topics: rail travel, tourism; jump to dispatch

BikeAbout Log

At 6:00 PM October 12–16, 1997
Sunrise (local): not recorded Sunset (local): not recorded	Weather 55°F
Traveled Since Oct. 11 869 mi / 1400 km (by boat and train) Cumulative (bike only) 499 mi / 803 km	Lat: 43° 17' 38" N Lon: 05° 23' 01" E Elev: 164 ft / 50 m

[Webmaster's note: This dispatch covers the travel days from October 12 to October 16. The Food of the Day and almanac data refer to October 16. The riders visited Malaga, Spain, on October 12.]

Fast Facts

Where We Are: Marseille, France
Where We're Staying: Hotel Manon
Places We Visited: Travel days — Malaga, Barcelona, Cerbère, Perpignan, Nîmes, Marseille
Featured Site: Malaga, Spain
Person of the Day: Eddie
What We Ate:: Food of the Day: sandwich grec (Greek sandwich); Breakfast: pastries; Lunch: sandwichs grec; Dinner: humus, baba ganouj, tabouleh, salad, steamed vegetables, and a filet of fish served with a delightful cream sauce; Olive Count: 401
Word of the Day: Bonjour means "Hello" in French.
Tech Fact of the Day: During our recent travels, we crossed back into France from Spain. At the border, we had to change trains because in Spain, some of the rail lines are wider than those in France. That is, the two metal rails that the trains ride on are spaced a little wider apart than in France (and the rest of Europe). The gauge (width of the individual rails) is narrower though. All this confusion means that you must change trains at the border. Sometimes (especially on overnight trains), instead of forcing all passengers to change trains, the train operators lift up each train car and change the wheels on the train while everyone sleeps!: Flat Count: 2; Broken Spoke Count: 7 (again, all on Anthony's back wheel)

Next Stop: Tunis!

View Rider Notes

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[Click here for more from Spain!]


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