May 6: Day 9, Alcaraz-Alcalá del Júcar

To be honest, I didn’t originally intend to go to Alcalá del Júcar: the direct route to Montblanc passed further north. Last Thursday when planning the week I did a quick check for accommodation around there, and none was to be found. Google Maps showed a bunch of places in Alcalá del Júcar with reasonable prices: it was a bit less direct, it would mean a longer day on the bike. But the approach would run alongside a river. Worth it! So I planned the night here.

Sometime between then and last night, all the cheap accommodation disappeared. The only remaining places were nearly 100euro, which is a bit of a shock given previous places have cost under 50 and been great. I got over the shock, checked a few other websites, looked for other options nearby…and then booked it before it disappeared. This whole episode is making me sour, let’s talk about the day instead.

Last night, I was in Alcarez in a huge rambling hostel/hotel place. It didn’t offer breakfast; but apparently there was a nearby cafeteria which would provide. So at 8am I sailed out the door and checked on Google Maps to see what was open: nothing. So I got on the road, but chose to leave through the center of town, looking for anything. Spanish towns are seriously dead at this time of the morning; the only life was a lady washing her car.

From left to right: empty streets. Total Breakfast. Bike at departure.

And I passed an open cafeteria! Locked up the bike and went inside, ordered a coffee and was trying to find the words for “bread” or “breakfast” when the owner saw I was in need of rescuing and suggested “total?”. So I had coffee and toast and jam and it was 3.50 and good.

The route left town, passed through a nearby village that was completely asleep, hit a dirt road, and went up a hill so steep I had to push. I was headed for a cycle path, which would take me most of the way there.

Happily, it was another repurposed railway line! And this one had quite a lot of tunnels.

From left to right: dirt roads, early in the morning. A bridge, bringing a cycleroute this way. Tunnel entrance; note the warning that you have to have your own lights. Tunnel exit.

Many of the tunnels were so long that the sunlight didn’t like them up. Some had lighting (“con iluminación”), which was dim overhead lights that seem to come on in response to movement. In some they came on in sections, and often late: I’d cycle through the lit section, into the dark, and would be wondering if I should stop when they lit up.

Some had no lighting (“sin iluminación”) and for those I’d put my phone on torch mode. Some of these tunnels were quite long, and had curves so you couldn’t see the exit ahead, it was complete darkness. Good times!

Also it’s a old railway line so it’s quite flat, the curves are gentle, and the surface is good: so I skimmed along in nearly the top gear. I was faster than the Komoot estimate for most of the morning.

From left to right: more abandoned stations. Flat, shaded, a good surface - great cycling. Tunnel entrance. Note the “sin iluminación” sign. Roadworks cut the route. Last station.

The official cycleroute joined a major road, which I didn’t like so I found a snaky route through the backroads.

From left to right: is that a shrine of some sort? No, it’s a section of bridge…?

Presumably this was a remaining part of the railway, a small preserved section in middle of a road through a field. I guess my backroad path matched the original railway line…

I saw a lot of irrigation, meaning water being sprayed. This meant some places on the dirt path got wet, and I had dirt splattered on everything as a result.

I stopped in Albacete for lunch. They also have a pretty good set of cycle paths, although following the obvious route always seemed to take me off the path I wanted to go.

After heading out of the city, the route got to the riverside path, and this section turned out to be a highlight. I’d selected it because cycling beside rivers is scenic; this was actually a spectacular valley made of limestone rock carved by the river. The natural scenery was amazing, but in addition there were houses carved into the walls, and small villages sheltering under the limestone walls. Some Bond villain wannabe had built an entire house within the rock, with only a garage door visible at the bottom, a few windows set into the side of the rock, and one story of architectural excess at the top.

From left to right: bridge during the approach to the valley. Trees leaning against the wall, over the road - note houses in the middle. Massive rockface, seen from across the valley. More modern houses, also set into the walls. A castle overlooking it all. The town, seen at evening.

It was a two hour ride, but I think I took longer because I often stopped to take photos…

This was a really good day. Railtrail at the start, limestone valley at the end. It was 150km, and I finished it very close to the estimated time of 8h45. I notice I was faster over the railtrail, and slower in the afternoon; maybe a mix of stopping for photos and also the heat…

Well worth it. If you’re around this part of Spain, this valley and Alcalá del Júcar are recommended.

What I’m listening to: On The Nature Of Daylight / Max Richter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUMc_-Bcunk
You’ve heard this before, because it’s appeared in a lot of movies and TV shows. The start and end of “Arrival” are the best known for me, but this track has become a cliche and I’ve even read an impassioned article about how it’s overused and can directors please choose other music.

It’s from the “Blue Notebooks” album, which Max Richter wrote as a protest against the 2003 Iraq war. Since this is basically chill ambient music, I feel perhaps it’s more effective at calming protests than fuelling them…
Another one that you may not have heard before is “Path 5 Delta From Sleep”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvsHE9VW03c