A few mindful moments just after sunrise on my final morning staying in Costa Adeje on the Spanish island of Tenerife. It’s interesting seeing how, from the perspective of the drone, the natural and man-made worlds have collided rather sharply. But at 8am there was still calm to be found before people crawl from their beds and take up position beside the pools, in the cafรฉs and bars and on the beaches…
When I was thinking about what to do today, top of the list of โpossiblesโ was staying at the hotel and cracking on with some writing. I was hoping to knock off at least another couple of chapters of the new book this week, but it hasnโt happened, yet. And it never happened this morning. With it been another nice day, it seemed a waste to sit at my computer, especially when there are so many things I havenโt done on this island. That includes getting anywhere near Mount Teide. Would today be the day I did?
The cycling dayโฆ Itโs strange being on a cycling holiday without a bicycle. Thatโs how it felt yesterday. Today the normal order was restored and I have been cycling. Not on my bike but a hire bike from a local company called Mr Bike Tenerife. I donโt think thatโs his real name but Mr Bike delivered the โPro Mountain Bikeโ to the hotel this morning at just after 11:30 as promised. Let the cycling commenceโฆ
I still have to jump on a bike butโฆ I suppose that was never the plan until day 3. Today was spent wandering very slowly along the coast from Costa Adeje to Los Cristianos and then back again via a route slightly inland. My fitness app tells me 20km and 27,000 steps. Thant will work wonders on the average. โ
Itโs a slight departure for this esteemed organ of the cycling world to head off on a package tour but this week thatโs exactly whatโs happening; I have been invited by Jet2 Holidays to sample a bit of cycling on the Spanish island of Tenerife. โTo say itโs outside of my comfort zone would be a mild understatement – I am happiest with at least two panniers and a simple campsite at the end of the day – but Iโm always up for something new so here goesโฆ
Matthew Sturgeon is an architect and cyclist from Ilkley in Yorkshire and heโs onย a mission to visit every one of mainland Britainโs 186 lighthouses. Inspired by his late late wife Angela, who raised ยฃ40,000 for cancer research, Matthew is raising money for his A Bit Of A Break charity. It funds visits for cancer patients and their families to holiday properties around the UK. He started collecting his lighthouses with a ride along the Northumbrian coast and has now visited 100. But why lighthouses? Whatโs his favourite lighthouse? What has been the most disappointing lighthouse? What has been the most difficult to cycle to? And what will be lighthouse number 186? Matthew tells his story to The Cycling Europe Podcastโฆ
Matthew Sturgeon is an architect and cyclist from Ilkley in Yorkshire and heโs onย a mission to visit every one of mainland Britainโs 186 lighthouses. Inspired by his late late wife Angela, who raised ยฃ40,000 for cancer research, Matthew is raising money for his A Bit Of A Break charity. It funds visits for cancer patients and their families to holiday properties around the UK. He started collecting his lighthouses with a ride along the Northumbrian coast and has now visited 100. But why lighthouses? Whatโs his favourite lighthouse? What has been the most disappointing lighthouse? What has been the most difficult to cycle to? And what will be lighthouse number 186? Matthew tells his story to The Cycling Europe Podcastโฆ
Packing the right gear is the key to an enjoyableย cycle touring trip.ย On the one hand, not packing enough can put you in a tight spot when youโre on the road. And on the other, packing too much can weigh you down over long hour of exertion.ย
