Tracks of My Tears

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Tears of joy....a real gem of a day. 

But first to wrap up yesterday:  the local public holiday in Bejar meant that our choices for dinner were limited and we settled on a small local's bar/restaurant for no better reason than it was open.  The place was busy and we stuck out as strangers rather more than I would have liked but we settled in and as soon as the waitress had served us each a generous bucket of Rioja we started to feel at home.  We had another fantastic, inexpensive meal and we are becoming real fans of 'ensalada mixta' as an appetiser...a groaning plate of fresh salad items with olives, tuna, eggs and a generous pour of olive oil with white wine or balsamic vinegar. 

So....today.  I had plotted a road route of about 50 miles with 3500 of climb but, at the last moment, I noticed what appeared to be a bike path running the entire way.  Some research established it was a converted railway line, unpaved but traffic-free and saving 10 miles and 2500 ft of climb.  I am not usually a fan of off-roading but the legs are still on work to rule and the moment the ALRCPU steward got wind of things he announced that it was the only option his members would support.  There were 2 points where we could bale to the road if it was horrid so we decided to give it a punt.  It was fantastic!!!  The surfaces were mostly good, allowing near-road speeds, and the path was mostly deserted and gently downhill for much of the way.  Sometimes we were buried deep in cuttings but then we would burst out with views over the valley...there was even an exciting little tunnel and some spectacular bridges.  We had an absolute blast and the shorter distance and flatter terrain meant we rolled into Plasencia at 1pm.

We took advantage of the early finish to go inner-tube shopping then had lunch in the sun in the market square before checking in seconds before a bus load of geriatric Spaniards turned up.  It seems the cycling gods are pleased with us for now!

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