The weather improved after a night in Yecla - in the evening we had walked down to town and watched the Easter floats being dismantled in the old Basilica and carefully stored for another year and a busy heladeria provided a delicious ice cream in a cosy setting. The following morning we drove on to Biar after using a laundrette in Yecla where the small aire on two levels below the old town had free hook up for some pitches. We took one and then I used a splitter adapter to allow a Spanish arrival to connect up as well before we walked out to view a medieval aqueduct and climb back through the town and up to the castle for great views across the plains. The following day we took the Via Verde de Xixarra across olive and almond orchards, through Villena and on back to Yecla where a Burger King (!!!) provided sustenance for the return journey. I noticed whilst unloading the bikes that we had lost the 5l fuel can from the bike rack on a speed bump but there was no sign of it as we climbed up to the impressive castle and explored the various levels emerging finally at the top of the main tower with its four circular turrets. Some remarkable old graffitti on the walls carved by prisoners was well preserved despite the more recent additions of thoughtless visitors. We had passed a place that we'd stayed at previously where the owner lives in a bizarre sphere house and which seemed to now be targeting the eco conscious traveller. In the evening we walked in to the old town for a coffee near the college that was popular with students before returning for a quiet night.
Moving on we called at Xativa where two large castles are draped along a high ridge overlooking the town. Mindful of not allowing the sat nave to take us in to a narrow maze of streets we parked up on the edge of town and walked in passing the impressive basilica before taking the twisting road up to the main castle gate. Both castles were remarkable in size, location and preservation and we spent a couple of hours exploring, grateful for the cooler breeze on a hot day. The terrace was a lovely place for coffee before we walked back down to the town. In a side street we spotted a small cafe and decided to stop for a late lunch - the owner and her daughter produced two excellent meals and were very friendly.
After a couple of hours drive we pulled in on the large aire opposite Morella with its view across to the town and its predominant castle. The new road has ironed out the many tight bends that made my approach two years ago quite exciting - I remember watching the remarkable civil engineering going in to constructing new tunnels and flyovers. There were a fair few vans there but it had plenty of space and the following day we walked down past the aqueduct and bought a ticket for admission to the town walls and main gate, castle, basilica and dinosaur museum. Inside the basilica its most remarkable feature was a stunning carved staircase leading to the choir stalls. After this it was another steep climb up to the castle with the bullring just inside its lower walls and then passing through various gates and other defensive structures to reach the main keep which offered superb views across a landscape of olives, vines, citrus trees and some arable crops. Back at the aire we chatted to an inspirational Swiss couple - the wife had a wasting condition that required her to use a motorised off road wheelchair but they seemed very organised and determined to make the most of life.
Dropping back to the coast the following day we arrived on the aire at St Jaume D'Enveja which is ideally located for exploring the Ebre Delta by bike and was thus pretty full. We rode across the new bridge to Deltebre where preparations were under way for a weekend triathlon and thought that whilst the paid aire was quieter for now it would soon fill up with competitors and supporters. The riverside path took us out to a small marina and then a track through the estuarine marshes brought us to Riumar, a low key beach resort. At the far end a few vans were staying at the end of the track - the holiday accommodation alongside was closed down so it would have been a nice pace to stay and one to remember for next time. The following day saw us covering 40 odd miles as we took paths, tracks and lanes through the flat fields that were being ploughed and tilled ready for the flooding and rice planting due in May. Flamingoes and a huge range of other waders, herons and waterfowl occupied the wetlands and out at the Illa de Buda after dropping down to the beach we enjoyed good views over the extensive habitat from an observation tower. Returning to the van we dropped in to the EuroSpar for bread and fruit and enjoyed a well earned shower and rest that evening. The following day we finished off the last of the wetlands by cycling west towards Amposta and then covering the area to the south finally circling back to the van and heading away in to the mountains.
