Today the highlight of the year transpired within 20 seconds of our door (and lasted about as long) - yes, the main cycle race went past. Not the Vuelta a España, but the Vuelta a Andalucia - but we still had most of the name teams ( if not the start riders who are all in Italy for the Giro).
In reality, the cyclists were not the main event, as the Guardia Civil must have had most of the Andalucian rozzers and their motorbikes and 4x4s zooming around the course. (Not to mention a helicopter or two and about a dozen large vans).
We had two officers posted at the top of our road to ensure no one drove out of our place or came out of the stables at Juan´s. We amused ourselves while we were waiting listening to them - and noting that one actually coughed in exactly the same way as the horse in the field. They both had radios, but spent the whole 30 or so minutes we were up there shouting to each other about the "colour of the flags". All pretty mysterious, until we sussed that somewhere about the 50th motorbike, there was one with a green flag - then a few more the same, then a few more flagless.
Great excitement ensued when one passed with a yellow flag, but that proved to be the first of a flock with that colour.
In the meantime, the coughing copper had obviously stimulated the equine residents of the parcela next to Lothar and a little foal poked its head above the parapet, wondering where the other horse was.
Eventually, and after another cavalcade of motorbikes, medical cars, ambulances, radio vehicles etc, etc, a motorbike with a red flag came past. Great excitement now!
A haitus, then a bike, then another, then another - G was clapping while I was filming and the copper was coughing.
The nothing.
Then a few more cars and motorbikes.
Then the 120-ish strong peloton - hooray!
We tried to get back across the road, but the (non-coughing) copper pulled us back - just as well as there were yet more outriders, vans and cars. Evntually we managed to get back dow the road . then turned and saw one poor bugger go past about 10 minutes after the rest - and they have only been on the road less than an hour.
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