We were looking forward to our last full day riding in Spain despite the drop in temperature - it was 43 degrees Fahrenheit when we left the hotel in Ronda. We wore all of our long-sleeve shirts, all of the motorcycle warm liners, motorcycle gear plus raingear for extra warmth. I even tied one extra long-sleeve shirt around my neck to improvise a scarf so I could pull the buff that I usually wear around my neck over my head for extra warmth. It worked and we stayed warm (Mike also has heated handgrips on the bike).
We enjoyed the tight, twisty curves on narrow roads as we descended out of the Sierra Nevada mountains through the lush Mediterranean countryside.
After about 1 hour riding we stopped in one of the most beautiful towns of the entire trip: Setenil de las Bodegas. It's on the Spanish province of Cadiz white village route and sited on a steep gorge.
Not only are many of the cobblestone streets narrow and steep, many of the houses are built into the limestone cliffs.
There are two especially famous streets that make full use of the limestone: Calle Cuevas del Sol (street of Caves of the Sun) and Calle Cuevas de la Sombra (street of the Shadow Caves) and each is simply amazing.
These are lively streets that happen to have a limestone 'roof' over the street and the cafes, stores, and houses are built into the limestone.
Our short visit was over too soon, and we got back on the road.
We left the countryside behind as we rode on larger roads into the greater Seville area, finally riding the Autovia or interstate through town. Once past Seville we were in prime agricultural area with wide open views.
As we rode closer to Portugal, we entered rolling hills as we stopped for the night in Aracena, another beautiful town with an old castle, impressive churches and the ever-present steep and narrow streets.
We had time after arriving to walk through the town and visit Las Maravillas Grotto, a network of limestone caverns that first opened to tourists in 1914. The entrance is in the middle of the small town, and the main cavern is directly under the castle. Like other caverns open to tourists, taking pictures is not allowed since the flash negatively affects the caves.
We're staying in the Hotel Convent Aracena, a restored 17th century convent in the heart of town.
Tomorrow we ride from Spain into Portugal and are looking forward to seeing the Atlantic Ocean.
No comments:
Post a Comment