Bike Ride Day 3 - Porto Cristo to Cala Ratjada

 Someone must have sensed my disappointment last night at being at the top floor of a four-star hotel overlooking only the pool, because tonight I’m on the top floor of a four-star hotel overlooking both the pool and the ocean.

Which is where I went for a swim this afternoon to wash away the stresses of my bike ride. 

There is a middle-aged German couple who booked the same trip as mine, so we frequently run into each other along the routes and in the evenings. They have the same type of overloaded, heavy bike as I do, so every time I complained to myself about yet another hill, I thought of them. Every puddle of sweat that formed whenever I stopped was punctuated by the knowledge that they were going through the same thing I was, and that if they could do it, I could do it. I saw them at the hotel last night and started some small talk. “How did you like those hills today?,” I asked. The woman said “We hardly even noticed them. We have electric bikes.” 

And speaking of Germans, my day-one theory turned out to be correct. There are lots of Germans here; I guess it’s a popular spot for them. Some of the restaurants in Cala Rajada have menus on the sidewalk only in German, like they forgot that we’re in Spain. And I saw a guy walking around in a T-shirt today that just had two words on it “Dicke” and “Titten.” I’m not about to look those up in Google translate; I suspect that I know all I need to know.

Anyway, back to the ride. The good news was that it only involved one mountain. And imagine my glee when I started up that mountain and saw a side trail with a sign that said it was specifically made for bikers so that they wouldn’t have to ride through the tunnel. How thoughtful, right? So I took it and ended up riding over the mountain instead of through the tunnel. 

And one other note. I’m not going to be one of those Americans who goes around judging. But, fresh set of eyes here, if you want to scare people away with a warning about your dog, I’m wondering if this is really the image you want to project.