Its another Sunny day, but coldish morning and I'm off again heading out of Almazan, small place but nice to stay. I did contact the Pamplona hotel before setting off this morning, and they informed me they will email me later if they find my wedding ring! (We can but hope).
There are 2 roads to follow today (Easy). Its the CL101 and the CM101, finally its the CM1003 down to Guadalajara. This will be the first time on such roads so not sure what to expect but straight off its hilly! And its like that for most of the morning, and places are few and far between.. I reach a town called Baraona and its a place where I reckon I need to top up on water as today looks baron. I stop at a Bar, inside a few guys, I go to the bar and ask for Agua x 2 bottles. That's OK 2 bottles over the bar and I'm back on the bike out of that town.
Its around 12pm ish and I'm thinking the next town I need some food due to the lack of civilisation around these roads. I come into a place called Jadraque I just make it into a bar to get something to eat, I see at the bar there is a plate of what looks like Potato salad, I ask for this please! The lady behind the bar gives me a massive plate full complete with bread rolls. I order a coke too. Its enough to get me filled up for the rest of the day! That's for sure.. she also gives me extra Bread rolls when I finish the previous (What service) and the bill was minimal for that lot. My belly is full, my morale is high after just catching a place to eat before it closes for siesta.
Well back to it Andy, I'm out of here back on the road out of Jadraque, the road out is uphill, around some bends and More ! uphill.... Blimey this road out of this town goes into Pyrenees style Switchback roads... Phew! Its hard going, good job I did get something to eat just then or I would not have been able to tackle this monster hill. Great views at the top overlooking a Castle of this town.
Once on the top road, its back to normal.. bit hilly but OK. I'm on the road heading to Guadalajara. Its like a national park around these parts again but very nice, after an afternoon of fantastic scenery I'm dropping down towards Guadalajara... when Arrhh! I'm at a roundabout with 3 exits (Not usually a problem) but this is..... All these exits lead onto Motorways ! Wheres this main road gone too ? I check my iphone map, and there's a road somewhere! But where I'm thinking. It can't be that one surely !! (Dirt track leading under one of the motorways)
Well after cycling down this dirt track, I find this is the main road ! Wow! I would never have thought that this is the road to the next town. (Thank god for the iphone map) After some bumpy terrain I'm in a town close to Guadalajara. Soon after I'm heading into the main place (Guadalajara) Its very big, could be a city I reckon. Its not really mega miles though today if I stop here! I stop at an Aldi to stock up on supplies before I decide to make my way out of here and to find another place to stay for the night.
I'm heading on the road I thought was out of this place but No... It's not and I'm on the opposite side of a busy Motorway, and need to be on the other side! Well its a case of a bit of a de-tour back into the centre to find my way out of where I went wrong! Eventually I'm heading in the right direction, its about 5pm now. I've got a place called Acala de Henares in my sights now for the night, and I should land around 8pm ish..
I'm heading up hill again out of town (Its hot in this heat, must be around late 70's) I see a road on map that looks like a short cut! But hey.. its one of those roads again (A dirt track that looks like it goes nowhere) I'm going down this track.... bump, bump, clatter, clatter hoping my panniers don't fall off, when the road goes into a smooth track, I'm in a little village (Looks rough) and I stand out like a sore thumb! People looking /watching as I try to look at my phones tracker map to see if I'm heading out of this place lol.
I do eventually get on a main road to Acala de Hanares and reach there for around 8pm, I check into a hotel that I cycled past on the way into the town, after going well past then coming back on myself to check in at the start of the town (I remember this well, as when I first got to the town there was a McDs straight off) so eventually I'm in a hotel, back to back with McDs! Results lol.
Later on that evening I stroll over there for a coffee and donut and choc (deal for 1 euro if I remember rightly)
Total miles = 114miles.
Average speed = 12.4 mph.
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