Some helpful Spanish phrases for the A2A boys by Vivi Mcduell;
Greetings
Hello – hola
Good morning – Buenos días
Thank you very much man – hombre, muchas gracias
Ok – vale
Please – por favor
Goodbye – Adios/ hasta luego
Good night – buenas noches
Questions & Useful Phrases
Where is the nearest campsite? – Donde esta el camping mas cercano?
Is there wifi here? – Hay wifi aqui (akee)?
Where is the nearest supermarket/restaurant? – Donde esta el supermercado/restaurante mas cercano?
There are four of us – somos (somoss) cuatro
There are six of us – somos seis
We want to reserve a space – queremos (keremoss) reservar un espacio
We are hungry – tenemos hambre (hambray)
We are thirsty – tenemos sed (seth)
Is this water drinkable? Es agua potable?
Where are the toilets? Donde hay los servicios?
I am in the queue – Estoy en la cola
I don’t speak Spanish – no hablo español (espanyol)
We don’t speak Spanish – no hablamos español
We are English – somos ingleses
How much is one night? Cuanto cuesta una noche?
How much is it? – cuanto cuesta?
What time is it? – que hora es?
How long? – cuanto tiempo?
We are here for 1 night only – solo estamos aqui para una noche
1 night – una noche
I want to buy….-quiero comprar
(Rob, Marcus & Fred) I have a girlfriend and she is fit – tengo una novia y es preciosa
(for laurie) I’m single do you speak English? – estoy soltero hablas ingles?
Common Insults – for any bad Spanish drivers/women…haha
Bitches – putas
Son of a bitch – hijo de puta (heeho de poota)
Dickhead – coño (conyo)
Don’t fuck with me – no me jodas (hodas)
More Vocab
Tent – una tienda
Bike – bicicleta or bici
Water – agua
Drinkable water – agua potable
Bottle of water – una botella de agua
Salad – ensalada
Meat - carne
Food – comida
Supermarket – supermercado
Bread- pan
A Glass – una copa
White wine – vino blanco
Red wine – vino tinto
Toilets – servicios
Restaurant – restaurante
Breakfast – desayuno
Lunch – (doesn’t really exist a set word) comida a mediodia
Dinner (cena)
Fruit – fruta
Vegetables – vegetales
Milk – leche
Tea – te
Coffee – café
Sugar – azucar
Petrol station – estacion de gasoline
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Day 12 - Soria to Ayllon
After crossing the Pyrenees and another hard slog up and over Spanish mountains day 12 had planned to be slightly shorter (101km) with less mountain passes. This in theory would mean for a swift arrival into Allyon with plenty of time to recover on sleep and food.
The day started with sweeping descents passing fields of Bamby like deer playing in the early morning sun. After many walkietalky conversations with the ever reliable Hannon's we arrived into our lunch town of San Esteban de Gormez. This picturesque town was home to only 3000 people, one of which a young English boy studying at Nottingham Trent University. He gave us some interesting facts about the the town and then decided, along with his Spanish amigo to join the peloton for a few kilometres.
Slogging along on their mountain bikes, he decided to show the thunder train the local bull fighting arena. Having entered with great caution we navigated our way around the arena on our not so off roading- road bikes!! The local groundsman who firmly believed in the phrase mãnyana was desperately in search of a cigarette- something the elite athletes of the A2A team could not provide.
As the heat began to rise to 38 degrees we cruised into what we thought would be spitting distance of our over night destination. The kilometres ticked down slowly...7...6...5 still no sign of the town. 4...3...2, no town in sight. Just to put this into perspective it takes 5 double clicks on google images just to even find this town. Into the last km, still no sign. Fred who has taken responsibility of the whole route became seriously worried about what he had let the boys in for. However, as we came to under 300 yards- buried into the cliff face an absolute goldmine of a town.
Built around the 1100's, Allyon was home to only 1000 people but proved to be a serious hit amongst the boys and the support crew. We took an opportunity to have a quick afternoon nap before heading out to explore what this town had to offer. Sunk into the cliff face was 20meter long caves. Marcus and Fred, crawled, crept and crouched their way through the rather unstable corridors, whilst Rob and Laurie stood petrified at the entrance, ensuring at every minute we were still alive and talking.
The experience we had in and around Ayllon is something that can't really be expressed in a blog, however if you ever find yourself around Madrid, all the Access 2 Africa team can strongly recommend taking the trip north to visit this town.
