Ironically, the most grueling part of the day wasn't the climbing, but the 45 km ride home. We pushed through a flat section in a fast-paced group, and even with a strong headwind, the speed never let up. It was a serious test of endurance, but a rewarding way to cap off a long day in the saddle.
Just as I make it a yearly ritual to photograph my garden tulips, I always look forward to capturing the beauty of the bluebells that bloom in the forest across the river. These quiet, seasonal walks are a highlight of my year.
However, choosing a photograph for this year’s club competition meant making a tough call. While the bluebells were tempting, I ultimately decided to submit a shot of the daffodils instead. Sometimes, the subject you weren’t originally planning to focus on ends up being the one that tells the most compelling story. I’m excited to see how it fares alongside the other entries!
There are certain rhythms to the year that I always look forward to, and without fail, one of them is the blooming of the tulips. Every spring, I find myself setting aside time to photograph them, documenting their brief but brilliant appearance as a personal annual tradition.
This year, I managed to capture a shot that feels particularly special. I’ve been experimenting with light and shadow, and for this specific frame, I was able to catch the sun hitting the petals just right. The way the light passes through the red, illuminating that deep, vibrant color against a near-black backdrop, creates a dramatic contrast that I think really highlights the delicate structure of the flowers.
I’m so pleased with the result that I am considering to enter this image into my local photo club’s upcoming competition...
I’m excited to share a few glimpses from Tori Amos’s recent performance. It was absolutely fantastic to hear her live again—my first time since way back in May 2005! Please note that only the second image is my own; the remaining photos and the video of 'Josephine' were captured by fellow fans. The photo of the playlist was posted by Tori herself. It was such a special night, and I’m so happy to have these reminders of it.
No more cycling today! Instead, we spent the morning visiting a local gem: the Jardín Nazarí in Vélez de Benaudalla. It was surprisingly impressive, particularly the limestone caves and the lush, tiered Moorish gardens.
For our final dinner, we stopped at a traditional, old-style restaurant perched high in the mountains called Venta Galwey. The unexpected Irish connection delighted Pat, who works in Galway! It felt like a little piece of home in the middle of the Andalusian peaks.
After dinner, we began our final descent into Málaga along another spectacular mountain road. It was an engineering marvel—the road actually "knots" and loops back under itself several times as it winds down the steep terrain. It was a breathtaking end to an incredible journey.
The village only had one decent restaurant, which was so popular it had to be booked days in advance. Luckily, the owner of the bike rental shop was one step ahead and had already arranged a table for our final evening.
While looking through the wine list, I spotted something that immediately caught my eye: a wine called Rivendel. Since that is the name of our house back home, I knew I simply had to try it!
I headed out for another small excursion into the Guadalfeo Valley, though this time I decided to stick to the other side of the river to find a fresh perspective.
Once again, I didn't quite get the "golden hour" light I had hoped for, but I still managed to capture some beautiful shots include some Kestrels. It’s truly a magical place, and I’m glad I took the extra time to explore it from a different angle.
After the ascent, we enjoyed a flying descent down to the coast, where we stopped for a lovely lunch before starting the journey back. We had originally planned to go for a swim in the river, but it’s a pretty wild stretch of water! Instead, we limited ourselves to a river "ice-bath" for our legs, exactly what the muscles needed after the morning's effort.
My plan for the evening is another photo excursion into the nearby canyon. I’ve brought the bike along this time, which means I’ll have to navigate that wobbly hanging bridge once more, only this time, I am balancing a bike as I cross!
