Camping it up in Spain

Camp sites in Spain:

Some are good, some are bad, a few are wonderful and a few are surreal.

Most accept credit cards but few accept tent pegs. I've learnt to rely on my body weight and all my kit to keep the tent in place.

You're never alone on a Spanish camp site, you always have enough bodies for a party, if partying with Ants is your thing.

Tonight's camp site at the summit of the pass between Granada and the Mediterranean coast, the 'Suspiro del Moro'. It isn't short of ants but they are greatly outnumbered by the flies. Ants somehow seem more hygienic, they don't bother me too much but flies!

I started my dinner in the company of dozens of the things, once the word got around about the quality of the food there were hundreds. 

I didn't intend to camp tonight, I was bound for Padul and hoped to find a Hostal there.

I spotted a sign on the ride up the pass, the thought of a swim as I slogged up the pass in the afternoon sun was too tempting.

I registered and asked about the pool, I should have done it the other way round. The pool was closed. I was told the pool was opening next weekend and and was asked how many nights I was staying? One was the answer!

Still, they had a Mini-market, I could stock up on food for breakfast. I scoured the shelves but nothing vaguely edible at 8:00am was available, I bought a large bottle of beer.

I pitched my tent the best I could and sat down to enjoy my beer. The flies did their best to make sure I didn't. Laundry done, it was time to eat. My camp meals have been somewhat dubious on this trip and generally consist of a combination of what ever happens to be in the back left pannier on my bike, that's where I stash my various bits of food that I acquire along the way.

Tonight's feast was a concoction of onions, pepper, chili flakes, a packet of noodles I've been carrying around the hills for 3 weeks, a tin of some sort of unidentified fish and chunks of bread left over from lunch.

It may not be a contender on Masterchef but to me, after a hard days cycling, it was delicious. A thousand flies seemed to agree!

I'd polished the beer off in quick time and ventured to the cold war Eastern European themed Mini-market to purchase a second. I rechecked the shelves to see if there had been a delivery of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes since my visit an hour before but sadly not. I did however spot some wine which at 1.2 euros per litre was cheaper tham the bottle of beer I'd bought earlier.

I checked that I could reseal the carton, I only intended to drink a third, ok – maybe half. I needn't have bothered, the empty carton went in the bin along with my beer bottle. So, for the first time on the trip I'm a bit giddy and in the mood for a party. I'm not sure what flies do to let their hair down but I'm going to find out.

Rock and Roll!