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View a few photos in this album.
Trip notes:
Updated 6/10
18/8, 111km
Train from The Hague to Brussels wound up on time and easy (the end of the journey of the Prague/Brussels sleeper train)
I quickly escape the unattractive surroundings of Brussels-Midi station
Head to a rather peculiar temporary Lidl housed in a kind of rugged marquee, although nevertheless it still does include a bakery
Soon leave the city along the Brussels-Charleroi canal. An easy warm-up ride
Head past a long boat lift, the Ronquieres incline
Leave the canal to join one of several old railway lines; part of Belgium's extensive "RAVeL" network
Sun is coming out by lunch as I make it to Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont. Giving priority to the right at numerous unmarked junctions takes a little getting used to
Reach Beaumont after managing a decent pace all day. Fill up on water. Supermarket visit, meeting some Swedish cyclists who have been riding in stages from Stockholm to Paris, doing a few days each year
Finally head to the "bivakzone," a free camping spot. Great stars out tonight
19/8 83km
Hilly little roads here right at the edge of Belgium. The sun soon starts warming things up
Cross into France and the village of Eppe-Sauvage. Find the bakery but a sign announces a "fermeture definitive!" I then take a wrong turn and climb an unnecessary hill...
French roads have markedly better surfaces than their Belgian counterparts
Slice briefly back through Belgium via Momignies, then back into France and towards Hirson to definitively break the Belgian elastic
Join Eurovelo 3 which I will basically follow along the River Oise and to Paris
Through Hirson Forest, where some minor roads have been closed to create cycle trails
My planned stop for water on leaving Hirson didn't work out, but the trick of finding a tap at the nearest cemetery worked perfectly
The River Oise is slowly growing
Made it to the campsite in Guise for 1600. Rather hot this afternoon, although it does then cloud over as evening approaches
Take a stroll through town, past the Familistere (a 19th century development with a similar idea to Port Sunlight in the UK. Here it's for the Godin stove company)
20/8 105km
Out of Guise, head straight over the hill rather than following the river as it takes a lazy loop North. Good views, although a bit grey this morning
Then down and back onto more cycle path
A little light rain approaching Ribemont. Stop at a bakery and then to the canal which I follow for much of the day
Most of the day's interest was from a chap riding a tall bike along the canal. He seemed to also be on a tour, which seemed a brave choice. The surface also became smoother
I picked up a bit of a tailwind as the route turned South beyond Noyon
Then along quiet cycle paths through forest towards Compiegne
Fair amount of rain through the evening, glad to be staying indoors here in Compiegne
21/8 122km
Continue along the Oise from Compiegne
Past corn - has been lots around this area
Nice riding along a cycle path past lakes
Headed over the hill from Pontpoint to cut a corner off the route
More pleasant riding through a forest, although a little hillier here
Diversion needed as the Eurovelo route cut through the middle of a military firing range, which according to the signs is active most of the time! Diversion poorly signed and ended up on a very sandy track which led to an ancient and extremely rough cobbled track. Great stuff
Air traffic to/from Charles de Gaulle Airport becomes visible
Hope to have a pizza for lunch in Moussy-le-Neuf, but I just missed pizza o'clock. Picked up food from the supermarket and did find a nice park in which to picnic, including a sighting of some kind of invasive water rat
The bakery in Compans has a large sign warning cyclists "last stop before Paris"
Out of the Oise department, the route more starts to resemble a stitched-together collection of fairly rubbish tracks
Pick up the Ourcq Canal which takes me right towards Paris
The number of e-scooters exponentially increases
Quite a few endurance-type cyclists pass me in the other direction, with similar set-ups and wearing high-visibility harnesses. Perhaps there is some kind of "ride 1'200km without sleeping" type event...
Surprisingly little traffic in the city centre, I follow in the tracks of local cyclists who are using the whole road as a result
Somehow, and unchanged from when I first used it in 2020, Paris Austerlitz station is still a complete building site
Joyously I am sharing my compartment on the train with a family with two kids. This is a bit chaotic but they do settle down
22/8 102km (I think)
I wake up with the train running around 30 minutes behind. The seated carriage is adjacent so I get a coffee and move into there to watch the coastal scenery pass by
Someone on-board asks me if this is indeed the train to Bordeaux (??)
