It was a short ride and fairly easy ride to Arcos de la Frontera – I was now out of the mountains and though the road might be a little bumpy, there were no long, strenuous climbs. I’d started to experience some clicking noises when climbing in the lower gears and I was hoping that any problem would resolve when the pedaling was easier. I was planning to get it checked out when I reached Seville but, just in case, I sent off a text to my hometown bike guru for any thoughts/suggestions as to if it might be serious.
After checking out of the smile-free hotel, I passed through the town of Algar and took a steep descent back down to the A-2201, which would take me along the south side of the Embalse de Guadalcacín before turning north to Arcos. There was little water at the east end of the reservoir, rather it mostly served as pastureland for cattle. However, as I gained elevation I could see that it was indeed a bonafide reservoir, i.e. filled with water.
The countryside was varied, a mix of pasture, grain fields, and woodlands. After turning north toward Arcos on a provincial road, the landscape became more industrial, and the accompanying haziness marred my first views of the city perched atop a rock cliff. To gain strength for the upcoming climb I stopped for a snack of nuts and a ginger cookie - almost plopping myself down in a bed of nettles before making a quick recovery and getting out my jacket to use as a picnic blanket. Close one! I wouldn't want to climb with a rear full of nettles!
The countryside became less interesting once I’d passed over the dam at the western end of the reservoir and my thoughts turned to the clicking noise in my bike. It was located near my crank/bottom bracket, but I couldn’t precisely locate it. My bike guru had sent me a list of possibilities, many of which were quite concerning, but after a few Q&As we decided it was likely not a serious problem - but one that should be checked out. Arcos is a pretty big town so I stopped to look up some bike shops, thinking I might head there straight away. I found one that looked promising, but naturally it closed at 2 pm for the afternoon break. The store was about four miles away, up the steep hill on which Arcos sits - it was a quarter past one, but I thought I’d give it a go. I basically raced up the hill, if you could call the pace of my best effort "racing. "I did arrive before the 2 pm closing, at 1:38 to be exact, only to find the lights dim and the door locked. Panting, I knocked on the door.
The store was in fact open, but it was not exactly what I expected. It was run by an older man and his wife, neither of whom spoke English or expressed any real interest in checking out Vivien George. I could not recreate the noise (naturally), so the man just turned the crank and kept assuring me everything was fine. Finally to placate me, he adjusted the front derailleur and smiled. I left tired and unimpressed, and hoping for the best. On leaving the store I realized that although I'd climbed to the same approximate elevation as my hotel in Arcos, there was not “flat route” to get there. The good news however, was that on my way down and back up the second hill to the hotel, the shifting seemed to work well and the clicking noise was gone.
I booked a room at Casa Grande, favored by CycleBlazers TeamAnderson and Jacquie and Al. I thought about booking elsewhere, but I couldn’t resist the lure of Scott’s description of the place: "..it stands on the precipice of the great cliff that forms the south edge of the town, and there is a sheer 200' drop from the wall of the hotel to the valley below. It is probably the most dramatically positioned hotel I've ever stayed in." They each marveled at their views from upstairs rooms, so I was a little disappointed when told that my room was downstairs. But oh – I think I got the best. I was led down through an arched stone walkway to my room, which not only had one balcony overlooking the valley but a second, lower level terrace with similar views, more comfortable chairs, and shade. It wasn’t long before I plopped myself down in a comfy lounge chair and took a catnap. Thanks for the recommendation, fellow CBers!
Arcos de la Frontera - my hotel room is somewhere up there along the edge of the cliff
Navigating to the hotel required a bit of patience - waiting for the line of cars to move slowly up the incredibly narrow streets. The whole line would come to a halt if there was a delivery to be made, or someone to pick up
My lower level room was down one flight of stairs, through this arched hallway (Vivien George's digs for the night) and down a second set of stair visible at the end of the hall. Needless to say, the WiFi from the room was non-existent
I ventured out for a brief look around the neighborhood before dinner. There was an excitement in the air for the upcoming Semana Santa activities, along with multiple posters from past years. The Iglesia de San Pedro was locked, but I wasn't sure if it was due to the late hour or to secure the floats and accessories held within the church. I settled for a pretty mediocre dinner at a street-side restaurant and then headed back to watch the sunset from my terrace, a pretty great way to end the day.
Today's ride: 26 miles (42 km) Total: 449 miles (723 km)
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Jacquie GaudetYou did get a nice room! Buy some cookies from the nuns if you can. It’s an experience and the cookies are good too. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
