Circling Segaria

March 12, 2024

I’m feeling fine again this morning, and nearly normal. Yesterday’s 20 mile ride didn’t set me back, so I’m trying something more challenging today. While Rachael is taking her hike below the mountain and along the coast (again, posted separately), I start off on a loop I’ve drawn for myself that encircles Segaria, the massif rising above the marsh that I approached yesterday. It’s got a bit of a climb, but I’m feeling up for it. Wish me luck!

My ride starts out with a straight shot west on the road to Ondara. The first mile is just biking along an urban arterial, but it’s flat and has a sidewalk-like bike lane.

Until the pavement ends, and then there’s another mile about like this.

Leaving town in this direction gives me a view of the backside of Massif del Montgo, the mountain we see from our bedroom.

Oh, this spectacular plant again. Remind me, please.

Five miles into the ride I come to Ondara and finally leave the minor highway I’ve been following until now. The ride so far has been nice enough, but after that it becomes brilliant. For the next two miles I bike small roads until I come to Benicadims, a village that’s more or less a suburb of Ondara. It’s a pretty little place, has a small street market on this morning, and looks like it would be a nice destination for a bike ride and coffee stop.

Crossing the Girona River (a dry wash at the moment) on a footbridge, and entering Benicadims.

From here the ride just keeps getting better. First, there’s another mile or two of country lane cycling as I cross a low ridge, lifting me up enough for nice views of the surrounding mountainous terrain with scattered small white villages perched on its slopes.

Dropping into a small basin of the Girona River. We’re looking almost straight south here, toward the mountains that crown the large peninsula south of Dénia. I’d we could see through the mountains we’d be looking straight at the coastal town of Benidorm that we’ll bike through in a few days.

Dropping into the Girona valley, I pick up another minor highway that soon branches off the CV-28, the road that crosses through a gap behind Segaria, the formation I’m encircling today. It’s a brilliant ride - more white villages that look worth a detour if we come back someday, and a wall of mountains that leave me guessing which gap I’ll passing through them in.

That looks like that must be my gap ahead, but I’m wrong. You can just see the start of my way through on the far right.

I come to my gap and am surprised to see that I’m climbing a small pass, marked for cyclists. And the cyclists are definitely here. Even though it’s a weekday I see dozens of them in the next few miles, mostly racing down toward me after climbing up the steeper northern approach to the pass.

It’s a pass! Not much of a one in this direction, but still. As I climb, I imagine what the views might be like when I top out and can see out to the sea on the other side.

Going this direction, the pass is no big deal. Like the sign says, it’s a mere couple of kilometers at 3-4%. I take my shot at the summit, cross through, and get my initial view of the descent. Oh, this is going to be fun, I think as I start coasting.

Kind of an odd shot, isn’t it? It looks like my head got photoshopped in.

I’m wrong. I’ve undersold it to myself, and it’s way more than fun. It’s over the top outstanding, as I switchback down the north side of the pass at a steady 7-8% for the next two miles. It wouldn’t be a bad climb, but I’m really glad I’ve come this direction because the views ahead are so spectacular.

The view back west toward Pego. To its left is the larger gap through the range that I thought was my route at first. It looks like there is a wealth of fine riding to be had out this way.

The view across Pego-Oliva Marsh, the wetland I briefly visited yesterday.

Nearing the flats, with a last look back toward Pego.

Once I bottom out, it’s a straight shot east for two miles until I come to the marsh again. It’s on a fairly busy road, but it’s fine because there’s a construction project on that single-threads and batches up the traffic. The project? They’re adding a new bike path, an extension of the green-painted one I biked on yesterday! Dénia is looking more and more like an outstanding winter destination for us - great cycling, great hiking, great restaurants, and enough English speakers that we might strike up some acquaintances.

I come to the marsh and I stop by the same watering hole I looked across at yesterday. I find a safer spot on the opposite side of the barricade and safe from the traffic this time, and just stand there for about twenty minutes waiting to see who shows up. In the distance I can see some flamingos and ibises, and up above a black kite shows up now and then - likely the same bird cruising about that I saw yesterday.

At first there’s not much on the nearest open water. But then birds start drifting in. Stilts, ibises, egrets, a grey heron, some wagtails. And then, some smaller waders that I’m not sure of but get a good enough look at that I’m confident I’ll be able to identify later. When I make the identifications back at the room I’m delighted to see I’ve pulled off the rare shank hat trick, picking up all three of the local shanks.

#163: Greater flamingos, with glossy ibises.

That uses up all my slack in the schedule though, and it’s time to head home for lunch. It’s the same route I biked yesterday so I make fast work of it, stopping only when a small bird perches on an wire and stays put long enough for me to get a look at it.

Five new birds today, and nine counting yesterday! I’m really well ahead of where I was at this point last year. It took me all the way into July when we were back from Italy and up in Canada to see as many birds as I have this year already. I’m feeling confident that I’ll easily break 300 this year, and wonder if 350 or 400 might be possible.

Same crowd as yesterday. I still like ‘em.

We find a different restaurant today, A Fer la Mar, an excellent Italian fusion place. We like the decor, the meal is terrific, it’s the best of the three fine meals we’ve had here. I’m pretty sure that one way or another we’ll find ourselves in Dénia again some winter.

Afterwards we find our way to a gelato shop and polish off our pistachio scoops looking up at the castle. It’s close enough to our apartment that we agree, as we did yesterday, that we’ll walk up there later to see the castle and watch the sunset. But like yesterday that doesn’t happen today either. Something else comes up to hold our attention for the rest of the day and evening, so the castle will have to wait until we return.

She’s meditating, hoping it will accelerate delivery of our starter.

So great. Starters, on the left: grilled veggies for her, a salad for myself. On the right, salmon and cheeks.

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Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 137 miles (220 km)

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Rich FrasierIt's so great to see you out riding again. You had me worried there for a while.
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1 month ago

Anne MathersWe are so happy that you are on the mend, and then some! Great news, Scott. We will be in Denia in June and are watching closely to get a good look at the area we will be cycling through. I am getting very excited, especially after seeing what a great ride this was. We are looking forward to tucking in with you as you explore Andalusia.
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1 month ago

Scott AndersonTo Anne MathersI think Denia is wonderful. It would really do for us as a longer stay, I think. In the cooler months though. I’ll be interested to see what you think in early summer.
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1 month ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierI had me worried too, but after four or five straight good days now, I think we’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying along with us.
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1 month ago

Carolyn van HoeveLots of us have been worrying along with you I think! So glad you're both on the other side of it!
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1 month ago

Scott AndersonTo Carolyn van HoeveThanks for worrying along with us, Carolyn! It’s wonderful to be through to the other side.
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1 month ago