Ok well I guess this is it then ….the final day and the final 60 mile push over the finish line into Seville.

Last night we did, as advertised, take a stroll down to the beach and made sure we had at least one swim in the sea this trip. It’ was almost certainly the most relaxing hour we have spent in the last two weeks. Despite the insane slog back up the hill to the campsite it was still worth it. It also revealed that we both have level three t€#t tan….which is very hard to achieve and so we both feel very proud. Given it is our last night in a tent (oh thank the baby Jesus and all his special friends!!) and we have such a special view over the sea we decide that pasta by the tent is the only fitting final supper (is it me or did this blog suddenly self actualise and take on spiritual meaning ….oh ok, it is just me then.)

Tomorrow’s plan, the final plan, is what might seem like a very leisurely, borderline casual 60 miles into Seville. The route we have chosen, on the basis that it is the shortest and therefore the “right” route looks like it takes in some potentially sketchy roads and the weather forecast is for an insane 39 degrees. All that taken into account we decide we absolutely have to be up and about by dawn, and so we do.

The sun has barely got its hat on and we are away. The first five miles are lovely smooth tarmac and all is well in the TMAAT universe. We then take a left onto what the maps suggest is a road but is in fact a horrific combination of broken, much repaired tarmac (or at least that is how it began life) and bumpy, gravelly absolute BS! We endure neatly 15 miles of this total nightmare and all the while I am reassuring Marc “it will be over soon” and “yes of course this is the right way” (ish!!!)

Eventually the road starts to resemble a road again and all is well with the world apart from the fact that it is already in the low 30 degrees. We pause for second breakfast in Almonte (really excellent omelette / tortilla as I think they may call it in these parts) and then press on eastwards.

We have a bit of Google / Garmin / signpost dilemma as we get closer to Seville but our now pretty significant experience leads the way and we roll into the outskirts of Seville.

We pause at a supermarket for the eleventy billionth time this adventure although on this occasion it is to pick up our celebratory Champagne.

Less than 2km later we arrive inPlaza de Espana…we have only actually gone and bloody well done it!!!

Every adventure feels pretty special but honestly this is truly up there with the best of them. I (technically “we” but you know, who is actually counting), have cycled all the way from my front door in South West London to Seville and we went the long way round. It has been the most insanely hard challenge but all the better for it….we wouldn’t have it any other way.

As I am sitting here now in the rooftop bar and pool, sipping my Negroni at the Hotel Fernandes III it’s genuinely hard to even recall all that we have had to endure and suffer to get here, but we did.

Finally (yes I promise you this is nearly over) a massive thank you to all of you that have followed us on this epic adventure and most importantly donated (and if you haven’t now is very much your moment - see button below!). A massive thank you also to Saint Catherine’s Hopsice and in particular Louise Gravestock who has been so amazingly supportive throughout.

I totally acknowledge I am being liberal with the use of the word “finally” but finally I can’t express in words how thankful I am to our amazing partners Jo and Gerry. It is beyond my comprehension why they might feel in anyway inclined to keep saying “yes” when we float these crazy ideas and yet here we are, again.

And finally (yes I totally understand that a word has no real meaning if you just use it over and over again) a massive, huge and frankly indescribable thank you to Marc. I would not get to do any of this is if he wasn’t as broken as I am and if he didn’t say “yes”.

TMAAT el Scorchio is done and this blog has reached its “denouement”. Thank you everyone ….you have been amazing.