I left Gibraltar under cloudy skies, damp, British weather and journeyed on to Spain, just around the corner. The weather is not the fault of Gibraltar as it is at the cross roads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, with tides and currents going in and out, so what would you expect. You have to navigate, back and forth, through not busy lanes, eventually arriving at Spanish customs. They were more impressed with my Triumph than me and commented on the beautiful Triumph exhaust noise. That is why I ride a Triumph, for the noise… I rode for 2.5 hours and stopped at a roadside cafe for tapas and a cappuccino. My tank registered that I had 230k to go on the tank of gas after riding 100k. This seemed impossible so didn’t take a chance and road back 12k to a gas station. I filled up the tank with 3l and my bike computer gave me 350k until empty . The bike really does not burn gas.
The Spanish country side is very barren. Yesterday, I rode through mountains that looked like a rocky dessert. Today, I rode through mountains that were covered with large bushes, as tall as small trees, but bushes all the same. When the mountains flattened out, there were small farms. The villages are few and far between. This is a remarkable contrast to France where there is a village every 10-15k complete with a cathedral, several restaurants and cafes and a memorial to the fallen soldiers of WW1.
Finally, I arrived in Sevilla. What a beautiful city! Visiting Sevilla is an absolute must on anyone’s bucket list. I am staying in the old section on a small narrow street next to the Cathedral and not far from the Palace which I will visit tomorrow. Sevilla is ‘tres, tres, chic’. The stores are incredibly well decorated. Even the lesser quality stores appear chic. The amount of merchandise available to the consumer is endless. What ever you want to purchase in clothes is available. Everyone here is well dressed. Shabby-chic would not cut it here. At 7:00pm the streets were packed with people. The center of town is a pedestrian walkway. There are cafes on the side walk everywhere. Everyone seems to be out for a drink after work.
I am staying at a 1* hotel in the old section of town which is really is a 3*. After my long ride today, I was somewhat tired and took a siesta. I don’t think that I have ever done that before. After all my life is usually go, go, go. The hotel has a bistro where I just finished off some tapas, beer and wine. I feel much better.
Today, I spent 8 hours exploring Gibraltar. I left the hotel at 10:00 and only got back to the hotel at 6:00. I walked along Main Street which is as the name says, the main street. You have just left Spain, you are still on the European continent, but you are in England. Everything here is just like it is back in ‘jolly old England’. The main street is filled with wall to wall typically English shops. There are small lanes crisscrossing the main street which have more of the same. It is really fun to be here.
The main part of the city is surrounded by a defensive wall. Gibraltar was chosen by the British to control the gateway to the Med. The Spanish tried to take it over forcibly 200 years ago but were driven back. We are much better off having the Brits controlling the strait. Can you imagine Spain and Morocco controlling the gateway to Europe and the Med?
Thousands or millions of years ago, what was Europe at the time was joined with North Africa by a land bridge. At some point in time, the earth moved and Europe and Africa separated. What is now the Mediterranean was dry land. The movement of the land created the biggest waterfall ever known to the world. Eventually the Med was filled and the Med was joined to the Atlantic eliminating the land bridge. On the other hand, Greek mythology tells a different tale. Hercules, seeing the mountain in his way, pushed through the land mass himself as he wanted to see the sun in the west and stop it from setting in the sea. Hence the Pillars of Hercules with Gibraltar mountain on 1 side and a Moroccan mountain on the other side of the strait. Seeing the Pillars of Hercules, for myself, is 1 more tick off my personal bucket list.
I walked over to the port but there is not much to see there unless I missed something. It is mostly an industrial port with some sections full of fishing boats. I saw very few sailboats, unlike Torremolinos which is just the opposite.
I spent the rest of the day climbing the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock is a serious mountain rising 500m directly from the sea. For the greater part of the day I could not see the top as it was covered in a cloud. 2 days ago I was in Spain with 25c temperatures and blue skies. Today I am in England with British weather. There is a steep road where only taxis and small tour buses are allowed. You walk up and eventually arrive at the gate to the park on the mountain which is strictly controlled. There are many paths to choose from. I visited the Cave of St Michael which had stalagmites and stalagtites and a nice sound and light show.
