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Published: June 25th 2013
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JACA TO BERTS
After the obligatory photo of all the bikes lined up we were ready to go. Our route today was going to take us up into the Pyrenees and then back down through Lleida and on to a small town/village called Ginestar where we were going to spend the night.
From jaca we took the road towards Sabaniego and then turned up to Bielcas, from there the road curved and twisted passing through Boltanna until we got to Ainsa. This was a route that I had taken the previous year. It did not defraud and provided some of the best roads since we left Santander. The route is a mixture of mountain twistys and Alpine like serpentine curves. We stopped in Ainsa to refuel and then headed down the A138 towards Lleida. This is a fast downhill stretch of good quality road and allows some rather illegal speeds……not that we did !…..or not much !! The road runs alongside incredibly blue lakes and reservoirs with small beaches to camp or pull in for a break.
This stretch is about 50 Kms long and was great after the concentration needed on the mountain
roads.
As we approached towards Lleida we were on the motorway again and it was getting seriously hot as midday approached. We had decided on a strategy of planning to stop at the first restaurant we came across after 13.30.
The only problem was that we were in a sort of no mans land having turned off the motorway and were headed deep into rural spain. The first town we came to was reconnoitered by Andy and Martin leaving the rest of us to zoom onto the next place.
We drove into Maials hot and hungry and on our first drive through did not even see a shop or bar which was open.It looked like they took their Siesta here very seriously.
Deciding to drive through again we came across what had obviously been a market earlier in the morning. The last crates were being packed away and just beside it was a bar with two tables outside. We parked up and and inquired about food and drink. The lack of attention and long period waiting made us look around again and after asking some locals we entered an unsigned
door just beside the original place. Who needs signs? all the locals Know where to eat !!
We trouped in and were seated at the rear in a pleasantly cool restaurant and then got the menu of the day for 9.00 euros. Good value and revived the flagging spirits after a hard mornings drive in 30 - 35 degrees heat.
Our stop for the night was only 50 Kms or so down the road and we headed off with thoughts of cold beers and showers in our minds. None of us had been to Ginestar before but Andy and Rob had been in Email contact with Estate agents there and we were organized to camp at the Campoasis , a small campsite run by Bert and Evette.
The town was all closed up for Siesta time but the very first people we met were from the estate agents where Andy was scheduled to meet up with. In next to no time we were sorted out and in convoy followed them down some rustical tracks until we came to Bert and Evettes place.
Friendly and welcoming is the best way to describe the
two of them and the offer of a cold beer made them friends for life.
Their setup is small but beautifully maintained and offers peace and quiet and shade from the sun.
We set up our tents and got out of the biking gear and and just chilled. A couple of beers more from Bert and a walk down to the river followed by a couple of hours of lying around or showering and washing clothes brought us up to dinner time around 20.30.
Dinner was special , We were provided with one of the best meals of the trip by Bert and Evette. A huge BBQ and a varied range of salads with a homemade desert from Evette rounding it all off.
Thanks Guys…..we will be back , it was fantastic.
I turned in near to 12 as I was planning an early start in order to get to Barcelona to sort out the storage for mine and Andys bike.
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