Off to the south of Spain (again)

And now it's a year later and another road trip to the south of Spain in July/August 2014.

In Spain. Might be forgiven for thinking I'm still in Spain, but in fact since that trip I've been to France, Belgium, Netherlands. Bit difficult to get to Holland from France without going through Belgium, although it doesn't take long and apart from the naked cyclops along the motorway there's not a lot to say about Belgium. Perhaps more on that later.

28-July-2014
Getaria, Spain

29-July-2014

Bibao, Spain
Guggenheim museum, finally get to see it. Definitely worth a trip though!

30-July-2014
Burgos
Stayed here to re-live a little bit my bicycle journey along the Camino de Santiago, during which I also stayed at Burgos.

31-July-2014
Merida

01-August-2014 to 14-August-2014
Jimena de la Frontera

With a trip to Malaga and some other local trips including to Ronda

14-August-2014

Olvera: Narrow streets, had to reverse back down one. Parked and asked a woman for directions to plaza where the bar I wanted to go to was, she started to explain, then said "It's too complicated, I'll take you there" and walked with us all the way to the top of the village, up steps, around the church, delivered us there. So many friendly people.

15-August-2014

Wake up late (almost 9 am) buffet breakfast, all Spanish except for us. Leave at 10. Quiet since it turns out to be a public holiday.

Roads are great.

Terrific road from the A5 to Alvira, over the mountains. A bit of everything from long straights, twisty mountain bends, sweeping curves, etc. lots of bikes on the mountain section.

Alvira walled city, intact walls. Walk around, choose a small local bar with outdoor tables and chairs for morning coffee. Order. Nothing happens. Go inside, the guy had obviously for gotten all about us; he says 'won't be long' I say 'we're leaving' he says 'ok'. Just as well since later we find a place that unusually, sells nice pastries so we can have a pastry and coffee. Much better than the almost certainly unpleasant bocadillo we would have had. Cathedral in granite. Wooden huts like a Christmas market set up as drinking stalls with music. Detracts from the whole experience.

Segovia larger. Roman aqueduct, impressively long and high. Fancy cathedral. Coffee and a coke and toilet stop. Some but not many foreign tourists. Many French cars on the road though.

Santo Domingo de Silos

Driving along small country road, see something in the distance on my side of the road. Coming towards me. Bigger than a pedestrian, smaller than a horse or vehicle. Slow down, get closer, then realise it's an old woman pushing an even older man in a wheelchair along the road.

Dinner at hotel after waiting in vain at chosen bar/restaurant to be served

Monks chanting Gregorian chants. Baby behind us is unimpressed and voices its dislike.

Notes from along the way:

Tolls in Spain. Great example of bureaucratic idiocy. Tolls are, for example 2.19 euros, or 3.29 euros. And the attendant gives you the one cent change. He must have an enormous pile of one cent coins (which can't be used to actually pay anything, including the toll machines which don't accept 1,2,5 cent coins...

Great roads again. Lovely twisty small roads to and from Santi Domingo. The AP1 to the border from San Sebastián is absolutely marvellous, although many of those bends are impressive at the 120k limit!

16-August-2014

Crossing into France, suddenly everyone is driving at almost exactly the 110k limit, whereas a few km previously they'd still be driving at 140k in the apparently poorly monitored 120k Spanish roads.

Notice many - many - Swiss cars on the road from Burgos to the border. Most of them expensive. Odd. You almost never see Swiss cars in Europe (except in Switzerland). Then I see one with pink ribbons tied to the door handles, and I begin noticing that many of them have similar ribbons tied to rear wipers. A Wedding between rich Swiss and Spanish families?

Got stopped twice in the one day by Police. Odd. First time by Guardian civil, who when he found I didn't speak Spanish, and after checking the French plate on the front of the car waved me on with an air of 'I can't be bothered dealing with you'. Then again later in France at a standard roundabout check for papers. Oncoming cars were furiously flashing their lights and everyone miraculously driving at exactly the limit.

Spent a while in Limoges, buying crockery, as one does.

Dinner 43 euros, Brasserie du Commerce Miramont-de-Guyenne

17-August-2014

Stay at Chateau de la Cazine, Noth. An anniversary to celebrate!