Los Locos Del Serrano

The ride is hilly with a long climb up on one hill.  Going during the heat of the day is good Sahara training.  Still in cork country as the trees are peeled for the vino bottles.  We had to wait for the stores to open before the going the seven kilometers to the camp.

Los Locos Del Serrano

7/31/12

55.4 Kilometers, 4:00 Moving Time, Max Speed 51.8 k, Moving Average 13.8 k, 

 Stop Time 4:33, Overall Average Speed 6.5 k,   Start 12:00 end 17:30 Accent 428 meters.

Sunny and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Monesterio

More wheat fields to fill the scenery.  A hotel owner got real aggressive today.  Stopped us and gave us a brochure of his hotel which was in the next town.  In the next town we stopped for some refreshments and the hotel owner was back pitching his place.  We wanted more miles so we moved on.  Cindy is still in training so we stop to exercise the legs.  To end the day there is a nice hill to go over. 

Monesterio

7/30/12

52.8 Kilometers, 3:54 Moving Time, Max Speed 51.6 k, Moving Average 13.5 k, 

 Stop Time 3:58, Overall Average Speed 6.7 k,   Start 12:00 end 20:00 Accent 402 meters.

Sunny and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Yes this is Extremadura

We cycle through very bleak country.  With no grass on the ground, the place felt harsh and dry.  While looking for a place to stay we were drag off a street by a nice lady running a bar.  She then had us looking at her hotel rooms in the back.  They were nice and we stayed.

Los Santos de Maimona

7/29/12

33.5 Kilometers, 3:04 Moving Time, Max Speed 44.5 k, Moving Average 10.9 k, 

 Stop Time 4:56, Overall Average Speed 4.2 k,   Start 12:00 end 20:00 Accent 187 meters.

Sunny and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Almendralejo

With a list in hand we stopped in on the bike parts store for parts, for me a new cassette and a chain.  We took the frontage road south.  In Almendralejo the tourist office was closed, but had a list of accommodations in the window.  Asking direction had us lead down the street by a nice older lady. 

Almendralejo

7/28/12

36.5 Kilometers, 2:52 Moving Time, Max Speed 33.6 k, Moving Average 12.7 k, 

 Stop Time 2:44, Overall Average Speed 6.5 k,   Start 12:00 end 20:00 Accent 182 meters.

Sunny and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Merida rest day

Rest Day. Found a bike store with lots of parts, but we did not remember the components numbers we need.  We will return.  The roman sites in town did not draw me to pay for a ticket to view the up close. 
(No Pics)

Merida

7/27/12

16.6 Kilometers, 1:21 Moving Time, Max Speed 35.7 k, Moving Average 12.7 k, 

 Stop Time 1:32, Overall Average Speed 5.2 k,   Start 12:00 end 18:00 Accent 121 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Merida

It is another hot ride where we stop to soak our feet in the canal water.  Towns have few trees and look the worst for it. 

Merida

7/26/12

48.3 Kilometers, 3:48 Moving Time, Max Speed 44.8 k, Moving Average 12.7 k, 

 Stop Time 3:27, Overall Average Speed 6.6 k,   Start 11:00 end 18:00 Accent 285 meters.

Sunny with evening clouds

Love & Kisses

Steve

Conguesta del Gradiana

Found that we both sleep in and ended up packing in 15 minutes to avoid paying for another day.  Road turned to dirt in places and that lead to Cindy getting a flat tire.  Then over a big bump a screw came out of one of my panniers.  I was lucky and found the special screw.   Now we are seeing storks everywhere and only stop if there is nice background for a picture.  In town trying to find the campground we find that it is down the autobahn where bikes are not allowed.  Working across farm roads without the GPS as it shows no minor roads we find the campground.

Conguesta del Gradiana

7/25/12

69.4 Kilometers, 4:52 Moving Time, Max Speed 57.2 k, Moving Average 14.2 k, 

 Stop Time 4:16, Overall Average Speed 7.6 k,   Start 12:00 end 21:30 Accent 254 meters.

A few cloud and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Touring Trujillo

We just toured the town for the day.  We kept running into a New Zealand couple we met the day before.  I think they were stalking us.

Trujillo

7/24/12

No riding, walked all day.

Sunny and Hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Trujillo

We started the day riding up hill. Had some New Zealanders who were on tour bikes pass us on the first hill.  It was only 4k to the first town for more food.  Then we had a long ride to Trujillo.  Ran into the New Zealand couple again and they recommend some restaurants. 

Trujillo

7/23/12

49.3 Kilometers, 3:53 Moving Time, Max Speed 50.3 k, Moving Average 12.7 k, 

 Stop Time 5:20, Overall Average Speed 5.3 k,   Start 11:00 end 19:00 Accent 526meters.

Sunny and Very Hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

So where is campground

With one thing after another coming up and we got a very late start, but we were only going 20k.  We passed a campground at 10k, but the tourist office circle the next village as having camping.  We got to the small village and found no camping.  This being in a park we though would try wild camping.  The park was dedicated to Vultures.  We found an old ruined building by an old bridge across the reservoir.  We were thinking of camping on the second floor there when we saw a ranger truck spying on us.  We moved on watching the birds circling over head.  I think I like vulture circling me more than storks.  Trees would not give us cover from the road for wild camping.  Finally outside of the park came to an arroyo that we could go up and camp out of sight.  We slept next to the gauging station.

Torrejori al Rubio

7/22/12

48.3 Kilometers, 2:33 Moving Time, Max Speed 47.6 k, Moving Average 15.0 k, 

 Stop Time 2.50, Overall Average Speed 7.1 k,   Start 15:30 end 21:00 Accent 233 meters.

Sunny and Hot

Love & Kisses

Steve