WEEK 2

Monday 1 May 2000
Day8
66km to Guadahortuna
It is possible to leave Granada on dirt roads following railway but it is not easy! Look for signs to Maracena and then Albolote. As roads become dirt tracks use compass to keep moving north, keeping railway (which runs next to motorway) on right. When you reach a main road again turn right (to Granada) before turning left towards Jaen. Wind under motorway several times before rejoining railway and road to Iznalloz and then A340 & A 323 to Guadahortuna.
Very wet day & rather boring as scenery had seemingly been washed away! Cold despite climbing steadily at the end of the day. Lots of olive trees. The  Hostal is the only place with food and then only sandwiches or long, cold wait for ‘Comodor’ to open at 9.30 pm. We don't wait and are 'treated' to the evening bullfighting ritual on the ubiquitous bar TV.

Day 9
65km to Ubeda via A 301 & Jodar. Some very wonderful scenery, perhaps the best so far and long sweeping descents south of Jodar.
Hot, sunny day following a cold, disturbed night. Long grinding ascent in afternoon heat to Ubeda having crossed Rio Guadaquivir. Despite sun block we burn. Lots of small birds & one brown & black stork. Ubeda is worth a wander round, as its old centre is rather pretty.

Day10
66km to Aroy de Ojanco on N322. Traffic to start with then quieter. Too little food yesterday and no breakfast today makes the morning very heavy. Very windy & sunny but no head wind. Interminable olive trees. Dicte seems tired. As I wait for her I do some stretching exercises under a large tree branch which promptly blows down over my bike! On arrival she asks why I have parked my bike like that! Hostal has vast, empty, clean ‘comodor’ which serves spaghetti followed by tuna & chips as early as 8.30 pm!

Day 11
61to Alcaraz on N322. Plenty of ups and downs and the first available camping countryside of the trip. Into  Don Quixote country but no windmills. Very red soil, striking heathlike countryside of Rio Guadalmena valley. Alcaraz has castle ruin on the hill.
It poured all morning and Dicte seemed unkeen to start. Later when Helmut from Dusseldorf catches me (having passed her and offered her orange juice) he comments she is very tired. The evening's Hostal has heating but it won’t turn off. As it is 27+ C and stuffy this becomes the source of much joking having frozen in so many other rooms on colder evenings.

Day 12
91km to La Roda alone. One short ascent then 42km downhill for me followed by flat, rather boring plain. Sunshine and terrific tail wind that made cycling at speed great fun!
My companion’s knees gave up. Even walking was painful for her & today she will take bus to Madrid and perhaps on to the waiting return flight back in Malaga. I give Dicte a few small presents for the family back home and we say goodbye in the drizzle. It is strange cycling alone in the cool mist. No-one back home knows what we have decided and my monologue with myself to be careful, praying I can be strong enough starts to drone in my head. La Roda is a central distribution centre for grain and agricultural equipment. It had so many butchers’ shops I lost count!

Day 13
71km to Almodovar del Pinar.
Alone again in unpopulated countryside. Hillier country and once again a scattering of coniferous trees. Steve Wright's BBC World Service show had me laughing too much to cycle! No accommodation  in Almodovar del Pinar. Ahead is another 60-70km, the Puerto de Tordiga  at 1200m, a brewing thunderstorm and a late arrival in Cuenca. I put common sense first and ask the owner of the petrol station to order me a taxi to Cuenca. After a long wait it takes bike and me to a quaint little pensione in the centre of town to await the arrival of my next companion  - my younger brother. He takes a hire-car from Madrid to Cuenca and drives round amongst the Saturday evening revellers trying to find me and stopping to ring me on my mobile phone. Finally he stops by the central stream near the convent just 20 meters from my pensione. It's great to see him and he is carrying a mascot from my daughter  - a little toy sheep she has made at school. It joins the tiny teddy bear in my bar bag.

Day 14
0 km!
Rest day visiting La Cuidad Encantada rock formations by hire car, watching vultures (or were they just eagles?) and looking round Cuenca. There is the same relaxed atmosphere as Granada and my brother and I enjoy being very lazy!
 

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