Day 24
After saying my goodbyes to my friends in Alvor I headed West. Riding along the N125 I passed by Faro and continued until I had to join the motorway to cross the border in to Spain. I then continued on the A49 from the border, circumventing Seville and headed South on the N4 and A381 till I eventually reached Gibraltar.
Once there I was disappointed as it was nothing like I had expected it to be and the only positive thing that I have to say about Gibraltar was the price of petrol at only 85 cents per litre. I don’t really know what I was expecting but it seemed very cluttered, almost industrial in nature, so after a quick circuit it was back across the border and back in to Spain where I found a reasonable motel room for under 25 Euros for the night.
Day 25
The next morning I took the N340 along the coast and passed through the tourist havens of Marbella and Malaga, these towns were not to my liking but I can see why these areas are popular tourist destinations. West of Malaga I got off the main road and hit the smaller roads as I headed up to the city of Granada.
When I arrived in Granada I tried to visit the Alhambra palace but due to the restrictions it was closed, so I took a quick photo of the city from a nearby vantage point and then I headed in to the city where I found a very nice hotel for under 30 Euros and bedded down for the night.
Day 26
The next morning I decided to try and ride up the highest paved road in Europe, the Pico Veleta in the Siera Nevadas, however I found the road to the summit was closed off by a barrier but not to be deterred I took one of the gravel tracks below it and managed to get almost all the way up to the summit before the gravel track joined the forbidden road.
As there were a lot of official vehicles on the road I decided not to see if they would call the Spanish cops if I went to the summit, so I turned and trundled back down. After my unsuccessful attempt to get to the top of the Pico Veleta I took a very pleasant ride from Granada up through the National park of Cazorla Segura. As usual away from the motorways the roads were empty and the scenery quite stunning.
I eventually stopped at a large motel near to Requena where I spent the night. It was one of the more expensive rooms that I chose but being very little else available, a room for 50 Euros was all that was on offer.
Day 27
The next day I took the N330 North from Albacete in the direction of Teruel where I saw many abandoned railway stations that used to service a now defunct line that ran parallel to the main road.
Further along the N330 to Teruel I found a small parking place at the side of the road where I could stop to make a coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet of the deserted road in the middle of the Spanish countryside.
A mid afternoon stop in the city of Alcaniz was next on the agenda. There I took a break from the hot afternoon sun by sitting sipping coffee and smoking a cigar in the shade of the Cathedral.
I then resumed my journey Eastwards on the N420 to the city of Reus where I would stay with some friends for a few days but on the way I again had to stop and photograph the amazing scenery.
