One good thing about Spain is that the night before’s washing, if carefully spread out, will dry by the following morning. A most important fact following yesterday’s drenching.

Today the weather was dry once more. I left town, crossing the Río Guadiana via an ancient, most impressive 800m long, stone bridge. – it must rank as one of the longest in the world & where the locals do there promenading. Here & along the manicured parks along the river banks.

I wanted to do dirt roads but yesterday’s downpour had transformed the field tracks into deep wet strips of clay &, as I found out, impossible to ride or walk. It’s the very same New Mexico stuff that forces Dividers to abandon their bikes and give up on their goal. My final downfall was on coming to a serious dip in the track which had filled with water. I selected my gear &, head down, accelerated towards it. At the bottom of the dip my wheels were 2 ft submerged/stuck in a ft of clay. Knee deep, I dragged my bike out & tried to peddle on. Luckily I came across a track that took me to the metalled N630 & stuck to it from then on. Almendralejo, the next town, was “awash” with car wash stations, all doing a roaring trade – I paid my €1 & my bike & I had a bloody good clean.

Later in then afternoon came across Francesco at the head of a dirt road. Poor fellow had been on it all day & managed only 15 km. He recommended a hostel in Zafra which I am most delighted with.

Needless to say my night was spent cleaning !!

No need for suncream today – the rain hammered down for most of the day – even had a little thunder & lightning. Similar predictions had resulted in a few drops so had chosen to ignore the warnings on the weather app.
I discovered today’s ride was along the Pilgrim Trail & passed many cycle tourers & hikers heading north. Unfortunately we could only manage a waive of encouragement as we were all heads down pushing on to our destination as quickly as we could. Today’s photos en route therefore were limited to the brief periods between showers, though I think offer a accurate gist of the landscape travelled through.

I got to Mérida just in time for a conference call with the GE Team. I’d found a restaurant umbrella, ordered a hot drink & settled into the call – dripping wet. Afterwards, found a cheap, very pleasant hotel (€30), showered & explored the city.

Mérida – Parador Hotel with a rather large nest on their chimney!

It had been 10 days since I last rested & needed a little recovery time to rehydrate & get fuel back into my legs, so today I chose to relax & explore Cáceres. Most of the morning was spent at Restaurant El Pato, having a lazy alfresco breakfast, looking across the Grand Square towards the walls of the old town. By the time I ventured from under the umbrella the day had warmed up perfectly for a non riding day. A helpful guy in Tourist Info provided today’s itinerary & so I set off.

The breakfast view did not prepare me for what lay beyond the walls. The layout was Roman, walls rebuilt a millennia ago. Narrow streets led to small squares lined with buildings of many different periods. You literally step back into medieval Spain & each building of historic significance. Lack of time & English translations gave me an excuse to just wander the streets, take a few pictures & rest with a beer or two.

Other than the snoring, the night was passed without incident. The ladies retired around 10pm leaving me to prepare for bed by torchlight. Not sure what the protocol is in mixed dorms but aired on the cautious side. In the morning, over breakfast, I learnt the three were each traveling alone on the lesser known Pilgrim Trail north to Santiago. One was cycling, the other two hiking. There are published routes & accompanying books which I should check out.

My chosen ride to Cáceres was a mix of road & dirt, a few hills & memorable sights.

Cáceres is a big city & came into view very early then got no nearer until I was almost on it. Another hot days ride & no refreshments en route – I had built up an obsession for fresh orange – once satisfied, I found a budget hotel less than ten mins from the Grand Square & attractions.

The hotel was great, but the city was not, in fact it was the worst placed I had ridden thru since landing in Spain. The centre was tired, roads in & out were awash with shopping & car outlets in large, ugly, prefab buildings. So in summary a big disappointment & to be avoided. I had planned to stay in Plasencia for two nights but the experience discouraged me so moved on.
Plasencia is also not safe for cyclists. The council make no provision on the roads & in the short time there, drivers backed out into me, pulled out on roundabouts & skimmed past me at speed. So I walked my bike out of town.

Today’s ride was short, slightly undulating, and gives little to report.
Canaveral is a delightful village with a €15/night hostel for hikers & bikers. From what I can see, I’ll be sharing a room with 3 ladies – all my junior – so will need to be on my very best behaviour! Also checking out the showers, there are no locks – it’s going to be very interesting!
Sun is now very strong & gets very hot much earlier in the day. For the few parts I have showing, they are getting very brown indeed.

My Hotel included breakfast so had two. Today I had my eye on Plasencia but at 65 miles, including 25 off road & hills, I needed all the fuel I could get. I had also chosen a longer route which took me away from the EX-A1 into what I hoped would lead me to more interest places. Soon after starting, I was on challenging dirt roads & climbing. It would be 25 miles before I hit N 110 & a long climb of roughly 10 miles up to the Toravacas Pass at 1275m. It had been a hard ride until then & was only on the descent I discovered my rear tyre was close to flat.
Today’s ride was epic – it took me along challenging dirt roads, beautiful traditional villages, historic buildings & breathtaking views at every turn. I saw insights into how locals enjoyed their Sundays & spent 9 hrs peddling or pushing. I arrived exhausted but feeling lucky to have discovered this area for Christine & me for a future adventure.

