Yeah, when i saw that flamboyant hoopoe i was immediately thinking of you all, haha.
I also really enjoy the birds i know in different setting, like the beach blackbird or hearing the mountain wood pigeon (no 'd') coo.
I should have known, i looked that up before. Somehow i just want to write it with a 'd'. Thank you, i think this will push me now to never do it again :)
I am currently on holidays in spain and there were a lot of parakeets around, also tons of collared doves who i'd guess outnumber the feral pidgeons there. Pretty cool
Today while cycling i saw a flamboyant hoopoe, which i recognized because i saw it on here. I was hyped. This is my first time somewhat far away from home since i started watching birds and it's amazing to see what's going on here. The birds are going off!
I don't know if there will be much route overlap, but yeah, at least some general spain cycling stuff i guess. There's a ferry to bilbao from the uk, right? At least to santander i think. Such a great option to get there.
Haha, yeah i guess:
But in the night i had to wear leggings, socks and long sleeve to be comfortable. Wind is quite cold. Sun is a tad bit stronger than what came through the clouds in germany though.
First night of camping in southern spain. Was a deserted camp site in the mountains. Cold wind, zero condensation.
The tent is a big agnes copper spur 1p. I bought it on sale but it was still quite expensive, i don't think these naturehike tents from amazon are much worse but cost like a third. They may be a tad bit heavier (possibly sturdier, the BA is quite flimsy but it held up fine up til now). I think my next tent will be a naturehike or something from decathlon again but i'll try to add some of the neat features this BA one has, mostly some clever pockets and loops on the inner tent. My old naturehike tent packed smaller i believe.
The cookset is on the plate, yes, i had no gas yet so now i have my stove on top of the pots, but in the mesh bag. It consists of a titanium pot and 'pan', my rag, gas canister (230g), an optimus crux windshield and a soto amicus stove. I had an optimus crux stove but ditched it on my last tour because i could just not get it to regulate the flame consistently which was very annoying. The soto stove works much better, but it doesn't fold like the crux.
I like the titanium pots, it may be tricky cooking dry-ish stuff but it's perfect to drink tea out of the pot. With aluminum you basically can only put it to your lips comfortably when the tea is almost already too cold.
These are my pots. I really like that the bottom of the pan fits snug into the pot when cooking, i always imagine it works like a pressure cooker and also used it to keep a sauce hot. Not a setup for people who go all out cooking i guess, but i found i am not the person to do that and i'm happy with just some pasta etc. I turned to cooking one pot pasta (2x weight in water to 1x weight in pasta plus whatever the sauce is). Saves water and salt too. I then also can get by with just some paper satchels of salt, but i wasn't able to find some here in the restaurants, might have to buy salt now.
*my decathlon folding steel fork and knife would also fit into the pots, but it's too much hassle if i eat a yoghurt or something so they are always ready. I don't like sporks, i used to carry my regular spoon and fork but got annoyed with the fork spinking through things.
Sleep enough and not eat shit food for days in a row. If i get sick i have usually disregarded some of this.
Do you have any specific items in mind? I can only really think of the sleeping bag that is very small, i ordered that one directly from the manufacturer, cumulus. I have a lite line 200 (and a 400 at home). The other stuff mostly from the local outdoor shop, some was ordered.
The paranoia can be real when wild camping, haha. Hunters scare the shit out of me. And animal noises too sometimes. Glad i have not heard any lynx screaming yet, but also kinda glad that i know how fucking crazy they sound. Oh it's just a cat, that's what i'll think when i hear them.
Haha, nice one. Must have been a lovely and quiet place.
Holy shit, haha. I don't know if my math on the fly is good enough for that. Why 24? Is it like your lucky number? I think i'll give that a shot, spaniards have four numbers on their plates i think.
It's just a section of badlands, out of granada to the gorafe desert, don't want to do loops. I may do the montañas vacias loop, but only if i like it so much but also get fed up with spain, so not very likely, haha. Because the plan is to go to the basque country after vacias, then pyrenees from there to the mediterranean. That is the route i have, but who knows.
I just read that f.e. tourmalet opens mostly in june, i'll have to see what's up when i get there, it'll take a while :)
Yeah i will post something along the way, good to see you again!
All the stuff i am taking on a two month trip, including bags, the clothes i am wearing, excluding my phone and an actual book which i plan to send home though. Hope i didn't miss something, but i think i should be good. Leaving my chair at home this time.
Checked in my bubble wrapped my bike and waiting for my plane to southern spain.
So do you have your screen turned off most of the time? I usually get through a day fine with a charge. And i use some internet, photos snd videos, record my track and navigate with osmand. I do bring a powerbank though.
If you bring a second phone, that is also a second device you're carrying around, might as well be a small powerbank.