Day 2/3: 22/23rd April 2022 – Campillos to Osorno via Plascentia
The title says it all… started out sunny but cold and went downhill from there… rain, rain, rain
No twisties today.. straight on the motorway all the way up, stopping only to eat and fuel. The rain soon starts and is extremely heavy.. looks like no let up is expected all the way up today
Am a wee bit peeved when I pass through Seville, I could have ridden here yesterday and saved half a day; but I’m glad I did the mountain route as the ride was really great yesterday so not too much moaning to myself.
I’m absolutely soaked, my right boot is full of water. When I stop for lunch I am so cold I’m shaking… I stop again in Merida when I spot a sign for McDonald’s, at least the food will be hot methinks… again with the hypothermia, it’s no good am going to have to find a place to stay and try to warm up/dry out. Across the road is a huge Carrefour.. ahhh maybe I can get some dry gloves, both my winter pairs are soaked through, (I’ve put some plastic gloves from the petrol station underneath, but my hands are freezing still). I go in for a look but the only gloves are summer ones, no good. I do however purchase a pair of cheapo jeans as mine are soaked, some dry socks and underpants in case I can’t get anything dried.
Overnight stay in a small hostel in Plascentia… when I go up to the room I see there is an air conditioning unit so I can put that on heat full blast to dry everything out, but it’s not working, neither is the tv and none of the plug sockets or side lights; only the main light is on… I’m freezing so get straight in the shower to warm up and then down to see if the electrics can be sorted.
Out with the iTranslate app again and explain to the guy re the electrics… he gestures about a key… ummm no.. he then waves he will come up to the room and show me. On the way back up I see the room fob has a small silver key… ahhhh maybe that’s it. I get to the room and sure enough there next to the main light switch is a small key hole… I put the little key in and turn.. et viola I have electric, well I’ve not come across that before, of course many places have a card reader and you have to put the room card in, but never a key before. Well you learn something new every day. I meet the man outside the room and let him know of my small triumph.. he smiles broadly… I’m glad he didn’t see the mess the room is in with wet clothing hanging about everywhere.
I turn the air con on full blast at 30 degrees and pray all will dry… the boots probably won’t though, but I have some plastic bags with me so can put them on over my socks.
At around 2 am I have to turn the heat down, I can’t sleep I’m so hot… never happy am I!
Next morning I find that almost everything is dry, including my jeans but not the gloves or the boots, they are going to need much longer.
Never mind, it looks like the rain has stopped, but I know it is predicted to start again very soon. The dark storms clouds hang heavy over the horizon
Back onto the A66 and the rain returns, but also the dreaded wind… crosswinds, headwinds and following winds alternate with mind numbing regularity, but totally unpredictable.
Up over the mountains and now there is snow on the ground here, but luckily as I am on the autovia the road itself is clear. Very soon am descending again, but the ferocious winds do not let up at all, in fact the open plains are the worst. The rain returns and soon my hands are frozen again. Despite all of this I am quite determined to reach Santander today, it’s only 309 miles all told so I decide to persevere.
I arrive at Salamanca
and see a sign for Decathlon, they must have some ski gloves. In I go, no gloves… only thin silky liners so I buy a pair and a thin fleece top. This short stop has warmed me up a little so onwards I go.
With just 100 miles to go I stop for some hot food, it is now 4pm and I check out the weather report.
Up ahead are the Pyrenees and of course the weather is atrocious; not only rain, but thunderstorms and the wind gusting to 40kph. No, no, no.. enough. I check out booking.com and there is a hotel just 5km away with a room for €35… booked!
I arrive at the small town/village of Osorno and my hotel for the night. I get parked up outside, but when I go in the little old man behind the desk seems to not have my booking… omg… he is talking away at me but I can’t understand him, of course, he does keep saying ‘mañana’ to which I reply Si, but we don’t seem to be making any headway. I wonder if he means they are full and they don’t have a room until tomorrow. He then asks me a time, I think, maybe he means for breakfast so I say 8.. he then points to a notice which even I can read, the restaurant is closed on Sundays… oh does that mean no breakfast? I don’t care about that I just need a room for tonight. Next he hands me a key so all is well… whew!
I don’t seem to be quite as wet today, maybe the wind has dried stuff out.. who knows?
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