Photos (bottom to top). uphill and into the wind. some majestic mountains. one cloud, a pleasant sight. We crossed the zero line. At the actual line.
Where to begin? As you know we left the Mediterranean south of Barcelona, and headed inland towards Madrid. That first day was hot and windy, we rode uphill into the wind almost all day. We gulped down many litters of water and worked on our collection of unfortunate tan lines. It was sad to leave the coast, which is a familiar feature to us Long Island folk, but it was also very exciting heading into unpopulated territory. We have discovered that coastal land is slightly more populated than interior lands. It didn´t take long for this to be proven true. We ventured onward moving so slow it didn´t feel like movement at all. The uphill into the wind climbing was countered with the sun, which we hadn´t ridden in for a while and gorgeous mountain landscapes.
As you may have read from the previous post we had stocked up on food and were prepared to hunker down on the side of the road. Along with leaving behind populated coastal cities we left behind the potential for any type of organized campground. The time to start stealth camping or free camping was about to begin. We were all very excited but also a bit nervous. The problem with mountainous areas is finding well covered flat ground that hasn´t been turned into fields of olives trees or wheat (we think). Em and I started scouting since we were first in line. There seemed to be many great wooded areas but they often seemed to drop off or be extremely slanted. After we found a potential spot Gen and Em scouted on foot looking for the best place to haul our bikes. After what seemed like forever Georgia and I were informed where we would have to push our bikes, around and over some grape terraces. After our first night passed smoothly (no angered farmers or pissed off wild boar) we were ready to ride again. More up and down and up and down and into the wind, less than the day before but still noticeable on a bicycle.
Our second day of riding was less mountainous more fields and hills. As the sun began to set we questions the possibilities, farm fields stretched for miles there was no hiding place for us to camp. We eventually found a lone farmer tending to some olive trees. Georgia asked the one toothed man if there was a place we could stay. He spoke very quickly and was very hard to understand, but he told us there was an abandoned old building with some flat ground that we could camp on. We pushed and peddled our bikes up the rocky road and discovered our beautiful campsite in the glow of the setting sun. Perched on top of a hill over looking the miles of fields nestled behind the ruined stone building we settled in.
In the morning we welcomed the rain yet again. It wasn´t as hard or strong as before and came in burst but rain none the less. Riding became hilly once again and on some of the hilliest sections the rain started to freeze. By the end of the day we were cold and exhausted and stopped at a cafe for some coffee. We conveniently stopped in a valley before we had to climb to one of our tallest passes. Chilled to the bone we decided to look into camping in the town at a lower warmer elevation of 3,000 ft (900m). Georgia went off in search of some one to ask about camping near or around the town. Serendipitously the first person she met (in a town of 100 people or less) was the man who owned the ¨campground.¨ He quickly whisked Georgia and Gen away in a car. Em and I waited and waited, getting colder and colder. Eventually they arrived back. Stories ensued, excitement followed. Bottom line good news first, the man had showed Georgia and Gen some lovely bungalows and when Georgia asked the price he said free of course since they were closed. The bad news, it was up a giant hill, but it didn´t matter a heated house, with a stove, shower and beds for free, on a very cold night, nothing could have been better. Em and I even got in a game of Monopoly.
Awaking to a chilly morning we didn´t want to leave our warm beds. But alas we did and soon after we started climbing. We made it up the 1300m (4,265ft) pass. Em was waiting at almost the top with a fun surprise for each of us as we slowly passed by. She squatted hiding in the bushes with snowballs that she attempted to hit us with. Lucky for her none made their target and the three of us were spared a chilly surprise. The day continued up and down up and down like the days before, rain still showering us. Again by the end of the day we seemed to find our selves among miles of agriculture and no where to camp. Having become confident in asking the inhabitants of the small villages we passed through Georgia began like always. The lady we asked said three kilometers up the road was a house that people camped in. Not really sure what she was talking about we continued on. We found some old falling down stone buildings and assumed it was home for the night. It was located very close to the major road and also a smaller road. Georgia thought it would be best if we asked. We road the one kilometer into the town. We quickly found some folks to converse with. There was one old feisty guy that seemed to own the town. He told us we could camp where ever. He thoroughly impressed Gen and Georgia by lifting a huge rock and tossing it like it was a pile of feathers.
