September 27, 1997
To Ciudad Rodrigo
On Saturday morning we started out on the long, depopulated road to Ciudad Rodrigo. We had been a bit afraid of this stretch of 110 km over uncertain and remote terrain, but it proved to be a much easier ride than we expected. The winds were in our favor, there were few severe climbs, and for a change we avoided tacking on extra distane through unplanned detours. Much of the ride was through oak woods filled with bulls apparently destined for the ring. Other stretches included concentrations of suckling pigs and a lovely marshland with storks, hawks, and much additional birdlife. Probably the high point of the day was our lunch break at a bar in Tamames, where we were befriended by an enthusiastic, inquisitive pair of young Spaniards, deeply curious about our journey. It was the moment of our trip when I was the most rueful that I didn't know more Spanish.
Ciudad Rodrigo was a very enjoyable stoover. It took us awhile to locate a room here. Many roads of the town were cordoned off for a go cart race, making it difficult to navigate. The original spot at which we had reserved a room was by the train station and well out of town. Instead, we doubled back to locate a pension inside of the town wall. We ended up with most of an entire flat to ourselves, and were well situated to enjoy the best sights of the community. We paid for this however by experiencing a night on an excruciating, narrow, valley-shaped bed.
We made two trips to the store for provisions - the first to a very small spot where we bought bread and cheap wine ; and later, on our next foray we encountered a 'real' store with a much larger selection. They had Sangre de Toro wine (which I'd enjoyed in Tossa del Mar, but less so than if I hadn't knocked a half-full bottle over on the tablecloth), so I picked up that and left the one we'd bought earlier as a tip to the apartment keeper.
The core of Rodrigo, a border fortress town, is completely surrounded by intact walls. We walked around the entire town, enjoying great views throughout. The fortified walls include intermittent kiosts, just the size for s single short soldier. Occasional gaps in the walls opened up to sheer, unguarded 30-foot drops to the moat.
Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 1,051 miles (1,691 km)
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