Eric on his Bike

Cart drawn by 3 horses

After three punctures in as many days and both gear cables breaking on the same day, I took my bike into Boronat Cycles in Gata de Gorgos at 4pm. They could not fix the cables until 5.30. So I decided to explore Gata’s labyrinth of streets that has always confounded me.

This time I found myself at the back of the village, where a beautifully designed walkway passes alongside the gorge. The bleached white bedrock of the gorge bottom contrasts strongly with the red-brown of the precipitous side of a curve where the gorge leaves the village to snake towards the mountains. I left it there to go back for my bike, intent on returning to complete the walk.

View of the path alongside Gata: Charles in foreground.

So yesterday, my friend Charles and I set out to do just that. Soon after rounding the curve, the path crosses the gorge and we followed a path marked by two cairns, climbing a little,  instead of  taking the flatter path to the left. But as we climbed there were no indications we had chosen correctly. The path (PR CV412) should have been marked with two bars, white and red. No sooner had we turned round to head back to the other path than we met a local man, Mathias, walking his two dogs. He confirmed we were on the right path and he offered to accompany us on the walk.

As we climbed higher through the lush glen, Mathias pointed out the occasional orchid (pyramidalis). He explained to us that March is the best month to see a number of different species in flower.

A short diversion took us down to the Font de Mata.

The font de Mata.

A few steps lead down to the well which was full of fresh water, continuously supplied by the source in the rocks  behind from which an old lentiscus bush (in Valenciano it is called “mata”) grows. Also named the mastic tree, the highly scented resin it produces is used in cosmetics, cooking and medicines as well as in the manufacture of  high grade varnish.

Stone drinking troughs by the font.

The well was originally made by the Moors hundreds of years ago, as a source of drinking water and irrigation.

Further up the glen, several remnants of  houses from recent times (c200 years) can be found. One of them still has the lower stone of its olive mill in place.

Remaining stone of olive mill.

With the legs now tiring there was a stiff climb to the highest point of the walk (430m). Halfway up, to the right of the track,  a small opening in the ground leads down a deep fissure. A metal ring secured to the rock is the only sign that people have tried to explore inside. They had reached water and gone no further.

Once on top, the views are extensive. In one direction, the curve of the Valencian coast to the north. Javea town, dominated by the Montgo mountain is to the east. In the other direction, Benissa with its dominating cathedral-like church points to the Bernia mountain.

The climb to the highest point.

The walk back is quite different, descending over flaky limestone rock, supporting a multitude of colourful perennial flowers.

Heading down.

Just short of reaching Gata, we passed by the huerto (garden) belonging to Mathias’ suegro (father-in-law). He was there as he always is when not working, cultivating fruit and vegetables for the house.

Mathias and father-in-law.

Back in Gata, we shared a beer with Mathias and hoped to see him on the trail sometime in the future. In between cycling.

GALA IN THE GARDEN

On June 25th. we are holding a very special event here at Casa de Vinas to raise money for orphans in S.Africa. We will be entertained by the 30 voice Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir, Jane Betsworth (professional soprano) and John Butson (trumpet). A donation of 10 euro is asked for each ticket. All proceeds will go directly to Family Restoration Services who care for over 470 orphans in the black township of Motherwell as well as providing a home for 25 orphans in the Thamsanqa orphanage.

Although there are 200 tickets for sale, about 140 have so far been sold. Please contact me (eric_olverson@yahoo.co.uk) if you would like to come along.

Desperate to get my weight back down, I left with Tim and Jim Stanners last Thursday to do a 170 km. loop. They are training for the Lanzarote Ironman in May which will include a 180km. ride. Well into their training already, I had to hang on the back and sometimes inch my way back up to them.

As I left home to join them in Benimarco I noticed poppies out for the first time this year. The almond blossom was slowly disappearing here but as we sped inland the pinks and whites of their bloom was magnificent. Climbing past Castel de Castels, the mountain valleys were bedecked with stands of almonds, their bloom resembling strewn confetti.

As many times before, we skirted the small villages clinging to the mountain side to reach Planes and then through the glorious Val de Gallinera. With temperatures hitting 80F and clear sunshine, there was nowhere else to be. Unfortunately, on reaching Pego, Tim had to head straight home suffering badly from tendinitis in the knee. So the two of us carried on to Oliva and down the coast to Els Poblets. There, just a short distance from where the river connects to the Mediterranean, we enjoyed a tostada and coffee- for1.60 euros!-at one of our favourite spots. This left us with Denia and the climb over the Montgo, where Jim had to wait a bit for me, poor soul. When I parted from him in Moraira, he still had a 10km. run to do. I looked forward to a 10 hour sleep!

