We had a lot of fun riding with the cycle touring group, 300 other cyclists, and are very thankful they were able to “unofficially” squeeze us into their auditorium spaces for two nights, which reminded us somewhat of our time camping with AIDS/LifeCycle. We made some friends, saw some amazing views, good food along the way, and overall had a great time.
We were not the only “pirates”, tagging along on the ride. One cyclist had his young child in a trailer behind his bike, proudly sporting a hand drawn Jolly Roger.
We decided we’d like to be in Valencia for Holy Thursday to see some of the Holy Week celebrations, and in order to get there in time, we had to take off from the group today. So we combined their route for the next several days to make our way up closer to Valencia.
The first part of the ride was beautiful through farmland and fields of wild flowers. The Murcia area is known for their vegetables, so we saw lots and lots of different kinds of lettuce.
When we got to the coast, we were in for a bit of a shock. We’ve gotten so used to our quiet farming villages the past few days, we’ve forgotten what the touristy areas are like. Lots of traffic, vacationers speaking different languages, high rise condos on the beach, and souvenir shops, everywhere. But we also saw a lot more cyclists, and many people in cars and on the roads were cheering us on, especially when we climbed a tough hill before Cartegena. On the road were still names and other markings painted of cyclists that fans had painted, from whenever the last road cycling race was. I think “P.M” in the photo indicates the line where the mountain climbing points are scored in a cycling race.
My new solar panel has been working well. It has a built in 5,000mAh battery, which is kind of nice because I don’t have to worry about plugging something into it all the time, but it’s about twice as big and heavy as my old one. Today I was able to charge from 0-100% the built-in battery with mostly sunny skies while riding.
Happy Palm Sunday! Tomorrow we ride to Elche, a city known for its palm tree farms, where most of the palm fronds for Palm Sunday in Spain are grown.
What is the solar battery for????
It’s so we can keep our cell phones, GPS, and other electronics charged even when we don’t have power, since we are camping a lot
I probably could have figured that out…..keep the posts coming!!! You guys are making me jealous!
XO
I’d love to hear all about the Holy Thursday celebrations!!
Yes, I’ll definitely blog about it! He is what I know is happening:
Holy Thursday. Procession of the torches
On the evening of Holy Thursday, starting at 8 pm and continuing into the small hours, the Visit of the Holy Monuments takes place to the sound of drums. Afterwards, the streets become filled with candles as different silent processions pass by.
Avenida del Mediterráneo
Good Friday. Procession of the Holy Burial.
The first important act starts at 8 am and is performed next to the shore on Playa de las Arenas, where homage is paid to the victims of the sea. At 6.30 pm the most important procession of Maritime Holy Week begins, that of the Holy Burial, which lasts for 5 hours and passes through all the streets of the coastal neighbourhoods.
Calle de la Reina