May 15, 2022
Requena to Valencia
A month ago, when we first crossed over from Portugal, Steven chatted with a German cycle tourer on the ferry who said he was glad to be back in Spain as the roads were better for riding. When asked why, he explained that drivers had to pay for the Autoroutes in Portugal, but these were free in Spain so nobody took the secondary roads, leaving them quieter for cyclists. Today his words came back as we cruised along what had once been the main highway, but was now an almost empty road and we watched the cars and trucks zoom by on the nearby autoroute. We quickly covered a third of the day's ride to Valencia, mostly downhill on such roads.
Actually, it was quick until, clunk, Ann’s front shifter cable snapped! With the help of a YouTube video and a handy Leatherman, we managed to rig it so she could still shift the rear gears, but it meant for an even tougher day for her. We had been up early and on the road before the real heat of the day, but with the breakdown and a navigation error, we found ourselves (once again?) on a dirt road, in a vast orange grove, hungry, in the heat of the noonday sun. Every big city seems to have a nasty zone, about 30-40km out, when the pleasant country roads give way to industrial parks, intense agriculture, fenced-off residential communities, and where the Google suggested route looks bizarrely wrong, but we then get lost on our "better" route. Eventually, we got through the zone of evil and onto the lovely bicycle lane that leads into downtown. Despite all that, we were ahead of schedule; knowing it was a long day we had arranged to check in at 5:30pm so we stopped at a simple, suburban, cafe for drinks and a snack. The last 12km through Valencia were much happier as we wound along one of the most delightful greenways we have had the pleasure to ride. It may have been a canal or very wide moat, as we were 20ft below city level, with old, solid stone walls and under plenty of bridges.
We arrived right on time, Ramon was waiting in the street and showed us to our top-floor (but no view) and very well-equipped, apartment where we were based for the stay in Valencia. After showering off 86km of road grime and feeling refreshed, we found a grocery store and enjoyed a light, and not-too-late, home-made pasta and salad supper. Tomorrow we explore Valencia and finalize arrangements for our third and final item on the Spain wishlist: ferry to Mallorca and 11 days on that cycle-friendly island.
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Today's ride: 86 km (53 miles)
Total: 1,719 km (1,067 miles)
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