For Whom the Bike Rolls

San Roque – Ronda – Antequera – Granada, Spain

Well, I’ve never fallen that far behind before; I think it’s been three days since I last wrote . . . But then, we’ve never been in Europe before. 

And, even now, it’s late – 9:30 p.m. and we just walked into our hotel room.

These are full days. Somehow the same distance biking seems to take longer around here . . .

Part of it is getting a late start. Everything seems to be shifted back in Spain. The streets are like a ghost town in the mornings – everyone is, apparently, sleeping in. And the afternoons too – I guess everyone is taking their siestas. But come evening . . . a bazillion people seem to materialize. 

And part of it is probably just how interesting everything is. There’s culture and history and people – and good food – and mountains and scenery just about everywhere. I mean, you can’t just bike right by a thousand year old castle like it’s a McDonald’s or something. 

Oh, and part of it is the terrain. Like the route to Ronda the other day. Six thousand plus feet of elevation gain over, I think, 55 miles. Beautiful biking. But 6,000’ is 6,000’ – even if it is beautiful. 

Point being that we don’t even roll into town until late in the afternoon. And then, when we do, it’s not like finding the one hotel in town and then eating at one of two restaurants, and then going back to the room because it’s dark and cold. 

No. Around here you roll into town and marvel at the Moorish castle up on the hill that dominates the skyline. Then you walk the old town European streets, find a place for dinner – which is no easy task because we want to eat before 8 p.m. – because we’re HUNGRY from all the biking – but all the restaurants are closed for their siestas until after 8 p.m. And then you wander about some more because it’s still light out. It’s light until like 9:30. Crazy. And as we go farther north – and get closer to the summer solstice – the evenings will just get later and later. 

So this whole Europe thing is going to take some serious adjustments. 

One of our readers asked what it’s like to be back in the western world again – after seven months in Latin America and Morocco. She didn’t put it quite like that – but I think that’s what she meant. 

It is different, that’s for sure. Some of the things we have a new appreciation for . . .

• Toilet paper and napkins. These type of products in Latin America are like gold in the rest of the world. Definitely a luxury – but they are pretty nice to have . . .
• Garbage trucks and garbage dumps. It’s not so much that you want to admire the local dump. But when they are not around and there is garbage and the smell of garbage everywhere, it starts to wear you down. 
• Plumbing. I have a whole new appreciation for good plumbing. Latin American and Moroccan plumbing – horrible. I never really understood what the vent pipes in bathrooms were for (you might not even know of them – but they are in your walls and they vent all the sewer smells out of your house). Well, try not having them for a few days. Yuck. Yucky smells always wafting around the house. Not good. 
• Secondary Roads. In Latin America and Morocco, there is usually one road that’s paved – the main one. Europe is more like Wisconsin in this regard. All kinds of super quiet road-to-nowhere byways are paved here. Such nice biking on roads like this!
• Credit cards and ATMs and change. Basically paying for things generally. So easy in the “Western World.” Your credit card or phone can accomplish anything here. Latin America and Morocco? Not so much. What we really love is all the places that have credit card stickers – Visa, Mastercard, American Express – but then when you go to pay they give you this really offended look. “No credit cards!” (And there is an implied question: “Are you dumb or something?”) So then you go to pay cash. “Oh, okay, no credit card. Here’s 10,000 pesos for that 5,500 peso item.” Another incredulous look. “What, you don’t have exact change?” Then there is a slight eye roll and they ask you to wait. They disappear for like five minutes. Out seeking 3,500 pesos to give you as change. They are so aggrieved!
• Water. Once you arrive in Europe you don’t need to worry about weird water problems every time you turn on the tap. It’s kind of magical. 

The thing is, we were just visiting Latin America and Morocco. These problems all go away for us as soon as we cross the border. I feel bad for the people who have to live with these issues every day. Garbage and the smell of garbage. Sewer smells in the house. No paper products. Every transaction involving money is a big deal. And turning on the water spigot is like playing Russian Roulette. These things have got to grind you down if you live in a place like this . . .

One other thing on this change of venue topic. I wouldn’t say we feel the change in the people much. Different clothes and, of course, a little less dark complexion, but the main difference is that more people know English. Oh, and at least in Morocco it didn’t feel like women played a real significant role in the world. Otherwise, so far on this trip I think we both would say that people are generally kind the world over… Oh, also, coming back to Spain I guess I realize now that I actually did learn some Español. Kind of fun.

But you probably want to know a little more about the last few days . . .

Ronda. 

Amazing place. The town straddles a huge chasm where a river has carved its way over millions of years. The chasm itself is pretty incredible. But then people built super cool stone bridges over the river. I guess during the Spanish Civil War they used to throw the partisans to their deaths from one of the bridges. That bridge apparently inspired Ernest Hemingway to write his famous novel. (I love Hemingway – so this was particularly inspiring for me . . .)

Oh, and the Ronda region also has caves and stuff that have paintings from like 30,000 years ago. I love that kind of stuff. Some of the first signs of human civilization 

Antequera. We wound up there because I was feeling terrible yesterday. (Which is another story altogether. Didn’t drink enough – which makes me feel horrible and, also, makes me kind of a horrible companion. Sometimes with all the transitions on a trip like this things like that happen. But now a renewed effort to stay hydrated…) But what a town. A Moorish castle overlooks the place. Lots of great energy. And a great combination of tourists and locals. 

Granada. Similar to Antequera – except on steroids. Another Moorish castle – only REALLY big. The Alhambra. One of the most visited places in Southern Spain. And for good reason. Then there’s a whole Medina of narrow winding streets – probably left behind by the Moors as well. (Did you know that the Moors were ruling parts of what is now Spain until 1492? I just find that interesting that 1492 is both the year that Christopher Columbus happened upon the Americas and that the Moors were finally driven from Spain.) The streets are CROWDED – it’s Saturday and it just seems like one giant party – with women dressed up for flamenco dancing, live music, weddings and events, and energy everywhere! And don’t forget the Sierra Nevada Mountains – snow capped peaks right outside of town. 

Alright – lots more to say – but lots more riding to do and Dr. Liu thinks we need our beauty sleep.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for offering thoughts and advice on whether to head inland or enjoy the coast. Special gold star for our reader and good friend Jon F for advising on Ronda and Granada, and for Bill M and his AI-generated verse on the topic!

We’re loving these inland towns and the amazing biking. But it is kind of mountainous around here. And all the campgrounds seem to be on the coast. So we’ll see what we do from here. But we do know for sure that we’re eventually headed for Valencia and then Barcelona . . .

We’ll keep trying to adjust to this new pace . . .