Lanzarote: the island of volcanoes

Jan 21

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My apologies to all those expecting a daily update to my cycling exploits on Lanzarote. Technology hasn’t quite been in my favour, so my intention is to draft my posts each day and upload them as retrospectives when I get back home.
This is my mount for the week,

image

delivered to my hotel, by an Italian called Roberto, and as you might expect, the bike is an Italian job, equipped with Campag. But more of that in a later post.
Needless to say, weather and terrain have been hugely influential on the outcome of each day, and very little has been predictable. After 4 days, this has been a rollercoaster of an experience. But then, we wouldn’t want any other way, would we?

About Frank Burns

My journeys around the world are less about riding a bicycle, and more about what happens when I get off the bicycle. Click on the Personal Link below to visit my webpages.

Posted on January 21, 2015, in Cycling Lanzarote and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 13 Comments.

  1. PedalWORKS | January 22, 2015 at 02:30

    Nice bike. I have never seen the make before but understand it is made in Italy.

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  2. Edward Valletta | January 22, 2015 at 18:58

    so jealous….

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  3. Frank Burns | January 22, 2015 at 22:31

    It’s certainly been up to the job, and over some rough terrain.

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  4. Frank Burns | January 22, 2015 at 22:35

    Does jealousy extend to battling up a 500metre ascent against a 30mph wind……? It would be cruel to wish any friend to be here…..but then cyclists like cruelty to be dished out in spades…. 🙂

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  5. KG | January 23, 2015 at 08:33

    Battling up a 500m climb against 30mph wind beats any day in the office 🙂

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  6. Frank Burns | January 23, 2015 at 22:47

    Ha…..that I have to accept, KG……let jealousy reign!

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  7. Drew | January 24, 2015 at 04:37

    Hey again, Frank. Looking for some expert advice from you or your readers. My wife and I are looking for a good 2-week tour (self-supported) in Europe in May. Suggestions? Thanks!

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  8. Frank Burns | January 24, 2015 at 16:32

    Am in transit from Lanzarote…..remind me again in 24 hours……

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  9. Frank Burns | January 25, 2015 at 16:49

    Drew, so many things to suggest, but here’s a few. If you like flat, carefree riding, a Eurovelo route along one of the major rivers (Loire, Rhine, Danube) could be ideal. But the weather may still be in a transitional phase. For guaranteed good weather, Andalucia in the south of Spain (eg. Granada, Córdoba, Sevilla, Jerez and along the coast), or the Algarve in Portugal. Another suggestion could be the pilgrimage route called Camino de la Plata, from Sevilla to Santiago de Compostela, going north with the spring. If you like islands, you could go island hopping in the Balearics (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza) or spend a useful 2 weeks on Sicily, and include a few days on the remoter Aeolian Islands. I also believe there is some good riding to be done on both Corsica and Sardinia. And as a last suggestion, Tuscany in NW Italy is a good choice, but bear in mind that all the stunning Etruscan-built fortified towns are at the top of hills……

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  10. Drew | January 25, 2015 at 18:49

    Thanks, Frank. Will keep you posted. Hills in Tuscany, eh…

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  11. KG | January 27, 2015 at 10:32

    Hi Drew, some good suggestions already. so I would only add the east cost of Spain – Costa Blanca, the Valencia region and further north to Barcelona.

    Mallorca, Tenerife and Lanzarote are great, but each place is too small for a 2-week tour.

    May is a bit early in the year for the big mountains, but you should have a look at the Alps anyway, just because the climbs there are so inspirational. 🙂

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  12. Frank Burns | January 27, 2015 at 17:01

    KG, I agree with all of that. Some good suggestions.

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  13. Drew | January 27, 2015 at 17:37

    Thanks, KG! Much appreciated. Not so sure we’re looking for Alps-level inspiration…

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