#176 Three Breakfasts on Sunday

Breakfast 1. 8:00 Mango, Banana, Black Coffee.
Ride 21k to Pego, swim 2k. Meet up with Sally and some of our English friends, Christine & John.
Breakfast 2. 11:30 Special Cyclist's Breakfast put on in local caf; Gerkins, Olives, Green Peppers, Palm hearts, Beer - then a big platter of sizzling . . . Rabbit! and more beer :-)
Ride back to Denia.
Breakfast 3. 14:00 Coffee, toast and marmalade and read the Sunday papers.

(Last night we went and watched open air Jazz just near our house).

#175 Shark! Shark!

Somewhere very close to where we swim, a shark was hauled in by local fishermen. This shark was BIG, 8 metres long and weighing 4 tonnes.

I might not go in the sea for a day or two . . . his Mummy and Daddy might still be looking for him :-)













photo : Las Provincias

#174 Listerine?

Most of the restaurants round here bring you a free drink when you ask for the bill, usually a sweet wine or a shot of liqueur. On Sunday we were given what looked (and tasted) like Listerine Mouth Wash . . . !
I didn't think there was *that* much garlic in the paella.

It seems that, along with a ban on smoking, catering establishments will now have to send customers away with sweet smelling breath so as not to endanger the general public with second hand, potentially polluting and greenhouse effect inducing, hazardous belches.

#173 No Time Toulouse

We went to France for a week. Stopping on our way to see Tom and Carrie in Barcelona.










Then to visit Dave and Jackie in Valras Plage. We intended to ride beside the Canal du Midi for a few days but it was so windy that one day's riding was enough.
Not only that, the WC had something missing . . . . . .












We drove north to see Brian and Maureen who live in this farmhouse near Cahors.









Got one more bike ride in, then back to Spain, stayed a night in Berga, had another drink in Barcelona and then after 5 hours cruising down the A7 . . . . . home :-)

#172 Dos Mayo

As it's my birthday we went for luncheon at the Mena restaurant which has wonderful views overlooking the Mediterranean - and nice food, as well.

The boss gave me a bottle of Moscatel as we were leaving :-)

#171 Music and Movies

Lately I have been watching Withnail & I (old '60s Brit film).
Mulholland Drive, David Lynch surreal film set in Hollywood.
And listening to Bryan Ferry's Dylanesque (it's fab!)

#170 Paella & Co

Lunch with mates before picking up Sally at the airport. The speciality at the restaurant El Era in Parcent is paella cooked on a wood burning stove. We had to drive about 20k uphill out of Denia and as you go up so the prices go down.

Our meal for five; two salads, two servings of sepia, one of abondigas, before a big paella for five, bread, wine, bottled water, fanta (? - yes), coffees all round and two deserts (one coffee cake one almond) = 59 euros. Not each - the lot! Seriously inexpensive and the reason why you have to reserve two weeks in advance to get a table.

#169 Film Bluffing

No it's not me, it's Jacques Tati, famous French film director.


















According to a survey in the Daily Telegraph Britain is a nation of "film bluffs" with many people lying about the films they have seen and their favourite titles in a bid to appear more intellectual.

As I still can't ride my bike and the weather this week in Spain has been miserable I have spent my time torrenting some old 'art house' films.

Two from Tati; Jour de Fete (in colour) and Mon Oncle. Two from Luis Bruñuel; The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Belle du Jour. A 1969 British film, Withnail & I and not quite so old, the first series of Extras.

All high scoring on the film buff's Intellectual-o-Meter, I hope.

ps
Just saw Bruñel's Un Chien Andalou - it's a bitch!

#168 New Cesc

I changed one of my "Fours" (I've got sixteen of them).

Each set of four has some sort of theme - except this one . . . . . . .

#167 Run - Bike - Run

Talking about Mat Brick (#166) I unearthed these pictures which I took at one of our duathlons, quite a few years ago.

Some interesting people standing shoulder to shoulder (L-R) - the American, Greg Watson, who was a prolific duathlon winner. The Italian, former New York Marathon winner, Orlando Pizzolato. Mat Brick (NZ) even more prolific duathlon winner. From Australia, ex Tour de France racing cyclist, Allan Peiper. Jamie Hunt from NZ was a world junior champion and controlling the start, Duncan Rolley who was a very good Olympic standard swimmer. Hidden in this picture, along with the other 900 or so entrants, is Steve Ovett who was taking his first steps in the sport of duathlon (he's just behind Orlando but thats not his hair! there is someone a row behind him with the full Barnet)
















Nearing the end of the race, Allan Peiper has a conversation with the camera crew - he tells them it's the last time he does one of these stupid races, and that climbing Alp d'Huez at the end of a 160km stage is a LOT easier!

#166 This time last year

This time last year I was in Auckland NZ eating noodles at Wagamama's before enjoying the theatre together with Mat and Tracy Brick :-)

#165 Scan Man

Don't you think other people's injuries and other people's dreams rather boring? Well be bored now 'cos I'm still suffering (#162) with the same pinched nerve in my lower back that's sending pain down my left leg.

Been gulping enough medication to win the Tour de France (anti inflams, steroids, relaxants, mega vit B, etc) and as my douleur has not gone away I've just had a MRI scan in this rather super scanning machine that cost (my insurance company) loadsa dough to use.

Now have to wait to see specialist man on Tuesday for the prognosis . . . .

#164 Spend! Spend! Spend!

