Day 67 – to Santa Maria de Redondo

Clearly the Teleférico at Fuente De was back in service this morning after the electric storms. Sat reading above the road I saw several buses go past as well as plenty of other traffic. It was time to get out of here.

Though first I took a track up at the back of Espinama that followed the river at first, before climbing steeply towards a pass. I didn’t go all the way, just a couple of miles, but enough to get some good views.

Then it was back into Potes, laundry day, my second of the course so far. The place was ideally situated next to an outdoor shop and Lupa supermarket, which enabled me to get stocked up while the machine revolved. 4 euros for the wash, 5 for the drier, and after a pleasant chat with a couple of Irish motorcyclists, I was away just before 2 pm, and at the Piedraluengas Pass, at 1355 metres, for late lunch. It offers a wonderful 360 degree view, a good segment of that being the Picos.

This is now Palencia Natural Park, where I expect to be for the next few days. The pass is a great place for a walk and to spend a few hours, but there is a sign saying no overnighting, understandable when the season is high, and there are many vans and motorhomes around. I am a bit addicted to a book I am reading, Owlish by Dorothy Tse, so I spent a couple of hours with that as well, before moving a bit further south. Pretty much every passing motorist stopped to take in the view, though that was only about ten. Notably, plenty of Irish motorcyclists.

I’m at a small village, Santa Maria de Redondo, a few kilometres off the main highway, I say main, but it’s incredibly quiet. It’s been a warm day, up to 26C, but thankfully not the 39C record-breaking temperature today near Sevilla.