As we disembarked I felt much better that I was driving my own car than a strange rental, so much more comforting, although a left hand drive the judgement & road positioning felt much better.
So after filling up with fuel the journey began. I thought 1250 miles at an average of about 60 miles per hour would see me their by 8.00am the following morning. The £1000 that I had exchanged for Euros a few days before would do for this trip, fuel, rental, setting up telephones & wifi etc.
But hang about after only an hour into the journey I felt weary, this is not right, my travel plan did not allow for this so early. Still, better stop & have a little snooze for 20 minutes, don’t want any mishaps this early.
Right it's back on the road again & after 4 or 5 hours I was back to my timetable, not stopping again for 6 hours, & that to refill the car & empty myself! That’s better really cruising now & I am in now front of my schedule.
Damn! How did that happen? I have arrived at a toll road & to make matters worse cannot reach over to get the ticket. Why isn’t Phet here getting it? No choice, jump out of the car run round & get the ticket. Would you believe it, an impatient Froggie is blowing his horn. Wonder how much the toll will cost? 3 hours later I found out €32.70 ridiculous. Close to midnight now & this incessant rain & another couple of hefty tolls do not help, but at least I am in sight of the Spanish border, be glad to get out of France.
Whoopee just crossed the Border & I’m in Spain now & after stopping for a superb meal, wonderful what gesticulations can get you, totally different to what I had thought I had ordered but it was superb. A sort of yellow soup with loads of seafood in it followed by a meaty dish with small squared potatoes finished with a flan & coffee. Hope it doesn’t make me feel too tired!
Another fuel refill & what a difference there is in the cost of fuel, from €1.62 per litre down to $1.38, think I was fiddled on the former.
It’s now 3.00am & I am grossly tired think I will simply have to pull over again (in a truck stop) & it’s not until 6.00am that I roaring Mercedes Truck engine awakens me with a start. The rain has stopped. Alleluia!
Blimey gotta negotiate through Madrid now hope that the locals don’t get up to early. Nice city Madrid didn’t see the stadium but wasn’t too bad getting through it, it’s all downhill now although I now won’t meet my deadline, it’s already early morning.
Feeling really fatigued now & my eyes are stinging like mad, but I can see Granada don’t want to stop again. Think I’ll go over the mountains it’s much shorter in distance, will I make up the time their? Bad decision, the mist is terrible & the infamous rain is back. I then made the serious error of taking the wrong road finishing in some village which had no exit except the way I came 35 minutes ago. So, I am now another hour behind the time scheduled. & really tired so have to stop for another 30 minutes of “closing my eyes” in the car. In the mountains I came across some incredible potholes, well they were more like caverns, bottomed my car twice causing me to worry if I had caused serious damage but couldn’t hear any unusual sounds so carried on.
It is 1.00pm & I have just pulled up the hill to Sedella really pleased I am here. 5 hours behind my schedule but at least I am here.
After recovering the key, I unlock the door a little sad that Phet was not here with me to enjoy the moment. It’s cold in the house but then Neil & Sandra moved out a month ago & the fabric of the house has gone cold. Sitting down on the easy chair in the lounge I was asleep within seconds .......