Day 3 - Run for the Hills
Sunday 27th August 2017
The sea is like a sheet of glass all the way across Biscay and I sleep very well on the Baie de Seine. Breakfast is coffee and croissants. The ferry arrives on time and of course it is raining. So much for escaping to Spain for a bit of sun.
Although it is wet it is also quite warm. and so the perennial problem arises; to suit up and sweat or hope for an improvement in the weather and risk an early soaking? I need fuel anyway so I delay the decision until I have found a service station and filled up.
Fuel is slightly cheaper here in Spain than in the UK at €1.17 per litre. After an immigration process that is only a quick passport check I make a pit stop and consider my options. It is raining harder now so I struggle into the waterproof suit and head off along the A67 and M8 motorways to Cabazon de la Sal where a side road leads me up into the mountains of the Picos d'Europa.
It is very beautiful here. The roads are empty of traffic, very twisty and all have a perfect surface, so unlike the rural roads back home in the UK. This is a poor area of Spain, evidenced by the many dilapidated buildings and lack of facilities. But the roads are maintained to a very high standard.
My meandering route takes me up and over several low passes in the 500-800 metre range. The weather is improving all the time and at a lookout high on one 'col' I stop and strip off the rain gear with some relief.
I've been riding for around an hour when I run down a lovely valley and join a main road, the N621, at La Hermida. Traffic is heavier here as I ride down a steep-sided gorge by the River Deva into Potes. Contrary to my normal routine I have pre-booked a hotel here for two nights. I wanted to be sure of a place to stay in case the ferry was delayed. But from now on I will find accommodation on the fly.
The Hotel Valdecoro is a few hundred metres from the centre of Potes. It is busy and comfortable. I put the bike in a car park around the back where I can keep an eye on it from my first floor window.
In the evening I stroll down into Potes, an unspoilt town with some impressive buildings. The centre is dominated by the river which runs through in a narrow gorge with pretty arched bridges and glorious views of the Picos to the east.
Supper is a pizza with beer and olives in a sports bar by the river where big outdoor screens are showing a live La Liga game. Eibar beat Athletic Club 0-1 to the audible approval of most of the other customers.
The sea is like a sheet of glass all the way across Biscay and I sleep very well on the Baie de Seine. Breakfast is coffee and croissants. The ferry arrives on time and of course it is raining. So much for escaping to Spain for a bit of sun.
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| Docking at Santander |
Although it is wet it is also quite warm. and so the perennial problem arises; to suit up and sweat or hope for an improvement in the weather and risk an early soaking? I need fuel anyway so I delay the decision until I have found a service station and filled up.
 |
| Time to remove the waterproofs |
 |
| Lovely views |
It is very beautiful here. The roads are empty of traffic, very twisty and all have a perfect surface, so unlike the rural roads back home in the UK. This is a poor area of Spain, evidenced by the many dilapidated buildings and lack of facilities. But the roads are maintained to a very high standard.
My meandering route takes me up and over several low passes in the 500-800 metre range. The weather is improving all the time and at a lookout high on one 'col' I stop and strip off the rain gear with some relief.
 |
| ...several low cols |
I've been riding for around an hour when I run down a lovely valley and join a main road, the N621, at La Hermida. Traffic is heavier here as I ride down a steep-sided gorge by the River Deva into Potes. Contrary to my normal routine I have pre-booked a hotel here for two nights. I wanted to be sure of a place to stay in case the ferry was delayed. But from now on I will find accommodation on the fly.
The Hotel Valdecoro is a few hundred metres from the centre of Potes. It is busy and comfortable. I put the bike in a car park around the back where I can keep an eye on it from my first floor window.
In the evening I stroll down into Potes, an unspoilt town with some impressive buildings. The centre is dominated by the river which runs through in a narrow gorge with pretty arched bridges and glorious views of the Picos to the east.
 |
| Picos skyline |
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| Pizza and sports bar in Potes |
Supper is a pizza with beer and olives in a sports bar by the river where big outdoor screens are showing a live La Liga game. Eibar beat Athletic Club 0-1 to the audible approval of most of the other customers.
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