Dear readers,
I had a very good evening at the Hostel. It really was very well appointed and everything worked (shower, toilet, A/C, TV, lights etc etc). Such a changed from the sites we have been to over the last few weeks. A couple of beers and hot meal, and a hot shower and a bed…. and it was so so very quiet. I awoke at about 7am and it was still chucking it down with rain - the poor bike looked so sad looking outside the door where I abandoned it the night before. It looked like a sad horse outside a western saloon….
I loaded up the bike in the pouring rain, with a river of water running under the bike from the hills. A quick fuel stop and we were away. I headed for Zaragoza and all previous plans have gone with the rain - no point riding wonderful roads when its raining and you can't see bugger all….
As i rode up through a mountain range the view was blocked by thick fog, and then a very steep decent demanded loads of concentration in the wet, with mud and rocks on the road.. Then the sun came out as I rode through the river valleys. As I approached Zaragoza I could see the dark black sky getting closer and closer…. and then all of a sudden I was in the thick of it - torrential driving rain, claps of thunder and horizontal lightning and or course the cross winds… This continued for about a hour before easing up. I was a nervous wreck by this time. I had to stop and have a break and a coffee.
It was still raining I headed for Huasca and then stopped and looked up on the www for a campsite - got one and off we go…. Gertie directed me off the road and then wanted me to climb up a mountain side with about 15 180 degree bends - some campsite to be up there - bugger that. Back down the road and I found another. Further inspection of the map showed that Gertie had found a quicker route by approaching the campsite via a back door and that the actual entrance was 5 kms around the next bend..
Tent now pitched in the rain and it is still raining hard so I have moved into the cafe on the site… The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same. I will be heading North over the mountains and then through Lourdes and Tarbes - and then look for a campsite. I need to slow down but that is difficult to do - if I arrive at a campsite early I will just be sitting around out of the rain… as you know I don't visit towns and do sight seeing - not my thing - especially in the wet….
David should be catching the boat from Santander to Plymouth this evening - it was delayed due to poor weather… Happing sailing Dave.
Note just one photo taken today - some of the views were brilliant with Autumn leaves on the trees… but precious place to stop and take a shot.
Nite nite all