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Remembering last summer!
The long, light, warm evenings are nearly here again and I'm looking forward to it.
Our restaurants have been allowed to open this week. Outside seating only and with a space between tables, but it's a step in the right direction!
Looks grand down there Spekkie. It has rained all month here!
Bar terraces here look a bit minging to be honest. Reservation only, observing distance but then there's a scrum of 50 people who've turned up without knowing about reserving and just mill around anyway. None of them would ordinarily consider going out on a rainy Monday evening. I think I'll wait for the novelty to wear off...
Bob - that pic is me "remembering last summer". Weather is currently mostly awful!
The last few days have been wet enough for me not to be able to go to work - but dry enough to shoot out for a couple of hours if I time it right!
Todays ride included a singletrack section through "The Badlands". Normally there's a well worn "line" that you can follow at speed. Currently, due to lots of rain and almost no one riding the trails, the line is gone. Not a major problem until you get to a blind rise with a left or right turn on its peak - where a clue would be nice!!
Anyway I'm happy to be out . . . . .
Beautiful weather yesterday and my ride took me through the Plaza up in the old town. Saw very few other people and none of the bars or restaurants were open. Down in the new town there were a couple of places open and serving drinks to customers seated outside......
Happy we're starting to come out of this now!
Nice Tony! We (and you, I believe) can now cross parish boundaries as long as we stay in the province, so a bit more freedom for the rides.
Sitting in the plaza with a caña is a simple pleasure I'd forgotten all about too!
Slowly getting there Bob! 🙂
Riding up towards the Partara view point above Ainsa, if you stop 5 mins into the climb and look behind you, you see this!
Most people don't think to look back 🙁
Most people miss this 🙁
As an MTB guide, part of my job is to tell people when to look backwards 🙂
What. A . View.
I concur. I actually have a MTB for the first time in a few years so very tempting to get a long weekend down there depending of how it all pans out.
After 6 odd weeks of lockdown it was certainly nice to be able to get out again 2 weeks ago and last evening we did a 6km walk/hike from Boltaña up to the village of Sieste and back.
It was a beautiful evening after a hot day. We had our masks with us just incase, but we didn't need them.
The view of Boltaña was taken from half way up to Sieste. You can see the remains of the historic castle up on the top, the Old Town below it and the New Town down at the bottom. The river Ara passes between where we were standing and the town - just below the shot.
Sieste is a beautiful little village with view points in all directions, a fresh water fountain, a terrace bar . . . .
It certainly feels like summer is on the way, it's lovely here in Madrid, and the countryside's amazing - all the rain we've had means loads of greenery, and it hasn't all turned brown yet 🙂
Yep - After Aprils deluge it's lovely and green here too.
The council have stopped the "gardening" part of their normal workload (and replaced it with "spraying disenfectent") - so everything here, from roadsides to public areas, has gone from manicured back to natural state. It's nice in a way. More birds and wildlife than normal - but have to watch out for little bitey-inseects!
Excellent.. leaving confinement just in time for tábano season 🤦
After what feels like forever - our State of Emergency is almost over and our borders will be opening next weekend. . . . .
Roll on the 21st!
@spekkie bit of idle chat with a mate from Girona, he's home alone all August and we were thinking of meeting up somewhere in between for some riding. Zona Zero seems to be around the mid point! Maybe this summer I'll finally get there!
Be good to see you Bob!
Monte Perdido and the three Marias (Tres Marias) in the Ordesa National Park taken from just outside Ainsa on Sundays ride.
It's getting hot here now - the snows are melting!
What a journey Spekkie! Great read & excellent to see how you’ve got stuck into the local community in all sorts of ways. I wish you & Mrs Spekkie all the best with your project & second half of 2020 sees some great progress for you
How's the situation around you atm Tony, we're hearing that some areas of Aragon have been taken back to Phase 2 due to an outbreak among fruit pickers. We are thinking of a short break in Soria next week but getting there via Zaragoza could bea problem.
Cheers Loughan - appreciate the support!
No problems near us Duncan. Our area is "open for business" now and seeing what happens. Nit sure about Zaragoza - which is so much more densley populated.
For some time now I've been meaning to post an update regarding "Working in Spain", and specifically about US working in Spain . . . . I'll spread it over a few days . . . .
When we came here the intention was not to have to work. Or rather "not to have to find jobs". We knew that the Spanish unemployment rate was fairly high - nearly 15% last year. We knew we were moving to an un-industrialised area - Tourism and Agriculture are the two biggest industries here in the mountains, and we knew that there would be a language barrier. The intention was, as most of you will know by now, to renovate the our building and then run it as a B&B which would keep us both busy and provide us with a suitable income.
