Monday 2nd June 2025 Andalucia to La Virginia
We enjoyed the delights of the little Town Andalucia last night, had a pizza and chips in one of the only places open, very nice and great attentive service, did not serve beer, but let me go to the shop next door and get a few, cant have a pizza without beer, another rule I have just made up. Then back to the Hostel for another early night, got to get the sleep to keep these perfect bodies in shape and keep the miles rolling.

Another tiny room so had my breakfast on the veranda very posh, well it was not that posh but a nice view of the distant mountains, with low hanging clouds mystically hanging over them, eerily pretty.

On the road and off we go, got a lot to do after yesterdays epic ride, not even out of the little Town and have to take a minute to look at a rusty old Morris Oxford, looks a bit like a bigger Morris Minor, my Dad would have been pleased we stooped and took a picture. Off we go again, just taking it easy for the first couple of miles, let the old joints ease themselves in, same glorious green countryside, Bingo on high alert for any animals, the birds, are constantly singing in the hedgerows and nearby trees, but pretty difficult to spot them. Though Bingo does point out a red squirrel scurrying around the bottom of the trees, lovely sight.

The pace steadily increases as we steam along the quite road, little bit more up and done that yesterday still good though, not sure about the weather, very sultry who knows could rain or come out sunny we will see. Quite a lot of cyclist out again, then realise it is a Bank Holiday, they all give us a little wave as they go past, few take a moment to ask where we are from. Heading towards La Viginia or further see how we feel.

Making good progress pull in for a coffee and soft drink in a cafe just outside Obando, think the place must be good because loads of cyclist have stopped there, coffee was that good we had two cups, just taking in the ambiance and chatting with all the cyclists, was a bit busy so waited till they had all left before we settled the bill. Just as we got going Bingo had a puncture in his rear wheel, quickly changed the inner tube, but could not find anything in the tyre causing the puncture, always a bit of a concern, as they usually puncture again. Sure enough 15 mins down the road another puncture, this time we really examine the tyre, found the culprit and bit of tyre wire debris dug right into the tyre, pulled it out and put another inner tube, hopefully that has sorted it.

Making really good progress again, but know we have a little climb around 55 miles in, so decide to ride that its only about 4 miles long and a steady incline, then see how we feel. Pulled into the first cafe / restaurant over the top of the climb. had a coffee and a soft drink, but no WIFI, think it is the area we are in, so carry on, making the decision to not stop at La Viginia push on a little bit further, with only google maps to go on, not the best or accurate maps, but hey ho we are travellers what can go wrong. We stopped about 6 miles North of La Viginia for some lunch, Bingo has some soup, I have rice, beans and eggs, washed down with a couple of cold ones, but still no WIFI, we think we have a couple of hostels / hotels up this road or we can turn right and head into the wilderness and hope we can find a place there.

Decide to take the sensible option and stay on the road, first three places where a no go, first was a private club, second was a truck repair yard now and the third was a place of ill repute, not going to stay there, thats how good google maps are. We carry on, come to a ramshackled place on the road, nice lady says no room, but you may get a place up the road, hopefully. On we go less than a mile we come to a sign “Restaurante y Echohotel” Bingo speaks to the guy on the corner, he just points up this track, you know what they say about faint hearts and pigs well leave it as that as my Mum reads this! so off we went up the track, met the wonderful lady who is the manager, start my well rehearsed patter in Spanish she relies very casually do you speak English, with a wry smile sure, she speaks better English than me, soon got everything in order, room and a bar tab how good is that, like we said the sun always shines on the righteous, though no WIFI, which is not a bad thing now and again, though we could do with some more routes, sure we can blag it tomorrow.

Really nice afternoon relaxing, while Bingo fixed his two inner tubes, then repairing the lights in the cabin, then playing the guessing games on which route we will take tomorrow, will worry about that in the morning.