April 7, 2024
To Aliseda
I woke this morning to a cloudless blue sky and the promise of churros. Suzanne and Janos had spotted a small churro shop in the center of Alburquerque, which opened at 8:45. The plan was to meet downstairs in at 8:30 so as to be at the churro shop when it opened. I was downstairs waiting when Suzanne appeared in her nightclothes exclaiming it was not yet 8:00, forgetting that we had jumped an hour ahead when we crossed the border into Spain. Contributing to the time warp was the fact that her watch and all her devices remained on Portugal time. I assured her it was not a problem – we had a short ride Aliseda and lots of time to get there.
There was a lot of activity in Alburquerque this morning – the streets were blocked off and a big race event was due to start around 10 am. Music was blaring from the finish line as walkers, runners and even cyclists began to assemble for the half and/or full marathon. We found our way into the churro shop, watching in anticipating as the churro cook piped the dough into the large vat of oil and boiling water and then guided the dough into a large concentric circle which she then clipped into strips of the fried dough. Yum
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Shortly after leaving Alburquerque, we turned northeast onto EX303, a lonely road through an uninhabited landscape dominated by wildflowers and sheep. It was wonderful cycling, rolling along with few cares except where you might pull over for a photo op. There were no pass-through towns, so snack time was held while sitting on the ground near the side of the road. Suzanne and Janos outpaced me on the two modest climbs toward the end of the ride, and I caught up with them relaxing at a café in Plaza Major.
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We relaxed a bit at the Gastropaz maribar, munching of burgers and sandwiches before finding our way to La Tierra Roja, our lodging for the night. The small Inn was an oasis in this isolated Extremadura town, with a gracious host, well-appointed furnishings and a lovely terrace and garden for the bikes. The afternoon was spent relaxing, and we later found an open restaurant on the edge of town. Nothing fancy, just another slice of unvarnished Extremadura to cap off another great day on the bike.
Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 438 miles (705 km)
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