To Alhama de Granada

October 29, 2023

Back up into la tierra

All the cold weather gear comes out this morning. It's in the 50s, the coolest start yet. We're confused about the time. Our watches say it's 9:00, our phones says it's 8:00, and it's a good while before the penny drops. Daylight Savings Time has ended, giving us an extra hour in the day. That's a good thing because we have a long ride up today.

The bags are fully loaded, still, until the post office opens up again Monday

On the way out of Granada we discover there actually are bike paths here, making for an easy exit on this quiet Sunday morning. The paths continue out of the city for miles, leading us through small towns to the service road by the A-92 AutoVia. Then we're on a mix of pavement and gravel, mostly level for the first half of the trip, and the miles roll by.

Deluxe bike path, next to an empty road that looks fine too. An excellent start.

In Belicena, the west-bound bike lane runs down the middle of the road, well clear of the door zone. How I'd love to see this at home.

Near Chauchina, trees muffle the highway noise to our left and we have this peaceful scene to meditate on.

Sunday morning club riders are out in force in Lachar

The service road gets a little more rugged after it shifts over to the south side of the highway.

At mile 25 we turn south away from the autovia and stop for lunch by the A-402, the road we'll be on for the rest of the day. The work starts now on a long ascent to Alhama de Granada. I wasn't sure how this road would be but it's a good one - light traffic and a nice shoulder. Maybe the 3-digit A roads will be generally good for biking in Andalucia. We shall see.

Mountains are all around us but the climb is mostly gradual.

To the west, the Sierra Nevada mountains

The climb of the day starts near the end, a four mile ascent to Alhama de Granada. Most of it is moderate until we have a wall to climb in the city.

This the first real test of the new saddle that I picked up on our last day in Mallorca. What a difference. No squirming.

I like the bronze foliage in the late afternoon autumn sun.

Crops on the hillsides remind me of the Moorish tile patterns we see everywhere.

A long slow push up this street and the next one

Even with the long climbs, it's been a very enjoyable ride, capped off by a two mile drop to the Hotel Los Canos de la Alcaiceria. This is the first place we've stayed with half board included - breakfast and dinner. We're looking forward to an easy night with no hunt for sustenance.

Upon landing, Felipe, our host and bartender, shows us where to park the bikes, then picks up my bag and escorts us to our room. I think this might be only the second time this trip that a host has taken the time to help us get settled.

There are a few hiccups that Felipe handles as well as anyone can. Our chilly room has no controls for adjusting the temperature. There are no English speakers here, the hotel wifi isn't working and our phones have no service so my Google Translate crutch is no help for communicating about the problem. I remember the word for cold - frio - and appeal to him with shivering motions. He brings us a space heater and assures us they are working to "reparar" the wifi.

Later at dinner Felipe finds us in the dining room and asks for our phones to get them connected. He and our server are both so sweet and eager to please. It counts for a lot in my book.

Hams hang over the bar in the hotel restaurant

Tomorrow we'll have almost the same distance to cover but it's almost all downhill, back to the Mediterranean and on to Malaga. Should be fun.

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Today: 46 miles, 3287 feet of ascent

For the tour: 652 miles, 42458 feet of ascent

Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 662 miles (1,065 km)

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