Get off at Cerbere. No lift so have to schlep everything down, and then up again
On the bike, there's quite a wind blowing down the coast. I head a little way North, to Banyuls-sur-Mer, to then take the road over the Col de Banyuls
The coast road has great views. Traffic not too bad despite it being August
Pass lots of vines, some of the grapes are being harvested
Two Italian cyclists pass on the climb. They have no luggage but are riding from Turin to Barcelona, with one of their wives driving the luggage in a car. Lots of grumbling about unsafe wind conditions
Not much climbing had happened yet really, it transpires that about 200m of climbing is necessary in the last 1.6km. Steep
Over the top and into Spain, I descend through the maze-like streets of Espolla
Pick up a great tailwind on the plains
Attempt to have lunch in Cabanes, I thought around 13:30 would be early for Spain, but the restaurant was already full
Continue to Figueres and strike lucky on the third attempt for lunch at a pleasant place right in the old centre (although the main course turned out to just be a plate of fried, whole, small fish)
Quiet roads onwards towards Girona. The ridge of the Pyrenees recedes behind. Hot now
Pass through numerous attractive small villages
Check the distance remaining to Girona, somehow 10km more than I thought it was. Sigh
End up on some dodgy Camino singletrack
Follow the River Ter into Girona
Chat a little to another British guest at the hostel who has flown in for the weekend and rented a fancy road bike to join a group ride tomorrow up to a high ski resort
Girona is a big cycling place, maybe rivalling only Bogota for the number of trendy-looking bike shops
Stroll around the centre and have an excellent pizza for dinner
23/8 117km
Girona had a lot of bike lanes, some rather mediocre, around the city. But the cycling routes leading out of town seemed to be designed more for mountain bikers
Quart, the next town, offered a small square containing a bike stand with tools, power sockets for charging your e-bike, and a water tap
Past pear orchards
Pick up the GI-555 road, which proves popular with road cyclists, towards Hostalric
Somewhat unwittingly climb up into Hostalric's fortified hilltop centre
Along a rather variable track next to the motorway to St Celoni (maybe should have just taken the highway instead)
After lunch, decide I'm making good progress and it would be most sensible to just push on to Barcelona and have a day off there tomorrow
Along the BV-5001, an easy road leading right towards the city. Popular with cyclists again
Join bike paths/lanes towards the centre
Stroll past the Sagrada Familia after dinner (it's still not finished!)
25/8 95km
Good day off in Barcelona. For dinner I tracked down an El Salvadorian restaurant to have pupusas
Ready to go after visiting two cafes for two (small!) breakfasts
Seemed to be the only person in Barcelona obeying the numerous bike traffic lights
Headed up the never-ending Avenida Diagonal
Turned out to be a good route out of the city. Past the Espanyol stadium, across the river, and into the suburbs
Passed a few car dealerships from brands I'd never heard of - perhaps Chinese EV brands
Weather was grey and there was a bit of rain. A place advertising horchata caught my eye. This turned out to be a well-timed stop as the rain came down harder. Had some churros too
Now hit the climb up towards Begues
Reaching Begues, and the top of the climb, an annoying rain was falling which even felt a bit cool. Things soon dried off though
Pleasant progress along pine-scented forested valley
Stop for lunch in Vilafranca del Penedes
Passed a petrol station with a bike wash
Plenty of vines - cava producing
Climb for la Joncosa del Montmell and then up again to the recreation/camping area in the hills above the village
26/8 78km
The day's first 10km or so came free of charge, without needing to spin the pedals
Through more pleasant small villages, past more vines
Hoped for a coffee stop in Nulles, but the bar was shut
Made it to Reus and went for lunch on the main square. A bit of a peculiar menu del dia as I kind of ended up with two starters, all tasty but not too filling
Then along a dead-straight road to Vinyols under the blazing afternoon sun
Start the climb up towards Colldejou, good views along here. The village picnic area is pleasant, and also allows camping. A chap creosoting the fence confirmed all OK. Nice spot. Should be €2.50 but no charge
27/8 92km
Wake to a thunderstorm in the vicinity, which brings a fair bit of rain down. Delay leaving a little
Continue the climb, road is popular with cyclists
3.5km more to the top and then a lovely descent
Manage to stop for a coffee in Capcanes, although I only got the espresso and not the ice I requested. And there was some plastic wrapping in the cup. Oh well
Long descent along very minor but, surprisingly, paved road from Darnos down to Mora D'Ebre and sea level again
Took ages to find a shaded lunch spot out of town - very hot this afternoon
Over another col, into "La Terra Alta"
Swoop down to join via verde along old railway line - I think the same place as I previously joined this same trail, but then I was heading downhill towards Tortosa
The lights in the tunnels seem to have only been partially installed, and were largely not working. And some of the tunnels were rather long! Headtorch needed
Head along, next to a bedrock stream. A rather long, steady climb - great mountain views though
Turn off onto a fairly horrid track for Arnes
Grateful for dinner at the campsite restaurant, and a shower after two nights without
More thunder around, and bits of rain here and there
Arnes is basically the last town in Catalonia, will cross into Aragon in the morning
28/8 63km
Have struggled with annoying ants the last couple of nights. They love my chopping board
A grey morning, with a very light drizzle falling. A bit windy
Straight into Aragon. To the next town, Valderrobres. Stopped at a cafe for a second breakfast. Long disorganised queue not going anywhere - gave up. Nice town though, with an old bridge over the river, and a big church perched up at the top of the town
Lots of climbing today
Sky slowly clearing. Progress very slow with the climbing
The second up and over climb took me to Fuentespalda
Earlyish lunch stop before the day's biggest climb yet, up to around 1'250m
Decide to only head as far as Morella. There is a reasonable hotel here and I didn't quite seem to have packed my climbing legs today
Climb along a narrow road to Herbers. Now cross out of Aragon and into Valencia
A passing Guardia Civil car stops while I'm taking a quick break to check all OK!
A hard climb but the road was dead quiet, I had a bit of a tailwind too
Over the top, climb was a bit more straightforward than I expected
Descend along old road towards Morella
Stash Sir Lee in the hotel's "caja de bicis," a secure room inside the already-secure car park with hooks for 16 bikes!
29/8 93km
Massive day today. Climbing over endless passes. This was prefaced with a rather disappointingly small dinner last night; some lamb chops with salad and half a potato. This morning I was pleased to find a cafe open for breakfast at 0800, although could only get toast with jam and a croissant. The croissant was excellent though!
