Day 14
Friday 26.06.09 La Fresneda to Gavin 220 miles
Today I am travelling across the plains of Aragon. Hope I don’t meet any Auks or Trolls :) I'm heading north to the Pyrenees.
Packed and ready to go at 9.00 am, heading off in a North Easterly direction. What you have heard about the Spanish plains is all true – Terrain = Flat, Colour = Brown, miles of it! Wheat, corn, corn, wheat. It’s a big change from the rolling hills full of fruit orchards, that I have just left.
After a couple of hours of this I turn North riding along a large river. Everywhere, and I mean as far as the eye can see, there are fruit trees – both sides of the road which runs in a straight line, following the river. Every few miles there is a small village with storks nesting in the church towers. I take a right turn which takes me up and out of the valley and back into ‘Spaghetti Western’ country. Stop for some lunch at 2.00 pm. It’s 30 degrees. Bloody ‘Ot agin Sheriff!
Just finishing my Tapas when up roll 4 coaches full of Army Recruits and they all pile in. Their must be a hundred of them, all carrying Hand Guns and Assault rifles!!!?? I hope they are not loaded! I suppose they couldn’t just leave them on the bus.
So I finally get back on the road. It’s getting greener and I’m starting to climb quite steeply. Then I round a bend and WEEEE! Its like seeing an old friend, the Pyrenees are laid out before me. The view is breathtaking and the mountains looks so high! The excitement is compounded by the fact that I will be camping near the top tonight.
I am driving around a massive reservoir. In front of me the scene has gone very dark, this is not going to be a small shower. It is very intimidating sight watching a mountain storm headed your way, albeit stunningly beautiful. A few minutes later I stop in a layby and don my wet gear, the temperature has dropped from 29 to 14 degrees. As I ride, I watch the storm moving from left to right. No one wants to get wet on a bike but, hey, what an amazing sight! 15 minutes later, after one short, heavy shower I’m taking the waterproofs off and the temperature is rising to 25 degrees.
I get to a town called Ainsa, a mecca for bikers, and turn West. The road narrows and becomes very bumpy. 25 miles of potholes and hairpin bends leads me to the campsite at Gavin, close to the border with France. The usual routine – Make a brew, pitch up, go for a shower and cook a meal.
It’s a cool but bright evening and I spend it staring at the mountains and reading a book, chatting to the odd passer by. The sun goes down and the mountains change colour from green to red to black. I love being in the mountains. I plan to rest tomorrow. Jump in the pool, go for a walk and maybe have a nice meal .........