16th Aug - Morning Bike Ride

Out on Bike to Portals Veils

Was out on bike for an hour and three quarters this morning. Was trying to get to Cap de Cala Figuera which is the most southwesterly point I think I can get to. However, made quite a number of navigational poor decisions and ended up on the cruddiest road in Europe with the steepest hill down into Portals Vells which is nothing to write home about really (might delete this posting in fact!!). On the map it looks like you have to go south after Poniente Golf Course – which I did, you then get on this awful road which is uphill for ages and it’s through the middle of this scrubby wood so there’s no views to speak of. Eventually you see signs of life, then there’s a sign to Portals Vells. So, maybe I could have continued on Southwards and found Cap De Cala Figuera but had lost a bit of confidence in the navigation so turned bacjk for home – in fairness it only took 45 minutes to get to Portals Vells from Palma Nova so it might not have been much more than another ten minutes worth? I'm going to try and get a decent map of the cycling routes today I reckon.

Intended route - however only got to Portals Vells!!

Me in Portalls Vells


Good news is that I’ve located a puncture repair kit – again Tony’s Ferreteria (think the Spanish word for iron-mongers – if you go expecting to be able to purchase ferrets you’ll be sorely disappointed) came up trumps. For your information if you ever need a puncture repair kit, cycle lock, or bike pump while you’re in Palma Nova and don’t want to go into Palma itself this shop can be a life-saver.

The long and cruddy endless road of dullness!!


Poniente Golf Course which I rode up a lane in the middle of.



Portals Vells - pretty little place but rubbish to get to.


But they do have a very nice sign half a mile outside the village!