The penultimate day of Act II, the Spanish portion of my three country tour. I’ll soon be in Granada and flying back to Paris, but first I must get to Montefrio.
I was still feeling under the weather so had once again opted for a route to Montefrío with fewer miles. Climbing, however, was unavoidable. I was feeling a bit logy for the first miles out of Priego de Cordoba and neither the route nor the landscape buoyed me. The fairly busy A-339 wound through a somewhat industrial landscape of olive oil processing plants. There was some improvement after five miles, when I turned onto a provincial road, but I really did not start feeling myself until I came upon a roundabout painted on the tarmac – a sure sign that I was in prime cycling country.
One arm of the roundabout led south towards Algarinejo, an alternative route to Montefrio. However, I continued as planned, gaining 1,000 ft over the next five miles as I wound up past the small hamlet of Bracana. The landscape here was stunning – a varied topography of olive groves, hillsides, and distant peaks with a muted palette of colors and textures. I was elated, but in need of a break by the time I reached the turn-off to Lojilla. There was a small cluster of buildings at the intersection and I thought I’d lucked out when I spotted the Café - Bar Lorena. Unfortunately it was closed, but the outdoor seating area provided a sunny and comfortable spot for short break and snack.
Still less than 100% but ready to tackle the penultimate ride in Andalusia
Scott AndersonI was sure I recognized this spot from our ride to Jean twenty years ango until I double-checked your map. Close, but we were about 25 miles northeast of here. Such mesmerizing country. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Susan CarpenterTo Scott AndersonSo true Scott - I never tired of it, even after days of riding through what some might view as a monotonous landscape Reply to this comment 1 year ago
After my break, the route dropped a short ways down to the Arroyo de Granada before climbing to the highest elevation of the day. I took a look back, then headed down – abruptly stopping when the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada rose in the distance. It was as if an old friend was welcoming me back to Granada with a big smile of encouragement and good wishes. And then down I went, almost four miles of tight switchbacks mixed with broad gentle turns and short straightaways. I stopped a couple of times, not out of fear but to try to capture some of my surroundings in pictures. Unfortunately, I’d inadvertently changed the setting on my camera and, thinking it was a lens malfunction, stowed the camera and made my way to Montefrio.
I’d booked lodging at Monteftur, which has rooms above their gift shop as well as apartments located around the corner. When I arrived in Plaza de España at just past 2 pm, I spotted two gentlemen at the Monteftur gift shop just ahead. They seemed to be ready to furl the awning and close up shop when they spotted me, pausing until I rolled up a minute later. Antonio greeted me with “Are you Susan?” While his father took Vivien George away to her overnight digs, Antonio helped carry my gear up to my room on the top floor – the best view, he said. And was it ever!! I had a very large terrace with unobstructed views of Iglesia de la Encarnacion and the Castillo de Montefrío. Score another one for CB lodging recommendations – thanks Jacquie!
View of Iglesia de la Encarnacion and the Castillo de Montefrío from my terrace. Converted from an old mosque, Iglesia de la Encarnacion is the only round church in Spain
I took lunch at a busy nearby restaurant, popular with both local folk and tourists. I was feeling great after a nice bowl of salmorejo and a main of cod with béchamel sauce. A bit full, I decided a walk was in order – but where to? The Mirador del Paseo overlooks Montefrio with a view that National Geographic calls one of the “Best views in the World.” Based on the pictures, it is an amazing, but I instead chose to take the opposite path and make the climb up to the Castillo de Montefrio aka Castillo de la Villa aka Iglesia de la Villa.
The castle was originally built as a Moorish fortress and dates back to the mid-14th century. When the fortress was captured by Catholics in 1486, it was converted to a church, as was customary. I roamed the grounds for a bit, reading the placards and taking pictures of the city below. Then I ponied up the 2€ entry fee to enter the church, a bare interior that was more like museum than a church – which makes sense given its location and lack of a regular congregation. I watched a ten minute video on the Moorish history of the castle, and then climbed the tower for a look over the city and the surrounding countryside. The whole experience only enriched my perspective as to history of conquest and re-conquest that permeates this region of Spain.
Making my way up to the castle through the older, walled section of Montefrio
Betsy EvansThanks for your trip report! I'm sorry that you got sick - that can't have been fun. It was interesting to see where our trips overlapped, and what was different. The blue skies and great roads look the same :-) Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Overlooking the best guess as to my route into town - I came across the far ridge on the left, circled down and around the large green fields on the left and wound through the valley, coming into Montefrio along the road on the right
I was pretty beat by the time I got back to my room. I enjoyed some quality time on the terrace and tried working on the blog. But my eyes were heavy and I soon gave in, closing the lid on another stellar day.
On my terrace, reflecting on this day and on days gone by
Today's ride: 21 miles (34 km) Total: 779 miles (1,254 km)
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Jacquie GaudetYou’re welcome! As soon as I read “gift shop” I wondered if you stayed in the same place. I don’t think we had a terrace but it’s not something one looks for in November. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
