clairedavieswriter

Today we returned to the trusty N-630, but unfortunately someone had mislaid the memo requesting sunshine, downhills and a following wind.

The scenery wasn’t quite as pretty as other days. We were either sandwiched between the motorway and the new high speed rail line (of which, more later)…

Or riding through miles of scrubland

After a couple of hours of solid effort, we were ready for a coffee. In the only bar in the tiny village of Grimaldo, we unwittingly stumbled across the landlady’s specialist subject:

The short version is that the smart looking high speed rail line, which has otherwise been ready for 13 years, isn’t actually taking fast electric trains yet, due to water ingress in the tunnel behind Grimaldo (are you still awake at the back?).
If you need more details, and have half an hour to spare, pop into Bar El Refugio, and prepare to be amazed by the landlady’s grasp of geology, hydrology and civil engineering.
Or just order a donut ice cream, which might be equally difficult to digest:

The most exciting moment in a demanding but otherwise unremarkable day was when we reached the Tajo. Known to many as the Tagus, it is the longest river on the Iberian peninsula, rising in Teruel, northeast Spain, and flowing out to the sea 1,000km later, in Lisbon.

Obviously we marked the moment with appropriate solemnity.

If I’m honest, the rest of the day was mostly a question of gritting our teeth and pedalling. There weren’t all that many things to distract us from our labours:

Though every now and then, nature laid on a show:

And there were some man made distractions too, from the whimsical:

And the iconic:

To the artistic:

And the agricultural (I’m assuming this is a reference to jamón de bellota, acorn-fed ham, which is meant to be the best kind. Answers on a postcard please as to why it says belloto instead)

For a while, the sun even came out, so we weren’t complaining

Tonight we’re in Cáceres, which sits at the top of a hill – a feature that I had somehow failed to notice in the planning process. It has some excellent cycle infrastructure: this was a bridge for cyclists and walkers:

To cross this main road into town

Some of the signage was a little confusing (and needless to say, Guillaume chose the long way):

But it was worth the effort:

And our hotel is so close to the Plaza Mayor, we won’t be demanding much more from our legs when we go in search of supper

Tomorrow rain seems to be forecast, which wasn’t in the brochure for Extremadura. We’re keeping the shades on, regardless.