The next morning it was bone chilling cold and we waited for the cafe-bar to open for a warm up coffee and tea. Lucky for us the wind had switched and we enjoyed a day of quick riding, literally we were pushed up hill. Georgia whizzed passed me at one down hill section going 50mph. It was crazy but we finally felt like we were making progress. The rain continued off and on and it still does. The cloudy weather often made the scenery more breath taking. Clouds open up to allow sun to shine down on patches on scattered fields of the greenest green. We continued to ride through hills and valleys and back up to high plateaus. By the end of the windy day we found our selves cold and wet, and with a sick Gen. We also happened to find our selves in a town with a hotel. We decided to shack up for the night, it was a good deal and we hadn´t spent any money in a bit.
The next morning we presented Gen with her birthday cards and discovered we weren´t riding. It was the worst, Gen was sick on her birthday and stuck in a smelly hotel room by her self (it just happened that the cheapest arrangement was one person in a single room and three people in a double room). This town was an upgrade 400 people and some tourist attractions. We ventured out of our hotel room in the somewhat sunny day. We visited the stone house, which a man in the early 1900s started pick axing away a large boulder to make an entire house. It was insane, the rock was huge and inside all done by hand and candle light was a entrance way, living room, kitchen, animal room, and a second floor bedroom. The pictures aren´t great so just imagine, a rock completely carved our to be a functional house inside. The greatest part was that the tour guide was the man´s grandson. He explained that he had moved out a bit ago since the public started coming. After the excitement of the stone house we walked to the end of town and spelt ¨Happy Birthday Gen¨ in rocks on the side of the road. The locals thought we were crazy or thought we were awesome.
After too much time in the hotel rooms we were happy to be riding the next day, it was even somewhat sunny. Em, Georgia and I were excited to pass the rocks. Gen still wasn´t feeling great. Our plan worked great, we stopped feigning a map check. Unfortunately Gen didn´t look at the side of the road, it took an awkward comment from Georgia to get her to noticed. She loved it. On we went into the wind, a really strong wind, up and down up and down. By the end of the night we were exhausted, we decided to climb one last hill and then look for camping. We ventured into a small town and Georgia and Gen were whisked away. They arrived back and explained how the camp spot was at the bottom of the hill we had just climbed. Yah right, onward. However like always agriculture fields stretched to the horizon. We passed an odd town and then a somewhat planted looking pine forrest, it was perfect. Georgia and Em ventured in. We soon got the sign from Emma. The care taker of the estate was nervous since the owners were coming the next day but if we were out early we were welcome to stay. We setup and ate dinner just as the sun was setting.
Up and early the next day we got out and going, it would have been the earliest if it hadn´t been day light savings. We left to the greeting committee of the seven or so black labs (one chocolate). We decided it was impossible for that many labs to not look cute. We were excited and motivated that day to ride fast since we were headed to some familiar faces outside of Madrid. We had met a relative of a friend when they were visiting the United States, they were kind enough to invite us to come to their house. By the end of the day I was so excited to get there and enjoy a warm house and nice company that with 12 km or 8miles left I thought wow this day was a breeze, the rain didn´t even matter. But then we started climbing and we didn´t stop. The 1300m we had felt accomplished doing before was nothing (in reality it was the same but it seemed way more). Each corner we turned the hill (Gen corrects its is a mountain) just continued. After reaching the town and finding the street, which was so steep we had to push our bikes up we had made it.
Karla and Carlos welcomed us into their dry warm house with open arms. Warm soup and good talk filled our souls. The next day we hopped a bus to Madrid (about and hour) and enjoyed the city without rain (for most of the day). We found Gen´s vegan restaurant, after wandering a bit and discovering a closed museum we ended up in the botanical gardens much to my delight and idea. It was full of fascinating trees, blooming spring bulbs, a hot house, and even an entire Bryde´s whale skeleton. After our botanic adventures we enjoyed some tapas. With full bellies we went in search of a health food store. The first one was missing so onto the second. By the end of the day we found our peanut butter and were happily back on the bus.
Back home to clean clothes, Karla even finished doing our laundry which should be automatic saint-dome, we started route planning. After a bit of discussion we came to a very clear conclusion. Portugal is out. We looked at the maps and decided that going to Portugal for a day or two was unreasonable in the grand scheme of our time in Europe. Both Gen and I, who are most interested in Portugal would rather spend some quality time there rather then rush in and out. This is a big decision but we feel confident in what we have decided. From here we head north back to France.
This post would not have been made possible with out the amazing hospitality of Karla and Carlos, thank you so much for your amazing generosity and warmth to some very weary cyclists.
