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We finished the day in Belmonte at a hotel built on a castle ruins.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8593/...a387e7e7_c.jpgladies on the road 33 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8680/...653fbf0c_c.jpgladies on the road 34 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8685/...9187ebbb_c.jpgladies on the road 35 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8674/...f5d515e1_c.jpgladies on the road 36 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7647/...bafa3e06_c.jpgladies on the road 37 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8687/...469b3e67_c.jpgladies on the road 39 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7611/...ce69bf92b0.jpgladies on the road 41 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7585/...10661445_c.jpgIMG_6511 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8656/...6d976d6b_c.jpgladies on the road 43 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7653/...246cd28a_c.jpgladies on the road 49 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7648/...86e2d87e_c.jpgladies on the road 51 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7618/...f1d4ddf5_c.jpgladies on the road 50 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
In the morning we had a photo session for the hotel and the newspaper in front of the hotel and then at the Belmonte castle.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7622/...ccecd6eb_c.jpgladies on the road 47 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8640/...b551cf55_c.jpgladies on the road 48 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7642/...16513138_c.jpgladies on the road 54 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8594/...e565eb73_c.jpgladies on the road 55 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7639/...1ea19757_c.jpgladies on the road 57 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/...5f45822f_c.jpgladies on the road 59 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8748/...d28798b8_c.jpgDSCF0703 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/...dd3df9c0_c.jpgladies on the road 70 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8752/...b12205a1_z.jpgladies on the road 72 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8692/...8b595d95_c.jpgladies on the road 73 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7608/...5577e92f_c.jpgDSCF0727 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8690/...3158822b_c.jpgDSCF0731 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
The route back to the city was also on curvy small roads.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8687/...aaa07626_o.pngScreen Shot 2015-03-17 at 9.30.37 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8617/...a3d17331_c.jpgladies on the road 79 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8744/...032e7c52_c.jpgDSCF0670 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7616/...e330a375_c.jpgDSCF0672 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7624/...d66fcdc1_c.jpgladies on the road 28 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8628/...a7af2825_c.jpgladies on the road 30 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8702/...9edf7273_c.jpgladies on the road 31 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7592/...943d00f0_c.jpgladies on the road 68 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr We stopped for lunch in a town near Madrid that has one of the oldest main Plazas in the country. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7629/...934ae8dc_c.jpgladies on the road 81 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8720/...d2193fac_c.jpgladies on the road 84 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
Guys ride
As Dan says “moments from the Guys ride” 260 km to Palencia and then back.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7703/...6730650f_o.pngScreen Shot 2015-04-14 at 1.39.24 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8738/...0a302435_c.jpgpalencia 1 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8732/...2cdec856_c.jpgpalencia 3 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8688/...19f8a09b_c.jpgpalencia 4 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8708/...ae5cb8ab_c.jpgpalencia 5 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7632/...9e151d01_c.jpgpalencia 6 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8753/...e1501d4f_c.jpgpalencia 8 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7638/...90b3e18f_c.jpgpalencia 13 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8685/...4c2fcfbe_c.jpgpalencia 11 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8744/...fa1af0fd_c.jpgpalencia 14 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7600/...0ee7a47c_c.jpgpalencia 17 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7616/...6c474e2b_c.jpgpalencia 18 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8736/...bea325dd_c.jpgpalencia 19 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
Cazorla
We have managed to kill off two weeks here in Spain while we waited for our Swedish friend Orvar to start heading south to meet us. We will tour the south of Spain until he catches up.
