My favorite cycle ride in the morning is to Usagre. I like this road because it is quiet. Generally I only see a handful of farmers and a shepherd or two. Since they obviously don’t see many panting cyclists working their way slowly up ‘hills’, I know I get a second glance or two. In fact, I get a lot of cheery waves and words – I hope – of encouragement, and the sheperds wave to me from across the fields.
However I was a little surprised when a farmer in a combine harverster bothered to stop for a chat. Given that it was still early in the morning and I’d just climbed a mountain (small incline) – and of course that he was speaking in fast Spanish – I stood there just trying to understand a word or two. I understood ‘small’, ‘road’ and ‘dangerous’. I took advantage of the stop to drink some water and muse over what he could be saying. I’d heard the work ‘luck’ too.
So, he was obviously saying that with good luck the road because it is dangerous….? Unlikely as I cycle it several times a week.
I continued.
Or, perhaps it wasn’t ‘luck’, the Spanish word for luck also sounds a bit like ‘smooth’. Could he be saying that the small road was going to be resurfaced – could be, but would he really be stopping me to say that the road might be resurfaced. Or needs resurfacing. Unlikely.
I continued.
As I headed, with speed down a hill, I remembered that the word also sounded like the Spanish word for …..
I braked as I was nose to nose with some loose very long horned cattle. Yes, the word I was thinking of was ‘loose’.
I turned and broke most speed records. I have no idea whether they were bulls or nasty-horned cows, I just saw the horns, and remembered the farmer’s cry of ‘peligroso’ – dangerous. I must admit that I got a lot more cheery smiles today – I wonder if they think I am mad cycling woman who is not afraid of boldly confronting the odd bull or two!