I’m not sure this qualifies, but we’re running out of days in this challenge so I’m working with what I’ve got. We crossed over into France today through a minor pass in the Pyrenees. It’s an odd crossing – on the Catalonian side, a well maintained road leading right to the summit; and on the … Continue reading "A gateway to France"
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Some of you may have heard of Cadaqués, or even been there. It’s a coastal town on the Costa Brava (the wild coast), not far from the French border. A bit out of the way, but very scenic. It’s probably best known for its history as an artists community in the last century, and especially … Continue reading "A fence in Cadaqués"
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So this one is definitely a fence; unless it’s really just a safety barrier. If it’s not a fence though, it’s still a pretty darned nice view as we look back at Tossa de Mar one last time on our ride to Palamós. And, it’s solstice; though you wouldn’t know it from the conditions which … Continue reading "A fence on solstice"
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Now that I think about it again I’m not sure that an 800 year old stone wall actually counts as a fence. It certainly seems like a barrier though, which is also included in the scope of the challenge. The featured photo is of the walls of the fortress at Tossa de Mar on the Catalonian … Continue reading "The Great Fence of Tossa de Mar"
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Well, we’re only a day late; but we’re still unpacking here in Barcelona after our short hop, skip and jump across the Atlantic. We weren’t ready to get the bikes out on the day itself, but the day after found me out with one – walking Rachael’s bike down to the nearest LBS to replace … Continue reading "The Late Saint Patrick"
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We’re leaving Spain this morning, our Iberian adventure having run its course. We’d have been happy to stay a bit longer but unfortunately our visa expired. We’re on our way to San Diego, the starting point for our next tour, but taking the long way around – by flying East two time zones to Istanbul. … Continue reading "One last red for the road"
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The final ride of our Iberian tour was a hill climb, to a minor pass north of Valencia, Alto del Garbi. It was a great ride, and the perfect ending to the tour. Surprisingly, we saw several figures dressed in red along the way; so of course I have to post them.
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OK. No more snake photos. My friend Frank Hates snakes and says he’ll quit following my blog if I keep that up. Plenty of reds though in Aguilas, a small coastal fishing town south of Valencia. Poinsettias everywhere.
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It’s Spain’s Constitution Day, and it seems appropriate to celebrate their holiday while we’re over here. When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do. Actually, we didn’t see anything very holidayish here in Mojácar on our day ride to El Marchal, but we did have an awesome ride. The featured photo is of a ladder snake … Continue reading "Holiday/Monthly challenge: a red and a rescue"
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I assume the few citizens of Rodalquivar eventually just shorten their village’s name to Rod. I’m not that excited about today’s shot in Rodalquivar from our ride to Aqua Amarga because bougainvillea in bloom is still pretty common here. Like Em though, I’m not seeing a lot of reds in this environment and I feel … Continue reading "December Challenge: Red in Rod"
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Let’s try for a simpler, less controversial challenge this month, shall we? This month’s theme is the color red, used in any way that seems appropriate to you: as an accent, as the dominant color, as a Santa Claus suit, as a planet, as a flower, as a flag, as a pannier. The opportunities are … Continue reading "Challenge of the Month, December 2019: Reds"
Read MoreI’ve deleted this post, but am leaving its place here for the sake of the attached comments. The reactions to this month’s challenge have been quite a surprise to me, and educational. I’ve got mixed feelings about the subject but thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I’ll come up with something hopefully less controversial … Continue reading "November’s Challenge:a kid in Córdoba"
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Taking pictures of kids on bikes isn’t that hard, really. Just shrewdly choose a well placed bind in a strategic spot, take position, and lurk (erm, I mean just patiently wait) for the right moment. Not hard if you’re a patient person, and don’t mind risking getting picked up as a perv. Me, I’m neither … Continue reading "November Challenge: Jackpot!"
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Well, here’s luck of a sort. We found another pair of flags flying low enough to work well with the bike. And it was really lucky that the wind was so strong that they’re blowing out like sheets of cardboard. The flag on the left is the national flag of Spain, and the other is … Continue reading "Totally flagged"
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I’ve been surprised to find that this challenge is harder than I expected – maybe the hardest one yet for me. There are plenty of flags around, but I’ve been looking for one that would work well in a photo with a bike. It’s a problem – the flags are always way up in the … Continue reading "A flag in Toro"
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With the coldest and wettest (or hottest and driest, depending) part of the year on the horizon, is your cycling interest flagging? If so, we’ve got just the challenge to revive it: Flags! National, regional, ecumenical, corporate; straight out in a gale force wind, lightly luffing in a breeze, completely limp; up a pole, on … Continue reading "Challenge of the month, October 2019: Flagging interest"
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Yes, I know that the old/new theme is so last month; but I just stumbled across this old photo that’s perfect for that challenge. The photo is way too old for the challenge too, as far as that goes. It’s from our ride to Montefrio back in 2004, on our first tour of Andalucia. Looking … Continue reading "Old & new cargo transporters"
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Today we crossed over into Spain, crossing the Pyrenees over the low Col de Panissars, the ancient route the Romans took through the mountains. To call the day adventurous would be an understatement. With a treacherous descent and a barefoot walk in the water, it was a ride not quite like any we’ve experienced, a … Continue reading "December’s challenge: crossing the Tech"
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