After wandering around the narrow streets we took to a local bar to sample some cerveza. After 6 beers we asked for the bill. Much to Greg's amazement the bill worked out to just over a pound a pint. Having been so flabbergasted by this we decided to stay and have our evening meal there.
The waitress handed over the menus and after 10 minutes browsing the menu, none of us were any the wiser as to what on earth the choices were. As a style of Russian roulette we placed our orders and waited in serious anticipation discussing our choices over another £1 beer. When the food arrived we were all unbelievably happy. Laurie and Marcus had gone for a boring steak and chips. Rob confit of duck, Helen and Greg still don't know what they ate and Fred being the most adventurous foodie out of the team went for a local dish of cows cheek. Much to everyone's amusement as it arrived, it actually ended up being the talk of the evening about how tender and delicious it was.
If this trip had not happened, we would never ever know about little places like Ayllon and the history behind it. We all could not believe what we had witnessed and are already planning a reunion there in a few years time.
Today's distance: 63 miles
Average speed: 15.3 mph
Top speed: 39 mph
Time on bike: 4: 30 hrs
Total Distance; 850 miles
Max heart rate: 86% (172 Bpm)
Average heart rate: 62% (124 bpm)
Calories burnt: 2300
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
Day 11 - Logrono to Soria
Last night saw the first minor worry over a set back in the camp. Laurie had spent all afternoon in bed after completing a hard day. First diagnosis was heat exhaustion or dehydration - before bed sickness struck and he instantly felt better, we all just hoped that a good nights sleep, plenty to drink and a real bed would do the trick. Thankfully it did and the team was once again complete.
Day broke, we decided to make the most of not having to pack up camp in the morning and have an extra hour in bed. Our lax attitude saw us leave the pad at about 8:30 and we set out, navigating our way through the Logrono rush hour traffic. Our 60 km climb started well, it's always a nice moral booster to see the road signs of your destination town for the day - counting down the kilometres and easy navigation all helps.
The scenery was stunning, we all knew we had a fairly tough day ahead of us but when you are surrounded by cliff faces, rocky peaks and overhangs that would be perfectly at home in a remote Western, you soon loose track of yourselves, gazing around in awe and taking photos. Suddenly the effort you are putting in to each push of the pedal goes straight to the back of your mind. Arguably one of the best roads we have been on laid ahead. It snaked its way through the desolate yet forested Rioja region. A flowing river to our left and eagles soaring above us to the right, we were reminded why were we doing this.
A refreshment break with the Battle Bus came in a sleepy Spanish town about 45 km in to the day. We were promised by the local tourist guide that this time of year is quiet as the Spanish have head back to the nearby grindstone...he was aptly named 'Jesus' - of course with a name like that he was a very nice man and we offered all we had just in case we may need him one day soon! Our attention shifted from Love Box to some elderly chicas having a stroll on the village green...on second glance they were not only walking themselves but their tortoise! These mountain women were very proud of their pet and allowed us to take some photos with them, at first they seemed sheepish, maybe it was the fear of being tagged in the photos on their Facebook, Twitter...or even a mention in this blog!
We kept climbing, kept drinking, kept chatting away to one another and kept taking in the surroundings. In the distance we saw a heavy flow of water coming out if what looked like a man made wall. Granted the flow looked like some of our well hydrated toilet stops along the way but this was definitely not Fred ahead of us. We soon discovered it was the outlet of a dam and, above, a beautiful reservoir appeared. In the mid day heat, the water, as still as a mill pond glistened. There were horses, cows and donkeys all making the most of the water together as we took numerous photos. After taking it all in it was on to lunch.
Time for a vital decision...do we take the long windy and very hilly road to the right, or, do we take the flat, cool, fast tunnel to the left. Of course it was a no brainer and in to the tunnel we went. If we were being honest we knew we probably weren't meant to be in there...our doubt was only confirmed when're signs showed 'PRECAUSIO CYCLISTA', the speed limit was reduced and over a loud speaker came a Spanish women's voice, we guessed she was telling us to stop but heads down and power on we made it out saving ourselves about 10km and lots of hard work.
Yet another veritable feast provided by the ever entertaining Team 2 casually ended in unwanted eggs being thrown at each other and of course the local bulls. Greg ensured us that these specific animals wouldn't eat the boiled eggs until they were peeled, a man full of useful knowledge is such an inspiration to us all! We had a short afternoon, an initial descent saw us through our quickest 10km of the trip and we head in the boiling afternoon sun towards Soria.
