Foldable bicycles

Micael has commented that perhaps some of you don't know what we mean when we say that "we put the bikes in their bags...", so in this entry, I'll try to show you how it works:


Here is the bicycle "bagged"; it's about the size of a large suitcase and it weighs some 15kg; it isn't exactly easy to carry with a strap over the shoulder for a lond distance, but it fulfills the requirement of being a bag and not a bicycle, which is very handy when you have to take a bus, train or walk into a hotel.

Besides, as in the case of the hostel where we stayed in Málaga, when they were packed like that, they took a lot less space in our little room.


The bicycle is folded and we have removed the front wheel.


So, the first thing we do is to unfold it and make sure that it is properly locked (it would be very serious if it folded while we are going downhill!!!)




We then put on the front wheel, set the brakes and we are ready!


The whole thing takes some 5-10 minutes and it is definitely easier than trying to moor "Quest" in a marina!

Our New Place

On the week of the 5th of July, it still took until Wednesday afternoon (remember that in Spain, the working hours go from 9:30/10am to 1:30pm, then lunch and siesta, then they open again from 4:30/5pm til 9pm) to finally sign the rental contract and get the keys to the flat.


As it is a new place, we had to start by requesting the connection for power, water, gas and telephone. Besides, the place din't even have light fixtures: they leave it with cables on the ceiling so you put what you want.



Fortunately, the water was connected by Friday, so when we moved in that day, we had at least that very basic utility. Gas was connected on Monday (not much use, since we haven’t figured out how to start the water heater…) and it was not until Wednesday that they connected power, so we had a few days of “camping” in the flat. Fortunately, being summer, there is light until almost 10pm, so it wasn’t a big issue.

We went to IKEA and came back with beds, shelves, light fixtures and a few other things to get started. I’ve been varnishing them while Micael has been putting them together. We moved our stuff from the rented storage to the little storage room here, so we’ve started digging for things, such as our camping table and chairs and my beach chair, which make up the dinning and living room for now, together with Micael’s work table. Very trendy minimalistic style!

Varnishing

Camping cooking

The bicycles have been very useful as a means of transport to do errands and with the paniers we manage to carry quite a few things (although we had to rent a van the day we bought the big stuff). They also serve as an excuse to start a conversation: the guys from a food stall gave us samples of their food while they asked about the bikes and our traveling plans – and also gave us some advise for a nicer route back home-, a kid came and asked Micael if he could join us “in our trip” (Micael kept saying: “but we are just going to our flat, a few blocks away!”) and the other day, while waiting for Micael outside a shopping mall, a guy came and sat down with me for about 45 minutes, chatting about the cycling group here in Málaga.

First romantic dinner at our new place

Weekend

On July’s first Saturday, we decided to be tourists: we went out for a run by the beach in the morning and later, we did a self-guided tour of the historic centre, including a visit to the Museo del vino Málaga (Malaga Wine Museum), which had an excellent exhibit, with history and details about grape cultivation and, of course, wine making.


The visit finished with the tasting of two Malaga wines, both sweet, served by a staff. She also explained that “El Terral” was blowing today with dry hot wind coming from inland.

Sunday, we set off on our first bicycle expedition to Montes de Málaga. We left by 9am and when I stopped to ask directions from a policeman, he also warned us that it would be a hot day.


From the hostel, it is about 6km North to the end of town and the beginning of the hills. It starts with a fairly steep climb of about 600 metres over – it sure felt more like 4 km that first day.... Many of the gravel trails are off limits to motored vehicles, so the area remains very popular with mountain bikers and walkers.


The park is a hill-area that was reforested, mainly with pine, after the large deforestation that occurred in the times of the Catholic Monarchs about half a millennium ago. The terrain is mainly within in 50 to 360 m and peaks at almost 800 m.


In the park we met some 20 other cyclists, either in pairs or by themselves, and all of them more sensible in their timing since they were already on their way back. One of them suggested a suitable loop for us, which - at its return - was a narrow somewhat steep trail.


Back in town we stopped at a Chinese shop (seemed to be the only one open on a Sunday here) and bought us a large, very cold, beer. We enjoyed it next to the Cathedral while a trio of musicians played Baroque music.


In the end, we did some 29 km. We're fortunate that the 'Montes de Málaga' are so close and consider it an excellent area which merits further exploration while we build up our capacity to longer distance biking.