Headed out through the walls of Morella and then a slightly chilly descent
Over two climbs to reach Cinctorres. The village had cages outside properties in the centre; it looked as though some kind of bull-related event must be on this weekend
My climbing legs had thankfully returned today
Approaching Castellfort, there were endless terraced hills
I hoped to make it to Vilafranca by 1400, to pick up some lunch there before things closed mid-afternoon. It was thankfully fairly easy progress to get there, along a wind turbine-covered ridge
Found a quiet, shaded bench at the edge of Vilafranca to have a nice lunch and recharge - much more climbing ahead
I left Vilafranca on a tiny road, which eventually climbed up to re-join the more major road. Entering the area around Mosqueruela, a sign advised mushroom-pickers that they must first register online with the municipality!
Arriving in Mosqueruela, I was surprised to be greeted by a fan club; two people had driven past me on the road and stopped for a drink at the bar here, then cheered as I went by. I went back for a quick coffee and a brief chat
Then the highest pass, over 1'600m, to reach Linares de Mora. I headed into the village to find the shop, and was surprised to have to get across a party that was getting started in the small main square! I then fiddled about getting out of the village's tiny streets again
Filled up on water at the world's most powerful tap and then headed out of town to find a spot to camp tonight. After not far, I pulled off onto the old road and found a decent spot. The final climb can wait until tomorrow morning!
30/8 131km
Early start - I could still hear the party going on in Linares de Mora! By 0700ish, this seemed to have stopped
Straight over the pass after a bit more climbing, descending past the village of Nogueruelas (where one of the houses seemed to have an observatory built on its roof), and then descending further to Rubielos de Mora
The town here was fairly busy, lots of motorcyclists and some other cyclists. Very nice old centre. Stopped at a cafe for a coffee and a tortilla sandwich, although somehow this cost €9 - ouch
Then through some leg-sapping lumps to reach the motorway at Venta del Aire. In stark contrast to Rubielos de Mora, this was a dusty, windswept, and unappealing town. There was, however, a saving grace as I was joining a Via Verde here which would take me all the way down towards the coast near Valencia
Oddly, there was still an operational train line along here (although it seemed to be in the process at the moment of being thoroughly overhauled), yet the trail followed another rail alignment, so there must have been two separate lines here at some stage
The trail was rather desolate, and a bit unloved, suffering from landslips and overgrown vegetation in places
Crossing back into Valencia, the trail improved and I started the gradual descent. Through a few tunnels - with working lighting here. Quite a few "trail closed due to works" barriers, but it was the weekend and I just went around these. No issues apart from having to carry the bike over a landslip at one point
I could feel the heat increasing as I descended
In Caudiel, a dog jumped into the fountain and then clambered out looking a bit sheepish
The descent then eased, and a headwind picked up. Progress became a bit of a slog but I had the incentive of a day off tomorrow where I've found accommodation in Albalat dels Tarongers
1/9 108km
Expecting a rather long, hot, but flat day today
Rejoined the Via Verde, heading for Valencia
The walled town of Sagunt sat on a hill above
Churches around here often seem to have colourful tiled roofs
I fiddled around a bit through the rather busy and hot centre of Valencia. For my efforts I got stuck in a traffic jam
Valencia, being Spain's third-biggest city, was a bit of a slog to get across. Although, coming in from the North into the centre there are good bike paths
I picked up some lunch and was grateful to find a quiet and shaded picnic table in a park, mostly now through the hustle and bustle
Now I pass lots and lots of fruit trees, largely oranges I think (although they are largely not very orange in colour at the moment)
A bit of a headwind as I follow Eurovelo 8 for a little bit today. Signs either point towards Cadiz or France. As long as I'm going in the direction of Cadiz, it's good!
Through the cobbled streets of Algemes. Everything is closed, and I can't find a water tap
More luck in Alzira, the next town
Finally onto a shiny new Via Verde which leads to Xativa. My research suggested that this hadn't yet been finished, but in fact it had and I glided across new bridges over the river all the way to Xativa, and the campsite there
2/9 80km
I allowed myself a lie-in as I had decided to focus the day around getting lunch in Moixent. This was only around 30km in, so getting there for Spanish lunchtime did not require an early start!
I climbed gradually along a minor road, past more orange trees and beside a high-speed train line which was still being built
In Vallada, I stopped for a coffee to kill a bit of time. This was the kind of town where everyone seemed to know everyone else. So I felt a litle out of place
Reaching Moixent, I walked into one restaurant and was surprised to hear the guy speaking broken French to some customers. They were already paying; very surprised they managed to get lunch around 1300! I had a very pleasant lunch with a nice paella-like starter and a great bit of hake for the main. 2.5 courses with wine for €11.50 (the dessert was only fruit!)
After lunch, I was climbing past olive trees on a dead quiet road. Later, vines appeared
Reaching the plains, it was a bit windy up here. I passed a big thermosolar power plant, and then a big prison. I sat on a bit of crash barrier for a little break, by a high-speed train line. While I was stopped, trains from all three of Spain's high-speed operators whizzed by!
