Day 10: Trujillo to Guadalupe

May 2, 2023

The atmosphere at breakfast had a bit of tension as it was going to be a longer day with a bit of climbing. We all set off and left behind the sweet town of Trujillo heading east. The road out of town was a bit busy and then we came across road crews who were cutting the grass and weeds along side of the road. Needless to say, this bit of a mess created a few flat tires for our group. However, the scenery is still beautiful and ever changing.

Grassy landscape with tree covered hills in the background.

This cafe caught our eye . . . Route 66, American flag, Confederate flag . . .

Our friend, Terry, who rode in Italy with us last year, and has done many of the BRNW rides with us.

Suddenly it became very green - this was at the top of the 2nd climb of the day. Only 8 more climbs to go.

We ventured into a small village in search of water and came across the Tuesday market.

Then we rode up a steep hill to the church that was locked.

Loved the pattern in the stone work in front of another door to the church.

So thankful we don't have to ride bicycles on roads like this.

Our route is full of ups and downs today and the temperature is warming up. By now I've lost count of which climb, but this was our view from the top.

This was a great descent until we hit the deteriorating road surface. Guess it can't be perfect all the time, right?

And these hillsides were covered in the rock rose.

These are sticking straight up from the ground. I need to check with our ride geologist for an explanation.

Quiet road with very few cars throughout the day.

Old bridge that has seriously deteriorating surface.

If memory serves me right, this was the top of the last big climb of the day.

Once again, the scenery is changing and we are seeing more rocky crags and the hills are getting taller.

Our road is sneaking up through the pass.

Okay, maybe this is the last big climb of the day. We must be getting close to Guadalupe by now.

We came around a corner and saw this - is it a bridge or an aqueduct. We learned later that the village built this bridge for a train, but the train tracks were never brought in.

The view of the village and with the monastery and basilica.

Street view in Guadalupe as we walk around in search of dinner.

While we were waiting for restaurants to open, we sat outside at a bar enjoying a glass of vino Tinto when this horse and rider came by. There were black speed bumps on the road and the rider was working the horse and getting him comfortable with the speed bumps.

It took quite a few crossings to get the horse comfortable with them. It kept us fully entertained.

This has been the most beautiful scenic day and the village of Guadalupe hasn't disappointed us at all. Tomorrow is a layover day and were looking forward to exploring the basilica and monastery.

Today's ride: 89 km (55 miles)
Total: 1,492 km (927 miles)

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