Today we leave Barcelona after a restful and sociable 2.5 days. It is of course a huge city that like all huge cities can be a little overwhelming. That said, we have been very comfortable and I could definitely have stayed longer.
It is however time to get back on the road as we commence Stage 3 the Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) stage of Ride to the Rock.
The final stage is just over 700 miles and promises to be hot, hilly and immensely satisfying when we succeed. We plan to arrive in Gibraltar on the 20th July to meet our primary sponsor Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) and our secondary sponsor Chestertons.
Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) have kindly donated £5000 to Médecins Sans Frontières in order to be our pronary sponsor
Please read this from TGS and head to their website to learn more about the company and why they are a perfect sponsor for Ride to the Rock for Médecins Sans Frontières :
“Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) is proud to sponsor Andy Dennis and Tracey Hill on their next fundraising adventure, Ride to the Rock for MSF. TGS is the official supplier of Toyota vehicles to aid and charity organisations worldwide, including MSF. For over 25 years, TGS has been providing mobility solutions that change lives – being the Land Cruiser 4×4’s range, being off-road ambulance conversions and now, self-charging Hybrid SUV’s”
Information on Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS) and its products can be found at www.toyota-gib.com
To understand the life changing nature of this take a look at the pictures below
Todays ride
We left The Student Hotel at about 1000 as we had a late breakfast and quite frankly didn’t wish to leave the comfort.
The ride out of Barcelona was minus fun, busy streets, confusing cycling lanes that vanished randomly or shifted to the opposite side of the road as it was easier for planners . We left Barcelona at some point passing into suburbs then industrial estates. These are a far cry from the grand streets, parks and modernist Gaudi designed buildings in the city that is projected internationally.
I say we left the city at some point because towns that once had identity have now been swallowed up by urban sprawl. It went on and on.
Finally we hit the coast at Vallcarca where the sea (a long way from the road) looked lovely. It was 30-31c today and the coastal hills were hot and drained me. Tracey was very kind and forced some Oral Rehydration Solution down me. This helped me make it to Cunit where we found the campsite, cooked dinner on a wall near the beach, showered and are now in the tent. I almost forgot , I was assaulted by a child! A kid of about 13 on a scooter shot down a hill on the campsite, came to a halt, picked up the scooter and spun it to change direction. He spun it straight onto my shin as I walked past. It was somewhat uncomfortable – I taught him some English. I now have a swollen bruised leg. It’ll be fine but it nips a bit.