There was only one campsite in the town...we came to the conclusion that this campsite formed part of the Spanish convict relocation scheme! However we did meet another group of British cyclists on their way from Norway to their home in Gibralter. We exchanged our food for their knowledge...they gave a good insight into what we should expect when we reach Madrid and Gibralter! We wish them all the best for the rest of their trip although our crosses may path at some point before the end.
Today's distance:
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Time on bike:
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- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
Monday, 2 September 2013
Day 10 - Pamplona to Logrono
Having slept soundly through another night of the Hannon snoring orchestra, we rose early to wake another sleepy campsite. Our first full day in Spain lay ahead of us and it was immediately obvious that politically and geographically we had very much entered the next stage of the trip. After our early arrival in camp the night before, twerking videos shared, bikes cleaned and early nights had by all, the very lonely roads of Spain greeted us.
For the first time on the trip, there appeared to be more cyclists and walkers on the road than cars. I have now discovered that British ramblers do in fact take foreign holidays, and all of them to this area of Spain. A broad array of zip off trousers, pocket maps and bum bags were on display, as we cruised through open fields bouncing from ascent to descent. This was later explained by our inadvertent following of the Camino de Santiago, a popular trek for the avid adventurer, apparently.
Our route snaked south-west towards our destination of Logrono, forever crossing the new A12 that had forged a path through the otherwise pristine landscape. It is very clear that this section of the route will be far more undulating than the flat calm of France. A red rag to the Strava bull inside Laurie, who was successfully put the locals to bed on their own turf, keenly pursued by Fred, his apprentice climber.
As we approached the lunch stop, Mr Garmin, who we believe is in fact a recovering alcoholic, womanising late night boozer, decided he wanted an early lunch so guided us joyfully onto the A12 motorway. We rode along game fully, past some smiling Policia as it turned out to be one of the quiter roads we have ridden all trip! 10 km later, we were approached by motorway patrol and through international hand signals discovered that we were in fact not permitted to ride this wonderful road. In our 3 words of Spanish we managed to explain where we were going and persuade our friend to escort us to the next junction in his luminous van.
Refuelling on Spanish Tortilla, which has now been added to the list of 10 things Fred will actually eat, we again hit the melting Tarmac as the temperature tipped the 35 degree mark. The afternoon was a far more tame affair as the heat began to take its toll on the thunder trains pace, even if the gradient was well in our favour for the first time in 3 days. Surrounded by the fields of Rioja wine, we slowly ticked of the kilometres towards our destination for the night. Slugging through the final 10 km in the baking heat on straight, open, lonely roads was definitely a team effort.
Mrs Hannon had really pulled it out the bag tonight, and the teams spirits were well and truly lifted as we discovered that she had negotiated a deal for us to stay in a bunk for the night! Our first real bed of the trip. This was a welcome relief, and the time saved in setting up the tent was utilised by the team to wash clothes, read and for Fred and Rob to continue their ongoing French Boule tournament, allowing Rob to further drive home his advantage.
Today's distance: 71 miles
Average speed: 14.5 mph
Top speed: 45 mph
Time on bike: 4; 55
Total Distance; 720 miles
Max heart rate: 88% (176 bpm)
Average heart rate: 65% (130 bpm)
Calories burnt: 3000
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
Location:Avenida de la Playa,Logroño,Spain
Day 9 - Biarritz to Pamplona
Setting off today we felt that we have reached our first milestone. France has been conquered, support team 1 have left, support team 2 of Greg and Helen Hannon have joined team A2A and our second week of cycling was about to commence. We were all feeling rejuvenated after a day off in the wonderful Biarritz (of which we definitely took full advantage!)
The first hour of cycling was our was last on French soil. We cycled south out of Biarritz taking in our last sightings of the sea for a few weeks and entered the foothills of the Pyrenees. As it was a Sunday morning there was a vast number of cyclists on the road, most of whom were extremely unfriendly! We stopped for our last pan au chocolate of the tour before we took down our first of two cols for the day. We climbed our first col of the Pyrenees with ease listening to tunes and reminiscing about Pauley P and our time tackling the French Alps. Most people have the common conception that most cyclists come off their bikes descending at high speeds, however Rob defies this. As we ascended the col at crawling pace Rob somehow managed to topple off the bike (not the first time this has happened him), seconds before our support team drove round the corner. We stood sheepishly as we explained that we were just having a break so as not to worry support team 2 on their first day of tour!
