The dawn chorus of cockerels crowing and dogs barking is shattered by the sound of hundreds of motorbikes streaming past the village of Prado del Rey. It is 5am and I have just witnessed the arrival of Club Motero Gaditano. José shouts something at me in Spanish. I follow his lead by jumping on my motorbike and following the stream of red lights of into the cold and dark Spanish morning...
As I follow the lights, I try to recall exactly how these events have fallen into place. I promise myself that I will learn more Spanish in the future.
The road weaves higher and higher into the mountains. With every hairpin bend the road gets more narrow. The steep sides of the mountain change colour, white follows red. It is like playing a strange video game as I nervously wobble my way around every tight bend. We eventually fill a tiny lay by on the Puerto de Las Palomas (1357 meters) with all the motorbikes and scramble our way up a nearby peak to watch the sunrise.
Huddling like penguins on the rocky peak as we try to keep warm in the surprising cold morning air. Mother Nature puts on a technicolor display that makes dragging my shattered body out of bed at this ungodly hour so worthwhile. Deep golden yellows give way to crimson which then fade to a deep magenta. The whole sky illuminates a rich orange as the sun eventually pops above the horizon to warm our frozen bodies.
With this burst of natural energy, we descend to our makeshift car park and chase our shadows down the mountain for breakfast.
I meet Colin and the last remaining wedding guests for my second breakfast. Over breakfast, Colin plots my two day route into Portugal. With my tick list ready and my motorbike all packed, I leave the polka-dotted hills of Prado del Rey behind and head North for the first time this trip...
I follow the old N-IV route towards Sevilla which takes me through the fascinating old town of Carmona. Perched on a low hill overlooking the "frying pan" of Spain that sizzles in the summer heat, Carmona is full of impressive old buildings which hold my gaze as I ride along the ancient cobbled streets.
I feel the temperature rise as I descend into the frying pan. The cooling summer breeze is kind to me though, as I zip my way across to Córdoba to catch up with some much needed sleep!
As I follow the lights, I try to recall exactly how these events have fallen into place. I promise myself that I will learn more Spanish in the future.
The road weaves higher and higher into the mountains. With every hairpin bend the road gets more narrow. The steep sides of the mountain change colour, white follows red. It is like playing a strange video game as I nervously wobble my way around every tight bend. We eventually fill a tiny lay by on the Puerto de Las Palomas (1357 meters) with all the motorbikes and scramble our way up a nearby peak to watch the sunrise.
Huddling like penguins on the rocky peak as we try to keep warm in the surprising cold morning air. Mother Nature puts on a technicolor display that makes dragging my shattered body out of bed at this ungodly hour so worthwhile. Deep golden yellows give way to crimson which then fade to a deep magenta. The whole sky illuminates a rich orange as the sun eventually pops above the horizon to warm our frozen bodies.
With this burst of natural energy, we descend to our makeshift car park and chase our shadows down the mountain for breakfast.
I meet Colin and the last remaining wedding guests for my second breakfast. Over breakfast, Colin plots my two day route into Portugal. With my tick list ready and my motorbike all packed, I leave the polka-dotted hills of Prado del Rey behind and head North for the first time this trip...
I follow the old N-IV route towards Sevilla which takes me through the fascinating old town of Carmona. Perched on a low hill overlooking the "frying pan" of Spain that sizzles in the summer heat, Carmona is full of impressive old buildings which hold my gaze as I ride along the ancient cobbled streets.
I feel the temperature rise as I descend into the frying pan. The cooling summer breeze is kind to me though, as I zip my way across to Córdoba to catch up with some much needed sleep!
1 comment:
the view sounds amazing!!!!!
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