Cold grey skies greeted us on Sunday as Jim Bolton and I met the lads of Benissa cycling club in Benissa. Not so used to cycling in poor weather, we were all glad when we stopped for our almuerzo (morning break)  in a bar in Gata de Gorgos. The place was buzzing: men sat in groups eating, women sat together sipping coffees after the finish of mass in the church opposite. (Clearly, church-going here in Spain is becoming more of a female trait). Room was made for the 16 of us and quickly, unshelled peanuts and small plates of salad in the most tasty of olive oils, were brought to the table to accompany the wine, beer and soft drinks. Our bocadillos (rolls) soon followed.

As we left the warmth of the bar some 40 minutes later, cold drops of rain brought us back to reality. So cold and miserable did we begin to feel that, when the day’s route passed near my home, I broke off as most of the group continued to Calpe. What a wimp!

The bright sunshine had returned yesterday for our ride with the English riders of Pedreguer. They are a strong group, so a good pace was maintained, the 22 riders splitting in two after Oliva as the better riders pushed harder towards Pego. The leaders cranked it up gradually going up Pillarets (towards Sagra), dropping riders off one by one until Pete, Ron, Jim and Sandy sprinted for the top. We regrouped before stopping for a bite in Benigembla, and as Jim and I made our way back to Benissa, we both agreed the 107 km. ride had been most enjoyable. We averaged about 26kph.

Back in the garden, the first freesias have been out for a week now, flowering as early as the irises for the first time. Winter is behind us.

As I cycled to Teulada, I received a message on my phone from my friend Jim, “Gone back for helmet”- it was going to be one of those days. Jim is so thin that if he puts a pound on he looks overweight, and I am lugging an extra 4 kilos around the Marina Alta, after doing nothing during the whole of January. So a little extra mileage is no bad thing. When we eventually met up, we cycled on to the 24 hour cafe near Pedreguer. That is where the Pedreguer English cycling group meet up for a coffee before their cycling trips.
About twenty of us met up, many regulars giving it a miss, probably with the forecast to be rain coming in. Everyone set off together, but passing through Pedreguer the leader went one way and everyone else another. I do not know why. Avery, the leader, came back after us asking why the route had been changed on him! After passing through Beniarbeig and Benimeli, the slower riders took off to the right while six of us carried on. But soon after, the only girl rider peeled off to the left; then a little further on, Adam, the youngest and perhaps fastest in the group, waved cheerio and turned off. Apparently he is recovering from a bike accident and needing to get back slowly. So now there was only Jim and I plus Avery and Sandy. At this rate, maybe we would end up back on our own.
We continued to Pego and along the road to Forna. This road is actually now closed as it is being widened and straightened, to provide better access, not to the village but to the quarry nearby. We turned round and returned to the bar in the Centro Cultural of Adsubia. The slower riders had taken a more direct route and were already inside. As we ate our tostadas or bocadillos and drank our beers or coffees, light rain began to fall.
Avery was the first to leave; he did not hang about and we did not see him again. John (from Calpe) and Sandy (from Alcalali) joined Jim and I to head for Orba and never saw anybody else. The rain made us cautious as the Spanish roads can be slippy with a bit of rain. Sandy left us in Alcali and John left us in Jalon, to take a more direct route home. We were back where we started, just Jim and I, wet but never miserable.

An article appeared last week in one of the Spanish newspapers about two people who have been responsible for attacking cyclists between Denia and Valencia from their car. They have stoned and beaten with a stick twelve riders so far, causing one man to need serious hospital treament.The Guardia Civil are on their trail.

On June 25th. this year, Carole and I will be hosting a concert here at Las Vinas, to raise funds for Thamsanqa orphanage. The Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir has generously offered to sing for us; they are a wonderful group of singers. Also, our long-term friend Jane Robinson, who sang soprano with the Scottish Philharmonic, has agreed to fly over specially to sing for us. This will be a memorable evening withour doubt. I cannot give you details yet as we are in the process of making the arrangements. I will keep you up to date.
Meanwhile, in case you did not receive it in the last blog, Tia’s own blogsite, which she keeps updated with news at Thamsanqa, is www.tiathamsanqa.blogspot.com.