was staying and charged batteries and used their wifi to find the bike shop Guillem has given me details of.
When I got there Pepe knew who I was and had been talking to Guillem already. A great shop stocking Surly bikes, Pepe is a tourer himself having done Tarifa to Norway. We had a good chat and he said he could have front wheel trued by 11 next morning. So off I went to sort out my phone. A shop nearby checked that the lead worked but couldn’t get any life into it. So headed for metro but line 1 is closed. I looked around and found a bank, Greek restaurant, Chinese bazaar, hairdressers and a bar. I made good use of all these services over the next few hours. The bazaar had smelly trainer powder. It might help, but at a euro it would be a miracle. The hairdressers had only been open a week and was offering every service for €5. I could not resist. Receptionist was really helpful and let me use wifi and loo. Then a good haircut and a chat. Then off to bar for a cania. I phoned mum from the noisy Greek restaurant while waiting for my meal, I do love Greek food (partly because I know what to expect).