Days 73 to 89 – Frigiliana

Day 70 to 89

Frigiliana

3 weeks of rest and relaxation with Vernon and Nola , who kindly looked after me, fed me well, and allowed me to make myself at home with them.

We celebrated Vernon’s birthday,

visited some local beaches, some local bars, and generally socialised with the local population. (I really appreciated the English language speakers, I hadn’t enjoyed conversation in English for what seemed like ages and I suddenly found I could understand what was going on around me again!)

Mum had sent me a new Brian the Snail along with the requested merino socks to replace those I had worn into holes. He is bigger and fatter than my lost friend, so will be packed into a deeper bag for travelling and will be known as Brian the Snail Mark II.

I took a trip to Torrox for a spot of fishing. I think I need to change my bait. Sea fish don’t like chorizo! No fish but I did celebrate 3000 miles with sardines at my regular chirengito mauri and a few snaps on the beach with the new Brian. Followed by a quick dip and 5 miles back up hill to Frigiliana.

While here the Nerja Feria was on, an annual festival which lasts for four days and includes parades through the streets and celebrations every evening. I went along on 10^th October (Monday) when there was a Beauty Queens’ parade

and a party in a marquee, there were lots of ladies in Spanish flamenco dress,

and they joined in with a whole group of people dancing to Whigfield’s “Saturday Night”.

 

Later that evening, after dark, there was a traditional parade through the streets of statues of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Michael Archangel. http://www.nerjatoday.com/fiestas/nerja-feria/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day in the last week I was due to see Raul, but he emailed late the night before to say he had to work, I received the email as I was about to set off. Rain was forecast but I chose to head towards Malaga anyway. First hour I was averaging about 15mph and flying along even into wind! Got to Torre del Mar in an hour and had Fanta limon and magdelenas on beach. Then the rain came and I sheltered by a bridge to put on a jacket. Then I stopped at a bus stop as my bum was getting wet without a mudguard. Found a polystyrene one and with a bungee cord – hey presto.

(Ermintrude ; I thought you meant a proper mudguard made of polystyrene until I saw a picture, just a chunk of it held on by elastic! )

Enjoyed the rainy ride for the first time since Madrid. I found Raul’s house and then a coffee in a beach front bar, where I heard an English family talking about Nerja Feria and recommended bats to them. The ride back to Frigiliana was very wet so coffee stops and wringing out of the socks were frequent.

My final weekend consisted of helping Bailey to win Best in Show and a 1^st in her class at Scruffs dog show in Frigiliana. Vernon and Nola were going to a concert, so I was left in charge of getting her home at the end of proceedings, and dog-and-cat-sitting until they got home on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have had a brilliant time staying with such good friends, but my itchy feet are calling me back to the road and on Monday (Day 90 since I started out from Waltham Abbey) I am starting with a 41 mile cycle along the coast to Malaga.

 

Vernon posts on FB
In 3 weeks Brian Allen got to know the locals better than us, drank, ripped his jeans at the rear end on an all nighter in Nerja,

drank, swam, snored on the beach,

walked Bailey and helped ensure she got the Scruffs competition licked, did his Baywatch impersonation

and – thanks to Nola´s cooking – put on some much needed weight. The only trouble being, so did I (apart from the swim and ripped jeans thingy). Which means that while he arrived looking like something out of a concentration camp, he’s back on the road looking more like his old self. BUT, and it’s a BIG but…I too put on weight and I ain’t cycled 3000 miles in 9 weeks. So I put on half a stone and now tip scales at 78 Kilos and YES, Brian, it IS all your doing. By the time you return post your adventures in Morrocco, I will be 70 Kilos – at the most. Safe travels. Vernon and Nola