Carcaixent to Montesa – 31km
15C
Terrain: roads

Up nice and early this morning to catch the train to my starting point (feeling better too, yay!). As a result, I was treated to nature’s light show. Yes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of cyclists were out this morning with nice banter, even if I couldn’t really understand it! That’s the nice thing about weekends, I’m not the only one out and about on the roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days without Bob are a bit strange though. I’m not sure if I look more crazy with or without him. With – a crazy women with a child complex (due to buggy) running away from something or perhaps homeless. Without – random crazy woman going running on busy roads (who does that!). No win!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did go through Xativa (where I’m staying) but kept going to get those miles in. I started heading towards slightly more mountainous areas, really beautiful (I have more of it to come, rest day tomorrow to re-fuel before taking it on!). Nice quiet roads too, bingo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I realised that I’d made a slight miscalculation when I arrived in Montesa. No trains on the weekend, oops! I popped into the first bar/cafe that I saw and asked (in my terrible Spanish) if they had a taxi number or if there was a bus. Turns out the owner’s friend was there and was heading to a place with a train station (with trains running). Result! So he kindly gave me a lift, I did at least pay for the chap’s coffee! AND, I had a conversation in Spanish! Not perfect but progress all the same, phew! I got to when I needed to go anyway, that’s the main thing!

Rest day tomorrow, happy days. Then back to where I finished off today and onto some higher terrain.

Final thought for today.  Listening to my BBC newshour podcast on Isreal-Palestine, a Palestinian teacher in East Jerusalem said this: “If we grow hatred, it will eat us. If we grow love, it will blossom”.

A few pics of Xativa.