As we crossed the the quiet border in to Spain we noticed the contrast in landscape almost immediately. Lunch today was our first in Spain just over the border by a beautiful river. Our town of choice left much to be desired! As we sat eating lunch we all agreed that this town was home an institution so we didn't hang around for too long!
The afternoon saw us tackle another monstrous col. We launched an attack on two members of Biarritz cycling club, cruising past them with great delight. The descent was lovely with long sweeping bends allowing FJ to try and notch up a new max speed! As we travelled through the lazy Spanish towns we established a few things- the Spanish economy is not doing anything to help itself by closing everything on Sundays; Spanish drivers are not quite as tolerant of cyclists as the French drivers and the Spanish road signs provide brief entertainment as we pass them.
We strolled into the campsite early in the afternoon, allowing us to clean our chariots and have some down time.
Greg and Marcus took a trip into Pamplona- the location on the famous running of the bulls, and walked the route! On their way back they had a run in with the Policia, due to some illegal driving incident. The Spanish cops are not a force to be reckoned with!
Today's distance: 68 miles
Average speed: 13.6 mph
Top speed: 46 mph
Time on bike: 5:45 mins
Total Distance; 648 miles
Max heart rate: 85% (169 bpm)
Average heart rate: 68% (136 bpm)
Calories burnt: 3800
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
Location:Avenida de la Playa,Logroño,Spain
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Day 8 - Rest Day
Arriving into Biarritz on Friday afternoon was a mixture of emotions. We were seriously looking forward to a day off the next day, with an opportunity to browse the town and sample some cold French beverages. However, the feeling that the trip, that took over 7 months planning, is already a third of the way through is an upsetting one. Having only started seriously cycling in January, the Access 2 Africa steam train has covered over 900 km in one week, broken personal records for a single distance during one day and still had time to enjoy a swim at various campsite pools and rivers.
As Friday was only a short ride, the team took to the beach for an afternoon of R & R. We swam, refueled on carbs and then wandered the streets of Biarritz admiring the beautiful French architecture and the beautiful French women!!
After a lazy lie in on Saturday morning we again took to the beach where today we attempted to surf. Having taken a battering by breaking waves we wandered back to the car to begin preparing for what lay ahead of us the following day. On that walk back to the car we could not help ourselves but observe more beautiful French women who deemed it acceptable to remove the bikini tops to avoid unnecessary tan lines. Something we also find very acceptable!!
The day was rounded off with support team 2 (Helen and Geoffrey Hannon) cooking a fantastic meal before an early night, before we tackling the steep and scary Pyrenees.
A special thanks must be made to Rob and Jane who steadied the ship at all times and provided us with top quality food and entertainment. Another thank you must be made to the young lady in a Biarritz nightclub that taught Rob and Freddie a dance move they will never forget!! The Twerk (Google at your pleasure!!!)
Today's distance: 0
Average speed: 0
Top speed: 0
Time on bike: 0
Total Distance;
Max heart rate: n/a
Average heart rate: n/a
Calories burnt: n/a
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
As Friday was only a short ride, the team took to the beach for an afternoon of R & R. We swam, refueled on carbs and then wandered the streets of Biarritz admiring the beautiful French architecture and the beautiful French women!!
After a lazy lie in on Saturday morning we again took to the beach where today we attempted to surf. Having taken a battering by breaking waves we wandered back to the car to begin preparing for what lay ahead of us the following day. On that walk back to the car we could not help ourselves but observe more beautiful French women who deemed it acceptable to remove the bikini tops to avoid unnecessary tan lines. Something we also find very acceptable!!
The day was rounded off with support team 2 (Helen and Geoffrey Hannon) cooking a fantastic meal before an early night, before we tackling the steep and scary Pyrenees.
A special thanks must be made to Rob and Jane who steadied the ship at all times and provided us with top quality food and entertainment. Another thank you must be made to the young lady in a Biarritz nightclub that taught Rob and Freddie a dance move they will never forget!! The Twerk (Google at your pleasure!!!)
Today's distance: 0
Average speed: 0
Top speed: 0
Time on bike: 0
Total Distance;
Max heart rate: n/a
Average heart rate: n/a
Calories burnt: n/a
- @Access2a
- www.access2africa.co.uk
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