People here work different hours compared to what we're used to and there are some old "traditions" that are a way of life here which are different - but you soon get used to them.....
Most businesses open / workers start at either 8am or 9am - depending on the nature of the work - and then close at 2pm for a 2hr lunch break. They open again at 4pm and close at either 7pm or 8pm - again depending on the nature of the business. The lunch break is long enough for you to have a decent sized lunch - the main meal of the day here - and a 20 minute Siesta 🙂
Mid morning - around 11ish - they have what they call "Almuerzo" (pronounced Almertho) which is a 15 minute break for a coffee and a sandwich or a couple of slices of ham and some olives.
Buliders here start the day with a shot or two of Firewater. They're used to working in all weathers and conditions. I don't generally have to work with them, which is good because I'm a bit of a light-weight by comparison...…. 🙂
Summer evening ride between Ainsa and Boltaña . . . .
Buliders here start the day with a shot or two of Firewater.
When I first moved here I often got an early train on Sunday up the valley to do some riding.
Quick 'café solo' in the station bar waiting for the train, the same two policemen would be in there drinking carajillos (coffee with a shot). At 6.45am. TBF they might have been coming off shift, you'd hope so anyway, but no qualms about sitting there in uniform!
Yep. It's definately a thing here.
I don't mind one after lunch as a "digestivo" but not for breakfast!
It used to be like that here in Madrid, although I think the habit is slowly dying out. The long, two-hour lunchbreaks are also slowly disappearing (at least in offices), these days we have an hour which is quite civilised, but does mean a lunchtime trip to the gym is no longer an option.
And in other news: the heat has arrived. Went running with my club yesterday evening, 37C in the shade at 19:30...
I remember driving back from Tarifa to Málaga to catch an early morning flight. We stopped at Marbella services and saw a coach driver having his breakfast. Fag, espresso, massive brandy.
Cookin' tonight!
A couple of pics from a recent late afternoon ride. "Late afternoon" here in Spain during the summer can be anytime between 5pm and 8pm.....
This is half way up a climb a few km's outside Ainsa . . . . which is in the background.
Into the Badlands . . . .
I've posted from this spot before - up through the Old Town, out the back of the Castle and over to the "Mirador" - the viewpoint above the Rio Cinca.
So often when you look north you see heavy weather over on the French side of the Pyrenees.
Every village in Spain has a Fiesta once a year and this weekend is traditionally the weekend that the village of Guaso, where our Project is, holds its 4 day long Fiesta.
The church on the hilltop in Guaso is called the "Iglesia de San Salvador" (the Church of Saint Salvador) - so San Salvador, which is celebrated on August 6th (when the church celebrates the transfiguration of Jesus) is the Patron Saint of Guaso.
This year there will be a mass on Sunday but, thanks to Covid-19, no street parties, no "Ronda" (where musicians lead the crowd through the sreets of the village), no big open-air sit down evening meal and no dancin' the night away . . . .
Last year, as you can see, we had a ball!
Summer is here for sure!
The average daytime temps at the moment hover between 30 and 34 dgrees but we peaked at 37.5 degrees the other afternoon. I believe London had similar temps that day. I know a friend of mine in Oxford had 36 degrees!
Much like when we lived in South Africa, in the summer the mornings up until around 10:30 are perfect for riding. Unlike SA we also get to go out again in the light evenings - between 7:30 and when it gets dark - currently around 9:30pm.
I do love my summer evening rides!
"Working in Spain" - Part 2.
For our first 18 months here, knowing that work was hard to come by at the best of times and being under the impression that the banks would have the financing sorted out for our Project fairly quickly, we didn't worry about looking for proper jobs at all........ ah those were the days!
Our plan was always, and still is, to do as much of the renovation work on the Project as possible ourselves - so once the Project build started that was going to be both of our full time jobs - 7 days a week. Once the Project was finshed and the business was up and running, then again, that would be our full time work - and being a B&B/Guesthouse it would also 7 days a week for much of the year. Neither of those scenarios were an issue for us - one thing we're not scared of is hard work!
During our first months here, while waiting for the council to approve our planning permision and the banks to approve our loan, we actually did lots of "work" but we didn't have jobs....
I was busy helping my new friends at "Zona Zero" clear and maintain mountain bike trails - work I loved doing - outside in the Pyrenees mountains with great weather and great people. I learned a lot about all local villages and footpaths during that time - Angel often took me to see stuff that you'd never know was there unless someone told you - and I made some good friends too.
