Chris and Toad

The trip was both a holiday, a challenge and an opportunity to see Spain.

The intention was to have breakfast together in the hotel each day, I would set off and cycle to the next hotel, and Chris would have a leasurely morning, drive to the next hotel and then have the afternoon at the next venue.

When hotels en route proved difficult, then I would get picked up, and the following morning return to the same spot.

When my tyres blew outside Salamanca, I needed assistence to get a a new tyre from the nearest bike shop around 35 kms away. And in Galicia when the rains descended on the final day, a bit of ferrying was required.

Strangely the most difficult problem we encountered on the trip was sorting out the cycle rack for Toad. Him being a convertable, one could not put the bikes on the roof. The only way of doing it was to put a tow bar on Toad, then slot a bike rack on the tow bar. Putting on a tow bar in the UK is not an easy task these days. Over bureaucracy means that garages do not do the job any longer. After 3 attempts we got an itenerant specialist tow bar fitter to come round to Corisande and fit it. The bike rack camr from Newquay Cycles Shop, as did the bike.

Camino de Santiago - Via de la Plata Map of my route