Towards Caudete, there were a few rabbits around. I stocked up on food and water in town and headed out to the pleasant Toconera area to camp. I'm on a bed of pine needles tonight
3/9 99km
Great early morning light today. Surprisingly cool though
There were large numbers of talkative cyclists about. Whenever I was stopped by the road, they all assumed I had some kind of major issue
Pretty flat and easy for a while
Mid-morning break in Salinas. Incongruous industrial operations in this small town
In La Romana, past a British pub. Two types of cheddar are available in the supermarket
Grapes being grown around here, each bunch hanging in a bag
Find a shaded bench in Hondon de los Frailes to have lunch. About 70% of the people walking past are British
Then over the ridge and a descent which, according to my planning, was supposed to be a paved road but was definitely neither paved nor a road! Started out more like a MTB trail, although things did improve and I headed downhill next to a gurgling channel of irrigation water
Back down around sea level, things around here feel a little like the desert areas of California. Rocky lumps sticking up, sandy soil, palm tree-type things in towns
Popped into a Mercadon and for once decided to take a little break in their dreary eating area, enjoying the air conditioning
To a campsite, again largely occupied by Brits. Time for a few chores before dinner
4/9 35km
Only a short day to Murcia today so a lie-in was permitted
I followed two large, and equally leaky, overground water pipes to the Rio Segura which I then followed all the way into the city. This was again the Eurovelo 8 route and provided easy progress along a pleasant paved path
A pleasant lunch in Murcia. Rather hot this afternoon
5/9 84km
Very slow this morning making plans for the next few days. Maybe partly caused by the nice roof terrace where I was staying. There was even a jacuzzi so I had a soak after waking up
Finally heading off around midday. There are so many e-scooters around Murcia. A bit of a scourge as they sometimes act like pedestrians, sometimes like road users. Unpredictable
A small diversion to a little outdoors shop on the edge of the city to pick up stove fuel
Then up to the Northern side of Murcia and the university campus, where the via verde to Caravaca begins. This is some kind of pilgrimage route, as apparently Caravaca is one of Catholicism's holiest cities
I went to Mercadona to pick up some lunch, then noticed that there was a Taco Bell in the shopping centre, so I ended up getting stuff to take away from Taco Bell instead
So far, the via verde was a bit unappealing, rough, dusty, highly lacking in shade and suffering from lots of fly-tipping. I did have a tailwind though!
An odd little bench, made from former pallets, had kindly been constructed under a shade tree. Good lunch spot
Hot this afternoon
The old stations along this route have nice external decorative tiles
Stopped in Mula for ice cream. Two older chaps came over to chat, exhausting my Spanish. I looked to change my plan for the day, as with the late start I was never going to make it as far as Caravaca
The trail now climbed more determinedly, going through a few tunnels
In Bullas, I stocked up for dinner and faffed around getting water. Then back to the trail, thankfully now paved and offering easy progress into the fading light
6/9 100km
Lots of Saturday morning joggers along the via verde, continuing towards Caravaca
Headed up to the basilica at the top of Caravaca, and then to a nice breakfast place
Picked up lunch at Mercadona. Charged for a whole pizza rather than one slice - managed to go back and sort it out! Expecting things to be a bit sparser between here and Granada, I think
Fairly cloudy this morning, with no wind
Climbed out of Caravaca and then joined a little canyon, complete with caves
Lots of dirt roads today. Sir Lee, and my panniers, are very dusty!
Stopped to have lunch in La Paca. A fiesta was in full swing in the centre of town
Easier progress for a while along the valley between hills. A few drops of rain but nothing more
Past a big farm - lots of tiny piglets evident
Things had been notably cooler until I climbed towards Velez Rubio and suddenly it was blue sky and warm sun overhead
Annoying final climb up to Velez Blanco for the campsite
Cat came and attacked the tent while I was doing the washing-up - annoying but only a few claw holes in the inner tent really
7/9 88km
Whizzed back down the hill to Velez Rubio
Needed to have a bit of a stock-up, fortunately the shop here is open Sundays although it is basically just a big petrol station convenience store
Then onto a rubbish dirt road which led up a dry riverbed. This did then join a paved road, although that had a rubbish chipseal surface. A long slog of a climb towards Albox
There was rain around although it avoided me
I looked to my left at one point and was surprised to notice two big rips on the shoulder of my shirt! Oh well - it's had a good innings since I bought it in Panama City
The descent to Albox took ages to get going but eventually I was whizzing downhill. A very minor road here
Find somewhere for lunch in town and have an enjoyable meal
Then to Almanzora and to join another via verde. This was excellent and seemed fairly new. Easy climbing along here
Ice cream stop in Olula del Rio
Thunder was sounding and the sky looked very threatening, but still I had only a few drops of rain
The trail now degraded, this stretch seemed older and was half-washed away in places
I now had a complete nightmare as there were small stretches of innnocuous-looking mud which quickly jammed my wheels. Awful stuff. I got off the trail at the first opportunity and had a full maintenance session scraping all the mud out! Had to change my brake pads too as some grit had destroyed the rear pads in the process. Hadn't noticed a decent camping spot, and wanted to stay well clear of any more mud, so instead arranged accommodation in Tijola
At the foot of the climb here up to the Alto de Velefique, which is my aim for tomorrow
8/9 47km
The weather forecast for today was awful, with torrential rain this afternoon, although by then I hoped to be on the other side of the ridge and hopefully in the rain shadow
Headed straight up from the top of Tijola
Around two hours of climbing, and then an annoying short descent, to Bacares
Replenished my gourds and had a coffee - very much at a locals bar where I was given a somewhat suspicious look by the barman. The main feature of town seemed to be a retirement home, so I felt notably young
The weather now seemed to have reached Tijola in the valley behind me
Climbing again, Bacares slowly recedes below
A couple purred past on large e-bikes; the only other cyclists I would see today
Around two hours of further climbing brought me to the deserted summit
Swept downhill through the many hairpins. The only other traffic was two motorbikes
Headed into the village of Velefique, tiny steep streets so I left the bike, then failed to find any shop, but found a water tap, and then had difficulty finding the bike again! A very quiet village with hardly anyone around
Had lunch at the slightly staid restaurant on the edge of town, marred by a family with two very noisy kids
Further progress requires another significant climb, so I'll save that for tomorrow. A kind of half-abandoned picnic area on the edge of Velefique offers a good spot to camp, so a restful afternoon and an early night!