We also both did a lot of work helping the previous owners of our Project (and our future neighbours) Ramon & Rosa with jobs around the farm. We helped them with the animals, the grape harvest, planting next years wheat - you name it we did it. Again, good hard work outside in the sunshine with our amazing sights and views - a massive change from what we were used to.....
Zona Zero has just released maps and details of 21 new XC routes - "For Bikers with the Soul of a Wolf".
I'll be trying them out as soon as I can find some time!
"Working in Spain" - Part 3.
Whilst out clearing trails one Autumn afternoon with my friend Angel Cheliz - the owner of the local "Intersport" bike & sports shop, we got to talking about work and, in the face of everything seemingly taking forever to proceed over here, my need to find a job.
Angel told me that with my experience I should contact the local campsites with a view to getting something the following spring for the summer season. The following February I prepared a CV, focusing on the parts of my work experience that were relevant, and within a week I started work at "Camping Ainsa" - one of the four local campsites.
For me it's the perfect job. I generally spend a minimum of 80% of each day working outside in the sunshine doing jobs I really enjoy under the watchful eye of the Pyrenees mountains. After so long "working inside" over the years - Eskom Power Stations, R&D Labs, Customers Factories, Offices . . . . it's a happy change. I have amazing views, fresh air and to a large extent I'm left to myself.
At the beginning of the year it's a very physical job - lots pf grounds maintenance - fallen trees, a billion leaves to clear up, half-meter high grass to cut and sorting out whatever else Winter has thrown our way - but it's a great way to stay in shape. Like doing Gym all day - but you get paid 🙂
During the season it can get a bit hectic - there are 26 Cabins/Chalets of various sizes - all with showers, toilets, water heaters and even furniture - just waiting to break or go wrong. Plus all the communial services, the swimming pools and the general grounds where tents & caravans park up. It keeps me busy and I get to meet lots of interesting people from all over Europe - including tons of cyclists who I can advise and sometimes even guide "out of hours".
Work here where we live can be hard to come by. I'm fortunate in that I'm able to do a physically demanding job whilst also having the technical background to manage pretty much anything complicated that comes up.
I always thought that the job would tide me over until we can get our project built and our business running - but in fact we're now thinking that it would be worth me keeping the job even when we're open. Mrs Spekkie will manage our place, with my help when I'm not at work - which will generate enough income to pay for itself - and my income will support us and pay our own "non B&B related" bills.
That's the plan anyway . . . . . .
A week or two ago we were talking to a South African investor who was seriously considering investing enough money into our Project for us to have been able to complete just over half the build. By being careful in what work we chose to carry out and by doing as much of the manual labour as possible ourselves (and with my friend Ben's help), we calculated that we could have completed 2 (hopefully 3!) guest bedrooms with bathrooms, Lounge/Kitchen/Diner, Patios & Gardens plus a very basic room for ourselves.
The "room for ourselves" would have mean that we could move out of our rented apartment - an instant cash saving - and the 2 or 3 guest rooms would have allowed the Project to start earning it's keep. As I've mentioned on here I'm currently managing to find employment for around 9 months of the year with the Campsite etc and I plan to keep doing that, even when we're up and running ourselves, so that the Project can concentrate on paying back it's investors and doesn't have to support us.
The money would have been available within a month or two, which would have been the perfect time of the year for us - just as the "Season" starts to wind down and we'd be free to give the Project our full attention. . . . . everything was looking good, the numbers made sense and, amazingly, the builder we are going to use to do the "big stuff" had his van parked outside our flat on the day that the investor was due to give us his final decision......
It didn't come off in the end, but I'm happy to say that it was not because of anything to do with us or the potential risk associated with the Project etc and on the plus side - we've had the opportunity to double-check our numbers and the chance of it happening cheered us up nicely for a while during what has been a pretty grim year for everyone!
We'll take it all as a good sign and keep looking....... we only need to find one!
🙂
I'm loving the narrative of this project, do you know how long Camping Ainsa has been open as it seems very familiar but it was back in 1977 when I camped in that area!
I believe the site as it is now was built around 30 years ago. Not sure what existed in the area 20 years before that!
Working outside . . . .
Some pictures from "The Office" . . . .
During the Lockdown the boss got me a "Permission to Work" letter based on the fact that he needed me to work so that the campsite would be ready to roll once Lockdown was over.
It was strange to see the sight empty in June - the family have been running the place for 30 years and have never once seen it like this during the season before......
