Bucephalos est bien réglé. J’ai fait le plein d’eau et quelques provisions. Je pense que ma route d’aujourd’hui ne va pas passer par de grandes villes! C’est parti pour 120km!
Il fait très chaud et pas de supermarché pour me ravitailler en eau et les villages sont déserts à part quelques chats, alors je sonne au hasard et de gentilles grand mères espagnoles me remplissent mes bidons. Les 10 derniers kilomètres sont très difficiles sont une grande route pour rejoindre Villaverde del Monte, où Fernando, connu par Warm Showers, le réseau d’hospitalité pour les gens qui font des voyages à vélo, m’acceuille ce soir. Il part dormir dans les montagnes avec sa nièce alors la maison est à moi. Ses chats sont là pour me tenir compagnie.

Etape du jour / Stage of the day
125km 1700m dénivelé
https://www.strava.com/activities/302480775/embed/61cc17c9d7a1e946460ef2f49ca45b96c0e7d0ac

I managed to have Bucephalos fixed. The chain was about to break, so it was a really good idea to stay a bit more in Tudela. On the map I did not see so many cities on my road so I took lots of water and some food, just in case.

After some kilometers on again long straight lines, I started climbing mountains in a beautiful landscape and leaving any kind of civilisation. I ended up on a green and windy plateau. I eventually ran out of water, no supermarket, no caffes, only small villages where all houses looked closed, no one on the street by this heavy heat, my only option was to ring at some random doors and hope someone would open! I met some nice spanish grand-mothers who kindly refilled my bottles! Communication was scarce and mostly unidirectional, but my red face and empty bottles were self-explanatory!

Fernando who I got to know through Warm Showers, the « couch surfing » for touring cyclists was waiting for me in Villaverde del Monte, a tiny village in the mountains. The last 10km on the big national road, with many trucks were pretty difficult, but knowing that someone, even a total foreigner, is somehow waiting for me helped!
Fernando is an accomplished touring cyclist, Iran, Nepal… last one in Japan. His English is as limited as my Spanish but we still managed to communicate. He is working in a theater taking care of lights. But he used to be among others an electrician and did everything in his house except the wands. And everything with great taste. As the weather was beautiful and hot he decided to sleep under the stars in the mountains with his niece. So after having cook a wonderful tortilla they left me alone in the house, not completely alone though his two cats kept me compagny!