Vaucluse Dreamer

I can hardly believe it, but after months of planning and a lot of fears that something would happen to throw a spoke through our wheels, we are actually on our way to Madrid. We will have a day to find our feet tomorrow. Then on Saturday, we’ll cycle out of the city, beginning the long ride back to Sète, packing new memories into our already bulging saddlebags.

The week has flown by, especially with Andy having spent last weekend in the UK, only arriving back in Provence on Monday afternoon. As such, the last 3 days have been a whirl of last minute fettling of the bikes and being brutal with what we are packing to take with us.

Packing for a trip like this is always a fascinating process, as we strip our lives back to the basic necessities that we’ll need for 17 days away. At the end of the day, there really is only a limited amount of space in our little bikepacking bags and we know that everything we carry will make each hill just that little harder. So if it isn’t really needed, it isn’t packed.

There is a real simplicity in travelling this light, assessing everything we have with a critical eye and casting so much of what we think we need, to one side.  Suddenly we realise just how many things there are that we can live without.

This year, we have booked more apartments than hotels, choosing ones with washing machines, which will make the daily cycle kit washing a little easier than last time. Last year we were hand-washing everything in the sink, before carrying out amazing contortions to wring the wet stuff out in towels, hoping it would dry overnight. Having washing machines most days feels like a little bit of luxury this time.

Our basic packing is 2 sets of cycle kit, arm warmers, a gilet & wet weather jacket, 2 t-shirts & 2 pairs of shorts/trousers for the days off, a lightweight fleece and a pair of sandals. Then the essential toiletries, maps, chargers and plugs, together with electrolyte tablets for our water bottles and enough protein snacks to get us through the first few days. That’s effectively it. That really is everything we need to just enjoy the ride.

It doesn’t sound much, but when it’s laid out on the bed next to our carriers, it looks as if we won’t stand a chance of fitting it all in. It’s like trying to fit a quart into a pint pot, but by rolling everything tightly, then playing a complex game of packing-Tetris, it all somehow goes in. The relief, once it’s all packed is palpable, and after a few checks against our list, we fasten the bags and breathe a sigh of relief. A quick look at what we’re taking

Then it’s just the bikes to worry about.

This time last year, we rode to Avignon, before putting the bikes on a local TER train for the trip to Montpellier at the start of a little cycling trip around the Herault, for the huge October brocante at Pezenas. That was simple, as in the TERs, there is space for assembled bikes and we just popped them on the hooks, then sat down and enjoyed the trip. Unfortunately this time, things aren’t that easy. Whilst some of the high-speed trains now take assembled bikes, the RENFE train we had booked from Aix to Madrid doesn’t, so the bikes had to be dismantled and packed into bags.

There are strict regulations on the size of bag allowed for the bikes, and they have to measure no more than 140 x 90 x 40 cm , which is a little tight and we would rather they were well inside the size restrictions than worry. So the process of packing the bikes took a long time. The wheels, saddle and handlebars were removed and all the delicate parts protected with cardboard and bubble-wrap, before they were secured in the bags, tied with tape and cords. 

Even with all that, we are nervous about the potential for the bikes to get damaged during the trip, so we won’t really feel able to breathe and consider the trip to be properly underway, until we have reassembled and tested the bikes when we arrive. If they haven’t survived the trip, then this could all be over, before we begin.

By yesterday afternoon, we were all packed and enjoyed a very lovely evening with a young couple from America, who have arrived to look after Millie & Pusscat, whilst we’re away. I must admit using Trusted House-Sitters website to find sitters makes going away so much easier. We have also met some lovely people through it too, and by the time we went to bed last night, we were happy that our beloved old ladies will be doted on, during our absence.

Of course, we were awake well before the alarm this morning, both twiddling our thumbs, our minds running away with themselves, as we lay in the dark waiting for the alarm to start the day.

We had booked the RENFE train from Aix to Madrid, a straight through route, with stops including Girona & Zaragoza, both of which we’ll visit on the ride back. It wasn’t the cheapest, or quickest option, but there is a simple joy in travelling by train, even if it will take us 7 1/2 hours to arrive at our destination.

Our eldest son dropped us at the station, and within an hour we were on board the train, and the trip felt as if it had begun.

