Cycle races

 The neighbouring town of Sabiñánigo hosts a massive and very important road cycle race called La Quebrantahuesos every year. Around 10,000 cyclists, both amateurs and professionals take part. They start in Sabñánigo and ride up the Aragón valley past Jaca, up to the Somport mountain pass and down into France. They go back into Spain via the Pourtalet mountain pass and return to Sabiñánigo. The race lasts a day and is spectacular and well-known. For that day life in that town is complicated, but it's a day, a Saturday at that and you can plan round it; make sure if you need to travel you get your timing right so you don't coincide with the closures.

Ok. That was on 20th June this year. 

Last week, the final complete week in June there were fiestas in Jaca, so we thought we'd go for a stroll in Sabiñánigo. Little did we know....

It turned out that the town was completely possessed by the cyclists. 

I'm not joking. Pretty well everything given over to them, the main street, accesses, you couldn't cross the road, queues of traffic-we were stopped on the motorway in full sun for half an hour with neither warnings nor explanations. Even the narrow pavements where we were walking had people cycling on them.

Apparently there has been praise for the organisation of the races; that will be from the perspective of those taking part in the competition. 

From the perspective of the people who live and work in the town, or had to drive round or past it; those who live in surrounding villages, already inconvenienced by everlasting roadworks, it was unmitigated chaos and inconvenience. Unannounced stoppages and blockages on main roads and even the motorway, bus journeys delayed; medical appointments missed. High street shops losing business due to inaccessibility. That's the impression I got from comments on social media.

The town surely benefits from big sporting events.but do the people of the locality actually receive any benefit or do they just have to put up with it?

Puente la Reina-Gares

 Puente la Reina, also called Gares is about ninety minutes away from Jaca by road. The Orfeon  Jacetano had been invited there by a local group.

First, we stopped at the little church of Santa Maria de Eunate, a charming XII century octagonal building.

Then on to Puente la Reina in Navarra; we have a little Puente la Reina in Aragón, but the one in Navarra is much prettier. 

Lovely bridge, three architecturally interesting churches and very nice food! 

After dinner, the church, practice and change, a fair amount of waiting-it's so hot these days that you need to be indooors most of the time!

So we sang our concert, seemed to be well received. Later an English member of the host choir was very emphatic that they had liked the concert very much; that's always good to hear!

At that point, we still hadn't finished, because our hosts treated us to a buffet supper in a cellar!

Home at the speed of light!

Park run

 On Sunday 14th June I did my first park run. It was in the Big Park in Zaragoza, now named for the late local politician and folk singer Labordeta. 

This was a charity race, against cancer: you pay a fee in advance, they give you a t-shirt and a bib with a chip and what's left goes to the cause. I think there were about 900 participants, but I'm not sure.

It's been really hot so it's just as well the race started (on time) at 9 in the morning. The runners with a chance of winning start at the front, and those who don't start further back. Unlike some other races I've done, those running didn't have to fight their way through walkers and pushchairs.

The winner got there in about half the time I took!

One of these should be mine, only I didn't wait for the presentation!It was a struggle, but it was fun, and although I went on my own, it's pretty sociable.

I came second in my category, Master D 

This is a screenshot of the results that came from my chip.

Once you cross the finish line someone hands you a goody-bag with water, isotonic and some food. I drank the isotonic and went home. It really was a well-organised event and very enjoyable.