Rio Jerti passing through the idyllic village of Cabezuela – a place to definitely return to!

This morning my legs were begging me to rest. They’d been increasingly aching for a few days now but ignored them wanting to ride through the pain to fitness. Besides, last night, within 30 mins I’d seen everything – hence the ride was far more inviting.

Halfway thru my ride, the dirt road briefly changed to metalled near the village of Navales. An iced Coca-Cola & a chat with barman – Baby?! He’d studied English Literature before heading to UK for his Masters at Bristol. Now back home in Spain in mid 2020, his prospects for employment were poor. He continues with casual work on farms & today started here at the bar. What a waste of talent!! His wish is to get back to the UK & I sincerely hope he does. From my brief encounter, I see him as an asset in any society. What a messed up world that it can’t accommodate those so able and willing to contribute!!!

The day’s ride was excellent – 80% dirt roads through ever changing landscapes. First the open vistas, then, as the day progressed, mountains to the south gradually dominate my view. The huge open fields became small stoned walled enclosures -not dissimilar to those of the Dark Peak in UK. The Rio Tormes was the only river passed with flowing water and was stunningly beautiful & clear.
I felt surprisingly ok considering the distance covered. I found a great place to stay, Hotel Entredos, & comfy bar to rehydrate & write this blog.

Last night I stayed at Hotel Mota. Totally automated you walk thru the outer door to find a check-in machine. It asks you a few question, scans your passport, takes your money, & dispenses your room card key. Worked perfectly – but room service was rubbish! The hotel did basic automated breakfast which I exploited whist chatting with a Portuguese couple – the gent spoke perfect English – taught by a Scottish friend. Chatted about usual stuff – Brexit & each other’s journeys. They were doing a mini tour after visiting relatives.

Once out of town the route was almost all dirt road. Landscape was undulating & more remote with metalled roads giving way to a network of dirt signposted roads, much the same as America. The landscape was open, undulating, semi arid with occasional pine woods giving off a strong aroma. Although the ride didn’t offer any breathtaking scenery it did provide a great days ride considering the lack of serious hills.
Big change today was the cloudless brilliant blue skies – the climate is certainly getting hotter & rivers crossed were all totally dry.

In the morning, to watch me stretching is not for the faint hearted & anyone into yoga should certainly look away. Still it gets me mobile. When I started my ride, nine days ago I was totally unfit. The plan was to ride into fitness. I can now report that this approach does work, the bad news is that at 68, it’s bloody hard work & unfavourably compares to SAS boot camp. Today, for the first time this ride, I raced myself up a hill & it felt really good!

I couldn’t quite face the servings offered at my accommodation so headed into Valladolid city proper for a second breakfast. This city is exceptionally pleasant & extremely cycle friendly.

Previously, Valladolid was unknown to me, yet is one of the most impressive places visited in Spain so far. Modern, vibrant, clean & designed around its residents with parks, river walks & attractive modern architecture.

According to Wickapedia : Valladolid is a city in northwest Spain. It’s known for medieval religious sites like the Spanish Gothic San Pablo Church, with a history dating from the 1400s, on San Pablo Plaza. Nearby is the Royal Palace, home of Spanish kings in the early 1600s. The National Sculpture Museum occupies a Gothic building. The Christopher Columbus Museum chronicles the life of the Italian explorer, who died in Valladolid in 1506.

I couldn’t do it justice this time round but will be one place to come back to.
The ride itself was either along the city cycle ways or on dirt roads through rolling countryside, passing by, but rarely entering the nearby small villages with only a church tower or dome to give them away.

The climate was certainly changing. Yesterday’s sunflower fields were now vineyards & expanses of wasteland. Stopping, for a photo or water, immediately attracted swarms of flies – better than mozzies I suppose.

Reaching Medina Del Campo, it’s a beautifully compact place with large square, about an acre of which is given to a children’s playground, then spacious areas for hanging out & outside dining. Then fine buildings.

Wickapedia notes: a town and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Part of the Province of Valladolid, it is the centre of a farming area. Almost all the buildings of artistic interest date from the 16th century; examples are the country house known as Casa Blanca, the Palacio de Dueñas (Don Rodrigo de Dueñas Manor House) and the Hospital of Simón Ruiz. These buildings were promoted by rich merchant bankers who prospered thanks to the General Fair of the Spanish Kingdom held in Medina del Campo during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Museum of the Fairs was created to exhibit items connected to this open market, and it is a popular visitor attraction.

I woke up to a high level of activity outside my door. It was 7am & pitch dark. I discovered later it was the rush to the single shower that serves all bedrooms & the need to vacate before 9am. Which I managed – only just!

I did not mention in yesterday’s blog that when walking the old Fromista street last night, I peered through a window of one of the dwellings to discover no floor & below ground, large, grand arched chambers – obviously from a much earlier time

My ride south had no serious hills, no head wind & managed to dodge the rain so kept on peddling & landed on the outskirts of Valladolid.
En route, the landscape & places visited were nothing exciting. Even Palencia failed to impress. Yes it has the San Miguel church but it also has a non descript city centre and a multitude of anonymous housing blocks. What set the day were the miles of rides along the irrigation canals.

The surprising thing is there was no one fishing them. I saw a few fish jump – so they are there, waiting!!