9/9 105km
Torrential rain was in the forecast for the third day in a row, although so far I have been lucky!
Continued the descent from Velefique and then switched valleys to start climbing again
Fairly quickly reached Castro de Filabres. Took a quick break at a viewpoint. A municipal worker came to turn off the irrigation water and empty the bins
Another couple of cyclists were also on the climb
Heading on up towards Olula de Castro - rather steep in places. But no traffic
Then down to Gergal and basically paralleling the motorway for the rest of the day. The ridge of the Sierra Nevada was on my left
Reached Abla and stopped for lunch. Decent daily menu for €13 although a very shouty fast-speaking waiter
Post-lunch tailwind, but soon brought rain which quickly became absolutely torrential. Soon soaked through. Eventually come to the shelter of a petrol station
Weather improves and things soon dry out. More climbing to reach a high plateau over 1'000m, lots of solar panels and wind turbines
Early evening stop, pick up a sandwich for dinner, head off and find a surprisingly decent camping spot off the old road. Granada tomorrow
10/9 70km
An early start, before sunrise. Heading the few kilometres into Alcudia de Guadix for breakfast. A surprisingly cool morning (although I am at over 1'000m)
Lots of cave dwellings of various types around here. Often a frontage looking quite like a normal house, but built straight onto the rock face. Seem to be common just in this area
On into Guadix, and a second breakfast stop. At 0810, the guy next to me at the bar was having an Irish coffee
Up, through the faded spa town of Los Banos, dodging robed old people
A stop and to refill my bottles in La Peza, which turned out to be a prime cyclist meeting point
Then a climb up a nice canyon before the road headed pleasantly up through pine trees to the top
A long stop/start descent into the wind towards Granada. Lots of cyclists along here
Reaching the town, I had a stiff climb and then a long descent through the small streets. At one point a van got completely stuck and had to reverse back out
Over cobbles past lots of tourists, then a final climb guaranteeing I turned up a bit sweaty for lunch. Day off here tomorrow
12/9 85km
I had a surprising success while in Granada. I'd used up all my brake pads, and managed to find more in the El Corte Ingles department store of all places. What's more, they were only €1.60! It was a dusty old pack hidden in the back of a cabinet so I guess they were just desperate to get rid of them
Leaving Granada, I headed back down through the little cobbled streets
Then joined a bike path out of the city along a river - although I think most of the water was just the outflow from the sewage treament plant!
The first couple of hours today were notably flat and uneventful
I did meet some hills later on. Hot today
Ice cream break in Huetor Tajar
Approaching Loja, I could see a rather long tailback on the motorway. Some traffic seemed to be diverting via my minor road as a result
An uphill slog through Loja, then I needed two attempts to access the supermarket thanks to a weird junction layout
Up again through Loja, but more pleasantly now, and there were very good views from the top of town
I then joined a steep little road looping through the hills. Camped among the olive trees with a great, expansive view back down towards Loja
13/9 102km
Early start to be on the road with the sunrise
The hilly road continued. A few vehicles around this morning, mostly towing little trailers containing hunting dogs
Headed towards the motorway and stopped at a petrol station cafe for breakfast. Only €3.40 for a coffee and a (tasty, big) tostada
Dropped downhill after Archidona
Reaching Antequera, home to many distribution centres. Drivers don't indicate at roundabouts, or anywhere else really
On to Bobadilla, formerly an important railway junction. Now very much past its heyday - not a train to be seen having been bypassed by the high-speed line. Pleased to fill my water bottles up though. Another hot day
Lots of planes overhead, heading for Malaga
Cut across on a dirt road towards Campillos. Past a small lagoon with flamingos. Lunch in Campillos. Becoming a fan of the cold soups (salmorejo, gazpacho) when it's hot
Stock-up at the supermarket - Sunday tomorrow and everything will be closed...
14/9 110km
Skirt the town of Teba, with its fortress on a hill above
Reach Almargen - coinciding with one of the town's three daily trains!
Then along a busy but bearable road, climbing towards Olvera
A busy town in traffic terms, but equally not that much actually going on. Have a quick coffee accompanied by strong odours from the take-away roast chicken place next door!
Brave the brake-defying drop down to the via verde
Lots of hilltop fortresses in this area
Via verde starts off nicely surfaced. Gradually descending, through some shortish tunnels
Have lunch at a table in some excellent shade
Trail becomes dirt. The cool tunnels are a real pleasure in the afternoon heat
Impressive soaring birds at Penon de Zaframagon rocky outcrop/canyon
Popped out at Puerto Serrano at the end of the trail
Along another fairly busy road before turning off to Montellano. Lots of squashed rat-like animals on the road along here.
