Greetings from an Outsider in Gandia

I´ve been asked to write a guest entry for my friends here and i´m hoping to offer a bit more of an outside perspective to the irregular updates that we´ve all been following over the months. I arrived in Spain on the 6th and, though I wouldn´t consider myself a ¨sista,¨ I did bring my bicycle and I like to think of myself as an honorary member of this elite unit.

My impressions of the trip are too many to name here, but I´ll share some of what I´ve witnessed since I arrived.

Most of the entries that I´ve read here seem, in a word, soft. Make no mistake, there is nothing soft about these girls. Riding down a coastal highway on a bike strapped with fifty pounds is not for the faint of heart. This occurs to me when a cargo truck blows by at seventy kilometers an hour, leaving a margin between collision and a blast of disarming wind at about three feet.

Many in Spain seem to view them, in passing and in conversation, with undeniable admiration. Some seem to think they´re crazy. Some might not be far off on that. They´ve all begun talking to inanimate objects including their food, bikes, and some of the more charming trees. Nadia won´t stop going on about ham sandwiches. I don´t believe they´re crazy, but simply dancing on that fine line between bravery and insanity. This is not a dance that one does on such a grand stage without a bit of practice and, if I know anything about my friends, I´d say they´re well rehearsed.

I´d like to say more about my reasons for putting my trust in this lot, but I´ll probably save that for another time. The one thing I will say is that Spain is beautiful, my guides are extremely experienced and I know that I´m in good hands.

That´s it for now. Beun viaje.


bryan