May 22, 2024
Guadix
We woke to another blue-sky day with temperatures in the low teens and a light breeze. We really couldn’t ask for anything better to tour this area of Spain by bike. As for the possibility of rain, we have heard from host after host that it won’t rain until the fall. They also tell us how searingly hot it will be in July and August. I just hope I don’t jinx anything by saying this seems to be an ideal time to visit Andalucia.
Our route today to Guadix took us into a completely different landscape, in the Granada Geopark. But first, we had to find some sustenance as we made our way to the River Genil which passes through Grenada.
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Once we reached the river, we found a cycling/walking path that took us east.
There were all sorts of people using the path for walking their dogs, jogging, leisurely strolling and cycling.
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The path along the river became narrower and more rugged and eventually ended at Cenes la Vega. At this point, the valley floor next to the path was being cultivated by veggie farmers. It looked like the most prevalent crop was potatoes, although other things had been planted. The cross-cross weave pattern in the photo below tells me someone is growing tomatoes. It is a classic method of supporting tomato vines, called a basket-weave.
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From there, we continued on along a quiet highway as it wound through a beautiful treed valley of Rio de Aguas Blancas which was babbling along below us. The sounds of birds chattering in the trees were constant but as usual we couldn’t see a single bird! So we pulled out the Merlin app to see who was chirping the loudest. It turned out to be a Eurasian Blackcap and a lot of its cheerful friends.
The other sound of note was the whooshing sound of bicycle tires. We were being passed by some very talented riders wearing cycle shorts labelled WHOOSH across the butt. The sound from the tires as they flew by doing about 40+ km/h was a clue that these were pros. Indeed, we saw the team cars from UAE, AG2R, Jayco AlUla and Lotto Dstny cruise past us. Some of the riders were time trialling and others just riding… fast. We learned later that there is a High Performance Training centre in Grenada and many of the pro teams come here to train. Of course, there were other riff-raff on nice road bikes making the trek to the summit as well. No other cycle tourists though, just us.
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At mid-day, we spotted a large meadow of wildflowers as the perfect spot for a lunch break. So we pulled off into the shade and noshed on the pastries we’d bought along with some yogurt and a banana.
We watched the cyclists come and go from our lunch spot among the daisies, the we joined back in and continued the climb.
The vast expanse of incredible proportions, the Hoya de Guadix, gradually opened up before us as we descended towards Purellena. The land formations were astonishing. What was once under the sea is now a sandstone world that has been shaped by wind and water. It’s hard to describe.
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The contrast of the desert landscape ahead and the Sierra Nevada with its snow was striking. We could hear water burbling along small irrigation canals while at the same time, passing through an incredibly dry-looking terrain. You wouldn’t think much would grow here but you’d be mistaken. In February, the hillsides here are awash in the pink flowers of the almond trees. This happens to be one of the world’s largest almond-producing regions, so I’m told. And they are rightly proud of their olive oil as well.
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The afternoon light was not conducive to any decent photos, so I am showing two photos from the internet to give you a sense of what we were seeing.
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Our accommodation was in the Alcazaba of Guadix, the ancient neighbourhood of the city. The building dates back to the Al-Andalus period and has been in the same family as today’s owner, Victor, for 500 years. Victor’s courtyard has the same Arabic stonework as in the Alhambra and Granada and a roman block sat next to the well, which is no longer used.
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We did a recon stroll after cleaning up and then went out for a drink and shopped for breakfast goodies at a supermercado. Dinner times have not hindered us as much as we thought and so we headed to our chosen restaurant for dinner at 8pm. It was a beautiful restaurant with fabulous chef and servers. We went for a simple meal of salads (pear, blue cheese, walnut for me and chicken Caesar for David) and lamb lasagne. Divine, once again!
Today's ride: 56 km (35 miles)
Total: 467 km (290 miles)
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5 months ago
5 months ago
5 months ago
Quite fascinating & odd-looking.
5 months ago