Day 93 20th October
70 miles (Malaga to Torreguardiaro) average speed 12.3 mph Top speed 33 mph
A good start to the day with a four egg omelette with bacon and beans. Good preparation for a long day. Cleaned the apartment, packed and had a cold shower as the boiler was broken. I’d also broken the curtain rail and tried to fix as best I could with multi tool screw driver. Glass man (to replace a window) arrived and measured up before Mari got there. Spoke to Raul and thanked him again.
Left Malaga at 10am and hit the motorway, which proved fast but a bit heavy traffic wise. I stopped in Carvajel and had done 15 miles in the first hour. Route then became coast road with the waft of English brekkie coming from every bar. I’d already had mine before leaving apartment.
I took to “Brits ville” with a big grin on my face as I watched big fat people hailing taxis and was feeling good about cycling this far and how most people must have flown there. Stopped on a roundabout for pictures of Brian with elephants.
Roundabout with elephants Benalmadena
Brian the Snail meets the elephants
On to Fuengirola where I found the hotel I was at on a stag do back in 2008. I’m not sure if they had replaced the fire extinguishers, I didn’t check!
Hotel el Puerto it had survived a stag do in 2008
At the end of the beach road I had to join A7 motorway all the way to Marbella. I was wary of time and didn’t hang around too long with the rich people. Instead I had Fanta limon and magdelenas for lunch at a fountain before weaving my way through the very expensive traffic of Ferraris and Porsches. I was getting strange looks all day.
Lunch by the fountain
Then I rode round the harbour and pedestrianised seafront, dodging hired bikes and people with expensive clothes doing lunch.
Marbella beach
Marbella harbour
Along the beach front and onto via verde path for a great ride dodging amateur cyclists on hire bikes and pedestrians. One guy cut right across me without warning and it was a close shave. Path ran out and it was back to the motorway for me. I tried again later to re-find the path after a Lidl stop for pastries but ended up in a private gated urbanisation. So back to motorway again and a big push to get to Mandy’s for 5.pm. I’m now in Cadiz after a long stay in the very large Andalucia province.
pathway through marshland Torreguardiaro
One of two 15th century watch towers in Torreguardiaro
Back to the motorway to continue on to my fabulous warmshowers host Mandy Parker in Torreguadiaro; arriving at 5pm after 70 miles. She was at work but had left the back gate open with wifi code. I dumped my bags in her patio and found beach, shop and the Dubliner bar for a pint while waiting for Mandy to finish work.
A pint at The Dubliner
I returned at 6.30 and as I poured a beer on the patio she arrived and welcomed me into her home. We sat on the patio drinking beer and eating crisps till it got dark, when I showered in hot water and we went out for tapas and drinks. It was great to meet her and hear all about her Morocco trips and sailing experiences.
Warmshowers is proving to be a great way to meet lovely people and her hospitality was amazing. We stayed up chatting bikes until 1am and I’ve been getting lots of advice, especially about touring in Morocco.