Spain 14,
Oct. 3, 2026,
Hi Everyone,
I woke up to a drizzle this morning forcing me to change my plans and wait for a change in weather. There are always emails to catch up on and I like to review my plans in advance for the next few days. As I am taking 3 ferry trips with a motorcycle, I don’t need any last minute surprises. I was finally able to download a new book so I sat out on the hotel terrace, watched the raindrops fall and read my book.
The weather changed at 1:00 and the sun appeared. I waited 1 hour as I don’t like to ride in the rain or if the roads are slippery. The sun dried everything up and I was off. I planned my trip in advance on my Tomtom and headed off to the west coast of the island. Ibiza is very small and it is easy to cross the island in 30-45 minutes. The centre of the island is mountainous and the roads go in between the mountains.
I arrived at a small port town on the other side of the island and took off my motorcycle clothes. I was over dressed and hot as the temperature had risen to at least 25C. I decided upon a cappuccino and a double but small gelato for lunch. A had a little chit-chat with 3 American students who were spending a ½ semester in Madrid. After refreshments, I continued my journey wearing only short pants, no gloves and my motorcycle helmet in open position to ‘feel the breeze’. I rarely wear short pants on a motorcycle as it could be dangerous in a fall. I usually keep the helmet closed but the weather was warm and agreeable and I was not going too go fast.
I continued onwards deviating from my route to follow the sea. The problem with doing that is that you often either wind up at a dead end at the sea, or on a small narrow uninviting cow path. Today was no exception. I enjoyed the scenery but the GPS lady was not impressed. She lead me round and round until I was able to get proper directions at a cross roads from 2 police officers in a vehicle. ‘Straight ahead’ and off I went. Eivissa is well developed but the rest of the island is rather undeveloped. All along the coast there are small hotels catering to tourists who come for a week or a few days of sun, drinks and beach. Although the island is tiny, it still takes time to get from one place to another.
I was due for a change of pace for dinner. I am at a touristi beach restaurant overlooking the Med., listening to the waves lap the shore and sipping a marguerita. I treated myself to a seafood platter and a copa of tinto to wash it down. It is a little chilly so I am wearing a fleece.
When I arrived at the restaurant, the hostess addressed me in Italian, thinking that I was of Italian extraction. May be it’s my sun tan or the way that I carry myself. Many years ago, my mother worked in an Italian bakery when she was 14, and taught me to count to 10 in Italian. The hostess laughed and we switched to English. My grandmother taught me to count the same in Russian. My waiter speaks 7 languages. Compare that to Mr. Legaux who speaks 1.5.
Love,
Brian
