Its normally around 8am or 9am when I get sorted and get on the road each morning, it's another nice day again by the looks of it. Oh by the way, I received an email this morning regarding my Wedding Ring! They say "No ring found" Crikey!! I could be in Trouble now...
The road out of town is a steady climb out towards the M300 I'm going up the steep hill, all of a sudden a load of Cyclists whizz by me saying something in Spanish, but I couldn't understand.. Onwards and upwards anyway until BANG!! I thought the noise was a Gunshot.. (Panic over it was my back tyre) blown out.. Its over to the side of the road to fix it, plus a bit a little chocolate is required to perk me up :-)
Its fixed now, I'm an inner tube less now as I need to replace that one - its too big of a hole, and while I'm at it.. I put a new Tyre on the back. It would probably last but it has got me from home to here! It feels so much better when you replace a tyre with a new one, very smooth again and I'm off along the M300 little headwind since I got over into Spain :-(
The roads are very smooth again which helps. I'm heading through Loeches towards Argenda del Ray. My target place for today to reach was Ciudad Real. I'm doing well and on route to Aranjuez. Just before I cycle into this town I stop at a garage to top up my supplies, it is hot today and I need more water. While I'm in the garage there is a few guy's smoking on the forecourt!! I'm thinking What ya doing ?? I go inside to get my drinks and there are another two guy's inside smoking too ?? What the!!! I pay quickly and get out of there Fast :-)
Aranjuez is very nice town, I cycle around for a short while and see a Burger King? Do I go in ? No. I have cycled around more than enough and I need to get on if I'm going to make my target for today (Ciudad Real). I'm now cycling along the CM1005 and CM4005 they are very long roads now with little around for longer periods of time, next place to go through is Mora then onto Orgaz (Funny name! I can remember updating that sign to Twitter and Face book ) Its a very tiny town with nothing much happening there. the road out of there is very easy to find it's the N401 the time is late afternoon now and my thoughts are that I may not make as far as I planned. I carry on and eventually get to a part of the road that says Tunnel closed take diversion! I look at my map app and the road takes a route up a steep winding climb up to this hill top... So I head off puffing and panting until I reach the top, I take in just how high I have cycled up here. I look down and its a flat plain in front of me, then down the other side of the hill its a similar route with Mountains in the far distance (That's where I'm headed)
I'm in a town called Los Yebanes (I named it Lebanon cos there is nothing here) and nobody around.. To make things worse it was around 6pm now and my target was still about 30-40miles away !! On top of this there are some nasty looking clouds heading my way very slowly :-( I have a choice now, do I stay put and try to find a place to stay here ? or do I hammer it out of here and go for it.... could be about 10pm if I do go for it!
Well I'm heading down this hill towards my planned destination, until BANG/STRIKE !! Lightning like I've never seen before (Lots of forks) Damn.. I head back to look for a place to stay its too risky and silly to risk it. I somehow find a hostel here "1 key" rating and it shows.. I sign in for the night and have my bike taken to a lockup garage round the back of the hostel, then I'm getting settled in my room, I open one pannier and I hear outside the heavens open ! Phew... good choice to stay put me thinks..
I make my way down to the bar as that's all there is here a bar with a few tables, and a dining room area though a doorway (Dining room's in darkness) not sure if I will get any food tonight until the barman Say's "Food in room 9pm" Great I thought, I will be getting fed tonight. Happy with that, I order another Beer he serves it in a half glass, I ask for a Big Beer he goes and finds me another glass and says "This" ? "Gracias" I say.. the locals in the corner of the bar who are watching telly look behind themselves at me, and comment in Spanish and laugh a little (Don't know what they are saying but I don't care I have Beer and some food later and a roof over my head out of that heavy rain) The barman who speaks little English says "Its going to rain all day tomorrow in Spain" Damn I think, oh well I suppose I have been very lucky with the weather since I started my trip.
Later I'm in the restaurant, well its a room (Dark room with some wood tables and chairs) the guy hands me the menu.. I get my phrase book out to look what's what, but because I'm the only one dining and hes stood behind me, and I can feel him staring , waiting for me to order. It looks like a column for the starters and the column in the middle of page must be the mains ! on the menu... I take a risk and point to one of starters (Don't know what it is) then I pick one out of the main list (I see word Queso think that's Cheese in it) so that will do..
The starter comes Salad with Tomato's and bread roll, looks OK and taste OK too.. Result for the starter, after 5mins of finishing my mains comes out and lands on the table... the guy goes back into kitchen and I'm staring at my mains in disbelief!! A FULL plate of Cheese ?? and I mean its FULL PLATE of Cheese ! (Not kidding its a KILO at least) And, there is nothing else coming through from the kitchen, I reckon the guy has now finished serving for the night and I'm left to finish my meal. I eat three quarters and I still don't know how I managed that! I was convinced it was going to be Nightmare city tonight after all that lot.
I head back into the bar area where the guy behind the bar say "Enjoy"? I reply "Cheese... too much" he says "Good yeah" I just say to him "Big Beer please" after that beer I'm back to my room busting with Cheese :-)
Total miles = 94 miles.
Average speed = 12.6 mph.
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