April 19, 2014

That’s more like it – a nice quiet, smooth road, with cool sunshine and no wind to start the day. We’re soon warmed up and feeling more like our old selves. We’ve decided today not to set ourselves up to fail by having an intended destination, we’re just going to keep going and see where we get to. Today we will be entering new territory. The 2011 route we’ve been following from here onwards heads eastwards over the Pyrenees and then up to the north coast of France; we’ll continue heading northwards today up towards Santander. We’re really looking forward to covering new ground and we have plenty of time to explore before we catch the boat on 30th April. Of course, it adds an element of uncertainty as well because we have no idea whether we will be able to find accommodation when we want it nor exactly what the terrain will be like.

The cool sunshine with clouds continues which helps us make much better time today – we cover 45 kilometres before 1pm, when we reach Siguenza, a large town where we can stock up on supplies. I am still trying to find high factor sunscreen, it is not easily available outside tourist resorts. We are desperate now as we have run out totally, so when I’m told in the Pharmacy that a tube of Factor 50 will cost me 23 euros, I have to swallow hard and pay up. I must say that it was very effective though as the moment I stepped outside the Pharmacy the sun went in never to be seen again.

Part way through the day we noted our cycle computer clocked up 10,000 kilometres, which is the total for our three cycle tours (6684 kilometres in 2011, 2555 kilometres in 2013 and 761 kilometres so far on this trip) and we also equalled our maximum speed record (for the touring bikes) of 57 kilometres/hour. Our other cycle computer which we use on our road racing bikes has also just clocked up 10,000 kilometres, so we have pedalled a fair bit since we retired.

Towards late afternoon the long-awaited thunderstorms seem to be about to catch up with us as we see black clouds forming all around, before spotting lightning in the far distance. Problem is that we are now cycling across open moorland, very similar to the North Yorkshire Moors, and we are the highest objects to be found for many miles around. You have never seen legs pedal so fast as we attempt to get ourselves to lower ground. Fortunately, the road eventually does drop down into an area of stony gorges where we feel less of a target for the lightning. The rain jackets come out for the first time this trip, but shortly after putting them on we spot a lonesome church with a big porch by the side of a road junction miles from anywhere. It gives us a chance to sit and wait out the storm for a while as well as having a quick bite to eat. We’re feeling a bit anxious – should we go on – we’re not bothered about getting wet, but we are bothered about being struck by lightning. Trouble is we’re not sure that we’re going to find accommodation easily as the area seems pretty remote and any village we have passed has been tiny with just a few farmhouses.

Eventually, we set off again as the rain has lessened a little. It seems we have inadvertently joined one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago, Ruta Jacobea de Los Calatravos, which heads northwards to join with the most famous camino from France to Santiago de Compostela. This proves to be helpful in our quest for accommodation as we find a Rural Albergue set up for travellers along the Camino in one of the tiny villages, just as the storm picks up again and throws hailstones at us this time. Still, we’ve had a better day today and covered over 100 kilometres so we’re feeling pretty happy. Not sure about the weather tomorrow though – could be tricky.