It has to be said that the luggage storage option for the bikes isn’t exactly easy and we were pleased that we were able to find space on the only large racks, just by the door. Securing the bags (with their precious cargo) in place using the ties we had put around them to hold them tightly into the racks.

So finally we are breathing a little more easily. The next big stress being re-assembling the bikes and checking they are OK, once we arrive in Madrid, but at least we will have tomorrow to deal with any issues if we need to.

As I finish typing this first part of today’s post, we are just passing through Sète. All being well we’ll next see it in a little over 2 weeks time, when we cycle back along the path bordering the Mediterranean, on our way to spend the last night of the trip in this pretty, vibrant town. For now though, I’ll just sit back, enjoy the view and relax.

Update … At 1130, we hurtled into a tunnel and emerged into Spain. No passport processes, no queues, not even the need to change trains, just a smooth passing between countries, with no fanfare or interruption at all. It’s our first ever visit to the country and it never ceases to amaze me how things actually change, just for the sake of an invisible line on a map. The landscape already seems different, with the silvery leaves of the olive trees shimmering in the stiff wind and the bright, late-morning sun. A long way from the heavy cloud of Aix, first thing this morning.

After stopping in Girona and Barcelona, the landscape changed again. Wooded hillsides giving way to open vineyards, with dramatic crags visible in the distance and pretty villages dotted across the valley. On the final approach to Tarragona, there were glimpses of the sea glittering in the distance, before we  turned inland and started travelling across to Zaragoza (another of our planned stops on the way home).

Inevitably the train follows a relatively flat route across the country, but from the windows we could see some of the hills that we would be cycling through over the next couple of weeks. Looking at our planned routes, we now understand why we will be doing so much climbing, but at least it’s very pretty.

We got very excited to see the skyline of Lleida, another of our stops, over the next couple of weeks. Also crossing roads that we’ll be cycling along during the ride there from Caspe too. All of a sudden, the ride is becoming incredibly real.

The area between Lleida and Zaragoza looks  as if  it has stepped straight from the set of an old Spaghetti Western. A vast open plain, with a huge sky. There are no trees to interrupt the views and just an occasional rock outcrop, standing proud from the pale gold soil. Then we switched to a different area again, where gulleys seemed to be packed with olive trees, looking like rivers between the stark rock. It really was a fascinating journey.

Of course, we will be riding through this and will have the time to take it all in, which isn’t easy when we’re hurtling along on a high speed train

Amazingly, after a 1500km journey, we pulled into Madrid right on time and waited for everyone to get off the train before we removed the bikes from their resting place on the luggage racks. We made our way out onto a spacious and remarkably empty concourse and started the painstaking process of rebuilding the bikes.

OK, I say we, but it was Andy, with me just passing him the tools and giving encouragement. There was a nerve-wracking moment when we opened the bags, but all the protection was still in place and the bikes went together with ease (and not one swear word was uttered).

In less than an hour, both bikes were reassembled, the bike bags had been folded away & our bike packing bags were in place. It was as if the cycling Gods were smiling on us, after all the stress of the last few months.

Happy that we’d disposed of the rubbish and had collected all our bits, we rolled the bikes along the moving pavement, out of the station and into the utter mayhem of Madrid.

After the journey and the peace of the station, it was a total assault on our senses. Cars heading in every direction, horns blaring and just the busy, noisy atmosphere of a capital city. At first, it was overwhelming, as we stood there to find our bearings, but we finally worked out where we needed to go, crossed to get on the right side of the road, and then pedalled our way through the city to our accommodation for the next 2 nights.

We’ve landed on our feet, having booked a little studio overlooking the Plaza Mayor in the heart of the city. Having heaved our bikes up the stairs, we ambled around the streets and are now sitting on the terrace, with a beer just soaking up the atmosphere below.

So we’ve made it. The bikes are here and after Andy’s efforts to make sure they were protected in the bags,  they’re in one piece.

The worries we had that something would bring our trip to a faltering halt were without foundation and after a day off tomorrow, exploring this vibrant and beautiful city, we’ll be turning the pedals at the start of our long ride back to Sète.

So this evening, we’ll sit and just watch the world pass by below, listening to the guitarist and feeling very happy, very mellow and just excited for what is to come.

We hope you enjoy the journey with us…

Cheers!