Horta de St Joan provided a lovely aire on the edge of town with good views across to the limestone towers of Els Ports National Park. The old town was beautiful with arches, covered walkways, numerous alleyways and a striking number of elegant buildings. Picasso had apparently lived here for a year during which he developed his artistic style and there is a museum and arts centre dedicated to his life and work. We enjoyed drinks in a cosy vaulted bar before heading back to the van - with Easter holidays now ending there were fewer Spanish vans around.
A ride down to Xerta on the Via Verde de la Terra Alta passed through Bot where an old railway carriage provided refreshments and shelter from the gusty winds before the route became the VV del Baix Ebre - all are part of the Santander - Mediterrana railway that was intended to transfer freight across Spain and avoid the long journey for ships around the Iberian Peninsula. Unfortunately it was never completed as new roads and the concept of the container and artic proved faster and more economic than a single track line threading through the mountains. However the legacy is a superb cycle route that passes through dozens of tunnels, over several viaducts and across empty landscapes with several old stations providing refreshment opportunities. We stopped at the old station of Benifallet for an excellent lunch with a lively cycling group occupying an adjacent table. Google Translate via the camera produced some interesting possibilities for lunch, including cream of underwear but as always whatever we received was delicious. We dined well and drank plenty of water before heading steadily uphill with a headwind making for quite a strenuous ride. The same cosy bar in Horta provided a much needed beer after a hugely enjoyable day - the new bikes are doing really well, replacing them immediately was a good decision and they are both proving to be comfortable and well assembled.
An easier day with a ride up to Cretas was intended to give Mandy's troublesome leg a bit of a rest although she insists riding does it no harm and we arrrived at the lovely old village I have stayed in a few times. We found the traditional bakery that has been run by the same family for 150 years and succumbed to good bread and a box of pastries before calling at the small butchers for pork fillets and sausages. An easy run back to an almost empty aire gave us an afternoon in the sun before we descended on the Bar de Pesetas for a final chat with the enthusiastic young lady who hopes to make a success of the establishment. On our way back we had taken a short diversion to see Lo Parot thought to be the oldest olive tree in Spain and planted by the Moors a thousand years or more ago - there was something very moving about the sturdy trunk and desnse canopy of foliage.
After dealing with the van's domestics we parked at the beautiful but disused convent of Sant Salvador D'Horta from where an hour or so's steep climb brings you out to a hilltop chapel visible for miles around and commanding stunning views. It was a very windy day day but fortunately most of the path was on the sunny sheltered side and after a final scramble we reached the ruins with a cross and flag located along another ridge. I decided despite the winds gusting to 50 mph to make my way across for that grammable selfie.....
We only moved on to Cretas as it's a lovely aire and walked in to the village for a more detailed exploration of its old streets and alleyways - it is another of Spain's many villages that have great charm and history but suffer from a lack of opportunity for young people to stay on.
Further up the Via Verde now known as the VV Del Val De Zafan we pulled in to the old station at Valjunquera and decided the spot alongside the old station buildings in the middle of nowhere would do us very well for a couple of nights. The buildings were semi derelict but still showed the care and skill that had gone in to the arches, brickwork and tiling. We rode up to Alcarniz via a long unlit tunnel - I had remembered to bring my powerful light which again illuminated the remarkable skills of the stonemasons with the graceful entrance portals and curved tunnel linings. We stopped for coffee in the main square and then rode up to the castle which is now a Parador whose terrace has great views over the town before returning to the station where the solar panel had been hard at work and the fridge had kept much needed beers cold. A shortish run back to Cretas for more bread was followed by a day in the hot sunshine and the evening meal outside under a new moon. A few cyclists passed and an old local guy parked up to go on a walk, as he had done the previous evening but otherwise we had the remarkable spot to ourselves.
With Mandy's return to the UK only a week away we moved on a bit passing the Greenwich Meridian at one point and taking in one section of VV north at Hijar where an aquaduct crossed the trail high on another beautiful bridge. In a cutting huge amounts of tumbleweed had gathered in piles - it was fascinating to release one or two and see how easily they rolled away in the breeze.
