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2024 10 Spain

Spain 14,

Oct. 26, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today, I was lucky with my tourism. Rising early, and after a hearty breakfast, I was able to secure same day tickets for the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. This was my third visit, the 1st one being in 1970 and the 2nd 15 years ago with Dominique. The M-C is magnificent, much as I remembered it to be from my recollection of my last visits. The only thing that changed is the price and the crowds. It is impossible to escape the tourist crowds although probably everyone is thinking the same about me. Everyone is taking the same 100s of pictures that they may look at once and then leave on their i-phones for eternity or worse still, try to impress their friends and family who have the same 100 photos.

The ceiling of the mosque is held up by a least 100 columns which gives a different perspective each time that you take a step. You will see this in my pictures. The mosque is at least 1000 years old and has easily stood the test of time. The Moors invaded and stayed in Spain for 700 years. Their influence can be seen in the architecture all over southern Spain. Their conquest was eventually stopped at the Bataille de Tours, by Charles le Marteau if I remember correctly from my grade 8 history. Had Charles lost the battle, the history of Europe would have changed completely and Europe may have become Muslim. And now a mere 1000 years later…… Finally, after pushing the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula, the good Christians, not to be out done, built their own Catholic cathedral right smack dab in the middle of the mosque. This was obviously done to show once and for all their domination. The more things change, the more we arrive at where we began. I guess that we should be glad that they didn’t destroy the mosque altogether. The cathedral built in the middle of the mosque is actually quite cute.

In Israel, British Mandate Palestine, Ottoman Province, Crusader conquest, Arabian Southern Syria, Mamaluk land, Roman Palestinia, Greek conquest, Israel, Judea, Canaan, Philistine land, (forgive me if I have forgotten a few) the Israelites built a Temple, the size of which rivalled the Alhambra or the Vatican. It was destroyed by the Babylonians (modern day Iraq) who carried them off as slaves. The Jews, as they became known, were then liberated by the Persians (modern day Iran) who allowed them to return to Judea where they rebuilt their 2nd Temple. The Romans, (modern day Italians) conquered the land and after 2 revolts, destroyed the Temple and dispersed the Jews……1800 years later, my great grandparents fled Russia due to the pogroms, which is why I find myself in Canada. The Arabs-Muslims arrived and built their golden mosque exactly on the same site as the Temple, leaving in tact the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall. Had they built their mosque 6 inches to the left (I exaggerate) the modern day Middle East conflict may not have occurred. And so we have the definition of a hurricane, ‘what goes around, comes around’. In 2024, I, as a Zionist, an atheist and a Jew felt compelled to to return to Israel to defend what I feel is the right of the Jewish nation to claim a sliver of a piece of land, 15k wide that we call Israel. You may read all about this in my blog on Israel.

All over Spain, at 7:00 everyone finishes work and goes out for a drink, tapas and later a dinner. This evening is no different. The streets were packed with people. I came across the cathedral, and was entertained by a short concert by a 60 piece orchestra outside in the courtyard. I am now seated in a Spanish taverna, sipping rose and eating tapas. I ordered 3 tapas, which probably is too much as the proportions are more than generous. 1 of my choices was ‘dog fish’. I am not sure what that is, but I hope that is more of the latter than the former. It was fried and came with a sauce. which was delicious. I will look up what I ate when I get home.

Today I changed pace as well as my route. Instead of taking my usual very very windy and very very hilly tertiary route, I opted for a secondary route avoiding of course the autoroute. The road was 2 lanes wide, well paved with just the right amount of curves to make the route interesting. I bombed along at 80k which is a great speed for a motorcycle. I could observe the scenery and not be overly concentrated on each turn as I was on my last 3 days. I rode through the country side where I saw miles and miles of olive trees. I one point I came across a group of 6 bicyclists riding along in a pack, taking up the entire width of the lane. They were travelling along, downhill at 70-80 k. I could not overtake them so I followed them along until we arrived at a hill where they were forced to slow down and I could pass them.

The weather has changed from 25C in Torremolinos to 12C today. It was chilly on the bike so I will add another layer when I ride to Malaga tomorrow. I am staying in a 3* hotel tonight in the Old City. One of the differences between a 3* and a 4* is the size and power of the hair dryer and the thickness of the bath towel.

Love,

Brian

Gold stolen from the Incas, and they are not ashamed to show it!

2024 10 Spain

Spain 13,

Oct. 25, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I finished dinner at 11:00 and still had a lot of energy left so I decided to see Cordoba by Night and take a few photos. I will say nothing more. You be the judge.

2024 10 Spain

Spain 12

Oct. 25, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today was another motorcycle day. I left early in the morning to go from Sevilla to Cordoba. My GPS lady told me that it should take me 5:15 to get here. She must be getting disappointed in me as her estimates are always at least 1 hour less than my times. I arrived 7 hours after starting including a 30 minute break for a cookie and my usual mid day cappuccino. The road as usual was very very hilly and very very windy. Great, that was what I chose and that is what I got.

Riding a motorcycle is not a means of travel. It is a sport by any definition of the word ‘sport’. It demands 100% concentration 100% of the time. 1 second of distraction can be fatal. You must have 4 eyes on the road, 4 eyes on the brake, clutch and speedometer. The scenery is spectacular especially in the countryside and in the mountains. The feeling of freedom with the wind in your face and the glorious sound of the Triumph engine, especially on the downshift is comparable to nothing else in the sensation that it creates for you. If you have never ridden a motor bike in these conditions, I can try to explain it to you, but you will never have the full understanding. Do I like riding a bike more than skiing or racing a sailboat? No, but it runs a very close third.