Eventually I arrived at the summit. Here you had a magnificent view of the strait leading to the Atlantic Ocean. Across the way, looking south you could see Morocco. The water varied between dark blue to Mediterranean turquoise. The clouds had cleared, the sun had come out and the view was to die for. At the summit you could go down by the road or take the Mediterranean stairs, steep and carved out of the mountain. The sign described the stairs to be difficult and not for people with vertigo. The stairs were not that difficult for a triathlete unless you were wearing high heels or sandals. I was wearing sandals… I took many photos.
On the way down I met 2 Brits climbing up. They told me that they were practicing for a charity race next year where you go up and down the stairs 5 times, 1.5k each way, in a day. When they saw my Worlds number tattoo on my arm, which I have not washed off yet, they asked me to join them telling me that it would be a piece of cake for me. I swallowed my pride and declined the offer.
I arrived at the bottom of the mountain, not far from my hotel. The human body is an amazing machine. If you sweat all day and don’t drink water (1 cappuccino does not count) you don’t have to P all day. That in itself for a 75 year old is an incredible feat.
This evening I am dining at a British pub. I have been travelling in Europe, including England for 44 years and this is the 1st time that I have tried fish n chips. My French friends always order fish n chips at least once when we sail to the Channel Islands. It’s really not bad but nothing to write home about although that’s what I am doing now. Fish n chips used to be served in England wrapped in a newspaper. That has not been allowed for over 20 years. When they stopped wrapping the fish in newspaper, people complained about it saying that the taste was not as good.I guess that the newsprint and ink leaching off into the fish changes the taste.
The spring and summer of 2024 passed so quickly and now we are in the autumn. Although I accomplished many tasks, I failed to do others which turned out to be important as well. I left for Israel in mid March and returned 2 months later in mid May. It was an experience that I will never forget but it put me 2 months behind for my sailing season. This was a small price to pay. I have been an arm chair Zionist for my entire life except for the 3 months that I worked on a kibbutz in 1970. The ‘war’ as unfortunate as it could be, gave me the chance to offer my services to Israel. My contribution however small it was, was not negligible.
I sanded and stained our deck which took the greater part of 1 week. It was a beautiful job and should last at least 5 years.
My usual boat preparation of the J24 for racing season takes 1 week. This time it took 1 month. I sanded off the old bottom paint, a filthy job that was accomplished with the help of my crew friends. I then applied 5 coats of intratect 2000E, sanding in between each coat. This paint is like the original paint which goes onto the hull of the boat when it is first built. It lasted 40 years and needed to be redone. It should last another 40 years which hopefully will be longer than me. The job follows the usual time and cost estimate. A good job takes 4 times as long and costs 4 time as much. I was not far off in my estimate.
I also took 4 weeks to renovate my Laser and 29er that have not been sailed in many years. Many of the young sailors who sail 29ers complimented me on the job and helped me to set up the boat. When I told them that I would be sailing it next year, they cautioned me that no one over 25 ever sails a 29er. We’ll see next year. I finally started racing my J24 in mid July.
I trained for the triathlon enough to get me onto next years Canadian National Team for the Worlds in Australia, but not enough to do well in this years race. I took the swimming part of the race for granted which explains my results.
My motorcycle lay dormant all summer. After the triathlon, I rented a motorcycle to tour Andalusia. I picked up the Triumph 400 yesterday and rode from Malaga to Gibraltar. I planned out the route completely on my computer in Montreal, and then transferred the data to my TomTom motorcycle unit. A motorcycle GPS costs 4 times as much as a regular GPS but it is designed for use specifically for a bike. Vibrations do not affect its use. I ruined an i-phone by using it on my bike and destroyed the camera. The GPS also allows you to choose between primary, secondary and tertiary routes. When choosing a route you can choose between hilly, very hilly and very very hilly roads. You can also choose between windy, very windy and very very windy routes.
I forgot how much fun it is to ride a bike. I choose tertiary routes, very very hilly and very very windy roads. Well….I was not disappointed. For much of the route, I drove in 1st or 2nd gear, occasionally making it up to 3rd gear. There were miles and miles of hills and curves. I could only take many of the hair pin turns at 20-30k. I started off on the wrong route at the beginning , an error that cost me 3 hours in time. I didn’t mind as I really loved the ride and the scenery. I rode for 7 hours stopping for a cappuccino break in a beautiful small town called Ronda.
