Author: Garry

March-2024 Garry McGivern’s regular monthly update. What another wet month. This weather is starting to get boring now, especially as some of the campsites have opened up. Although I think I mentioned last month that Grange Farm on the Isle of Wight had delayed their opening from the first of the month because everywhere was so wet. It was probably just as well they didn’t open, as there was a weather warning for strong winds on the weekend they were due to open. And it’s windy enough at the best of times on the cliff at Grange Farm.

Luckily, later in the month, Holland’s Wood in the New Forest opened up, and I was able to get down there for a couple of nights. Although they only had part of the campsite open because everywhere was so wet. I was due to go to France, but I messed up the booking. It was just as well after France and the UK were hit by storm Nelson. Are we ever going to get some good weather?

MRI Scan

After saying last month that I was waiting for an MRI scan, the appointment came through the following day. And I had the scan a few days later. After having the scan, I was told to wait for the doctor, which was slightly worrying. (They usually let you go and say the results will be sent to the referring doctor.) So I was told to sit in the waiting area and was brought a cup and biscuits.

After a ten-minute wait, the radiologist came out and said there had been some changes from the last scan. (I sort of already knew that; that’s why I was there!) She said the doctor had taken a good look and I was okay to go home. Phew! For a minute or two, I thought they were going to keep me in hospital. As I cycled home, I realised I hadn’t asked what or where the changes were. Anyway, a couple of days later, Will from the musculoskeletal team phoned me with the results.

The Results

The good news was that my neck was unchanged, which was very good news. Although it doesn’t necesarally fit with the new symptoms I’m getting. Will said although the scan looked the same, it’s my new symptoms that they must go on. The bad news was that I’ve now got a slipped disc on the right of my spin. The opposite side to my existing disc bulge. They’ll now have another meeting to discuss me!

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with a monthly photo update that I publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry web page.

This week’s Travelsonabike2 bicycle touring on this day post comes from Spain on the 29th-March-2009, and I’m in Spain on my way to Morocco. This was before I had the confidence to take my bike on an aeroplane, but I still wanted to cycle somewhere out of Europe. So I caught the ferry from England to Spain and then caught various trains to reach today’s point on my way to Morocco.

There is a more embellished version of this post, along with all the posts from my ride to Morocco, in my “Travels on a Bike 2 Morocco” tour book available to buy from Amazon.

Sunday, 29th March 2009. Valdepenas to Granada. 49 miles.

It was a joy to stay in cheap accommodation again last night with friendly and helpful staff. The room was clean and bright, the restaurant was good, and the service was excellent. You would never have guessed it was a one-star pension. I’ve stayed in worse four-star hotels.

Last night, I’d just eaten my supper, which was a large three-course meal with a bottle of wine. It was a sort of “menu del dia”, although they only usually serve that at lunchtime. But the hotel was very good and extended the deal into the evening for me. And it only cost me five euros. Unfortunately, after eating my meal, I was still a bit peckish and made the mistake of saying something to the girl behind the bar. Perhaps she thought I looked malnourished and needed fattening up because she didn’t stop bringing me out tapas after that. I was pretty stuffed by the end of the evening.

I was glad to finish today. And although it was only forty-nine miles from Valdepenas to Granada, it’s been a hard forty-nine miles. It’s been uphill and against a strong headwind. I’ve found it hard going on the bike both yesterday and today. Maybe all this sitting around on trains and ferries hasn’t done me a lot of good. Hopefully, once I start cycling properly, I’ll be fine.

Not Far Now

All being well, tomorrow’s train should be my last. And tonight should also be my last in Spain. My train leaves at seven o’clock tomorrow morning. And it should get me into Algeciras around midday. Hopefully, I can get straight onto a ferry and finally reach Morocco.

Today’s “On this Day” post was taken from Garry’s Moroccan bike ride. The blogs from that ride have now been written into a book, which you can buy from Amazon.

Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where photographs from all my tours are.

If you want to find out if Garry’s away touring at the moment and check his location, visit the Where’s Garry web page.