After more than a month in Iberia, it was time to return to Paris. The only hiccup involved packing up Vivien George.  

I had no problems removing the pedals, thanks in part to my new wrench with extra leverage. This time the problem was that I could not loosen the rear through axle - a first for me. I presumed that when Sergio replaced the brakes back in Merida he gave the bolt an extra turn for good measure.  In any case, it was clear that the task was going to need more muscle than I possessed.

I went downstairs and recruited the young man at the desk - he was a boy really, tall and skinny and seemingly without muscles. And I was right - his best efforts were to no avail and I would have to seek help elsewhere. I googled the nearest bicycle-related enterprise, which turned out to be a place offering bike tours of Seville. I was a bit skeptical, but reasoned that it was worth a shot. 

There were two couples checking in when I rolled Vivien George past the reception desk. I considered asking the gentlemen for help, but thought it was a bit inappropriate. However, there was no hesitation when I spotted three idle construction workers 100 yards down the street. They were a bit confused at first, pointing out that the bike had no pedals, but it was all clear when I flipped the bike over,  pulled out my three-way hex tool, and mimed that I wanted to take off the wheel. The strongest looking of the three jumped forward, grabbed the wrench, and after a bit of a struggle was able to loosen the bolt. We all had a good laugh while posing for strong-man photos, and after much thanks I went back to the hotel to finish packing.

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Suzanne GibsonHe got muscles!
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7 months ago

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The rest of the trip to Paris was pretty straightforward. I'd booked on Iberia, wanting to rack up some OneWorld Airline miles, and was a bit shocked that you have to pay for all beverages and snacks, even water. I did ask for water on the Madrid-Paris leg, and was able to get a free cup of water, but bottled water would cost. Not surprisingly, the snack cart did very little business.

Some final thoughts

Overall, the tour was amazingly successful. Although it got off to a pretty bumpy start, it ended on an absolute high.

Weather is always an unknown when planning a tour, and spring in the Northern Hemisphere can be particularly prone to rain, wind and lingering winter chill.  All three came into play this year, but the reward was an incredible explosion of wildflowers that brightened up each an every day. 

The Alentejo and Extremadura regions are fantastic for cycling, with an abundance of smaller roads and historical towns and cities. In addition, cycling through the natural parks and the less well-known towns were among my favorite days. There are so many wonderful places to visit in these regions and I certainly left wanting to return - a definite sign of a successful tour.

A real highlight of this tour was spending time in the company of fellow CycleBlazers. I've become good friends with Scott, Rachael, Suzanne and Janos over the past few years, all thanks to the CB community. I encourage everyone to reach out and meet-up with a fellow CBer when  the opportunity presents.

I'll be in Paris for the next couple of weeks and then will lead two friends from Raleigh on a 10-day tour through Bordeaux and Dordogne. It should be a hoot!