The scenery was spectacular. I passed through dry, rocky mountains that resemble a desert except for the sand. Small villages, impossible for me to reach due to the steep incline dotted the landscape and appeared to hang off the mountains. They are obviously very ancient and were built for protection.
I arrived in Gibraltar 8 hours later. It’s funny, that after travelling in Spain all day, I find myself in Gibraltar, an English part of continental Europe. In Spain the food was excellent. In many countries if you cannot find a good restaurant, look for an Italian one. last night I had supper in an Argentinian restaurant and the food was great. In Torremolinos I stayed at the Fénix Hotel. The buffet breakfast had 105 different items to choose from. The cappuccino machine had 12 settings. I am at the Bristol Hotel in Gibraltar. It is a 4* hotel, with 4* prices and 1* accommodations. The ‘continental’ breakfast had 9 items to choose from including ‘fresh’ croissants wrapped in cellophane. I don’t understand the phrase ‘continental breakfast’ . On the European continent I have always been served huge, fantastic s. The term ‘continental’ should be replaced with ‘small and cheap’.
Today was another different day. It was the last day of the triathlon but I decided to do my own thing and go for a bicycle ride down the coast. I set out for Marbella but it was 54k away and I had not a hope in getting there. I also was not sure of the rules for taking a bicycle on a bus for the return ride. I rode about 20 to 25k on the promenade and on small roads. The country side is gorgeous. The coast has been built up all along the way with condos that appear to be good quality and beautiful architecture. The beach was not encroached upon and is usually 100m wide. There is an endless supply of cafes and restaurants to choose from along the way.
I rode for 2.5 hours up and down (up and down a lot) but the bicycle is of good quality, even if the rider is not. Eventually, I stopped for a bottle of water and a cappuccino before turning back. I took a slightly different route and stopped to take many photographs along the way.
I am in the hotel bar right now, sipping a pina colada (like in the song) which, hard to believe, I have never tried before. I am meeting up with some of the Canadian team members for dinner. I came back to see the relay race and cheered for our athletes as they passed by. I have gotten over my results in the race and promised to train harder and do better for the Worlds next year in Australia. Yes, believe it or not, I have qualified for the age group 75-79 team.
I would like, personally, to thank Suzanne for what she did for me today. She is one of the finest examples of kindness, generosity and good sportsmanship that I have ever known. Hopefully, I will one day be able to return the favour to her, her family or to another member of the Canadian team. Thank you and see you in Australia next year!!! Brian
What I like about triathlons is the camaraderie and the ability to make fast friends. Everyone has 1 thing in common, the triathlon. For a short period of time nothing else matters. Will you ever see each other again? Perhaps not, or maybe at the next triathlon in Australia or elsewhere. Tonight I had the pleasure of dining with 2 lovely ladies from the Canadian team who did very well in the race. One of the ladies from Toronto will be travelling on her own for 2 weeks. That is very adventuresome as it is much easier for a man to travel on his own than for a woman. The world has changed but has not changed enough.
2 athletes died and 1 is on life support. This is unacceptable! There were not enough surfboard rescuers and motor boats in the swim part of the race. I don’t believe that they pulled the man out quick enough. 1 man died in the running part of the race. There were not enough para-medics visible to me. It is true that 80% of heart attack victims die at home or on the street because the para-medics can not arrive fast enough. This should not be true at an international athletic event. The question to be asked is were there enough para-medics present and did they have defibrillators at their disposal. Athletes participating in an international event have the right to be protected. You only have 4 minutes to survive from the moment the heart stops or goes into ventricular fibrillation. Nothing more and often less. 4 minutes make all the difference. If mistakes were made, lessons must be learned for the next race and the standard of care must be elevated to the next level.
Tomorrow I will take a short train ride to Malaga and pick up my Triumph motorcycle for the next part of my journey. I will pack lightly as I only have a small carrying case on the bike. My first stop is in Gibraltar to see ‘the rock’.
