Murcia
Yesterday’s ride through the coastal desert with its wasteland of shade houses and plastic waste was what we call Type III Fun. It’s educational and we did have a nice climb plus a great beach destination, but the in-between was less glamorous and light on rewards. When we added it up, we knew the original route north to Jumilla and Yecla would need to be modified. Those are wine growing areas and sounded appealing as I sat on the couch in January. But, now that the weather is warming up and we have cycled through enough parched landscape to satisfy our curiosity, we are both ready for a change up.
I had left some flexibility in this part of the trip for just this possibility, so we had only one paid booking to cancel. As luck would have it, that hotel honored our request to cancel without a fee. So, the new plan was to ride northeast to Cartagena on the coast and take a one hour train trip to Murcia. A quick check with Rome to Rio indicated there were plenty of departures to Murcia from Cartagena so we chose to leave it open and buy tickets when we arrived at the station. From Murcia, we’ll take it one day at a time.
We both slept well in our nicely appointed hostal and were ready to launch the new plan as we got ready for the day ahead. The hostal in Puerto de Mazarron offered a very nice buffet breakfast, something of a rarity in Spain, so we savoured the selection of juices, coffee, fruits, yogurt, toast, pastries and cereal as we enjoyed the view from the third floor salon.
Our ride today would be fairly short at 34km, but with a big lump in the middle, it would be no slouch of a ride. Adding to the challenge was a stronger-than-normal headwind. Along this part of Spain’s coast, these winds can become pretty crazy. We do enjoy their cooling effect as I have mentioned, but this one was going to affect our progress too.
We can certainly understand why someone would want to hang out in Puerto de Mazarron. It’s just the right size, it has a beautiful beach, a lovely harbour, boating opportunities of all sorts, it’s cycle friendly and it has a laid back feel to it. So far, the visitors haven’t materialized, or maybe they were here earlier. No complaints from us, whatsoever! Actually, we have been told that the main reason is that school is still in and when summer holidays arrive, so will the crowds.
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Riding into the headwind today certainly had an impact on our progress. In any case, as we looked ahead, the mountain road we were about to climb could be clearly seen snaking upward with a rather severe grade. It was a shoulderless secondary highway and there was more traffic than expected, so we put our heads down and focussed on the task at hand.
When the grade hit 10%, we both jumped off and walked. At that grade, riding speed is about 6 km/hr and walking is about 5 km/hr. so there’s not much reward in riding. As soon as the grade dropped, we hopped back on and continued riding. Soon enough, we neared the first mirador where we took a break.
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The road did a number of loops on the side of the mountain with tight hairpin bends. Drivers were being very cautious as they made the turns.
Eventually, we made the top and it was a fun ride downhill from there to Cartagena. We navigated the busy city streets to find the main train station and went in to buy tickets. The Renfe agent said there would be no problem taking the bikes in the train, which was leaving in about 30 minutes. It was about the least stressful train-bike experience we{ve ever had!
The train was a media distance train, so not a high-speed train, but with just one stop en route, we were in Murcia an hour later.
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We checked in to our hostal and after the usual rest, headed out for some sightseeing. We really enjoyed the vibe of this lively city. There were lots of young people here and lots of cyclists as well. It’s situated along a river (which has running water) that has been made into a linear park where people enjoy all sorts of recreation. And, by its design, the streets are shaded by the surrounding buildings and a light breeze circulates through the neighborhoods. It’s a city worth spending a little more time than we had if you ever come this way.
The Episcopal Palace is a historic building located in Cardenal Belluga Square. It is the official headquarter of the Diocese of Cartagena
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Our host recommended this Tapas restaurant for dinner, so we were there for the opening. It was hopping in no time at all and we had a great evening ordering and eating tapas. Sorry, but they were eaten so wuickly, there are no food photos. We stopped at another cafe doe cheesecake and coffee before calling it a night. Tomorrow, we are back in the road.
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5 months ago