Big faff in Montellano finding water. Eventually come across a tap where lots of guys are filling up big containers. A rather weird guy insists on talking to me, although I can't understand most. Everyone in town seems to be giving me a funny look. I had planned to stop for a drink but instead happily leave town!
Down at only around 150m now
15/9 99km
Early start again. The terrain was reminiscent of Northern France; big fields and undulating open roads
Past the Spanish/US Moron Air Base
Los Molares - very busy outside the school dropping kids off, maybe the first day back?
Utrera, all cafes very busy for some reason. Have a light second breakfast - only €2.70
Then an awful narrow and very busy road to Los Palacios. Complete gridlock in town outside the Mercadona
Cut the corner via a sandy track to reach the ferry over the river to Coria del Rio. Only a very short crossing and the only ferry of the trip so far
In Coria del Rio. A hot, busy, dusty town. I was a bit early for lunch and got shooed away from one place. Gave up and went to Burger King!
After lunch, leaving the air conditioning and going back outside felt like walking into an oven
Another busy road until the traffic for Isla Mayor forked off. Then the road suddenly became dead quiet - a really lovely stretch through the "Pines of Aznalcazar"
Jumped in the pool shortly after arriving at the pleasant hotel in Aznalcazar!
16/9 92km
Pretty easy day today. The accommodation last night was rather pleasant, so after going out to find breakfast, I sat in the shade by the pool for a bit doing some admin
Headed through Pilas. Stopped for a coffee in Hinojos. More pines around here
Through Rociana, decided to push on to Niebla for lunch. Lots of olive picking going on around here
Sat outside for lunch in Niebla - shaded, but quite warm. I think it's better than going into the A/C and then being hit by the heat coming back outside. Narrowly avoided a plate of anchovies for the main course, managed to change to a deep fried cheese/ham stick thing
Niebla has a walled centre. I had not managed to park the bike in the shade, so after lunch everything was very hot to the touch, and my water was really hot!
Took a dirt track past a long Roman watering hole/trough to Trigueros. Pick up some cold refreshments at the shop. There has been a recent lack of water taps, and most that I have been finding have not worked. Today was no exception!
Pass my first sign towards Portugal
Finally find water in Gibraleon. Pick up the via verde here and suss out a spot to camp - just over the river from town. Back into town for a drink and to stock up for dinner
17/9 80km
Continued along the via verde past several stands of cactus. This forms part of the Eurovelo 1 route along here
Things then started to go downhill, as I followed the paved surface and then realised it was taking me South rather than West. I headed back along the trail and could just about trace my intended route along the old rail line, but it was more or less completely overgrown. I forced a path through but then gave up at the first opportunity. Not quite sure why the trail has been abandoned like this
Fortunately, the old national road was OK and with a wide shoulder - most traffic now uses the motorway
Stop at a roadside restaurant run by Colombians for coffee and toast (I almost set fire to the whole place last night when lighting my stove as the grass was super flammable - so I didn't try and light the stove to make coffee this morning!)
Heavily-armed Guardia Civil and police were stopping traffic at a roundabout. Maybe trying to find someone fleeing Spain
Reaching Ayamonte, on the river and my last town in Spain. A ferry crosses every hour from here to Vila Real de Santo Antonio on the Portuguese side. The ferry dock was not too obvious, but once I'd found it I had half an hour to kill so went to get a coffee in the town's pleasant Andalucian tiled square
The ferry was Portuguese. I tried to look up a few basic Portuguese language phrases as we motored across the river, gaining an hour in the process with the time difference
Admittedly, I was now on the coast but things felt a lot more touristy over here. I managed to get some more water and picked up some lunch before finding a picnic area. Not super good shade but suddenly it is about ten degrees cooler today so things were more bearable
The route took me through various resort towns, linked by bits of dirt path. Monte Gordo offered the full multilingual menu and English breakfast experience, but then calm was restored as I headed along a nice pine-lined track!
I bisected a large golf course and reached a highly efficient campsite just East of Tavira. Time to catch the train into Tavira itself for a wander around (late-running both ways!)
18/9 104km
Past salt pans and then through Tavira
Then past vines and orange trees
Had a break in Moncarapacho. Tried a bakery cafe but seemed to be only one person working and nothing was happening quickly. Gave up on that and went over the road. Coffee and two small savoury pastries €4.20, things have seemed a bit more expensive than in Spain
Rather narrow roads with bursts of traffic. Variable driving standards, this afternoon someone passed me very close. Also the sudden appearance of old diesel fume-belching trucks and vans
Gifted a light tailwind
Along foothills North of Faro. Swoop down to Lidl on the edge of a big new shopping centre to pick up some lunch before heading back uphill
I now wiggle all over the place on minor roads, need to pay careful attention to my route
Stop for lunch in a nice roadside park with shaded tables and even a water tap
Crossed the tracks at the railway junction town of Tunes. And picked up a cold drink
Head on to Silves and staying at a small Dutch-run and Dutch-patronised campsite just out of town
Hills notably appeared from a few kilometres before Silves
19/9 19km
Only a short day today to the accommodation where I'm staying with James. So I had a slow morning, left the campsite at noon, and pottered around Silves a little, heading up the hill and inside the walls
Then for a big stock-up at the supermarket, needing to feed two people!
