May 29, 2013

We knew we had at least 10 kilometres of climbing to start the day, but it actually turned out to be a lot more.  We are once again using a series of old roads which are very quiet, twisty and steep – most of the traffic is using the newer motorway.  We´re climbing towards the pass over a ridge of mountains which overlook the city of Cordoba.  The road twists through cork oaks and pines and the air smells of familiar herbs – the smell of home – the area is just like where we live and we’re starting to feel that we’re nearly back.  The weather is perfect for this sort of cycling, sunny but cool.  We even have a tailwind to help us up the hills.  We eventually reach the top and stop to catch our breath and to look over Cordoba spread out below.

The run down to the city is a hair-raising 7 kilometres downhill, with warnings at the top of a 14% gradient.  We are greeted at the bottom with the complete madness that is a Spanish city in party mood.  It is the annual week-long Fería in Cordoba so everyone is on the street, either on foot, on horseback, in a horse-drawn carriage or in their car.  We need to make our way right across the city, across the river (always a problem finding a bridge that is not a motorway) and out the other side.  There is absolutely no point trying to find accommodation anywhere near here, everywhere will be full.  Just as we start to reach the outskirts I see a McDonalds sign – an ideal opportunity to re-charge the computer and use the WiFi (I had WiFi on the camp-site last night but no electric and the battery went flat before I could get everything updated), as well as fueling up with a few fast-food calories.

Revitalized we start our battle with the traffic.  Once we reach the historic heart of the city we walk with the bikes through one-way and pedestrianized streets heading in a straight line southwards and, surprisingly quickly, we reach the river.  As luck would have it we come out right in front of the original Roman bridge which is for pedestrians and bikes, so the problem of getting across the river is solved.  As we walk across with the bikes a Dutch couple stop us to ask about the trip – they too are keen cycle tourists.  Luck is certainly with us today as they have a plan of the city and we work out exactly where we can pick up our onward route.  Once clear of the city we have a relatively easy run for a while until the road turns more towards the east and we hit a head wind. 

We arrive in a very uninteresting looking place called Feran Nuñez, where we debate whether to keep going or find somewhere to stay.  We end up staying in a really rough place we are directed to by the locals.  Annoyingly, the next day when we set off we pass not one but two really nice looking hotels only about 2 kilometres down the road.