Today was an easy day for me. I woke up late and ate breakfast later. I walked around Torremolinos and checked out the stores. There is an endless supply of restaurants, bars and cafes. The sun was shining so I headed out to the beach. It was relatively warm with a cool breeze and cold water. I rented a beach bed and suntanned for the greater part of the afternoon. I have not yet removed my race tattoos, so they should be well imbedded on my skin, when I erase them, due to my sun tan.
Tomorrow I will take the bus/train to Marbella. I stayed there for a few days back in 1970 when it was a fishing village with only 1 or 2 bars. Apparently, there has been a big development with apartments, condos, restaurants and bars. We shall see…
I just finished off 2 margaritas, a glass of wine, 2 coquilles St Jacques and a tera miso . Tomorrow is the end of the Worlds and it is time to celebrate. I won’t talk about alcohol consumption again.
Love,
Brian
I am in the second row to the right of the flag. I am so proud to represent Canada in my age group.
Last evening I sat on the beach at a restaurant overlooking the water and licking my wounds. What the hell. I shouldn’t complain too much. I made a serious personal mistake by making the decision to swim with a wetsuit when I swam all summer in Israel in colder water without one. I let myself be influenced by my peers when I should have made my own decision as I really do know my own body. Too bad. Next year I am on the team to go to Australia for the worlds. Either I will train more with a wet suite or skip it altogether unless it is an absolute requirement.
I went to the brunch with the team at 11:00 but I was just not in the mood to stay too long. Everyone was disgusted with the officiating. Complaints will be make but they will go no where. There was one sobering announcement. 2 fellows died yesterday in the race. Both had heart attacks, 1 in the swim and 1 in the run. I didn’t see the accidents or I would have helped out in the attempted resuscitation. All of the athletes feel terrible. I can’t imagine how badly the families must feel. 1 was a Brit and the other was Mexican. I probably met both of them at some point in the day.
The air conditioning in the room didn’t work so I complained to the staff for the 3rd time. I stayed up late and watched an old version of ‘the Saint’. I didn’t feel like watching the races so I took a bike ride to Malaga. I took tertiary roads and often road on dirt roads along the beach. The sandy beach goes on for miles so it took me a while to get to Malaga. I went to my motorcycle rental shop to confirm by bike. I rented a 400cc single cylinder Triumph, a new bike that just came out this year and has had a good success. I don’t remember Malaga at all. Everything has changed so much. Eventually I rode over to the old section of town which has been made over into a pedestrian mall with no cars. I had a cappuccino and an ice cream in a small cafe.
I took a lot of pictures and stupidly forgot my bag. I rode back at whirl wind speed and found the bag where I had left it. People here are very honest. I am sipping a draft beer in my hotel bar while writing my blog.
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ to quote Dickens.
Today they killed Sinwar. Should I be happy that a fellow human being was killed? I am sorry to say, yes. Personally, he tried to kill me twice and I take that very personally. If you have read my blog, you will see that I feel that I was personally attacked twice. My opinion never changes. A war ends when 1 side drops his weapons, puts his hands over his head, drops to his knees and says ‘nicht schissen ’. Nothin has changed since 45, and for 50,000 years for that matter.
In a war, there are 5 constants. 1, there is a winner and there is a loser. 2, the winner writes the history. 3, money changes hands. 4, territory changes hands. 5, some people have to move. This has been a rule for 50,000 years. Why does this rule not apply to Israel?
Sinwar spent many years in an Israeli prison for terrorism. He was released on a prisoner exchange and continued his terrorism. He had a brain tumour. He was operated on in an Israeli hospital where doctors saved his life. Oct. 7 was the thanks that Israel received. With him gone, Hamas should surrender and move forward with peace and rebuilding. But they would have to change the Hamas Charter which is available on the internet and which should be compulsory reading for those woke people before they continue with their demonstrations.
I am in Torremolinos, on the Canadian National Triathlon Team, Age Group 75-79 Sprint. I am very proud to represent Canada here. I took part in the Parade of Nations last evening, which unfortunately was not as well organized as in Hamburg last year. Nevertheless, the atmosphere here is electric. The streets in Torremolinos have been cordoned off for the race. We all had our start times. I was in the over 70 age group. Wet suits were an option but not obligatory. That was my first mistake as I usually don’t swim well with a wetsuit and as I am from Quebec, am used to cold water. Sometimes I don’t run well, rarely do I not swim well. Today was one of those days. I won’t go into the details as the stats are obvious. The organization here and the strict adherence to rules in difficult conditions was over the top. There were 1 foot waves, and a 750m course took 1100m. There will be many complaints. My language was not exemplary. I have never run so many ….. words together in 1 ‘sentence’.
