Index | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | References
Day 3 - To Fuente Dé
Again we did not get going until 11:00, all that breakfast and all that packing! Fuel was available a mere 200 yards from the hotel just across the junction with the C 615 [N42.34104 W4.61502] northwards upon which we were about to travel.
Although the sun was shining the air temperature was very cool as we approached the mountains and by Guardo we stopped to plug in the heated clothing. One thing to remember is the "Temperature lapse rate" - for every 1,000 feet you ascend it gets roughly 5ºF cooler.
The C 615 is arrow straight and the view of our goal, the Picos de Europa, was always in our field of vision.
.
Having received a certain amount of criticism (probably justified) for subjecting my stoical passenger to an endurance test the previous day I offered the opportunity of a short-cut to our destination when we reached Velilla Del Rio Carrion. She opted to take the long route!
So right we turned along the P 210.
This
offers a scenic route along the northern shore of the Embalse de Compuerto
towards Cervera de Pisuerga. This turquoise lake with the backdrop of the
Sierra del Brezo was perhaps not the most dramatic of vistas
but was serenely beautiful. The road surface was reasonable but not
fantastic and we made good speed...... right up to the moment when, being very
closely followed by a local in a car who obviously knew the road better then me
(as this is the only explanation for his driving style), I went around a blind
left hand bend to find a camper van entirely on my side of the road. I now
know the meaning of being between a rock and a hard place or maybe being the jam
in the sandwich. Armco barrier and a 100 foot drop to my right, rock wall
to my left, idiot behind me and idiot in front of me. Fortunately, I was
cornering slowly enough to be able to flick the bike upright and brake as I came
out of the corner, the camper van lurched to the right and I made the gap
between the van and the barrier, the car behind was also braking hard
(thankfully) and he too squeezed through by a whisker. I
slowed and waved the car past me and we stopped at the next lay-by for a little
rest(!) at 12:33 [N42.91782 W4.74978]
Taking a break
There are a lot of camper vans in the Picos region and over the next few days we began to realise that they represent a significant hazard whether they are travelling in the opposite direction taking up most of the road or in the same direction slowly and are an opaque obstacle which one must pass.
Camper van country
Fortunately, Susie had not been aware of the incident as she was concentrating on the scenery to her right and only when she was thrown forward by my hard braking did she realise the was anything amiss.
We proceeded on our
way going even slower around each blind corner than previously (if that were
possible). As hunger manifested itself we started looking for likely
watering holes. I knew that the Parador de Cervera de Pisuerga was only a
few miles ahead where we could get lunch. We arrived there but Susie
decided that a cafe we had passed in a small village would be more
inspiring. So we retraced our steps by a couple of miles. Stopped at
the cafe at 13:36 [N42.87936 W4.55842]
and asked for the menu. They didn't serve food. I espied some crisps
and other snacks on display so requested those.....you know, I have never had
garlic flavoured crisps before and I think that they are probably one delicacy
that I will not be rushing out to buy in the future. These washed down
with a Coke formed our lunch and we continued.
Once in the town of Cervera de Pisuerga we then headed north along the P 627 which shortly becomes the C 627.
At 14:46 [N43.04237 W4.45711] we stopped at the col (4,200 ft) with the view westwards towards the Sierra de Alba.
Sierra de Alba to the left
And cloud to the right
In the picture above you will notice the warning triangle for the bends ahead. There were numerous of these on all the mountain roads on which we travelled. Conveniently they posted the maximum advisable speed. Just as well to note that they are in kph not mph! Although they we a little on the low side for the Sprint they served as a useful guide to the severity of the bend - some of the bends were marked '20'!!!
By 15:45 we were in Potes and turning westwards again onto the N 621 towards Fuente Dé. Both Microsoft and Garmin show the Parador at Fuente Dé in Espinama some 2 miles before the real location of the Parador [N43.14434 W4.81095] - funny that, combine that with the glitch about the road that was a track on the day before and it makes you think that they probably both use the same map data.
Anyway, we arrived at the Parador de Fuente Dé at 16:15 unloaded the luggage and then put the bike in the underground car park where there were some wonderful classic coupés worthy of admiration. The view of several of the Picos peaks, which were quickly being obscured by cloud, was awe inspiring.
The clouds move in
We contemplated going for a ride in the cable car which ascends nearly 800 metres but the summit was shrouded in cloud so we postponed it until the following day.
We treated ourselves to some toasted sandwiches, as the sustenance provided by the garlic flavoured crisps was beginning to fade, and met up with a pair of riders and their pillions whom we had met on the ferry - the Pan (Jack and Christine) alongside my bike and the Beemer (Ian and Alison) behind. They were of similar maturity and were likewise indulging in restrained touring, so restrained that they were spending two nights in the same place - Susie liked that idea!
We joined them for dinner and had a very entertaining evening, finishing only when we finally got thrown out of the restaurant and then the bar since the staff wanted to go home.
The Parador itself was pleasant but not a historic building this time and the food although of a very high standard wasn't as good as the previous two nights. Of the wine - well, there was quite a lot of it and several very large brandies. Susie was heard to mutter "Oh no, he's going to snore."
Distance travelled 121 miles (I actually told Susie it was only going to be 90) .
Index | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | References