Day 6. Monreal del Campo to Teruel.

This was a longish day in the saddle for those who do not ride regularly, and the warm weather added to the challenge. In the end it was probably "a hill too far" for some but we all made it!

A farmer moves a flock of sheep past an irrigation channel

The day started with breakfast at the Hostal and we rolled out on quiet country roads. Quite noticeable was the elevated concrete irrigation channels, some it which appear to be still in use.

Arriving at Villafranca del Campo

Shepherd with donkey. The two sheep dogs did most of the work.

The first village along the way was Villafranca del Campo, then through Alba. Along the way some sights of rural life, including shepherds grazing their flocks on the roadside.

On to Santa Eulalia del Campo where we stopped for refreshments and a comfort stop. I asked for directions to the Via Verde and was given several routes, which would all probably have turned out OK. In the end it was a simple matter to find the right road out of town.

Onto the via verde

From there it was only a couple of kilometers out of town up a gradual hill to where we met the rail trail! We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the riding surface. In general the Ojos Negros was not well signposted but the surface was better than parts of the second via verde. The next stop was at Caude for lunch. The ride into town is down a gentle hill, past parks and similar amenities. Very attractive.

Viaduct approaching Teruel

We probably sat for too long over lunch, because after that it was quite warm. We had a few navigational difficulties soon after town (poorly signposted temporary diversion) but the use of the GPS helped me to spot where we needed to be and a quick cross-country section over a field had us back on track. The next section was fairly fast although some riders were starting to feel the distance (over 70km in total). Getting close to Teruel the terrain was much lumpier and it was not at all clear as to where we should get off the via verde onto the road. In the end we probably went further than we needed to but at least it did take us over one of the more impressive viaducts.

There are two of these towers in Teruel.
The story goes that they were built by
rival suitors for the local noble's daughter,
with the builder of the best tower winning her hand

We crawled up the last of the hills and stopped for a refreshing drink at a service station, then followed the GPS directions into town.

The first pleasant surprise was this fabulous tower. Then it was just around the corner to our hotel, the El Mudayyan which was very pleasant. Once again they were all prepared for storing our bikes, so after a quick shower it was off to explore this very attractive city.

Beer and salty nuts.
Great post-ride refreshments!

My first stop was for a beer in the plaza half a block from the hotel. I was very impressed with the quality of the architecture right through this city. Over time (and a couple more beers, most of the crew dropped by and then we all set off to explore the various sights.

Teruel is a city with fantastic Mudejar architecture,
listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Our hotel was only a few meters up the lane
that you can see on the right.
These stairs lead down to the lower town where the
railway station is.

Beautifully decorated pedestrian bridge links the old town to the next ridge.

The timing of our trip meant that we caught the end of the famous Jamon festival in Teruel. I dropped in and found a tasting plate. Five euros for the plate and glass of wine.

At the Jamon Festival

There were three carvers working nonstop to supply the slivers of jamon for the tasting plates. It was a real family occasion with jumping castles etc. for the children, music and a real air of enjoyment.





We then headed back to the plaza where Christine and I had dinner with Keith and Julie. Not too bad and certainly deserved after a longish day of riding.

Day 1. Leaving on a jet plane

Goodbye rainy Canberra Airport. Not a bad day to be leaving town... we were packed and to the airport in plenty of time so there was time to relax and to look forward to some warmer weather!


The flight from Canberra to Sydney was delayed and then we spent a fair time in a holding pattern out near Warragamba Dam because only the E-W runway was in use due to the strong westerly, which also made for a bumpy flight. Everything in Sydney went smoothly and we weren't rushed despite arriving 40 minutes later than scheduled.

Onto Emirates, a 777-300 and an uneventful flight to Bangkok. A variation from QANTAS in that we didn't have to disembark for the refuelling stop. Dinner was pretty good, a beef stew washed down with a Ventoux Controlle. Not bad.

My biggest pre-trip dilemma

The age old question. Well not quite: probably a small fraction of people have been asking themselves this for a small part of human history but nevertheless the question is there...

Which cameras to take?

Next month we are travelling to Spain for a three week holiday that includes two five-day bike rides, with a few days either side in Valencia, Girona and Barcelona. I'll want to capture a record of the bicycle riding including my friends and the scenery we pass through. This will include both stills and video. It might be raining and cycling in the rain requires REALLY waterproof cameras. Other cycling characteristics require reasonable shock resistance. I'll want to take photos at the football (going to see FCB vs Granada), which may be a night game. I want street photography in the cities. I want food photography. I want everything but I can't afford the weight or space for a complete library of cameras.

At least one camera must be suitable for the cycling segments of the trip, but it is possible in addition to also have one that is only available in Valencia, Girona and Barcelona which are non-cycling times.

Here are the choices:

1. A Canon 5D MkIII with a fairly comprehensive library of lenses, strobes etc. to choose from:
• Disadvantages: Heavy and bulky. Probably not suitable for on-bike use. Expensive so a little bit of anxiety.
• Advantages: The best images. No question. Probably the only camera that can take meaningful images at the football.
2. A Canon G12:
• Disadvantages: Not weatherproof. Low light performance not fabulous.
• Advantages: Compact. Versatile.
3. An Olympus TG-1:
• Disadvantages: Image quality compared to the above. Maybe not much worse than the G12.
• Advantages: Weatherproof. GPS. f/2.0
4. Contour GPS:
• Disadvantages: Still images are not usable. No zoom. No viewfinder.
• Advantages: Durable. Handlebar and helmet mount. Sports video OK. GPS. This one is almost certain to go.

Actually there are more choices but that will do :-)

So what to take? I'll take more than one camera and probably less than four. Opinions welcome! If you suggest the 7D, what lenses (I have several primes and zooms from 10mm to 400mm, mostly L quality)?

Our Trip

If you stumble on this blog and and wondering what it is about...

In September 2012 I have organised a group of eight to  do some cycle touring in Spain, using the "vias verdes", or rail trails as we know them in Australia. This blog is set up as a shared day by day account of the trip. It is a team blog so that each of the members can recount their experiences and upload photos.

If you would like more information about the trip, especially the planning, route and logistics, head over to the planning wiki where this is all described.