November 10, 2013
Granada
Yesterday when we left Antequera it was chilly but this morning in Alhama de Granada it was downright cold. Breakfast at the hotel wasn't available until 9 so we went out at 8:30 for a brief look around the town. It was really brief, because we about froze in the morning wind and soon scurried back to the shelter of our room. When we got inside we checked the the temperature: 39, after the sun had already been up for nearly an hour.
We holed up in the hotel until 10:30 to allow the day to warm up a bit, and by the time we left it was cool but pleasant.. We first spent a few minutes to stare into the gorge again, enamored by the glow of the resplendent yellow poplars in the morning sun. Setting off, we soon found more of the same - it seems like overnight the fall colors have fully set in. For much of the next hour it felt like we were cycling through a tunnel of gold. Especially beautiful was a small lake on the Alhama River, formed by a reservoir - still, fronted by water cascading over a small weir, backdropped by a brilliant band of poplars, with ducks dabbling on the water and photographers lining the bank. It was one of the prettiest settings of the trip.
The terrain was quite hilly for the first half of the ride. It began with a very steep climb out of town, followed by a long steady ascent; then dropped quickly to the large dam that forms Lake Berenjenes, and then climbed a thousand feet up the opposing ridge before finally topping out at about 3800'. I was surprised by the fact that our month long tour saved its highest elevation for the last day.
Happily for our tired legs it was all downhill from there to Granada, save for an annoying small rise just before reaching the city. We whizzed in a bit after 3 and stopped for sandwiches at the first attractive cafe we passed. It was a great spot - good food, and situated on a quiet, pedestrianized street. It felt wonderful to sit there, basking in the afternoon sun and in our accomplishment. We have arrived!
Elevation log: today 2900'; grand total 78,000'.
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Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 1,324 miles (2,131 km)
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