Cycling Southern Spain with Chris Atkin

When in Spain

Chris Atkin, author of his new book, (Just As Well) It's Not About The Bike: A Journey Across Southern Spain, joins me in this episode to chat about his experience pedaling 1300 kilometres from Valencia to Gibraltar on a basic bike with only seven gears and barely enough room for panniers. Chris describes some of his favourite stops on his six week journey, including a grueling ride across Spain´s Sierra Nevada, Gandia´s ghost town vibe, picturesque Altea versus the untamed tourism of Benidorm, discovering morcilla in a tiny pueblo of Almócita in the province of Almeria, Granada and the Alhambra and the final destination of Gibraltar, bursting with civic pride. On the ride Chris shares with us some interesting anecdotes, for example Franco´s favourite singer (She despised him!), a little known nuclear catastrophe that happened in Palomares in the 1960s and the heartwarming story of why Mónica was daubed in giant white letters on a Málaga chimney. Chris also offers some practical advice for cycling in Spain, finding accommodation and improving your Spanish. Get your hands on a copy of his book (Just As Well) It's Not About The Bike: A Journey Across Southern Spain here Find out more about Chris Atkin on his website https://chrisatkinonline.com/