June 20: Idyllic Inland
What a relaxing, rejuvenating day on the gently sweeping, scenic backroads of Spain heading to the port of Algeciras. With only 350 miles left to go to reach the departure point for tomorrow’s ferry, I decided to take my time, heading inland to avoid traffic and toll roads, and giving myself the opportunity to explore some of the countryside.
Heading west from Jumilla this morning, the landscape continued to sport more desert-like colors, with beautiful layers of pink, brown, tan, and white sandy dirt in the foreground and smaller, rolling hills beyond. Traffic was minimal and temperatures were mild, making it possible to move slowly and take in the sights.
Irrigated fields and farmlands created a patchwork quilt pattern on both sides of me, with neatly lined crops in all shades of green standing in stark contrast to the red and brown earth. Scrub brush dotted the land, and the arid area reminded me a little of the southwestern United States, with broad sweeping vistas of sparsely vegetated soil in different hues of pink and brown.
Gassing up around 1pm and noticing few customers in the restaurant attached to the filling station, I wondered if it was too late in the day to treat myself to a sit-down lunch. Little did I know that the lunch hour was just beginning! As I was finishing up my fish soup and barbequed beef around 2pm, the place was hopping with happy customers just beginning their meals.
After an uneventful and relaxing ride through the countryside, I approached the city of Algeciras, catching glimpses of the beautiful Bay of Gibraltar nestled between the cleft of the hills on my left.
I was so grateful that my trip last summer prepared me for the oftentimes unpredictable and time-consuming process of checking into hotels in Europe, making it possible for me to stay relatively calm and patient while trying to navigate through the bowels of the massive parking garage in my sweat-soaked gear to get to my room. It turns out the door to the elevator I needed was locked and could only be accessed by using a keypad I was not told about and punching in a code that I was never given. So, I felt a little bit better about the fact I hadn’t been able to figure it out. All is well that ends well as I am settled into the hotel for the night.