I rented my bike until Sunday and will take a trip to Malaga 1 day and to Marbella another day. I pick up my motorcycle on Monday. I have a brunch with the team tomorrow.
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.
11 years ago I had 3 heart attacks and a quadruple bypass. I was playing 80 games of hockey a year and thought that I was in great shape. Like a good doctor, I had regular blood tests every 30 years. My BP was 105/55 and my pulse was 52. How could I have cardiovascular disease. I was almost dead wrong. Unknown to me, as I didn’t have a blood test, my cholesterol was sky high. I arrived at the ER at St Mary’s Hospital after my 3rd episode of chest pain and a kidney stone. The chest pain was as described in all the texts, as a crushing pain as if someone was standing on your chest. I had to leave the hockey game, but I was not short of breath and so was not afraid. The kidney stone attack at 2:00 am brought me to the ER. The pain was unbearable. I was soon transferred to the Royal Vic for an angiogram and a bypass.
The surgeon, Dr Cecere came into the room and introduced himself. He said that he was my resident 10 years ago and assured me ‘that he was very good now’. I didn’t want a bypass. I just wanted to take aspirin and go home. He told me that if I didn’t have a bypass, that I would never play hockey again as I would have angina every time I played. He told me that as I was an ‘athlete’ playing so many sports that my peripheral cardiac circulation was terrific. He could bypass me to my peripheral cardiac circulation and that I would have a fantastic cardiac output. I could play hockey in 3 months with the appropriate post bypass cardiac training. He was right.
1 month after the surgery, I started a cardiac training program. The following year, my friend Glen, an ironman convinced me to do a triathlon. I couldn’t even spell triathlon correctly then. I entered my first sprint triathlon the following year and won a gold medal in my age group, 65-69. I was the only one in my age group. It is very hard to do a triathlon over the age of 65. I have done the sprint, olympic and half iron man relay 14 times. I usually win a medal as there were always 3 or less competitors in my age group. The sprint is 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. The olympic is 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run. The half ironman is 1.9k swim, 90k bike and 22k run. I have done all 3. I did the swim in the half ironman relay. I will do the sprint here on Thursday.
2 years ago, I qualified to be on the Canadian National Triathlon Team, age group 70-74. I competed at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg and came 43 out of 44 in my age group. My goal was simply to crawl across the finish line. This year I once again qualified and will compete at the World Triathlon Championships for Canada in Torremolinos, Spain, Sprint, age group 75-79. This will be my 15th triathlon. The race will by televised on the internet beginning on Wednesday. There will be a ‘Parade of Nations’ on Wed evening through the streets of Torremolinos with a large crowd cheering us on. I will race at 2:00pm Spanish time on Thursday if any of you care to watch it.
I flew to Barcelona and then to Malaga yesterday. I then took a train to Torremolinos and walked over to my hotel. I came to Torremolinos in 1970 on my motorcycle trip. In those days, it was the hippy capital of Europe. Everyone came here and slept on the beach …. The Guardia Civil came by regularly to check your passports but otherwise didn’t hassle you as long as you didn’t get drunk or do drugs. That was a severe no-no. It was a great time for me. I had a motorcycle, a black leather jacket, long blond hair and a headband. (I thought that I was an Apache). I was travelling alone, with no responsibilities and no one to answer to. I was cold, I was hungry, I was lonely. It was the best year of my life. I was free. I was enjoying a freedom that year that I would never know again.
Torremolinos is fabulous. It has of course changed a lot since my first visit here 54 years ago. I can no longer live on $3 a day. It seems more like $3 a minute. I am staying in a 4* ‘adult’ hotel, what ever that means, overlooking the beach. Torremolinos is a beach town built on the side of a mountain. The beach is endless and the water is relatively warm for this season. Hopefully I will not be obliged to wear a wet suit for the race. The older part of town has staircases instead of streets. There are shops selling whatever you care to buy. The town obviously caters to the tourist trade. However, as October is off season, the town is not over run with tourists.
