7 October 2019: Bujalance to Baena (24 miles-206 total)

Route

Following up on Paco's invitation to have breakfast at the senior center, (Yes, we do qualify), we found two of his sons tending bar, with only coffee available. They directed us to another place for breakfast, a cafe with a bakery across the street. The fruiteria was open at 9 am when we walked back to our hotel. The clerk at the fruteria lacked change, so we combined our buys, about 5 euros, for oranges, bananas, apples, and some sort of carb/pastry that Robin discovered. Gotta keep him fueled.

Anna, who met us as we checked in, escorted us to their secure garage, then took care of everything else.

Unlike my stay in 2014, the rooftop patio was closed and the restaurant was not open for breakfast. Hoping to view the sunset, (Michael), or the sunrise, (Robin & John), they rode the elevator to the top floor but met a locked door. Still, a good hotel.

Dog of the Day. The dog was friendlier than the owner.

Olive Trees Everywhere. With climate change, olives increasingly replace other crops.

Poison. Noting the spray nozzles on the back, he was preparing to spray chemicals in the olive orchard. Miguel (below) told us that the chemicals were poison. The olives will be harvested in December.

Michael, Robin, Pedro, and Miguel. Miguel owns these fields. Pedro told us about his pilgrimage, Camino de Santiago, by mountain bike. Stops like these are the highlight of a bike tour. Initially curious, they are instantly our new best friends.

Typical terrain, fortunately our route is the road on the right.

Dog(s) of the Day #2. We stopped in the shade of an abandoned house to eat some fruit and were approached by a cautious pack of three dogs. These apparent litter mates were looking for food and checked for crumbs as we left.

On the outskirts of Baena, we found this large olive oil processing facility. We enjoyed some of the local oil at lunch.

Robin and John Motor Pacing with a tractor.

Lunch in Baena. They offered tostadas with ham, nothing else, no cheese. And beer. Adequate.The local oil is in the bottle just behind the napkins.

Carla emigrated from Ecuador to Spain 2 years ago. She accompanied the owner, meeting us at the top of the street and escorting us the remainder of the way. Her English skills exceeded my Spanish skills and is the primary reason she had this job. I'm sure that she waited at the top of the street for 40 minutes for us to arrive. Booking.com always asks: What time will you arrive? My estimate was 1 pm, so we were 40 minutes late. Hard to estimate an arrival time for cyclists that do not know the area. Plus, we stopped for lunch.

Back from Shopping. Our lodging is fantastic, but more on that later. Unfortunately, it's a long way up a hill. Our hosts agreed to take John and I to the local supermarket, where we purchased snacks, dinner, adult beverages, and then trudged back uphill. 

Michael, Robin, and John went back out when another store opened at 5 pm and bought more food. Robin and Michael cooked—big salad and pasta, one of our best meals so far. John washed dishes in the evening, so I washed dishes and cleaned up after breakfast. Then I patched the slow leak in one trailer tire and we are waiting for our host to pick up the keys at 9am. Today's rode is under 40 miles. We have reservations for tonight and 2 nights in Granada. Tonight, 2 twin rooms; Granada is a 1400 square foot apartment with kitchen facilities.

Baena has significant Moorish roots.

Nearby Church, a re-purposed mosque.

Castillo of Baena. Much of the castillo has been reconstructed, this is adjacent to our lodging. Our lodging seems to be a a portion of the original structure.

The heavily restored 15th- to 16th-century castle-palace sits right on top of the hill over which Baena spreads. Abandonment and the construction of water tanks inside the castle in the 20th century destroyed nearly all historical structures, but archaeological work has now revealed some remains, and there is interesting explanatory material as well as fine panoramas.

Casa singular y con encanto. (Our apartment/lodging) Our superb 2-bedroom house is locted at the top of Baena, adjacent to the Castillo. The owner has a son that excelled at bike racing, so that is the tasteful decorating theme. Our finding this place was just dumb luck on booking.com. Robin has the double bed, John and Michael have the room with bunk beds, and I have the sofa in the living room with a bathroom on the patio. No, not on the patio, just adjacent.

Our Patio. With outside shower and bathroom, behind the door with the STOP sign.

From booking.com: Located in Baena, Casa singular y con encanto offers garden, free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk, and a tour desk. The air-conditioned accommodation is 15 km from Zuheros. This holiday home includes 2 bedrooms, a living room and a flat-screen TV, an equipped kitchen with a dining area, and 1 bathroom with a shower and a washing machine.

Bike wheel pot rack and bike cage soap dispenser

The following photos show the bike-themed decoration, plus an amazing view of the area.

Wall Art

Bike wheel rim towel rack and bike basket.

Bathroom

Living Room

Son's various race numbers and banners in the garage.

Garage

Our Chefs

Balcony View of Baena White-Washed Buildings

Baena Surroundings #1

Baena Surroundings #2

The arch below our patio is Moorish, a gate linked to the original castle. Here is some info on Baena:

Baena sits on the side of a hill, forming a network of narrow, winding streets, dotted by traditional houses and ancestral homes. Olive orchards and cereal fields surround Baena.

The historic quarter of the city is located on the higher side of the hill. Its monuments include the church of Santa María la Mayor, from the 16th century (although some evidence suggests that it dates back to the 13th century); the conventual church of Madre de Dios, founded in 1510, and the old castle-citadel, from the 9th century, with several gateways to the walled enclosure.

Back Patio, Lavatory, and Drying Laundry.

Patio Pano. In panorama mode, it looks much larger.