These are my babies . . . . first couple of hours every day are spent getting them ready . . .
I can look up at Ainsa Old Town any time I want to and remind myself of just how lucky we are living here!
I love this thread. I have happy memories of Ainsa. One summer we spent a few days exploring the Ordesa canyon and surrounding area - we might have camped at your campsite Spekkie. One day we returned to find a flash flood, but just in time before our tent and belongings floated away. We decamped up the hill to a hotel in the town, which is really pretty. My enduring memory is of a very long night we spent in the “Irish bar” - by virtue of it selling Guinness - with some very friendly locals. The hangover was worth it!
Spekkie, looking at the website for the camping, rather oddly it has the distance from Toulouse as 755km...google says 220km. Great thread by the way.
Mike-E - We do have an "Irish Bar that sells Guinness" up in the Old Town. Funnily enough I was there for a couple of drinks with Mrs Spekkie last week. We were meeting with a guy who's over here from Brighton. The Ordesa Valley is stunning - Summer and Winter - and only half an hours drive away.
Dave - Cheers, I know their website isn't the greatest in the world - I'll have a look!
We used to get amazing sunsets when we lived in South Africa and the same when we lived in the UK.
Here it's not generally so easy to see them because of the mountains but tonight was an exception . . . .
Really enjoyed our week in Ainsa! I must say I was blown away by the riding!
We rode 3 loops we found on the Z trails App and trail forks and each one was so varied and I was struggling to pick a favourite. Stunning scenery, very natural singletrack but a great variety to each ride from rocky loose tech, flowing pine needles loam, slab rock and moab style gritty grippy undulating landscape. Just amazing and we barely scratched the surface of the way marked routes.
I found the altitude gain per mile really tough in the heat though and really started thinking an ebike would be of great merit if I was visiting again.
We'll definitely be back and I'll be encouraging friends to consider it as an alternative to Alps trips.
*Waves at Spekkie*
Great to get back on 2 wheels to Ainsa. It’s a stunning region and we’ll definitely be back!
I found the altitude gain per mile really tough in the heat though and really started thinking an ebike would be of great merit if I was visiting again.
I would totally agree with this. We went this summer but I was with the family who are non-mountain bikers and we were staying about 40 minutes drive from Ainsa in the Chistau valley. However, I managed to sneak away for half a day to rent a bike in Ainsa and do some of the trails that link up to the town.
It was during a heatwave and although I'm used to riding in 35 degree heat (I live in Spain too), the climbs were really punishing because of the temperature and by the end of it all I was completely destroyed. An ebike would have really helped especially as some of the climbs were really techy and relentless.
Spekkie, I should've got in touch as I stayed in Ainsa a few times over summer on motorcycle tours but it was never planned to stop there, just ended up being a handy place to stop and I had my running kit with me.
I ran round ZZ01 Pumariello/As Cambras the first day - amazing trail run but for me on a bike it would be a long 2km push up the first climb to that ridge - as @devash says, really techy and hard to string any riding together (and I'm a strong climber!). And it's 'only' a red! Says a lot that they reckon on 2-3h by bike and I ran it in 2 and a bit...
Will be back with a bike for sure (and not riding the reds!)
https://twitter.com/b0b_summers/status/1299781791298052098?s=20
Btw the manager of the Apolo hotel says hi to you and @basquemtb!
Is there a company running shuttle buses in Ainsa / Boltana? The triails are crying out for it.
@MYTI - glad you enjoyed it! As you say, you barely scratched the surface!
@Pauly - was nice to meet up! Hope we see you again soon....
@devash - yeah this year was hot at times. My car registered 37C on more than one afternoon.
@bob_summers - no worries man - I know it's not always easy too make contact at short notice. We have the same problem when we go back to the UK. Can't fit everything in! See you next time . . .
@the00 - yes, there are a couple . . . .
In Summary:
It has been hot at times over the summer and yes, it is a bit "hilly" here in places! Depending on what you like and what you're capable of there is some amazing riding here - you just have to know where and when. I love it here but having lived in Suth Africa for 8 years before coming here I am used to getting up early to beat the heat in the summer, eating & resting during the afternoon and then going out again in the evening.
There are a couple of uplift companies in town, including one that does e-bikes. I guided a group for a week last year and for one day we all hired e-bikes and although like Bob, I'm not a bad climber, the ebike was fun.
The trails here are continually being added to and improved - Ainsa and Zona Zero are moving onwards and upwards - literally!
Thanks for all the commnts guys. It's this stuff that keeps us going 🙂