March 29, 2023
To Algar
Jimena de la Frontera is the southern-most point on my tour of Andalusia and today I started making my way north toward Seville – hoping to arrive on Palm Sunday, just in time for Semana Santa. I had originally thought to push all the way to Arcos de la Frontera today, but cooler heads prevailed (not mine) and today’s destination was Algar, picked for convenience rather than reputation. While I may have had moderate enthusiasm for my stay in Algar, I was quite excited about the route to Algar, which promised to be a wondrous ride through the Parque Natural Los Alcornocales, the Natural Park of the Cork Oaks.
There was no breakfast option at the hotel, so I first headed toward the main square for something to eat. The pickings were slim, but I managed to find a small bar that served the traditional toast with olive oil and tomato sauce to go along with my coffee. It was about 10:30 when I rolled down the hill out of Jimena and was soon on a small provincial road following the Hozgarganta River through the Parque Natural Los Alcornocales.
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The road was a bit bumpy for the first six miles, then gradually continued gaining elevation through a series of up, down, and arounds through a fairly dense oak forest. There were few signs of human habitation along the route – some small farms/ranches, but nothing that you would call a village. But signs of cattle were abundant – at least signs that they had been on this road in the not too distant past. Therefore, it shouldn’t have been too surprising to come across a quintet of cattle in the road ahead – two cows and three calves.
One cow stood facing me on the left side of the road, her calf laying about, not paying me any mind. A second cow lay facing away from me on the right side of the road, her two calves watching me intently. Both cows were horned and though I’m not usually afraid of cows, I was unsure how they would react if they perceived me to be a threat to the calves, or to themselves. I dismounted my bike and walked slowly forward, talking softly, assuring the moms I was not going to hurt their little ones. As I neared, the two small calves on the right stood upright and bolted down the road toward a hole in the fence that led back into the woods. I continued forward, slowly walking and softly talking as I passed the two cows, both now standing. They gave me a slight wave of their head and a soft lowing, but I was soon safely by and back on Vivien George.
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Not too long after my cow encounter, I reached the day’s highest elevation near La Sauceda – a place unknown to me except for some signage and what appeared to be a park. I later learned that La Sauced is an abandoned town, “A Town Wiped off the Map by Fascism.” During the early days of Spanish Civil War, La Sauceda was stronghold of the Republican resistance to the Nationalist forces of Franco. The town was air bombed and a follow-up ground assault rounded up the remaining residents who were executed or enlisted as slave labor. The story of La Sauceda is recounted at the Casa Memoria de la Sauceda museum in Jimena de la Frontera, a place I regrettably did not visit.
Just before descending into the valley near Algar, I came upon a bar/restaurant located at the intersection of A375. I went in to get a water refill and came out with a full bottle and six huge ginger cookies, one of which I ate on the spot. I shoved the rest of the cookies in my handlebar bag and headed downhill.
Soon I was on flat roads – an odd sensation after several days in the mountains. Of course there was a climb up to my hotel in Algar, which was a large but lifeless complex on the edge of town. It wasn’t an unfriendly place, just a place that people did not try to be friendly. But the room was nice and they had a restaurant and good wifi. Hard to complain after a day full of cows and great cycling.
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1 year ago
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Today's ride: 29 miles (47 km)
Total: 423 miles (681 km)
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1 year ago