The road West of Silves wiggled around the edge of the river estuary. I happily rode along with a big leek sticking out of the side of one of my panniers
23/9 44km
Temperatures were a little more variable the last couple of days, while I was with James. Warmer again today though
The bike was heavier today, now carrying my walking boots and some odds and ends of food leftovers from the weekend
Onto minor roads heading towards Marmelete, passing by the Algarve motor racing circuit
Slow, hilly progress - and then a rather steep climb up towards Marmelete. Smoke from the large wildfire to the South came into view. Small aircraft and helicopters passed overhead on their way to/from fighting the fire
I stopped in Marmelete for a coffee. Customers watched the TV, with the latest updates on the fire
From Marmelete, I tightly hairpinned down on a small road. Then nice progress up a small valley
Finally a further steep climb before I arrived at the pleasant small campsite, this time German-run
24/9 79km
It was notably cooler after the sun went down last night - needed to put my jumper on!
Can see the coast both to the South and the West through the hills this morning. Can still see Foia (the Algarve's highest peak), with its antennaes
Descend to Sao Teotonio, although half the town seems to be being dug up for the installation of a new sewer. Have a good stock-up at Intermarche
The roads along the West coast here are rather New Zealand-like; narrow and busy. To further the similarities, there are also a gazillion motorhomes on the roads here
I reach Cabo Sardao, which is absolutely swarming with hikers
Successfully lunch on a pleasant shaded table outside Almograve
Cross the picturesque mouth of the Rio Mira
Into the wind a bit this afternoon, with more New Zealand-style roads. On the Eurovelo 1 route here, and accordingly I've seen the most cycle tourists of the trip, but on the worst roads of the trip!
25/9 102km
Set off along the nice rocky coast North of Porto Covo. Container port of Sines visible further North
Scenery was then turned on its head, heading right by a power station
Avoid Sines by struggling along various sandy tracks. Have to take a detour to avoid some private land. This bit of the route didn't really work! Pretty heading through the pines though
Slow progress so far. Divert to the supermarket in Vila Nova de Santo Andre, this proves to be a slow experience too!
Heading North towards the peninsula of Troia. The road becomes quieter as I pass through the sandy pine-dotted terrain. What looked like two cycling groups passed the other way. I also saw a whole bunch of cycle tourists. Roads and scenery a bit better today, but surprised to suddenly see so many other cyclists
Progress quickens and I stop for lunch in Carvalhal. The ferries to Setubal are hourly. I have time for a long break
Heading up the narrow peninsula, unsurprisingly I'm a bit exposed to the wind. The sea is visible on both sides. This is the Studland of Portugal!
I speed up a bit to make sure I catch the 1700 boat. There is an inefficient arrangement where an assistant just operates the self-service ferry ticket machine for you
The ferry, incongrously, is covered in Coca-Cola branding
I stock up in Setubal and hit a nice burst of coast road heading West to the campsite. Less than €8 to camp here, and right on the water too!
26/9 44km
I breakfasted looking out across the water towards the sunrise. A nice spot to camp on the last night of the trip in the tent
Nice morning. Climbing over the hilly lump of the Setubal Peninsula. Drivers played the favourite Portuguese game of "just how close can I pass?"
I tackle a particularly steep ramp, and then see the flat land ahead across the North of the peninsula
Join the main road heading towards the city. This starts off OK with a wide shoulder. After a while, I have to navigate a rather unsuitable-feeling big junction. Feels a bit like heading towards Istanbul, and this is alleged to all be part of the Eurovelo 1 route... At this point I stop for a coffee break
The road fortunately doesn't really get any worse after this. In fact a tramway means the sporadic presence of a cycle path
Make it to Cacilhas for the ferry, which is pretty easy after I am shown where to leave the bike on-board
Across the water, I pick up some lunch and set up my chair in some nice shade looking over the water. That's as far as Sir Lee takes me on the trip. Rebecca arrives later for the weekend
29/9 51km
Leaving Lisbon, I arrived early at Santa Apolonia station. My train was already boarding, so there was no rush. Sir Lee was stowed in a hook, although that meant he half-obstructed the access to the next carriage, but what can you do.
The train was full of tourists with massive suitcases. One in the rack by me fell off and hit the floor.
Getting off the train in Entroncamento, I had time to whizz to the supermarket and pick up some lunch before heading back to the station for the next train, which would take me back across the border to Badajoz in Spain.
I could again board the train early and managed to wedge the bike by the door. It was only a single-carriage railcar, apparently US-built in the 1950s but completely re-built more recently. It was more or less full as we left, but gradually emptied out at the small stations en-route.
The route started scenically as we headed along the Tagus River, and then things were very sparse. Only three minutes late into Badajoz. I dawdled on the platform sorting my stuff out, which I then realised was to the frustration of the station security staff as this meant they had to hold back the passengers for a high-speed train until I had left!
Cycling to Montijo, where I would spend the night, I basically followed a dead-quiet road along an irrigation canal all the way. Another cyclist flagged me down for help fixing a puncture. A Brazilian guy on a tour but he had a useless pump.
I rode into Montijo at sunset, and the sprawling outskirts had a rather American feel, helped by the palm tree-lined road.
30/9 41km
This morning I needed to complete the ride to Merida, to catch today's train to Madrid. The hotel in Montijo was new, and a bargain at only €61 for half-board.
I was back riding along the canal. Nice weather today.
Had a second breakfast stop in La Garrovilla. Good tostada.
Further along the canal, the Guardia Civil seemed to have taken their dog for some swimming training.
I crossed a wide dam over the Rio Guadiana.
