Spain 2023: Walk around the Buseo reservoir
10 December '23: Embalse de Buseo hike (13 km) Nice and, for 90%, easy hike around the Buseo reservoir on wide gravel paths. The devil was in the last 5 km from the dam to the village of Chera: a climb along a steep rocky path from the reservoir to a path above the roadway, a difference in altitude [...]
Spain 2023: Walk to Peñiscola
Serra d'Irta: from Alcossebre to Peñiscola along photogenic beaches 7 Dec '23: Easy and beautiful walk to PeñiscolaNo long story today. It was an easy 16km walk along the coast, with beautiful views and magnificent creeks and beaches to dream away on. About halfway, Els passed me with her UAZ Bukhanka. [...]
Spain 2023: Walk Campanilles hill
5 Dec '23: Difficult walk to the top of Campanilles hill in the Serra d'Irta For today, I had planned a circular walk to the top of Campanilles hill (572 metres). I had mapped out a route on Komoot and at 9:45 I set off with daypack and hiking poles. The hike was 17 km [...]
Cycle tour 2023: Salamanca - Hendaye
Photos Salamanca - Hendaye 21 April: Salamanca - Tordesillas (84 km - 370D+)A long but very easy ride today! The nearest campsite was +80 km from Salamanca. A long ride but the weather forecast promised a tailwind of +30 km/h. And that's what I got! Apart from the few hills, I hardly had to pedal. [...]
Bike tour 2023: Burgos
25 April: BurgosBurgos is the city of El CID and UNESCO World Heritage Cathedral. Today I slept a little longer to recover from yesterday's long ride. Then I spent some time calling Ortlieb Spain to arrange a replacement quick lock system for the broken one. It was already after 12pm when I left [...]
Bike tour 2023: Extremadura - Salamanca
Photos Extremadura to Salamanca 12 April: Salorino- Cáceres (57.3 km - 590D+)Today was a fairly easy ride, always along the N521, which is not a busy road with a wide hard shoulder for bikes. Apart from the first three kilometres from Paulo Cristóvão's farm to the main road. That compact dirt road through vast holm oak orchards is a true cycling delight! [...]
Bike tour 2023: Cáceres UNESCO heritage site
13 April: City visit to Cáceres Today I take a rest day in Cáceres and have time to visit the old city centre. I first strolled to the Plaza Mayor with its many terraces and bars under vaulted galleries and the Torre de Bujaco and Arco de Estrella. The latter gives access to the historic city centre. The side walls of the Arco [...]
Bike tour 2023: Huelva (Spain) - Tavira (Portugal)
Photos from Portugal 14 March: Playa Taray in Huelva - Tavira (Portugal)(47.7 km - 330 D+)I left the campsite around 10:30 and first went to a bike shop in Isla Cristina to have my brake pads replaced. Just after I entered the shop, a couple came in. They asked where I was from. They also came [...]
Cycle tour 2023: O Sel Ling - Granada - Huelva
Photos O Sel Ling - Granada - Huelva 23 Feb '23: O Sel Ling - Granada (69.5 km - 840 D+)I left O Sel Ling around 11 am, after saying goodbye to everyone. I was sad to leave and will love the atmosphere, my 'second family', the cats and dogs, the impressive land and [...]
Bike tour 2023: Seville - Cultural highlight
7-8 March: SevilleSevilla is truly a cultural highlight, many of its monuments can only be described with superlatives. For me, it was a bit overwhelming. Apparently, I can no longer properly 'digest' such cultural overload. Cathedral and the Church of SalvatorTuesday afternoon I visited the cathedral (early XVI). It is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and [...]
