Day 23 Ruta Vía de la Plata - Pola de Lena

If I’m honest the stretch of off road cycling from Leon to Pola de Lena, where the Ruta Vía de la Plata crosses a big pass and descends down into Asturias, had me worried. I did the road route last year and that was wonderful, an easy steady climb up to the pass and then an exhilarating 1000m descent sweeping round hair pin bends. I was nervous about that 1000m descent off-road.

Before coming out here I asked the Ruta Vía de la Plata Association if it was safe and they said yes it was because the path is wide. After some tricky cycling in the Camino Sanabrés my confidence had declined so I started checking again and found a review that said the route was difficult and shouldn't be attempted unless on a mountain bike with double suspension. I decided not to do it - getting home in one piece is the most important thing. It still nagged though, particularly as there would be big gap in my knowledge about the route for the guide.  I then found another review which confirmed what the Ruta Vía de la Plata Association has told me, that it wasn't difficult. I was stuck in the headlights so I decided to defer my decision to the last possible minute.

Day 22 Ruta Vía de la Plata - Leon

If I was forced to choose between all of the Ruta Via de la Plata's wonderful towns and cities, one place I'd like to return to time after time, than it would be Leon.

Day 21 - Ruta Vía de la Plata - Benavente

Arriving early at the lovely Parador at Benavente is a treat. Bite to eat after the cycle ride, proper siesta in a room with a lovely balcony and great views, I have nothing to complain about.

Although today's cycle ride was a little short, it was interesting with a lot to think about in terms of the guide.

Day 20 - Camino Sanabrés back in Tábara

It's one thing to arrive late and knackered in tiny place, when all you want to do is have a beer and a shower, and it's another thing to arrive early.  What was I thinking. Today was much too short and I was in Tábara by 2.

Day 19 Camino Sanabrés - Mombuey

Today I've spent a lot of time on the N525. 'N’ roads historically were the national highways before the relatively recent construction of the Spanish motorway network. There are a bit like 'A’ roads in the UK.

Day 18 Camino Sanabrés - back in A Gudiña

I'm back in A Gudiña. I'm in the sa

me hotel, and maybe the same room, as the one I was in 5 days ago. It's a tiny bit weird, and particularly during the first part of today's trip it felt like I was being rewound and going back in time. Part of it was on the same route but I was heading in opposite direction, so I kept seeing familiar sites but from a different perspective.

Day 17 Camino Sanabrés - back to Ourense

Hannah, my daughter and a mum to be, asked me the other day if I'm now a mountain biker. She’s a road cyclist, has been faithfully reading my blogs, and I think was worried that I'd gone over to the dark side. Well I haven't. I'm too old to be hauling my bike up steep mountain sides and not talented or brave enough to come flying down them. Cruising along flat grassy or gravely paths, through the middle of the countryside, now that's a different matter. I’m not sure what that is, mountain biking for softies perhaps, but there's been lots of it on this trip, and yes that's my stuff.