Why I do'nt get very far in a day + more.

"Well will you look at that Tanya, 8.00 am, only 9 degrees inside Sadie and thick freezing fog outside. This is not what we came to Spain for is it?"

It was not long before we were warm and snug having had breakfast and re-set Mrs sat nav to use more main roads and so speed our way south to some warmth. Off we set in the thick fog until that is we hit a longish tunnel. Well not actually hit it but like go through it and it is a magic tunnel like cos on the other side is bright warm sunshine and no sign of fog anywhere. Just an amazin magic tunnel like!

Well that considerably cheered things up. So much so that when I saw the lovely old church of Bastida up there on the side of the hill with the sun shining on it I could not help but say; 

'Tanya old girl. I've just seen where we're gonna do that walk I promised you yesterday."

Beautiful indeed it was. Warm too. We walked on to the top of the hill above the village where it overlooked the magnificent Rioja vineyards stretching out for miles in front of us. Behind us a high ridge with inviting and traffic free roads winding way up the steep and rocky limestone bluffs.

Well! Could'nt resist could I!  Mrs sat nav was turned off and original plan of speeding south abandoned. For today anyway. It was not long before we were having lunch high above the Rio Ebro valley and as I said before, with Rioja wine country stretched out to the westerly horizon. A recently completed and very plush Mirada (viewpoint)  is where we were and still are this evening. The day was still warm and sunny so we rigged the bike and cycled to the top of the ridge and then walked and clambered even higher on the rocky bluff to admire the views.

Being higher it is once again cold tonight but with wonderful views of the stars and the star-like orange lights of the many small villages laid out before us across the plain.

We may have only travelled 40 or so miles but that is insignificant against a day of such surprise and pleasantry. Hopefully tomorrow we may make Logrono on our route to Soria and eventually the Med coast.

Or maybe we wont!
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2 DAYS ON.

The rough guide dismisses the high plains of central Spain as of little interest and bitterly cold in the winter. Today and yesterday Sadie carried us safely across them. They are fascinating and I want to see more of them but .... Aha! There is always a 'but' is'nt there. This particular 'but' confirmed the second part of the rough guides description. The bitterly cold bit.

We were doing well and kept going via a diversion up to a bitterly cold and snowy Montana Alavesa mountain pass then back onto the N234 heading south toward Daroca and Teruel. The road was totally deserted but beautifully smooth and winding its way over the high plains and through numerous small Hacienda type villages. Finally it was time to stop for the night so we veered to the left near Ciria and soon had all four wheels level and stopped on a convenient track between fields of deep red soil. The dark ominous north easterly front we had been outrunning soon caught us up. We were 1100 ft up so this was not gentle rain falling on the plains of Spain. This was blinding snow! Freezing too. Nothing we could do so we  snuggled in for the night. My tired mind kept me awake most of the night with needless worries about gas running out and us being snowed in and no one finding us. Crazy as we were clearly visible from the road which as I recall had one car go by while we were there.

Morning came and yes we were snow and ice covered but not too badly. Brrrrrr! It was freeze your whatsits off cold though with long icicles mocking me as they hung off the wing mirrors.

"C'mon Tan, best thing we can do is drive out of this till Sadie gets toastie warm inside."

The small roads we had to negotiate were literally slicks of ice so it was a case of proceed slowly and with extreme caution. Sadie has unpleasant characteristics once she starts to slide on ice. She is definitely not a 4wd off roader that's for sure!

Once we reached the main N234 things improved a bit and it was not long  before we were once again parked with a now defrosted and toastie warm Sadie.

"Ahhhh! Now we can enjoy breakfast eh Tanya."

We've done well since then and tonight we are lower down and only a few miles short of Sagunta and the Med. Much warmer too although still cool but our perch here in the middle of an olive grove has a warm Mediterranean feel about it.

Oh! And we still have plenty of gas!

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And now? Jan 15th.

Well here I am in a cafe where I have Wi Fi at the Port of Sagunto. I'm on the edge of a huge area of empty condominiums where there is wild parking galore and nobody about. Today is sunny and warm. Steve is OK & happy with his lot! This will do me for a while. I'm just down the road from where Jurate, one of  Richards carers, lives. She is in Salisbury at present but I reckon I will stay in this area for a couple of weeks and maybe make contact then.

Buenos dias amigos.