Day 7 - Mainly on the Plain

Thursday 31st August 2017

I wake up feeling pretty flakey. But I have a long ride planned today so I have to get up and about. Breakfast is at 08:30 which is 09:30 in Spain, so it is midday in Spain by the time I reach the border.

Great portuguese breakfast

  But first a word about the lovely breakfast I am served up. As well as the usual bread, cheese, ham, jams and marmalade, and a variety of fruit I am also served scrambled eggs and bacon. Just the job. I feel a lot better after that.

All this costs just €60. It is €40 for the B&B and just €20 for last night's two course meal which included a litre of wine and unlimited brandy. I like Portugal. 

I must make another visit to this country. But for now I want to head back across Spain to the Pyrenees. There is no way to avoid crossing the central lowlands but I have planned a route that is mostly on dual carriageways and motorways so average speeds can be high. The road up to the border about 20 miles away is a fine sweeping motorway. In Spain the next section is slower on a single carriageway through several towns, then across a sort of blasted heath of scrub land, featureless and bleak.

Blasted heath

Finally around Zamora I find a motorway that takes me past Valladolid to Burgos, a little over 200 miles from my start point. It's a pleasant day, mostly sunny with some high cloud and fairly cool. As I approach Burgos I can see the mountains in the distance. It will be good to get off the lowlands and back into the twisties.
The bike is running well but I have a nagging ache in the small of my back and am still a little hungover from last night's session. Burgos is a spaghetti junction of motorways so I do not get to see the town.

I turn off onto side road. My route ends at a hotel I found on the web but when I arrive it is unimpressive and next to a fast busy road, not at all inviting. So I check out Booking.com and find that my next route takes me past Santo Domingo where there is a Parador hotel in the medieval centre next to the famous cathedral.
 

The Parador in the centre of Santo Domingo

The motorcycle travel writer, John Herman, recommends the Parador hotel chain highly. Each one is located in a building of historical and architectural note. This one is a modernised 12th century pilgrims' hospice. Paradors are classy state-owned hotels and are expensive places to stay in the context of my usual accommodations but I think it is about time I gave one a try, so I head east again for another 50km or so to the ancient town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

 

Santo Domingo cathedral

The old town centre is closed to traffic unless you have a hotel booking or other business there. I ride the bike through the barriers and pole up in the ancient square with cathedral on one side, clock tower on another, a daughter church on the third and the parador completing the square. The hotel is fabulous inside. It has been skilfully built around the medieval columns and floors of the original building but is a thoroughly modern 4 star hotel. 
It costs €100 for room only. The underground car park is another €14 but the alternative is open parking 150 metres away so I opt for the basement which has a lift up into the hotel.

Cunningly constructed hotel in a medieval shell

It is a comfortable room with a casement window that opens onto the cathedral square, a fantastic view. I shower and change then go for a stroll around the ancient alley ways and traffic-free squares of the town. It is on the route of a pilgrimage and there are lots of backpackers about.
 

hotel lobby

I am very tired after a long day on the bike and don't fancy any alcohol after last night's exigencies. So although I am in the heart of the Rioja region and there are enticing special offers in the numerous wine shops I opt for crisps and fruit and water and get my head down for an early night in the 12th century Pilgrim's guest house.

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