Unpacking the bikes on the verandah
Saturday 2 July
Everyone arrived at Stansted airport in good time for the 0745 flight to Granada. Getting up at 4am to catch a flight is rarely fun, but everyone seemed to be hauling their bikes and luggage around with good humour.
Simon and Emma picked us up from Granada airport, and almost immediately the party split up. Tom discovered that he'd forgotten not only his pedals but his cassette as well, and so Simon took him and Howard to the bike shop in Granada while the rest of us headed to the villa in Lanjarón. We were introduced to Oscar, the dog, who was licking his wounds after being badly bitten by another dog the day before. The afternoon was spent reassembling bikes - luckily the Ryanair baggage handling hadn't bent anything more serious than a brake disc - and generally relaxing in the warm weather.
A short walk took us to one of the springs for which Lanjarón is famous, and the sweet water tasted great after the hours spent travelling. Some of our party headed to the pub with the previous week's guests, while Tom concentrated on building his wheels (there's nothing like being prepared) and I fell asleep.
The evening was rounded off by a tasty and filling dinner. By 10pm we were all ready for bed!
Unpacking the bikes on the verandah
The villa
View from the roof terrace, with the Sierra Nevada beckoning