14th June, my Birthday. Woke up on the beach at Calarbardina the night after Spain got beaten in their world cup opening game. Renas gave me a birthday present, one of his cotton shirts that he’d not worn much with long sleeves. I had no shirts with long sleeves to protect my arms from the sun so it was a really great present.
We rode out heading along the coast and as it was my birthday decided to have a quiet day on the beach near Mojacar. Coming out of Mojacar heading back into the mountains, after reaching the pass, the descent ahead looked fantastic!
![20140619-005422.jpg Cabo de Gata](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140619-005422.jpg)
Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata
Carboneras was the last town on my Birthday, time to buy a big meal, burger with bacon and a fried egg! Renas had a 48cm sandwich and Norman went for the pizza. Norman being vegetarian, had some difficulty ordering pizza with no meat in a shop that specialised in kebabs and burgers.
![wpid-20140618-133820.jpg Burger and Chips for me](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140618-133820.jpg)
Burger and Chips for me
Birthday burger or burgusa for me
![20140618-133915.jpg Renas with a huge Sandwich](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140618-133915.jpg)
Renas with a huge Sandwich
A 48cm sandwich for Renas
![20140618-133929.jpg Normski's Pizza](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140618-133929.jpg)
Normski’s Pizza
Veggie pizza for Norman
Heading through Almeria was interesting, lots of growing houses, a city of plastic for miles. Check out Google Earth, it’s all white with plastic greenhouses.
Riding through the mountains through Albuñol through clouds and back out again was amazing. A lesson in how not to prepare for climbing 1,280 Metres of mountain on a loaded touring bike.
![20140619-005555.jpg Er... Just Wow..](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140619-005555.jpg)
Er… Just Wow..
Mountains!
1. Do not eat 4 x rice puddings and a load of other snacks so your stomach is totally full.
2. Do not go to the shop at the bottom and buy lots of food and water that you have to then carry all the way up the mountain.
3. Do not choose to start climbing at 2 in the afternoon. The hottest part of the day!
Even with doing those three things, it was still fantastic. And yes I’m the slowest up the mountain on Strava!
![20140619-005631.jpg Climbing, still hours to go.](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140619-005631.jpg)
Climbing, still hours to go.
More Mountains
![20140619-005653.jpg Stunning mountain through the clouds](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140619-005653.jpg)
Stunning mountain through the clouds
Breathtakingly beautiful
After the mountains, time for a couple of days off in Suspiro Del Moro near Granada.
Granada day out, Tapas and beer.. And lots of it.
![20140619-005728.jpg Beer and Tapas anyone €1.50](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140619-005728.jpg)
Beer and Tapas anyone €1.50
Beer and Tapas
![20140623-094400.jpg Setting up camp for a few days off](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-094400.jpg)
Setting up camp for a few days off
Hot natural springs near Alhama de Granada, free, nice!
![20140623-131315.jpg A free hot bath](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-131315.jpg)
A free hot bath
In Fuengirola with Salva and Marco being given a lesson in Olive Oil tasting (yes it looks like whiskey, I promise it’s not).
![20140623-131417.jpg Olive oil tasting NOT Whiskey](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-131417.jpg)
Olive oil tasting NOT Whiskey
Marco was Italian and had just ridden round Morocco looking at Olive farms and knew a lot about Olives, oils and its history.
![20140623-131649.jpg Marco from Italia](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-131649.jpg)
Marco from Italia
Last night and Morning in Spain saw the best sunrise so far at Playa Cala de Sardina
![20140623-131912.jpg Sunrise at Playa Cala de Sardina](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-131912.jpg)
Sunrise at Playa Cala de Sardina
Had a quick look around Gibraltar and an English Breakfast before heading for the ferry to Morocco.
![20140623-132303.jpg Gibraltar - The Rock](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-132303.jpg)
Gibraltar – The Rock
And arrived in Morocco with Warm Showers host Hamza at his place by the beach.
![20140623-132406.jpg Tangier (Tanger as it's known in Morocco, I mean Maroc)](https://longbikeride.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wpid-20140623-132406.jpg)
Tangier (Tanger as it’s known in Morocco, I mean Maroc)