Surely today is the day? Much as I am enjoying Sanguesa, and I am, we absolutely, positively must “get out of dodge” today.

We were forced to eat elsewhere last night as our “usual” Bar el Pilar was closed….it’s entirely possible they are simply sick of the sight of us and decided it was better just to take a day out and pretend we weren’t there. Instead we landed on Bar Leire which if anything was even “more betterer”. Much gin, much wine and much mushroom parcels. We are so “integrated” now Marc has even brought himself a Spanish T - shirt.

It’s a slight segue but when I looked back at my “Google Translate” history (amazing app, get it now!) last night it struck me how much it speaks to our somewhat challenging stay in Sanguesa. I repeat here, almost verbatim, the last five and a half days……

  • - it arrives tomorrow?

  • - definitely here tomorrow?

  • - do you speak English?

  • - how can I get it here today?

  • - you put in a taxi and send here today I pay.

  • - what time tomorrow?

  • - do you speak English?

  • - can I collect from Pamplona?

  • - will it come here?

  • - I need it to arrive today

  • - do you speak English?

  • - what is your name Signor?

  • - I urgently need delivery tomorrow please?

  • - do you speak English?

  • - has my order been despatched yet?

  • - the new part arrived but it was the wrong one

  • - please tell me you speak English?

  • - two bottles of red wine please

I think its fair to say that it’s been an emotional few days!

This morning (horrible nights sleep….bloody frogs are totally inside my head now even with double earplugs!) I am outside the couriers office, furiously pacing up and down at exactly 9am, which is when they are supposed to open but of course don’t. The online updates make no sense at all in any language and so, whilst I admit I am not proud of it, my plan is simply and solely to make the poor young courier man’s life a living hell until I have my delivery in my hot sweaty hands. I leave Marc in Bar Landa (our usual breakfast haunt) where you can cut the tension with a knife…..everyone is absolutely on tenterhooks….will “Los Chicos” get their much needed new parts and will they be away today or not?

Finally after a series of increasingly anxious (possibly concerned for his well-being) promises from Signor Courier of “quince minutos signor”, “diez minutos signor”, “dos minutos signor” the van finally pulls up and it’s there in my hands. I honestly cannot bring myself to open it until I’m with Marc. (Vanity would normally prevent me from sharing this photo but honestly….it’s such an amazing moment!)

So know we have had a delivery, it’s the right part (albeit more parts than I actually need and horrifically expensive) so now it’s over to Signor Bike Fix. I imagine he has been training for this moment his whole life (certainly the last five and a half days) and he doesn’t disappoint. When I show him “the precious” he dutifully responds “muy bueno” which we take to mean that he is content.

We leave him to concentrate on the critical transplant work and head back to the campsite where we “de-camp” and say a slightly teary Adios to Signor Camp Site. It’s pretty clear we have been his best customers in sometime, perhaps ever.

An hour or so later and we return to Talleres Santi (not sure I have name checked him before so here it is) …..the bike is fixed, we can ride, we can leave Sanguesa!!! So we do.

Signor Bike Fix declines a photo or a name check, but Marc and I will never forget what an amazing job he did for us…..”Muchos muchos gracias signor!!”

And that’s it…..with just a few turns of the pedal we finally say goodbye to Sanguesa and then we are off again on our adventure.

Honesty after nearly a week stuck in the same place the first 500 yards feel just so amazingly liberating and exciting…we are back in the game! The second 500 yards feel very, very hilly, quite a lot uncomfortable and insanely hot (it’s 28 today!!). Have I mentioned yet how much I miss Sanguesa?

We obviously now have a lot of miles and a lot of time to make up so our new plan is to get to Madrid (c240 miles away) as quickly as possible and then take stock. The only campsite we can find within reasonable striking distance (we decide that 110 miles starting at around 1300 is not “reasonable” ) is 45 miles away …and so that’s what’s we do.

 
 
 

Forty five miles may not sound like a lot but it feels massive to us, not least because of the insane heat. We roll in around 1630 and crash. We are back on our way and it feels great!!

Final thing for today….last night I received the very sad news that a colleague I had worked with has passed away. I don’t yet have all the details but when he and I last spoke he had just received the devastating news that the prostate cancer he had thought he was finally rid of, and had fought so bravely, was in fact back.

Mike was highly regarded and hugely respected by everyone he worked with. I know that his kind, thoughtful approach to supporting others whilst working in the Career Transition Service, and indeed throughout his career, helped many, many people. He was much loved and he will be terribly, terribly missed. It feels even more poignant to get this news given where we are right now and what we are doing. Our thoughts are of course with Mikes family and friends.