The week after my trip to Poland was quiet. I was working but in August there are no meetings, so one has time to catch up on stuff in peace. The photographic highlight of the week was the Vuelta a España bicycle race, the 7th stage of which passed through the mountains in which I cycle every week, albeit at somewhat slower speeds than the professionals.
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I did some cycling of my own, of course. On Sunday I went to Villajoyosa up the coast. I stopped at the fishing harbour from where there is a good view of the town, including the contrast between the old colourful houses and the new hotels and apartment buildings being built just behind them:
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I also stopped on the beach, uncrowded in these largely tourist-free times. Nice for a local cyclist who wants to take a break, not so nice for the economy of the town:
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Back in the fishing harbour, life was tranquil. The fishermen do not work on Sundays:
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Looking for scraps:
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In the afternoon, as happens on many Sundays, we got together with our friends for a BBQ:
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Lucas had brought his dog to his father’s house, so we had the pleasure of the two young doggies, children of the confinement last year:
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Lucas feeds the hungry:
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This is just about the only use I have for Corona beer:
On Friday I took the afternoon off to watch the 7th stage of the Vuelta a España, which was passing through our area. I picked a spot in Jijona, about 120 km into the 150 km stage, on a steep uphill. This kind of spot is best for watching a bicycle race: the speed of the cyclists is not 50-60 km/h as would be the case on a flat stretch but rather 20 km/h or so; and at that point in a tough stage with several mountain passes, the cyclists are no longer moving in a bunch–the peleton is split into many groups, so that one can enjoy the sight of the cyclists for 20-30 minutes instead of 30 seconds. I have put up a gallery here; below I just show a few selected images.
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The police are getting ready:
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I shared my viewing spot with this delightful little girl who had a sign designed to attract the attention of the TV cameras:
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A small crowd had assembled to watch the race:
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Finally, the leaders appear:
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Then a large group of chasers:
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The main group with the Jumbo Visma team in front, protecting the overall Vuelta leader Primoz Roglic (who would go on to win the race in impressive style):
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And then, several minutes later, one of the several grupettos composed of cyclists having a bad day and sprinter specialists who have no chance in the mountains; their objective is to complete the stage within the time limit to avoid disqualification:
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Finally, just a random image from my neighbourhood while I was walking to the bakery for my morning baguette. A churro stand is doing good business for reasons I do not fully understand–I consider churros a worthless mix of sugar and fat:
