Days 24 & 25 – to Coto Rios

I wound my way at 20 mph around El Tranco reservoir. There’s quite a bit of tourist stuff around here, some water sports, and a miniature train, but all was fairly quiet. My plan was to use one if the campsites at the south end of the reservoir which would enable me to use their laundry (for the first time on this trip), and clean the van, as well as taking in the Rio Borosa gorge. If I could find a quiet site, and it was cool enough, I would spend some days there. I didn’t have high hopes of either, but at Coto Rios the site had some grass, and just a few people, as well as friendly and helpful staff.

And, a river for the dog to stay cool in..

Though it gets to 30C in the late afternoon, it cools down to about 12C in the night, and the mornings are very pleasant.

I wandered into the village which had signs for several restaurants, after all, I’m in Andalusia, which is famed for its bars and tapas. But again they were all closed. This time for a 2 day holiday for the Cazorla region, so my wait to eat out goes on.

I did meet some quite interesting people. Before leaving Hornos I met Rene, a Dutch motorcyclist almost at the end of his 3 month trip through Europe, beginning up in Scandinavia. A lot to take in. He was camping generally on small sites, with the odd hotel. We exchanged blog addresses… that’s what you do these days..

Also a motorcyclist from Belfast in Coto Rios this morning, the first British number plate I’ve seen for quite a few weeks. The Spanish woman from the tent about 50 metres away has a friendly but yappy, small dog. We had already exchanged pleasantries. I also met her in the village. I was looking for the supermarket, she wanted a cafe, for a beer. It was 10 am, and too early for me, but on return to the site, she came over and told me she had been successful in finding it beer. And offered me a crisp. She said she had two very large beers, though I could have guessed. Again, a bit early for me.