Calatayud day 1: Scott’s ride

October 5, 2023

Oh my gosh, what a perfect day. Epic, I think the word is. Fabulous bike ride for me, a great hike for Rachael, splendid lunch, excellent weather, and a fascinating walk through the Muslim quarter after a refreshing afternoon siesta. Could anything improve on such a day? Well, yes - ta da, drumroll - encountering the elusive, long anticipated Bird #200!!

Too much goodness for one post, so let’s unpack it a bit. This one covers my ride, or more accurately my bike and hike. I’m on my own today. With three days here, Rachael’s going to hike twice and bike once. Last night I whipped out three different candidate rides, all out and backs, and presented them to her to choose which she wanted to go on so I could plan my day. She was uncertain, but was least interested in the ride to Ateca and then south to the Tranquera Reservoir, so that’s the one I choose for today.

The ride begins by backtracking yesterday’s ride, which appeals to me because I wanted to spend more time exploring the village of Terrer that we passed though too quickly for my taste. After having an excellent breakfast I’m out the door by nine. I’ve got almost a forty mile ride mapped out and I of course want to return in time for lunch so I get an earlier start than usual.

Leaving Catalayud, biking again beneath the cliffs that line the road for the first few miles.

It’s about six miles to Terrer, the first village upriver from Calatayud. There’s not much to see here, but what there is interests me enough to want to come back and stop - beginning with the parish church with its Mudejar tower that leans at an angle that makes me anxious it’ll tumble soon. More interesting though are the cliffs behind it and the ruined structures you see up there. From the information board in town I learn that they’re the remains of a castle of Muslim origin, built in the ninth century of rammed earth and rough stone that fell when El Cid and his forces marched through two centuries later and conquered it. When we came to Ateca yesterday we started following the Way of El Cid as he fought his way south to the sea and lay siege to Valencia. We’ll be following El Cid’s route off and on in the coming days.

The parish church at Terrer makes me anxious looking at it.

The castle was constructed of rough stones and rammed earth.

Another spotless starling, a bird we’re starting to see and hear regularly. This is a better shot than the first look we got, showing how it gets its name.

I spend about twenty minutes poking around Terrer but then move on, cognizant that I’ve still got another thirty miles to pack in. I’d better keep on it if I want to be back in time for lunch, I’m thinking. I don’t get far though, as the cliffs I’ve been following come to an end here and there’s an abrupt change in the landscape. The end of the cliffs have a white, chalky look as they taper off at the north end of town, and beyond that I come to the beginnings of that colorful landscape that reminded me of southern Utah yesterday.

I pull off the pavement at the first small track I come to, following its cracked and exfoliating dried mud surface for a ways to get a better look. I try biking it at first but then get off and walk - because it’s easier, and it makes me feel guilty cracking the mud further with my bike tires.

The cliffs just upriver from Terrer turn white and chalky, and then soon come to an end.

I feel guilty biking across this, like I’m defiling a work of art.

There’s a striking change to the land once I come to the end of the cliffs here.

Suddenly, every direction I look captures my attention and calls at me to slow down. So I do.

I don’t walk far on this little path - just far enough to come to a small rise that lifts me up enough to get a broader view. After that I return to the road and start biking again. Soon though I come to an unpaved road that branches off into this fantastic setting and decide to test it out to see how rideable the surface is. And I change my plan for the day, thinking I won’t have time for the original plan now. Instead, once I’m done on this little side trip I’ll backtrack yesterday’s ride all the way back to Moros, that ridgetop village we bypassed then. That will shorten my ride by about ten miles, which should be enough.

Doesn’t look too bad. There’s probably something worth seeing around that bend.

Part of several long seams that cut the earth alongside the road. Quartzite? Calcite?

To my surprise, the surface is surprisingly rideable - a little rocky in spots, but in general it’s a firm clay surface so the tires don’t dig in or slip. It turns into a hike and bike, with me dismounting for the occasional short but steep ascents and descents. More often though I’m stopped for a longer look at the views; and for the bird, of course.

It took me awhile puzzling how to stage this shot, since I don’t carry a click stand. Then I realized a large rock would do, and found one.

I wonder what explains that long furrow.

The road just keeps drawing me on to see what’s around the next bend, and eventually it’s obvious that this is the complete ride. Once I finally decide to turn back because it’s warming up and getting on toward midday there’s not really time to do anything but turn back toward home. Which is fine - I’ve had a moving experience, with the world completely to myself again. Theres been no one else sharing this track with me for the last hour and a half that I’ve been on it.

It’s remarkable. I was so awed by my ride into the Bardenas Reales a few days go, thinking at the time that it was probably the highlight of the tour for me. But then came Malanquilla, and now this.

Easy to find my way back. Just follow my own tracks out.

So that ends one part of the day. I’m back at the room just before one and see on the Garmin that Rocky’s a bit more than a mile away still. Then she gives a call, saying she’ll be home soon and asking me to book a table for lunch. We eat in our hotel today, which now that that huge group from yesterday has moved on and the place has quieted down is quite appealing. It’s an excellent meal, and at 15€ each a great bargain. I suspect we’ll find ourselves back here again tomorrow and maybe the next day.

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2023 Bird List

200. Crested lark

Today's ride: 16 miles (26 km)
Total: 873 miles (1,405 km)

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