Today didn't start well - my phone switched to Spain which was only 400 yards away, and woke me up at 6:30 an hour early.
It was raining steady but the radar did suggest it would pass by 9 or 10 so I had breakfast and waited.
After breakfast by 9:30 it was easing so I got ready went back downstairs for a coffee and I was off at 10. Unfortunately because I was heading into Spain in the first 8 miles it was really 11 o'clock. - a late start for a 65 mile ride. I was now leaving the Douro and anticipated a functional day without much scenery ... Boy was I wrong, I've whittled my pictures down to the best 45 !
I cycled to Ifanes 5 miles away and by the time I reached it the sun was out, a fast 3 mile descent and I was in Spain, stopping at the border to remove my waterproofs and my warm top.
Within half a mile I was stopping near a stream I was about to cross because alongside the bridge was an old Pack horse bridge - I took a Facebook video and lots of pics.
Next I cycled through Fonfria and started to drop into the Rio Ariste valley and I had a decison to make. I reached a dolomite track which would take me to a bridge across the river but because this was a track and not on google streetview I had no idea if the bridge it reached was open, if not it would be anextra 8 miles and i was already 90 minutes behind schedule.
The track quickly turned back to tarmac and the bridge was fine, vey small, no traffic and it spanned the river grea, I took pictures !
Next the road went straight up the hill no nonsense at about 12% gradient until I reached Mura at the top of the hill where ther was a beautiful little church. Next I had a what looked a crazy hill to climb - it went through a cutting but just seemed to get steeper as it went up. The legs were good and I powered to the top.
A great downhill took me to Losacio were I stopped to photograph a couple of little metal sculptures in town.
The roads had been great, smoothe and fast but I now started to hit lots of sharp climbs and poor road surfaces until after San Martin.
Before San martin I came across an abandoned Train station which was in ruins but the stonework was really great in what were almost hexagonal blocks - the station was in ruins and there was lots of grafitti, all of which made for some more great photos.
Another sharpe climb took me to Escober where I was confronted by farmers walking their cattle through town. I started taking ohotos but at least one of the cattle didn't like my camera and started to head towards me - I quickly put it down !
Next a had a very hsrape climb followed by a super fast descent towards my luch stop - I had 4 miles and I was pushing 30mph most the way, at one point a tractor pulled out ahead of me and I just blasted past as he tried to accelerate and catch me - I looked back and he was gone !
A nice luch in Tabara followed where I had a tapas which seemed to be a hot dog in a bun with a lasagne sauce on it - very tasty it was, washed down by a Radler and a Coffee.
I left the lunchbreak somehow only 30 minutes behind schedule with one last hill to climb then a 20 mile run into Benavente. I flew up the hill and was flying along the flat roads to Benavente - at one stage I was timing myslef between the kilometer markers - 88 seconds, then 77, the thighs were pumping and working hard like Chris Hoy and I continued the pace pertty much all the way arriving in Benavente at 5:30 a whole 45 minutes ahead of schedule !