Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

Lemon & Poppyseed cake

I have had so many kind people giving me support, hugs, grapes...here's a short update on my situation so far...and a fabby recipe for a new cake coming up on the next post...

The oncologist thought that before chemo he would try me for 8 weeks on hormone therapy (Faslodex for those interested) to see if it reduced the tumours.  After my first 2 jabs (500mg), a week ago, I am feeling pretty good and the visible 'lumps' are diminishing in size!  I had a bit of vision/headache trouble on Friday but that has gone away, and no other side effects so far.  I've changed my diet to a low-carb one (no bread, very little pasta, no potatoes, almost no sugar) and have no desire for alcohol, so I might even lose a gram or two (53kg is about 3kg too much for a small person like me).   Plenty of load-bearing exercise is still a good idea (walking, dancing, manouevring a motorbike) so life continues as normal.  Must be those positive vibes I'm getting from you all!!

So I'm off for  a walk round the valley, rain or no rain...it's been quite wet here today, and cool.  Lovely!

We've had three days/two nights up in the wilds and had a great time of it. We took the battered road up behind Niguelas and drove (or bumped) for at least an hour to reach our car parking spot, had a quick picnic lunch and then set off towards El Caballo, rearing its 3000m head high above us. We had enough bivi kit and food to last the three days, and thanks to Steve's obsession with 'liteweight' we carried 4.5 kg and 5.75 kg respectively (he had the stove, water filter, more food than me...). Not such a lot considering.

It took 3 hours of leisurely 'look at the view!' climbing to reach the summit, with a sharp wind at our backs, but the sun and the effort kept us warm. We didn't linger too long up there...the wind was even stronger (35 or 40 kph)...and wound down into the valley on the other side, where there's a great refugio and laguna. It was good that we had enough warm gear for outdoor sleeping as 4 people and 3 dogs were already in occupation. As it was, we dined off noodles and tea and snuggled down as soon as the light had gone. Slowly the wind backed off, the stars came out and I slept...not sure Steve did, but then he only does 4 hour stints anyway.

Just before dawn I woke up to a perfect, almost new moon and the laguna as still as a sheet of polished metal. Gradually, light began to seep over the high peaks of Tajo de los Majos and by about 08.30 we were dancing in the sunshine. We took our time over breakfast (the dreaded muesli) and then set off northwards, towards the top of the valley with Veleta in the distance. It's an exciting walk, often on well-laid stone but at one point crossing a deep ravine, where we clung onto chains that had been fixed to the rock wall. Not one for people with vertigo! We saw eagles and vultures, falcons and ravens, a black squirrel - and mountain goats of course. That night, deep down in the valley, Steve improved on an existing ruin with a spot of wall-building and we settled down for a much calmer and warmer night. We were lying side-by-side, chatting and looking at the stars, when I suddenly saw, two feet above his head and tiptoe-ing along the wall...Zorro the fox! Or Zorra, perhaps. Silhouetted against the darkening sky, s/he had no fear of us at all but was clearly looking for the source of the chorizo and cous-cous that we had just eaten! Of course, s/he ran off as soon as we sat up, but was back sometime later, as in the morning we found one or two empty packets thrown around, even used T-bags!

We decided not to walk up to the Elorrieta refuge but stay in the valley, and then climbed almost vertically up towards Pico de Cartujo to reach the high ridge and stunning views of Granada, the sea, other distant mountains and the wide plains below. I could just make out the rosy terracotta of the main Alhambra tower. It took us several hours to wind our way back down to the car, stopping to 'chat' with more mountain goats and about 12 horses, without humans, which were heading north in a very determined fashion. They seemed to know exactly where they were going.

Which is more than I can predict for myself right now. The 'scary' bit of this Blog is that tomorrow I see the oncologist in Motril and get started on intensive chemotherapy. Some of the cells in my body have decided to multiply and it's the only way of stopping them, or so it seems. Quite a lot of other cells will stop too, so I may be a little bald thing in no time at all...but walking up mountains will be even more important for bone strengthening, so no let up there! Any good (evidence-based) advice welcomed!

If I am sitting down with a bit of care, and walking slightly oddly, it's because I've just spent 2 days on horseback and the old body has taken a bit of a pounding. Two or three hours once a week is fine, but five or six hours each day for two days is quite a lot.

We rode from Bubión via the Area Recreativa de Pórtugos to Trevélez, then going back we took a high route up to the Hoya del Portillo and back down to Bubión. Four of us: Rafa from his stables 'Cabalgar', Ulrike from Saltzburg, Jasmine from a nearby village and myself. We rode 3 grey horses and my beautiful bay, Lola, who behaved herself very well unless any other horse got too close behind...then flattened her ears, tried to block any overtaking manoeuvre and kicked her heels back if necessary!

But we had good weather (warmer today), the views were splendid and there were some excellent opportunities for a good canter. Rafa gives instruction to those who need it (keep your heels down, control your horse etc) and one always feels an improvement in riding style afterwards. We only had one incident, when Jasmine's horse stood on her foot by accident, but some cold water, a Paracetamol and a bit of comforting soon got her back in the saddle. I almost overshot the saddle climbing back up just as Lola decided to move on, but the mane is always a good safety point...wherever your horse goes, you go too!

Our packed lunch consisted of a hearty bocadilla, stuffed with jamón, queso y tomate but baked beans on toast with a fried egg a la cowboy was on the supper menu last night. Tonight might be patatas bravas as we have very little left in the fridge until tomorrow. I think I have left the recipe for this before.

Tomorrow we have to 'prep' 2 motorbikes for their ITV (MOT) in Orgiva on Thursday: my little c90 and Steve's VFR 800i. I don't think I've ridden a 40km round trip before on the 90, so I'm more nervous about that than the horse-riding. Rain is due but we will have to hope that it holds off until we are home again. Water on well-used tarmac after so much dry weather is not a very good idea...