Arriving in Merida, there was more Guardia Civil excitement as I passed their big training centre with a kind of racetrack around the edge. Two motorcyclists were riding fast around it.
After helping the Brazilian guy yesterday, I then managed to help a lost British cyclist, trying to escape Merida to the South. He was an older guy on a ramshackle bike, with a paper map, and I assume no smartphone.
I had time for a pootle around Merida, although I was mainly confounded by the one-way strets which all seemed to only lead away from the centre!
I stocked-up for the journey and headed to the station. The train was at the platform and boarding early, again. Lots of space for Sir Lee and luggage. Most notable was the massive gap between the train and the platform (bridged by a step once the door opened) - and the fact that the train must have whacked into something and had a smashed-up front.
We left Merida past the large ruined aqueduct. THe journey was smooth, but we picked up a delay waiting for a delayed train to pass through a single-track section. Which meant we were then further delayed waiting for a (presumably on-time) train to pass through another single-track section. So we arrived half an hour late into Madrid Atocha, although this may mean I can get a 50% refund!
I fought my way out of the station and onto a rather busy road. Found the accommodation, time for a quick dinner and to stock up for tomorrow's longer train journey up to(wards) San Sebastian.
**LATEST UPDATE FROM HERE**
1/10 29km
Early start to give myself plenty of time to ride across Madrid to Principe Pio station for the train towards San Sebastian. The original plan was to go by train all the way to Irun on the French border, although engineering works to build a high-speed line around San Sebastian meant that the train was curtailed. More recently, it was curtailed even further to only go to Andoain, so I would have around 15km to ride from there into San Sebastian.
Madrid traffic was quite bad at rush hour. I had sporadic bike paths until reaching the river, and then progress was pleasant towards the station.
Took a little while to find the step-free access into the station. Principe Pio is mainly a metro/commuter station (indeed, most of the old platforms are now covered by a shopping centre) - so it took a little while to work out where my train was departing from. Boarding was from half an hour before departure and the train was not busy.
We were soon winding scenically through the mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama, before crossing the flat plains North of Avila.
Things were calm on-board until reaching Vitoria-Gasteiz, when the train filled with college students. They got off soon enough, as the train now stopped frequently. Announcements were now trilingual (including Basque), so had barely finished by the time we reached the next station.
Slowly through more mountains towards the coast. We reached Andoain, and a muffled announcement was made about San Sebastian. I slowly started getting my luggage off before the beeper sounded and the doors closed! I managed to wedge the door open so we couldn't depart before signalling to the conductor and quickly retrieving my bags from the platform. Turns out the train continued to the second station in Andoain and terminated there...
An enjoyable ride into San Sebastian, where I enjoyed the great sunset before dining on some pinchos.
2/10 76km
Full day of riding today, from San Sebastian into France to Bayonne, from where I would catch the overnight train to Paris.
Easy progress along bike paths out of San Sebastian. Many cyclists.
In Errenteria, I had a stop for a coffee and a slice of tortilla. The route then cut uphill and inland on a tiny steep road. I passed some vines producing the Basque Txakoli white wine, of which I am a fan.
Then back downhill and into Irun, crossing the bridge into France. I then needed to take a lift down onto the coastal boardwalk, although confusingly the lift made announcements in Spanish.
I sat down on a bench and realised I was looking right across to San Sebastian airport. Two aircraft departed, and one then arrived.
Out of Hendaye, a nice bit of coast road took me towards St-Jean-de-Luz. Past some extremely fragrant roadside flowers.
I picked up some lunch in town, and then headed out to a coastal picnic area for a nice break. I finally now had time to sort out the last leg of the journey home tomorrow, from Maubeuge on the French/Belgian border back to The Hague.
It was a warm afternoon, and there were many surfers out as I continued along the coast.
I wiggled around the rather exciting coast through Biarritz, then reached Bayonne in good time.
Re-packed my stuff, went for pizza and then a sweet crepe, before heading to the station and settling into my couchette on-board.
3/10 13km
Back home today. The train arrived more or less on time in Paris. I went to find a bakery to pick-up some breakfast and then went to the riverside park by the Gare d'Austerlitz to fire up the stove for a last time and make some coffee.
Stocked-up at a supermarket for a long day of travelling and then managed to access the Gare du Nord past what felt like roadworks in all directions. The rather long double-decker train to Maubeuge was ready to board, and could carry 24 bikes, but there were probably barely 24 passengers travelling today.
Reaching Maubeuge, I slowly changed platforms with all my stuff. No lift here. The Belgian train arrived, which I would take across the border to Charleroi. I asked the conductor where I could store Sir Lee, which had the advantage that he then offered that I sit in first class, to be closer to the bike. In theory there is a special door and area on-board for bikes, but I think the conductor deemed this all too much hassle.
The train stopped at all the tiny stations and I got off at Charleroi to change onto the train towards Antwerp. Again, there was a special level-access door into the bike area but this was not opened. Big bike area here with tip-up seats.
In Antwerp, it was now Friday afternoon rush hour so things were pretty busy. The bike door was now opened to allow someone with a pram to get off. Fortunately the same platform for the next train to Roosendaal, across the Dutch border.
I squeezed on-board, and the train slowly emptied out. In hindsight, I should have stayed on the previous train to Essen, the last station in Belgium, and only hopped onto this train just to cross the border. I hadn't checked the map to see where Essen actually was!
Easy journeys on two final Dutch trains back to The Hague. A lot of trains today but all went smoothly.