North of Soria at Garray we stopped at another aire and walked in to the village on a slightly chilly evening - at 3000' northern Spain can be fresh but I fully intend to return to this area in the winter or spring as there is so much to see and numerous mountain bike trails are signposted through the countryside on the Caminos Naturales. Nearby the Celtiberian archaeological site of Numantia provided a few fascinating hours as we walked amongst the ruins of a town taken over by the Romans with evidence of cisterns, the outline of streets and houses from the two different cultures and two reconstructed houses showing how the two groups lived. The audio guide in English was excellent and available via a Q code on your phone - all clever stuff.
West of Soria we parked in the pretty village of Ocenilla to ride as far as Abejar with drinks at each end and then moved on to another aire at Hontaria del Pinar which as the name suggests is in the middle of a large pine forested area where timber production is the major local enterprise. Thanks to this the railway had been active for many years but now lies dormant - I had ridden around here just over two years ago in very cold but dry conditions so it was good to be back with much higher temperatures. We walked up to the small chapel on a hill overlooking the village and watched a colourful sunset before turning in with perhaps 3 or 4 other vans in situ.
The superb Gorge of the Rio Lobos made for a memorable ride the following day with a good single track following the valley for about 20km, crossing it occasionally with fords or stepping stones, and in a couple of places walkways carried us round the steep cliffs that rose to the sky. One particularly inaccessible section was home to nesting vultures and golden eagles soared high above adding to the remarkable scene. The rockfaces were very colourful and sported yellow flowering shrubs and stubby pines whilst below the clear waters hosted numerous frogs whose croaking filled the air. Ninety percent of the route was rideable and we saw very few people as the further reaches take some getting to but as we reached the beautiful ermita at Templaria de St Bartolome opposite the enormous cueva grande there were a few more visitors but far less than I had expected at such a stunning place. Heading out to the road the cafe was closed but we were able to fill our bottles at a spring before embarking on the long but steady climb out of the gorge via several hairpins to reach the viewing platform for the gorge. From here it was largely downhill to San Leonardo de Yague where after drinks and tapas we picked up the VV back to Hontaria after one of the best rides of the trip.
Burgos next day did for a laundry stop before we turned up at Argomaniz for a special night in the village's Parador. A converted palace once used by Napoleon, the original building plus two newer extensions was very well presented and our room was large and stylish. We'd wondered why the car park was so full and found out that a cosmetics sales day was underway but as the event closed the place became more peaceful and we enjoyed drinks in the cafe before walking round the village. Dinner on the top floor of the old section under the magnificent timber roof structure was excellent with friendly staff and a lovely vibe - maybe partly due to the decent Rioja consumed.
Unfortunately overnight we were both rather ill and having had very different meals decided the blame lay with a shared Russian salad from a delicatessen in Burgos. It left us both completely floored so we drove the hour to Mungia on a rainy day and settled down in the aire with the heater on. A walk later in to the town helped a bit but we were in bed by 6 having avoided all food and felt far better for lying in warm comfy surroundings with the last of the TV downloads to watch.
This morning we both felt much better but avoided eating and I am now finishing this blog as Mandy's flight to Manchester arrives on schedule. It has been another memorable 8 weeks together, with its dramas as reported, but as always I feel very privileged to be living this itinerant life with all its rewards and challenges.
The aire at Mungia will do for tonight as well as I need to walk in and buy a SIM card to evade the post Brexit roaming on my phone for the last ten days in Spain and the planned two months in Ireland. Tonight I will plan further rides in this area and find a suitable place to RV with Gary from Portugal who has finally handed over the campsite to the new owners and is heading to the UK for a proper catch up with friends and family. My ferry is in ten days time so an update will be squeezed in before then.
EXTRA PICS HERE
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