Today we rode back 200 km to La Solana on the highway and then on the secondary roads to Cazorla in another 155 km. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8697/...7d93bc20_o.pngScreen Shot 2015-03-22 at 8.21.50 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7640/...677919a9_c.jpgcazorla 1 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr This route was over the mountains thru quaint villages and on curvy mountain roads. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8722/...ac8be8ce_c.jpgcazorla 3 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7612/...f106337d_c.jpgcazorla 6 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
Cazorla is a village with a history going back more than 2000 years. This was once a Roman town called Carcacena. Here lived once one of the first Bishops of Christian Spain. The Moors used this strategic local as one of the fortresses guarding the mountains. This stronghold was finally taken in 1235 during “the reconquista” by Christian troops.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7589/...1dc1da85_c.jpgcazorla 36 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8709/...f818f2a3_c.jpgcazorla 37 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
Riding here you go past thousands of acres of olive trees and you can clearly smell the ripening fruits.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8746/...6a3a8fea_c.jpgcazorla 4 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr The town is a maze of very narrow “streets” lines with whitewashed houses and buildings. Since the village is on a hillside there are many steep roads and also stairways crisscrossing it. To keep the tourists from getting lost there is a path marked out on a route thru the main plazas. From the town there are a number of “caminos” or pilgrim walks/hikes into the mountains. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7591/...d9c161cb_c.jpgcazorla 7 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8744/...8422f003_c.jpgcazorla 9 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7619/...7dc930ef_c.jpgcazorla 8 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8707/...1e468c0a_c.jpgcazorla 10 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7625/...7afb7c4a_c.jpgcazorla 11 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8728/...b9bdbdff_c.jpgcazorla 12 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8731/...602a7ab5_c.jpgcazorla 15 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7616/...eff2434e_c.jpgcazorla 16 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8696/...e31eedcf_c.jpgcazorla 17 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8752/...459efdc2_c.jpgcazorla 23 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8753/...acdfc944_c.jpgcazorla 26 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
On the main square we stopped into a café for a drink and a snack. One of the tapas that came with the wine was a potato chip with pickled fish…wow delicious.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7590/...e32ee7b9_c.jpgcazorla 22 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7625/...e9eb3663_c.jpgcazorla 20 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr Also on the square is a fountain and a church ruins from the 13 Th century. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8688/...ff67736d_c.jpgcazorla 18 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7585/...1e758fac_c.jpgcazorla 21 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7614/...c1ef0011_c.jpgcazorla 24 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
What remains of the castle is only the central portion up on the hilltop.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8713/...885d9b29_c.jpgcazorla 28 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8709/...e8bb4b79_c.jpgcazorla 33 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8727/...2f2cc1e6_c.jpgcazorla 35 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7636/...a274c54c_c.jpgcazorla 30 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7641/...3279e082_c.jpgcazorla 31 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8697/...dfb1b80e_c.jpgcazorla 32 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
Mojacar
From Cazorla we are headed to the coast at Mojacar in 335 KM.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8686/...6e98e596_o.pngScreen Shot 2015-03-22 at 8.26.14 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr Instead of the direct route we took the scenic one and continued over the mountains and thru the Segura y Las Villas Natural. This is an often narrow and almost deserted mountainous road with two high passes. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8749/...78549b02_c.jpgmojacar 1 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8705/...01df579b_c.jpgmojacar 2 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8689/...e7a305f5_c.jpgmojacar 9 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr There was one traffic light on the 1 lane road over the dam. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8742/...b8f4651a_c.jpgmojacar 3 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7587/...7ebc7c9e_c.jpgmojacar 4 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
The scenery was great and so was the road.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7632/...abd1f953_c.jpgmojacar 16 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8695/...f43e89fa_c.jpgmojacar 14 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8696/...21964917_c.jpgmojacar 15 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr The temperature was dropping quickly despite the sunshine over the first pass, but there were patches of snow on the roadside. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8740/...4e668219_c.jpgmojacar 5 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8736/...5541acc5_c.jpgmojacar 6 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8753/...d0303aac_c.jpgmojacar 7 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8747/...bbd46043_c.jpgmojacar 10 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7609/...f6de8126_c.jpgmojacar 17 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
By the time we made it to the second pass crossing the weather had changed for the colder and wetter. There was wet snow falling, but the road was clear. It was pretty chilly at 1 degree!
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7606/...b9b6470f_c.jpgmojacar 11 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7623/...3b10b16f_c.jpgmojacar 12 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr We arrived in Mojacar after 300 km chilled and very hungry. Different groups since around 2000 BC have inhabited this place. This included Phoenician traders, Carthaginians, Greeks, and North African Islamic Moors. Ultimately the Christian Spanish won it in battle in 1488. It is perched on the hilltop in a strategic location and is a mass of narrow streets lined with white wash buildings. |
We had to do a bit of looking for an open restaurant. Luckily we found one and did not need to eat from these vending machines, which strangely were just along the side of the road. Also interesting was the sex shop machine there too.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7626/...285a57cb_c.jpgmojacar 18 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8745/...c007219e_c.jpgmojacar 19 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7632/...a9a8e390_c.jpgmojacar 20 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7635/...f174e907_c.jpgmojacar 21 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7624/...64fed1c4_c.jpgmojacar 22 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
We kept going up the hill to the main square and finally found an open pizza place that was pretty good actually. There is a water fountain here that was mentioned in ancient Arab writings as the reason for locating the village here. It has been reformed a number of times, but for centuries has been the social and economic hub of the town.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7631/...b4212086_c.jpgmojacar 25 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8707/...a615a71b_c.jpgmojacar 23 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7623/...787353f9_c.jpgmojacar 26 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8725/...b2bd0edd_c.jpgmojacar 29 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7653/...b13c2ac3_c.jpgmojacar 27 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr These are the washing stones near the well and have been used for centuries. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8742/...8ed7b03a_c.jpgmojacar 33 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr |
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