There are restaurants, bars and cafes everywhere. I am staying in a 10 story older, modernized hotel with a beautiful view of the town and the beach. The hotel has several terraces with cafes and restaurants. Both the 8th floor and the 1st floor have entrances onto a street. I had supper at the hotel restaurant last evening as I was too tired to go out. This morning I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant as well. Both times I ate out on the terrace overlooking the town. The view is ‘to die for’. I could easily feel comfortable retiring here or coming and staying here for a month, parking my yacht in the harbour. The menu both times was an endless buffet with everything that you could dream of. The Spanish have developed tourism down to a ‘T’. I can never get enough of life in Spain.
I am sitting at a table on the beach , in a restaurant, sipping my cappucino watching with surf role in. I am writing my blog, my second entry for the day. I have already received 10 responses from my readers.
Tomorrow, I will meet the Canadian team and do the final registration for the race. I will read up on the rules today. I packed lightly and very carefully so as not to forget anything. I forgot my bicycle helmet so I will purchase one today. I pick up my bicycle tomorrow. I rented a high quality racing bike rather than going through the hassle of bring my own. Last year some of the competitors bikes came too late for the race or ‘folded’ in two. That must have been somewhat of a disappointment.
The greater part of this post will be a general review of what circumstances brought me here today. For some of my readers, this will be a review that you may wish to skip through briefly. I graduated from Mcgill University in 1970. My marks were above average but not good enough to get me into medical school. Some of my patients reading this blog may not wish to know this fact. In any case, I decided to go on a trip to Europe with my friend Bram. Our first few days in Paris were a bit strange as we didn’t really know what travelling was all about. Eventually we decided to hitch hike to Marseille. Hitching was legal and safe in those days in Europe, everyone did it. We split up for various reasons on the way and met up at the youth hostel in Marseille. The rules for successful hitching were simple: 1. Always hitch with a girl. That provided her with safety. Motorists would easily pick up a couple. 2. 2 guys alone would never get a lift. 3. You could get a lift as a single guy but it could take a little longer.
We stayed in Marseille for a few days, drinking cheap wine and lying on the beach. It was my first taste of meeting youth travellers from all over the world. Youth hostels in those days were cheap, safe and a good method of meeting people and learning the ropes of successful travelling. We decided that hitching was time consuming and that we need ‘wheels’ for the trip. Many kids bought old VW vans if they were travelling in a small groups. They often slept and cooked in the vans. We hitch hiked to Milano and bought 200cc Lambrettas.
I had my first of several motorcycle accidents in France. I was riding alone in the dark and it was raining heavily. I slid off the road on small stones and went over the handle bars. I was not wearing a helmet as it was not obligatory. I was scraped everywhere except for my head. A French teacher came by and took me to his house. He gave me oily salve for my wounds. I stayed with his family for 3 days while he arranged to have my bike fixed. This was the first of many kindness’s that I got from strangers over the year that I travelled.
I met up with Bram several days later. Bram then had his own motorcycle accident, a little more serious as he was taken to a hospital and the bike was destroyed. That put him off on travelling. He went home in 6 weeks and I returned home in 6 years, with 1 year spent travelling, 5 years in a French medical school, French friends whose friendship I have maintained for life and a beautiful French bride.
My time in Spain was a real eye opener. I had never travelled alone in my life and had no experience riding a motorcycle. Necessity is the mother of invention and I learned fast. I was in Spain and Portugal for 2 months. I loved Spain then and am happy to be here now again. My budget then was $3 a day. $1 for gas, $1 for food and $1 for a hotel. I slept out on beaches, parks and often in a ditch on the side of the road. Anything to save money. I road across North Africa and took a ferry to Italy. The bike was stolen in Italy. I hitch hiked for 6 months. I skied for 2 months in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. I hitched through Italy and Greece eventually ending up in Israel. I slept on the beach for 1 month and worked on a kibbutz for 2 months. At the end of the year, I went to France where I stayed for 5 years studying medicine.
My parents and my girlfriend kept my letters, eventually giving them to me and one day I will write my memoires.