I've rejoined the consumer society. Can't stop buying stuff. Look at this water bottle, but its not just any old water bottle carried by a lowly Italian Gregario in the wake of his team leader. No this is a Camelback! It's a hydration solution! Beat that!

#163 Look now Roubaix

I built a bike (#155)
For my proposed ride across Iberia (#154)
But then found the frame had a crack (#157)
So bought lovely Specialized Roubaix Pro
frame at great expense (#163)
But can't ride it yet due to (#162).
Hmmm.

#162 Pain in the butt

Pinched nerve in lower back - referred pain down left leg -
can't sit comfortably - not very nice :-(
lots of medication :-)








for the medical men among you:
Espidifem, Omeprazol, Inzitam, Myolastan

#161 New Ferry

Here in Denia we have a ferry service to the Balearic Islands, Ibiza, Majorca etc.

Now we have a new boat, as seen here, but I understand that its going a bit further and taking a group of conquistadors in search of the New World where they hope to discover the potato - then we can enjoy some chips with our fried fish.

#160 Hello Moto

I needed a new mobile phone and these young ladies on the Motorola website suggested a RAZR V3 - so I bought one :-)

#159 Get yer syrup here!

Some old trades just about survive in Spain. This man is touring the streets selling treacle made from the spent grapes after wine making. We used to have another moped man come round with a knife sharpening attachment on his back wheel, in fact I've just dug out a very old pic - here it is:

#158 20 years ago

No reason to put these pics up - except they are now in nice new frames in our downstairs room - and they remind me not to even think about entering another Ironman triathlon - ha!

#157 Look no bike!

The boys at Extrem Cycles spent the morning trying to find out why my bike was 'ticking' as I rode along. No, it wasn't dry ball bearings in the bottom bracket but a minute crack inside one of the frame's tubes :-(

Am now looking down the back of the sofa for some loose change so that I can buy a new frame. Hi ho.

#156 Fusion

Sally with new car :-)

#155 A New Look

Just re-built very old LOOK frame with mostly new kit. Found some very cheap steel forks which is a bit odd on a carbon frame . . . . Best bit is a very low bottom gear (34 x 29) for crawling up those ramps which I might have danced up in my youth. Anyway, I can now start training for my ride - in five weeks time - from Lisbon to Denia.












Had a bit of a fright, my Lisbon flight ticket got cancelled due to some credit card error, but I managed to re-book the same flight only this time it was 20 euros cheaper! Ha!

#154 Coast to Coast

This is the plan . . . . . . .
Easter Friday fly to Lisbon with bike. Meet up with some mates who are mountain biking around Sintra (v near Lisbon). Stay a couple of nights then say "hasta luego" and pedal back home. Its a straight line across Portugal and Spain, about 1000k and should take 8 days.




















Only one problem - I haven't got a road bike! - but am busy building one :-)

#153 Two Birthdays

Its Sally's birthday (so she stood on her head) and this blog started on 19th February last year. Carrie came from Barcelona to visit and a very pleasant weekend was had by all.

#152 Breakfast

People often say to me, "John, what did you have for breakfast?" and I have to tell them - "Fruit!" (usually mango and banana - and as shown here, with added kiwi and strawberries).

#151 Valencia = Art, Leaves and Consomé

We went to Valencia for two days. Day One visited IVAM (Institut Valenciá d'Art Modern) and saw a load of out-of-focus photos, in fact, as you see, the whole building is out of focus. Stayed the night in arty farty hotel nearby then ate very nice Moroccan food, bisteeya, tajin etc.


















Next day visited the Botanical Gardens and saw a load of leaves (well, it is February).















Later we cycled down the river Turia (it's not wet, the river has been diverted and now it's a long thin park). We carried on out of Valencia for 18k and had paella in El Palmar. The consomé soup with sherry was lethal! - a bowl of sherry with a spoonful of consomé - phew!

#150 A whiter shade of pale

This week I am mostly house painting - top to bottom - white.

#149 Surreal Sixties Flick.

Sunday: Sally, Chelo and I went to the Cine Club in Denia to see Blow Up! Phew, it was a bit weird . . . . .

Then out for tapas in a cider bar; Potatoes with Goats Cheese, Cod and Eggs in a Bread Sauce, Gurt big Mushrooms with Red Peppers and lots of Garlic. Phew, that was a bit weird as well (but delicious).

#148 Check Mate!

I bought a chess set when we were in Barça.
. . . . so I'd better better learn the rules,
and then find someone to play . . . :-)















(Yes - Its a deliberate mistake - just to make sure you are paying attention! haha)

#147 To Barcelona (again)

We went to Barcelona for a long weekend. I bought fresh tuna in the Boqueria Market.














Next day Carrie, me and Tom sat on a bench before going to eat Abyssinian food.

















We went to MACBA - the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art - wasn't much to see inside, in fact the pavement was much more interesting!

#146 More Doors

Katrina's door (from a series of Other People's Front Doors)

#145 Wanted

Dear reader,
I'm looking for pics of interesting street inspection covers, a bit like this one. So if you are wandering around in London, Paris, Chicago or Batu Lumbang (or anywhere else that has pavements) and can snap a cover, please mail me. Thanks!

#144 Its a Gross!

Happy Holidays from us.

#143 spot the difference

Four Number One version 2

#142 third four

#141 Gaudi door

Carrie, Jay & Mascha in Barcelona.
(not by Mr Gaudi's front door)