Tour de España, 2012

[picos mestizo]

Hello Simon,
Great trip & photo's.
SD cards:- I have several faulty cards which I have been advised is caused by using the computers software to wipe them. I now only use Camera function to erase & have had no more problems.
I believe there is software available to recover these delinquently missformatted cards.
Safe trip
Brian.

[Paul-S]

More great pics Simon

[Simon_100]

Great pictures especially seeing blue sky and sunny weather as it has been horrible in South Wales...rain....more rain....even more rain. Keep sending in the pictures. How long are you touring for?

Hi,

Thanks for your commenst. Tomorrow I'm turning my wheels towards home. I have a great treat in store riding along the fabulous Sierra de Gredos, where I based myself for a few days last year. Then I've decided to go the autovia route from Toledo to Cuenca before anothe treat riding up through the Serrania de Cuanaca nd into the Sierra de Albarracin, where I'll be camping. Both of these go against the graiun for me; going somewhwre I onow and using autovias, but time has rolled on and unless I do this 'short cut' I'd be another week bimbking either weel north or well south of Madrid. But after that I've got another 'new' area to explore, so its all worthwhile

Meanwhile, I think the weeks on the road are taking their toll. I'm more annoyed about the memory card tgiung than it warrants - thanks to all of your advice - but worse in a way is I'mm getting intoleart of little things. As I write - or try to write - this, the Internet connection only works outside the cafeterai, where the light is so intense I can hardly see the screen, the musak is so abominable I can hardly hear myself think and I'm being eaten alonve by flies! Grumpy old sod Verson 4!

On a more posit9ve note, the crap weather you've all had in the UK - it is Wimbliedon after all has maent that we've had unusually cool weather here - only about 30º, which has helped me enormously as I've been riding in one of Spain's hottest zones.

Sorry for motre that the usial typis - I am almost literally typing blind!

Regs

Simon

[Simon_100]

Hello Simon,
Great trip & photo's.
SD cards:- I have several faulty cards which I have been advised is caused by using the computers software to wipe them. I now only use Camera function to erase & have had no more problems.
I believe there is software available to recover these delinquently missformatted cards.
Safe trip
Brian.

Thanks Brian, I really appreciate this - great to know it's not just me"!

Simon
PS treally looking forward to Cantabria in October - nice and cool

[Simon_100]

Great pictures especially seeing blue sky and sunny weather as it has been horrible in South Wales...rain....more rain....even more rain. Keep sending in the pictures. How long are you touring for?

Hi,

Thanks for your commenst. Tomorrow I'm turning my wheels towards home. I have a great treat in store riding along the fabulous Sierra de Gredos, where I based myself for a few days last year. Then I've decided to go the autovia route from Toledo to Cuenca before anothe treat riding up through the Serrania de Cuanaca nd into the Sierra de Albarracin, where I'll be camping. Both of these go against the graiun for me; going somewhwre I onow and using autovias, but time has rolled on and unless I do this 'short cut' I'd be another week bimbking either weel north or well south of Madrid. But after that I've got another 'new' area to explore, so its all worthwhile

Meanwhile, I think the weeks on the road are taking their toll. I'm more annoyed about the memory card tgiung than it warrants - thanks to all of your advice - but worse in a way is I'mm getting intoleart of little things. As I write - or try to write - this, the Internet connection only works outside the cafeterai, where the light is so intense I can hardly see the screen, the musak is so abominable I can hardly hear myself think and I'm being eaten alonve by flies! Grumpy old sod Verson 4!

On a more posit9ve note, the crap weather you've all had in the UK - it is Wimbliedon after all has maent that we've had unusually cool weather here - only about 30º, which has helped me enormously as I've been riding in one of Spain's hottest zones.

Sorry for motre that the usial typis - I am almost literally typing blind!

Regs

Simon

This all sounds really negaitive, that's not what it is at all. Jiust a bit peeved! I've had a great day walking in the mountains above the village - sixcteen kilometres and a climb of about 500 metres - there was a cool pool at the top!!

Regs

Simes

[prw44]

Sorry to hear about your memory card, my daughter had the same problem when she needed the images for a school assessment. Travelling in 30C is no fun after a couple of hours. I had this when i was in the South of France travelling around. Keep sending the pics in and the comments about your holiday.

[Elle]

Hi Simon, fantastic photo's again with some great historical bits

You should create a "great biking roads in Spain" book & have it published. I'm sure it would sell well

[Simon_100]

Hi Simon, fantastic photo's again with some great historical bits

You should create a "great biking roads in Spain" book & have it published. I'm sure it would sell well

Don't give me any more big ideas Elle

Meanwhile: 652 kilometres today and quite a killer. One reason I rode so far was that I knew where I was going - for a change - although at the end I took a wrong turning and decided to bimble my way through - extending the day by well over 100 k's :silly:

I had a really boring time crossing over the great plains of Castilla-la-Mancha from Talavera to Cuenca, but it was worth using the virtually empty autovia - even though I hate these it saved me a day/night in the back of beyond.

Top marks to the route were threefold - with a fourth resulting from my 'bimple':

Srating the day with a ride over the Gredos mountains was sublime - see my posts from last year's Tour - look at the day before and a day or two after as well!

Likewise the end of the day riding through the fabulous Serrania de Cuenca

But right in the middle of the day the route took me right past Toledo's old city. I knew all about this and planned the route specially for it - but the view surpassed all I could have expected. People pay fortunes for hotel rooms with this veiw for the sunset alone, you can imagine why!

Ftoledo1.jpg (63.67 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Then I go and spoil it

Ftoledo2.jpg (52.09 KiB) Viewed 835 times

I wasn't going to stop and make more photos of the Serrania de Cuenca as they are all there on last year's blog - in fact it's been quite a relief not to feel the need to stop and photo things! - but I couldn't resist:

Fserrania.jpg (70.89 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Fserrania2.jpg (63.73 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Then my bimble took me to a part of this area that I dnd't know before - curiouser and curiouser; a huge regions of badlands sytretched away to both horizons from the cultivated valley floor where the road was! Please forgive the lousy photos, they don't to the subject justice, but it was getting seriously late and I still had a way to go!

Fbadlands1.jpg (53.54 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Fbadlands2.jpg (65.81 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Phew, off to beddy-byes quite soon!

Regs

Simon!

[PHILinFRANCE]

Proper smashing stuff Si B) keep it coming
Phil

[Paul-S]

Nice one Simon

When you see a ride report once in a while it's just that. However, your trip and pictures posted every day has left me feeling like we're all there with you

Thanks for doing this and sharing the pics mate

Makes going back to work a little easier

Till next time

Ride safe as ever