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December 14 Wednesday Bicycle touring Spain from Almeria Spain to Granada Spain Hi ho! We're off to the French Riviera from the Granada rail station. A mere 12,750 pesetas each, plus 1600 pesetas supplemental. I didn't tell the ticket guy we had bikes when I bought the tickets. I just bought the tickets and waited for the 6:20 PM train to arrive. When the train arrived, we pushed our bikes out and said "Where do we put em?" just like we knew what we were doing. A friendly guy took us to the end car and we hiked our fully loaded touring bicycles on. I figure we shouldn't even have to move our bikes until our next transfer. Unlike our train ride from Seville, I even got to sit down this time. Right now we are the only ones in the last rail car. We can't see much outside -- it is dark already, except for the almost full moon and the flickering of lights in towns we pass on the hillside. We don't know if we'll be able to find Roger and Suzanne. We tried to phone the hotel and were told that name doesn't exist in Cannes. The operator gave me an alternate spelling and when we tried there the owner said "Mr Lanteigne hasn't been here for 30 years." He added that the hotel is closed until Dec 28. So much for just having to check-in. We tried phoning Sonia's residence. When Chez Mme Mayer answered, she said Sonia wasn't there and abruptly hung up on me. Remember that "No bicycles" sign we bumped into late yesterday? Well, this morning when we folded our bicycle touring tent, we decided that rather than continue on, we rode our bikes back into Granada. We went to a travel agent there who told us they have no listing of hotels in France. We decided if we are going to see Roger and Suzanne for Christmas, we had better hop a train. And, we figure, this way we have both coasts to cycle next winter -- Portugal and Spain and Morocco -- if we so choose. I am close to a nervous breakdown. I went into a grocery store and was overwhelmed by the line-ups. I wandered around for half an hour looking for something I could buy that I wouldn't have to talk to any people. To buy food here I have to talk to and stand in separate lines for fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, cheese, then the cashier. Fighting the urge to flee the grocery store, I only finally bought something because I'd been in there half an hour and if I returned empty-handed Sharon would be rather ticked. |
