I surprised Camille with a surprise 40th birthday gift - a cycling camp in Mallorca. While few of you have seen her on a bike, she is a very strong rider. Perhaps a cycling camp sounds like a selfish gift, but in fact it was exactly the type of vacations we used to take together BC. Camille's cousin was gracious enough to watch our 3 kids for April school vacation, we hired someone to watch the dog and chickens and off we went - just like the days of yore.
Our vacation had a rocky start. Our flight from Providence to Newark was cancelled and we missed our overseas flight that day. We had to wait another 48 hours before we finally left the country. Naturally, we were disappointed to have spent two days in the Newark when we could have been on the Mallorcan beaches. However, once we arrived all the anxiety of a stressful journey melted away and we quickly settled into vacation mode.
We stayed at the Stephen Roche cycling camp in Palmanova, a small seaside town about 15 km southwest of the city of Palma. The Ponent Mar hotel was comfortable, clean and simple. The cycling staff and many of the guests are French; Stephen lived in France for many years and his first wife is French. Other guests were Canadian, Swiss and British. We rented bikes from the camp. They were sufficient for our use and it was very convenient not having to pack, ship and haul 2 machines overseas. We did bring our own saddles for that "homey" feel. We did not bring helmets with us and used the camp's. If I were to go again, we would have brought our own helmets.
We took part in 3 camp rides ranging in distance from 80 - 95 kms. In each case the first 10k was a bit hectic leaving town through the many roundabouts and dodging traffic. However, once we reached the more rural areas the riding was superb. Great road surfaces, varied terrain and spectacular ocean views. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of climbing on the island. The weather was perfect every day and the temps ranged from around 60F at the start to about 80F mid afternoon. For us, each "stage" was a perfect length. Long enough to feel like a cycling camp, but not too long as to leave you completely drained of energy at the end of the ride. We typically finished up around 1pm, showered and still had plenty of time for local sightseeing, shopping and eating. I should also add that, while Camille has not spent any significant time on her bike in ten years, she was in the "A" group or as the Swiss gang called her: the Swiss Madame.
At last, our truncated holiday came to an end. It was a short but very enjoyable stay. A great escape that gave us an opportunity to relive some of the adventures that formed the foundation of our relationship. Great marriage therapy. We can't wait to plan our next trip.
