We were up early today to beat the heat, leaving around 08:15. The N road was fast, with very little traffic so early on a Sunday, shadowing the railway as far as Ateca, then turning east to run along the wide valley to Daroca, high hills on either side.
Another fabulous morning’s cycling in the cool air, passing a cherry farm and various other plantations. The road was undulating but easy cycling until the heat caught up with us. Approaching Daroca, we passed under our old friend the Santander-Mediterráneo via verde, the same surface of gravel that we’d encountered further north.
We reached the hotel at 14:00 and they allowed us to check in early, storing our bikes in the small gym. We were glad to shower and change, and hoped for a drink at the bar but the staff were overwhelmed by a large lunch party. We spoke to a Dutch couple who’d cycled all the way from home through France on ebikes. They’d found the vias verde too bumpy and had been worried about punctures so had avoided them but had still suffered one as they entered Daroca. They were lucky it had occurred near a hotel with vacancies, fixing a puncture in the heat with attendant flies would not have been fun.
We walked into the town and had a drink at a bar but couldn’t find anything to eat. One shop was open, they had a spinach empanada but only one so we’ll have to share it. We returned to the hotel bar where I tried an Ambar Radler, a lager and lemon mix which is actually very refreshing. Radler is German for ‘cyclist’, the drink was devised to provide a refreshing low alcohol drink for thirsty cyclists.