Tour de Andalucía - CSS250A
We are all checked in at the beautiful golf course hotel Parador. We are about to start our Tour of Andalusia. The Welcome briefing went into all the nitty gritty that is important for our tour: When, where, what, how, etc. and of course safety tips and route information.
The first day is ahead of us and the sun still laughs very weakly in the morning. We leave with a lot of wind and it should accompany us the rest of the day. Stormy here in the mountains. First we went to the mountains northeast of Málaga on wonderfully empty streets. The temperature is pleasant and we already have a good swing on it. A photo stop and on to the coffee. Some people need it urgently. Impressive rock landscapes accompany us back down to the coast where we eat directly on the beach. Then it leads us back up to the mountains and we welcome the cool winds very much. A great piece of road that leads us to Granada. Here we still visit the Alhambra and let ourselves drift through the city. A perfect first day. El primer día está por delante y el sol todavía sonríe muy débilmente por la mañana. Nos vamos con mucho viento y debería acompañarnos el resto del día. Tormentoso aquí en las montañas. Primero fuimos a las montañas al noreste de Málaga por calles maravillosamente vacías. La temperatura es agradable y ya tenemos un buen swing. Una parada de fotos y continuar con el café. Algunos lo necesitan con urgencia. Impresionantes paisajes rocosos nos acompañan de nuevo hasta la costa, donde comemos directamente en la playa. Luego nos lleva de nuevo a las montañas y damos la bienvenida a los vientos frescos. Un gran tramo de carretera que nos lleva a Granada. Aquí todavía visitamos la Alhambra y nos dejamos llevar por la ciudad. Un primer día perfecto.
Today we rode into the Sierra Nevada mountains and parked our bikes at one of the highest location during a coffee stop. The weather was perfect and the curves along Route 305 up to Hoya de la Mora snuggled with our bikes the whole way. The views were amazing and surprisingly the weather above 2500 Meters was warm. We had a great view of Spain's tallest peak, Mulhacen. As we rode down again and past Granada once more we caught a glimpse of Alhambra where we visited last night and had a spectacular time. The Nasrid Palace is truly special and we admired the intricate artwork with plaster, wood, and stone that created this UNESCO World Heritage site in all its beauty. After Granada we wound our ways through the many olive tree farms that litter this blessed region between Jaen and Granada. A superbly arranged picnic at an even more beautiful location just south of Muclin became a welcomed lunch break. Then it was one more coffee stop on the way to our majestic Parador Hotel on top of the same rock where the Jaen Castillo sits. What a view and what a day!
Otro día con un sol radiante. Hoy descubrimos la historia de Andalucía. Primero visitamos el Castillo Catarina en Jaén y después la Fortaleza de la Mota en Alcalá La Real. Desde aquí comenzó la Reconquista en el siglo XV. Nos sentimos como reyes y sultanes entre estos muros. Además, en nuestro viaje de hoy: millones de olivos. Poco a poco se entiende de dónde viene todo el aceite de oliva. La tarde es calurosa y nos refugiamos rápidamente en nuestra hacienda con piscina y bebidas frías. Another day of bright sunshine. Today we are experiencing Andalusian history. First, Castillo Catarina in Jaén and then Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcala La Real. This is where the Reconquista began in the 15th century. We feel like kings and sultans within these walls. Also on today's itinerary: millions of olive trees. We are slowly beginning to understand where all the olive oil comes from. The afternoon is hot, and we quickly head back to our hacienda with its pool and cold drinks.
Today's theme for the ride was: Andalusia's Wild Side and we did see many things of that nature. First up, was the incredible rock formation left behind from the bottom of oceans 150 million of years ago: El Torcal. A landscape of emerging and rocks by water that created caves inside this mountain range was more than spectacular. The we stopped at El Chorros's Garganta or Gorge. A gorge carved into a valley with amazing cliffs that helped produce one of the first hydropower works in Spain as the water had to travel through it. But what was most evident again was Andalusia's preference for curvy country roads, and by golly, did we ride many of those again. A lunch stop in Setenil de las Bodegas, a puebla blanca in the Cadiz region, was outright amazing. How these villages live their lives literally INSIDE and UNDER these huge bolders, is breathtaking. A quick stop to refresh in yet another white village, Coripe, and we made it all the way into the heart of Sevilla. What a wild day it was indeed.
Today we are sleeping in a little and explore the beautiful city of Sevilla. The largest city in Andalusia and one of the most important one in Spain. The center of Flamenco, a dance and art form created by some of the most shunned people in the region, the Roma gypsies. However, the region and city has developed Flamenco into a global phenomena with intense dancing, singing, and clapping. Also, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world is here: La Catedral de Seville. A masterpiece of architecture in size and beauty which also house the remains of Christopher Columbus. The old town, Casco Antigua, is equally enchanting and busy while offering the amazing foods of Andalusian cuisine of meats (Jamon Iberico), Seafood (polvo, etc), and Picual olives the size of plums. Another great day in Andalusia's mayor city.
Today, unfortunately, we are already leaving Seville. We are heading south in search of bulls and the former border towns of the Moors. The morning is leisurely. We have lunch in Arcos de la Frontera, sheltered from the wind, and then enjoy the view over a coffee. In the afternoon, the thermometer rises to the pain threshold and we quickly head up into the mountains where it is a little more pleasant. The Grazalema National Park guides us on our way to Ronda. A beautiful corner of Spain. Hoy, lamentablemente, dejamos Sevilla. Nos dirigimos hacia el sur en busca de toros y las antiguas ciudades fronterizas de los moros. La mañana transcurre tranquilamente. Comemos en Arcos de la Frontera, al abrigo del viento, y después disfrutamos de las vistas mientras tomamos un café. Por la tarde, el termómetro sube hasta alcanzar un nivel insoportable, por lo que nos refugiamos rápidamente en las montañas, donde se está algo más agradable. El Parque Nacional de Grazalema nos guía hasta Ronda. Un rincón precioso de España.
Today, there is the option of taking a break or spending half a day traveling through the mountains. Four decide to go along. The rest stay in Ronda and stroll around. There is also a lot to discover here and enjoy the view. In addition, there is a small town festival today. The adventurers on their motorcycles, on the other hand, enjoy free riding and carefree cornering. Wonderful. When we return, Oli surprises us with a picnic and cold drinks. Great! Hoy existe la posibilidad de hacer una pausa o pasar medio día recorriendo las montañas. Cuatro deciden acompañarnos. El resto se queda en Ronda y da un paseo. Aquí también hay mucho que descubrir y disfrutar de las vistas. Además, hoy hay una pequeña fiesta en la ciudad. Los aventureros en moto, por su parte, disfrutan de la libertad de conducir y de las curvas sin preocupaciones. Maravilloso. Cuando volvemos, Oli nos sorprende con un pícnic y bebidas frías. ¡Genial!
Our final day is bittersweet. We had a wonderful time so far and don’t want it to end, but all great trips end at some point. We traveled over the Sierra de la Nieves twice, from Ronda down to San Pedro de Alcantera and back up again before we slipped east to Malaga and through several white pueblos like Burgo, Yunquera, Coin and Mijas. We had more curves today than any other time in this trip and of course, great weather, food, and lots of fun along the way. Our farewell dinner was equally exciting as we parted ways with incredible memories and new friendships. What an amazing journey it has been.