Wednesday 19th November - Quesada - Dolores - Callosa del Segura
Mid-November a year ago marked the start of the Spanish winter and the colder weather arrived very abruptly. Fortunately we had no such bad luck this year as lovely warm temperatures and bright sunshine have continued all through November and were particularly enjoyed during last Wednesday's ride (19 Nov.) and this Wednesday's (26 Nov.).
Last week, a small group of 5 followed Leader Lynn on a very rural ride to Callosa del Segura, which lies at the foot of the Callosa Sierra. We were 5 ladies from 5 different countries, ie. Lynn from Scotland, Lesley from England, Randi from Denmark, Ann-Karina from Norway, and yours truly from France (albeit a long time ago).
We left Quesada towards Benijofar, Formentera and soon found ourselves on small rural lanes lined at times with fields of vegetables, other times along orange groves or pomegranates trees. We crossed through tiny hamlets with their single story terraced casas giving a feeling of travelling back in time. No doubt this is what Costa Blanca looked like before the invasion of the Northern Europeans seeking sun and warm climes. Although just a few kilometres away from the coast, these hamlets are in marked contrast with the newly built villas of the coast.
Our coffee-break was at Pasticeria Roman in Dolores. The Pasticeria is famous for its cinnamon magdalenas, freshly baked daily, which were devoured with café con leche. Dolores is one of the largest villages in the area and has a pleasant square dominated by a blue-tiled dome church and extraordinary tall palm trees.
Refreshed, we moved on to Catral and progressed on a quiet road taking us to the Callosa Sierra which was facing us all the way. For lunch we stopped at Toscana Restaurant in Callosa and enjoyed tapas and bocadillos.
Our journey back took us via a long cycle path lined with thin and tall conifers. I could not help thinking that these were too thin to be of any help at providing shade for the summer rides. I felt quite hot and bothered in this mid-November and I cannot imagine what it can possibly be like to cycle in the middle of the summer - although Lynn's Ladies Section continues riding all through the year. May be I shall give it a try one year!
Door to door kilometrage = 65 kms.
Francoise H.
Photos: Quesada-Callosa
Wednesday 26th November - Quesada - Parc natural del Hondo - Crevillent
With another fine day ahead of us, Lynn guided a group of 7 ladies (from 5 different countries) to Crevillent, which lies at the foot of the Sierra of the same name, in the Alicante Province. For this we set off towards Elche, famous for its footwear and palm groves. This was a pleasant change from the rural lanes of last week as we were effectively crossing through a nature reserve (El Hondo) and an impressive forest of palm trees. So many palm trees... and no one to pick their dates meant that at times, there was quite a heady aroma in the air from the perishing dates on the ground. That too made a change from the smell which rises on hot days from the cabbage fields.
We stopped on the way at Los Molinos for our morning coffee. A very Spanish ambiance awaited us in this bar/restaurant with its selection of Serrano hams hanging from the ceiling whilst at the table next to ours, four dominoes players were so engrossed in their game that there was no talking (rather a rarity in Spain) and the only noise was the "clacking" of the dominoes pushed face up on the table at the end of each game.
We continued our ride through the palm groves with the Crevillent Sierra in front of us getting larger as we were getting closer to the town of Crevillent, known for its worldwide renowned hand-made carpets. We stopped for lunch at a Pasticeria with a good display of savoury and sweet offerings. The former were the order of the day and however tempting, the sweet counter was ignored.
On the way back we rode by large fields of yellowing pomegranate trees and freshly cut hay. In this part of the world, there is no real "autumn feel", no real change of seasons. Most of the trees are not deciduous - the orange and lemon trees are green all year round, so are the palm trees. Only the pomegranate trees bothered to change colour through the month of November. In the same way, hay-making is not just a spring occupation as in northern Europe, the very verdant lucerne had just been cut at this end of November.
We crossed through San Isidro where we stopped as Lynn pointed out a Memorial marking the "forgotten grave" and the site of a concentration camp during the Spanish Civil War, as explained in an article published in the Leader, a local newspaper for English-speaking Expats:
Having cycled at a good pace, there was enough time for an afternoon break at Formentera which boasts around its square some very unusual trees pollarded as a kind hallo (photo below).
A few more kms and we were back at the cycling shop having travelled 71 kms (81 kms door to door for yours truly).
A change of scenery awaits us next Wednesday (and temperatures, I dare say) - we shall be cycling in Surrey as Frank will be leading the B Group from Cobham. And to the Ladies of the Costa Blanca, it is only "Au revoir", as we shall be back in Torrevieja at the end of January.
See you soon.
Francoise H.
Photos: Quesada-Hondo-Crevillente
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