Into the Mountains

A pretty uneventful day. Check out of the Plasencia Parador and manouevre the car and bike in to the lift from the underground car park. John gets excited and jumps out to take a photo and misses the exit - doors close again and we head back to where we started, much to the annoyance of the next car waiting to get in to the lift.

Eventually get on our way and blast North along narrow and slow roads before hitting the A66 Autovia to Salamanca. Amazingly manage to avoid any brushes with the police and make good time to cover the 250 miles to Cervera de Pisuerga, although we do have a near miss when we decide to pull over to add some warmer clothing (it's got much colder and we are climbing higher and higher) and pull up in front of half a dozen Guardia Civile who watch in amusement as we tog up and get on our way. We had intended heading to Leon, further West but the Paradore was full.

Arrive at the Paradore in Cervera - another stunning place set high up in the Palentina Mountain Range, 80 miles SW of Santander, dump the gear and then head out for a 26 mile blast in the Atom along the winding mountainous roads - sheer drops on one side don't deter us using the Atom how it's intended. Bravely John let's me take the wheel for the blatt back down the mountain - something I do with gusto - braking hard to avoid hitting a herd of cows who have wondered in to the road at one point.

Into Cervera town for a quick beer and the usual hordes of school children mob the Atom for an impromptu photoshoot. As always, John let's then take it in turns to sit in the drivers seat - very magnanimous of him.

Tomorrow Santander and the long ferry back to Plymouth.