From Jaen I set off into rolling countryside for the first 15 miles with some quite steep climbs, but nothing too tedious. This was remote countryside and after about 10 miles it was good to see the National Guard police sitting on the Moor just presumably watching for anybody in trouble.
After 24 miles I reached Puente do Obispo at which point I knew there was a very large climb looming ahead up to the towns of Baeza and Ubeda. It was a 1500 foot climb in less than 5 miles with pretty much a constant 8% gradient. What made things worse was the road was quite straight so I slogged up the hill and eventually reached the town of Baeza expecting the gradient to stop. Which it did briefly, but upon leaving town the gradient continued and I was still going uphill until I reached Ubeda.
Ubeda was quite lively and quite cobbled and as I struggled through the town on the slopes ans cobbles, I realised that this hill wasn't going to stop. It continued and it wasn't until I reached Sabiote after almost 40 miles that I did reach a downhill. And what a downhill it was. The countryside just opened up into a huge expanse of olive Groves. It was stunning. Three or four switchbacks at exhilarating speeds followed and having spent all morning gaining altitude. I had lost 1500 feet in a matter of minutes. Taking me down into the Guadalimar valley. I did stop on the way down to take some pictures of a hilltop town called Chiclana de Segura which looked beautiful but it was a few miles away on a hilltop, so i would have had to descend the valley and come back up to reach it, then repeat in reverse to return .... I didn't visit !
From the valley. I would have another 18 miles of climbing, but this time the gradients weren't so bad and the countryside was fantastic. At Castellar. I passed under an archway and then the descent started. Dropping me down onto the N 322 which, being a trunk road, I had been avoiding all day. I reached it after 77 miles. with only another six to go till my stop for the evening in Puente de Genave. At 84 miles, which meant it was just in the right place. The town was quiet, but I did spot a couple of nice looking restaurants on the way through.
So that evening, I headed back into town to seek the restaurants out, but both were closed. So I headed back to the motel where there was a great bar doing hearty food that evening. Just what was required.