2024 10 Spain

Spain 3,

Oct 16, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I was exhausted. I had travelled for 12 hours, 2 plane rides, 1 train ride and then 1 relatively short walk to my hotel dragging 2 suitcases. For this trip I had decided to pack lightly and wash my clothes as needed. I am staying at an older but well renovated 4* hotel right in the centre of Torremolinos. The main entrance to the hotel is half way up the mountain on the 8th floor. I am staying on the 9th floor. I have a nice view of the Med if you twist your head and turn 90 degrees to the left. If you take the elevator to the 1st floor you are at ground level which is really beach level. I am 50m from the beach.

When I first came here in 1970, Torremolinos was a small village with 1 cafe and maybe 1 or 2 restaurants. It was the hippy capital of Europe. Kids came here from all over the world and slept on the beach. It was Franco time so the Guardia Civil came by every 2 hours or so to check your passport. As long as you were not drunk or doing drugs, they really didn’t hassle you. Most or us slept in sleeping bags and cooked our food on a camping gas stove.

It was in Spain that I really learned about myself and how to travel alone. I had a motorcycle, a 200 Lambretta scooter that could to 57 mph all out. It was very reliable and except for my 3 motorcycles accidents, I really enjoyed it.

Spain is a great country. You can eat and drink well and relatively cheaply. There is a lot of history to be seen as for many centuries, Spain, ruled the world. Except for wine, there are very few natural resources. The country relies a lot on tourism. Torremolinos obviously caters to tourists but somehow the atmosphere does not give you the impression of being touristy.

I ate out in a restaurant on the beach last evening, finishing the meal off with an Irish coffee topped with whipped cream. I don’t eat much during the day to keep my calorie intake down. This morning I slept in rather late and had the buffet breakfast in the hotel. I picked up my rented bike today and was surprised that they gave me a bike computer. I then registered for the race and got my race gear. There are 4000 athletes so it took the greater part of 3 hours. The line up was pleasant as every one talked to each other. I took the bike for a 20k ride to get used to it and the terrain. It is a high quality bike and I am pleased with the ride.

This evening I met up with the Canadian team for a photo shoot. We are one of the biggest teams with 350 participants. Hopefully that will translate into multiple medals. We then lined up for the parade through the town. Spain lacks the organization that was present last year at the Worlds in Germany. In the end it all worked out. There were many photographers and the parade was on the internet. I was standing next to the Canadian flag when we sang O Canada.

I am disappointed in the recent statement by the Spanish Prime Minister. He has asked that the EU stop free trade with Israel. He seems to have forgotten the history of the Spanish Inquisition that lasted for 400 years and only ended with the invasion by Napoleon. He also has no clue about the Maranos, the Spanish Jews who converted to Catholicism but secret practiced being Jewish. If caught they were burned at the stake. 25% of Spanish people have Jewish blood. Spain now places itself into illustrious catagory of nations with Ireland, Algeria and South Africa. South Africa, that beacon of democracy has more rapes per hour than any other country in the world. UN stats.

I am writing my blog in the same restaurant as last evening. I ate dorade that the waiter told me was a filet. It was delicious but was full of bones.

Tomorrow I will race at 200pm Spanish time in the Age Group Sprint 75-79 years of age. It will be televised on the internet. I will cross the finish line even if I have to crawl to do so.

Love,

Brian