The road was fantastic but very difficult. Most of the day I rode in 2nd or 3rd gear. There were hairpin turns every 30m. I repeat, every 30m. When they mark 30k or 40k, they mean 30k or 40k and not a km more. Only 1 small stretch was marked ‘poor road conditions’ and they were telling the truth. The pot holes rivalled our Quebec pot holes. Luckily that stretch was only for 30k but it was a long 30k. I couldn’t do more than 30k per hour at best. Actually, I never hit more than 50kph the entire day.

I went through mountains covered with small trees or bushes. There were very few farms and no vineyards. I saw the occasional cow. I must have seen no more than 6 cars in 6 hours and only 2 other motorcyclists going the other way. My new Senna helmet has a plastic screen that can be pushed up so that I am riding in open face mode. Usually I drop the windshield if I am going more than 60k but I never reached that speed today. I drove with the screen up to feel the wind in my face. What a dream. Yesterday, I was boiling hot. Today, I had a slight drizzle for much of the day. I usually don’t like to ride in the rain as the road can be very slippery. Today, as I was driving at a low speed, it didn’t make much of a difference. I really enjoyed the light rain on my face which kept me cool.

Today, I am staying at the Conquistador Hotel, a serious 4* and had the pleasure of discussing politics with a French couple from Toulouse who sat at the table next to me. It is easy to make fast friends when you are travelling alone..

Tomorrow, if I am lucky, I will be able to revisit the mosque-cathedral which is across the street, before heading off to Granada. I will try to shorten the route if possible and avoid some of the hills and curves.

Love,

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 11,

Oct. 24, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

‘If you can’t always get what you want, then if you try sometimes, well, you just might get what you need’. Thanks Mick.

Today was an exploration day to walk around and see what I could in Sevilla. Sevilla is arguably one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever visited. I know, I say that about all the (girls) cities. Every thing in the Old City has been cleaned and renovated to perfection. There are pedestrian walk ways every where. The cafes, bars and restaurants are plentiful. The only problem is the volume of tourists. It is Oct 24 and not too crowded, but there are tourists everywhere. My old adage, ‘if you have heard of a place, so has everyone else, and it may not be useful visiting unless you don’t mind ‘tourists’, rings true.

I started my day by spending several hours trying to change my telephone number on the SNCF website. The security is just too thick. Not having one of my daughters or grandchildren with me to help me, made it impossible for me to navigate the site. SNCF needs a telephone number to confirm a trip and they only have my Canadian number. I now have a Spanish sim card and I can not use it to book a trip. So, I will just have to wait until I get to Paris to book my itinerary in France.

I walked around aimlessly in the Old City and just visited what ever I came across. The Sevilla Cathedral is worth a visit for sure. I first visited it in 1970 when there was no entrance fee. The second time I visited it 10 years ago there was a small entrance fee but you were not allowed to take pictures. This time, the entrance fee had quadrupled but because I am a French (EU) citizen over 65, not only did I get a reduced rate, but pictures are now allowed. Wow, what progress. I was a little disappointed as I could not find a quiet place to pray. I have the sneaking suspicion that the place is kept open to serve the tourist trade rather than the worshipers.

I am always impressed when ever I enter a European cathedral. First of all what strikes me is the enormity of the building. The planning that must have taken place to construct the building which took place often over 300-400 years. You must overlook the fact that slave labour was used and certainly more than 6000 people were killed in the process. 6000 workers died in the construction of the stadiums in Qatar for the World Cup and I have yet to hear any protest by the authorities in the UN. They are obviously too busy with passing judgement over …….I won’t go any further. I saw the tomb of Cristopher Columbus. Very impressive. Rumour has it that the old boy was Jewish. If so, I wonder if he and I are from the same tribe. I also climbed up the steeple to get a view of Sevilla. Great view from the top and well worth the 34 ramps to get there.

I next wandered over to the Palace. I had visited it twice in the past and wanted to see it again and take some photos. Unfortunately, everyone else in town had the same idea as me. Tickets were sold out. This never happened in the past. Those darn tourists…… I walked over to the University of Sevilla. What magnificent place. It rivals any other university in Europe such as Oxford or Munster. The students are really lucky to study here. I hope that the education standard matches the magnificence of the surroundings. The campus even has a moat which is quite deep but dry.

I am sitting in an out door restaurant, in the middle of a plaza sipping wine and writing my blog. I ate seafood paella for the first time in my visit to Spain.

Tomorrow I will ride to Cordoba.

Love,

Brian

cigarette making machine invented here

University of Sevilla

2024 10 Spain

Spain 10,

Oct 23, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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.

Love,

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 9,

Oct. 22, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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.

Tomorrow I will ride to Sevilla.

Love,

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 8,

Oct. 22, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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’.

Brian

2024 10 Spain

Spain 7,

Oct. 20, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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’.

Love,

Brian

2024 Spain

Spain 6,

Oct 19, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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.

2024 10 Spain

Spain 5,

Oct 18, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

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.

Love,

Brian