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 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

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

2024 10 Spain

Spain 1,

Oct 15, 2024,

Hi everyone,

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.

Love,

Brian