Day 23-30: Sweat and blood

Day 23-30.

We drive into the Sierra de Nieves, there is no sign of snow, but instead treetops stretching as far as the horizon. The colorful bushes and plants on the ground look like small landscaped gardens and there is a buzzing and humming noise everywhere.

After arriving at the community campsite, we set off straight away. The circular route is a bit sobering, however, as a wide asphalt road leads through the colorful flora. What a pity. No hiking romance.

The next day we get back on the saddle. This time we remember all the tools and Eva is the first to pull Lore behind her. Luckily, it's almost all downhill 😜

Things are going well and we decide to extend the circuit; there are "only" three short, steep sections. Eva runs out of breath on the first slope and Chris has to strap the baby, which probably weighs 8 kg by now, onto the back of his bike.

After a lunch break in Schlumpfhausen we are faced with the second slope. 20% gradient. Chris picks up the momentum and manages the first 100 meters. After that the gradient forces him to his knees. Eva has already given up after 10 meters. Oh well. If you love your bike, you push it, right?

Shortly before the campsite, our ambition is still not broken and we race 200 metres down into the small village of Parauta, drink a cold Coke and groan our way back up the same route.

With burning thighs we finish the tour after 4 hours, 38 km and 900 meters of elevation. It's high time to relax.

The meeting near Cadiz with Chris' family is getting closer and we spend the last 3 days before the reunion in Zahora, a neighboring town.

We spend the night at a mini "campsite". Well, it's actually Harry and Cris' garden, which, in addition to chickens, home-grown vegetables and a jungle shower, also offers an excellent breakfast and home-baked bread. We make full use of both.

Now it's time to relax! We grab our bikes again and go on a trip to the neighboring village. On the way we quickly get a beach tent from the tourist junk shop and fight our way up a long hill to the next village. On the other side the wind is blowing hard when we arrive at the beach. The pop-up beach tent serves more as a flag and somehow the beach isn't really that nice either. So we'll pack up again... we thought. "Folding up" the beach tent turns out to be a fight against the forces of nature. We must have looked really desperate, in the wind with the beach tent flapping, child in our arms and bike trailer in the

Hand. Two Portuguese people see our helpless folding attempt and offer to help. The three of us and a YouTube tutorial finally manage to stuff the darned thing into our bag and we pedal back in frustration. To make sure hunger doesn't add to the bad mood, we stop off at a hip beach bar.

With full stomachs and a better mood, we give the beach (and the beach tent) another chance. And lo and behold, weighted down with a few stones, the thing stands up like a dream. Then the child sleeps for a full 20 minutes, so we can still have our beach day relaxation and bask in the sun.

The next day we get ready to swap the bus for the holiday apartment with Chris' family. So for now it's: see you later, pull-out bed and roof tent, hello box spring bed! A week of family time with a big group. After a month of cozy threesomes, we are looking forward to the holiday with 12. 😃

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