Day 13 - Scorcher!

Struggle to get up this morning after the late night.... Get downstairs to start packing up the bike only to find that one of the other bikers staying here has decided to wash his bike down with a hose... He doesn't bother to move his bike, which is parked next to mine and sprays water all over the bike I spent hours cleaning yesterday!! She is now full of chalky water splashes... Inconsiderate b@&£#%} and then to add insult to injury, when I remark on it, he offers me a rag to clean the bike myself..... Fume fume.

Time is marching on and I don't think I'll make it to meet up with Elaine, Alex and Jimmy for the ride.  Elaine texts me a few times to let me know what is happening so I do my very best to get everything done... Fit windscreen, tool roll, air seat pad, panniers etc etc. at last I'm leaving at about 10.20... The ride is due to leave at 10.30, but they never go on time so still try to make it.  For the first time the satnav doesn't get lost... I arrive at the rally site, but no-one is there.  Text from E says they are at the camp site.... Err where? Then I spot a biker talking to one of the event people who seems to be giving directions.... Follow that bike methinks.  Yep he obviously knows where he's going and pretty soon there are 5 or 6 of us following him.

Manage to make it and catch the tail end of the parade.  Slowly make my way through the bikes, remembering to switch on the gopro... Film here soon, when I've edited it.

Ride with an Irish chapter group for a few miles, then continue to thread my way through looking for the Scots.  At last I find them and continue with them for the rest of the ride.  After some 50 miles we end up in Jerez de la Frontera and pull up in a lovely cobbled street.  Everyone is boiling hot and desperate for a drink so we sit in a small cafe.  We seem to have lost Jimmy in the last few miles and it turns out he is in a different part of Jerez.

Now it's time to say our goodbyes.  It has been great and thanks to you all for allowing me into your company,  I hope we will all meet again soon, maybe at Thunder in the Glens or Irish Bike Week... Who knows?

So I set the satnav for La Linea, the last stop on my journey before Gibraltar.  It is sooooo hot and incredibly windy riding through the hills from Jerez to La Linea... Not only was the parade a scorcher on my leg.. again... But the air itself is scorching too this afternoon.  I stop for petrol and some water and the phone packs up... It says it's overheating and needs to cool down...eek!  It does revive after a few miles, so I don't get lost, for a nice change.

Arrive at the hotel, which is very nice.  It has a small outdoor pool so the first thing I do is go for a swim... Lovely jubbly.

Into Gib tomorrow and the end of the journey...

Sad but glad as will see Glo on Monday... Am looking forward to it.

Ciao Bella xx