Day 1,711

Back to Spain

Well Tom and I definitely prefer a land border rather than arriving by plane. The 24 hour strike in Argentina didn't help. We'd been warned that the strikers were hoping for a snowball effect and that other workers would join in. This could mean no cafes open, or taxis, and as we had to be out of our Airbnb for 11am we decided we might as well hang out at the airport as in town. Our flight had been moved from 3pm to 3.30am the following day, so we were hanging out for longer than our 12-hour flight! 

Not a great board to see at the airport!

It wasn't fun, we laid down on our air mattress for 6 hours, until a guard (not on strike) took exception to it. The problem was there was a whole day's worth of plane loads of people just hanging out in a space designed for people just to walk through not hang out in. Finally the clock struck midnight, and the check in opened. We had three and a half hours before our flight departed and we needed just about every minute to be processed. The following day, arriving in Spain was even more frustrating. Can someone please explain to me why after queuing for an hour and arriving at the front of the queue, do people suddenly start an intense chat and ignore the desperate waves of the customs officers beckoning them onward? 

Our plans had been to arrive at 7am, not as it was 7pm. After clearing customs etc. it was nearer 9pm. Building our bikes and cycling away from the airport on highways didn't seem remotely appealing. We decided to blow the budget and get a taxi to a hotel. Which we did, but not before causing a punch up between taxi drivers (don't ask), then the one that took us (very reluctantly) got his revenge by dropping us off at a completely different hotel to the one we wanted. Still by the time we got there he'd had a personality change and was now treating us as family, insisting the hotel store our bikes safely, and giving us a big hug before he reluctantly left us. 

By the following morning we had hoped to feel rested, which we didn't, maybe a little jet lag. The sun was out though and the cycling was awesome, quiet roads and stunning views (what's not to like?). We decided to wildcamp. Tom found an awesome spot and we settled down to enjoy the warm evening sun. Until 7pm, when it went into hiding for the next 14 hours, we dived into the tent, popped on every item of clothing we had and still we froze! The next few days were a repeat of the same. We had two nights in a hotel in Sigüenza to rest and warm up, then braved wild camping again. Not a good idea, we were climbing and it was colder than ever! We decided to leave wild camping until we were nearer sea level, there's only so much cold these old bones can take! 

We were riding towards Pamplona, and at times crossing places we'd visited on our way out in 2021. We had actually stayed in Sigüenza before, but after that these were new roads. Lots of cycle ways through forests and tiny back roads. Despite the cold nights Tom had decided, rather than head directly north towards the UK, divert south and east to see some highlights! First on the list was a canyon ride (upstream) in Parque Natural del Alto Tajo. It didn’t disappoint.

The canyon - beautiful but very very cold!

We spent the night in Molina de Aragón and hoped to visit the awesome castle there, but it only opens on a weekend and as it was a Wednesday we were out of luck.

Our plan had been to spend the morning there then cycle just 12 miles to our second, maybe third, Game of Thrones site of the trip, Zafra Castle and camp there. It would have been awesome though I guess pretty chilly.

Zafra Castle - yes, that is actually real!

The present castle was built in the 12th century and though the site of many battles it was never taken. It is built atop of a rocky outcrop looks just awesome. We spent several hours just enjoying the views before setting off.

We were heading to a monastery, famous for its stunning gardens, but what we didn't know was that our journey there was going to be a real challenge. The highway authority had decided to dig up a 10km section of road, and they were not keen on letting us by!