Rociana del Condado to Tomares (just outside of Seville)

April 21, 2022

Jumping on our bikes the Garmin was showing a nippy 11 degrees in the morning sunlight. With only granola and yogurt we decided that 8km to Bollulos par del Condado was enough before breaking for more food and coffees. We found just the spot on an sidewalk patio that was humming with townsfolk and, as we slid in for fresh orange juice, cafes con lèches and tostadas, the thermometer had already climbed to 17 degrees.

Leaving Bollulos we crossed over the A49 highway, then struggled through a horrid couple km pushing the bikes on sandy tracks past snarling dogs before coming out to a paved road and, possibly, the best cycling so far on this trip. When you hit that combination of unblemished pavement, sunny skies, no wind, no vehicle traffic, incredible vistas of farmers fields and in the distance the Sierra Nortes rising, with 10 km of downhill, then all is right with the world. Yes today, the route finder scored big.

We kept sailing through well kept towns with complicated names: Vilalba del Alcor, Manzanilla and Castilleja del Campo. The towns seem quite prosperous, which probably has to do with the productivity of the surrounding fields - vineyards, orange and olive groves, wheat and barley fields.

The downhill continued until the town of Sanlucar la Mayor, that sits on top of the Corredor Verde del Rio Guadiamar, which meant a substantial climb before lunch. We went looking for a restaurant by the central square and, despite numerous, cute places with outdoor tables serving drinks and snacks, the servers looked shocked when we asked for "comida". Finally, the nice lady at the ice cream shop told us to go to Venta Pazo, a landmark, family run restaurant that's been popular since the 1920's. It's a character place, in someways the ambiance and some of the clientele have been there since the beginning! I'm kidding, yes, some of the patrons but not all. There were lots of office workers, families and younger folks too. We chose from the Plata del dias, the food was hearty and with more vegetables then we've seen in a while. We even had room for postres (chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream) before cycling on busier roads to Tomares, a suburb of Seville.

Tomorrow rain is in the forecast so we ignored our tired legs and made the most of a warm, sunny evening to head into Seville for a jumpstart on our tour of this beautiful architectural city. Our hotel has a shuttle service to the metro so we zoomed in and walked the grand boulevards to see the Plaza de Espana, the outside of the Cathedral and the Setas de Sevilla.

Ann asking the Municipal workers, who were taking a break from cleaning the central square, where to get a good coffee in Bollulos par del Condado.

This part of the route into Seville will be even better when the new bike trails are ready.

Flamingo dancing at the Plaza de Espana.

Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 673 km (418 miles)

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Jacquie GaudetWow! We didn’t see much of Sevilla when we were there. We did see the sights I wanted to see, though, the Cathedral and the Alcazar.
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2 years ago

Kathleen WearyWhat a dream to be in Seville!
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2 years ago

ann and steve maher-wearyYes, it already seems like a long time ago. Spain has so much beauty
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2 years ago