Day 95: Puerto Serrano (Drive/Cycle/Drive)

I do believe that red sky in the morning is suppose to be shepherd's warning.

I should have seen this as a sign and acted accordingly. The thing is, we don't know what the future holds, but eventually we do find out what it had in store for us! Assuming you believe in all that mumbo-jumbo!

I use Google Maps navigation to get me from here to there. It provides a standard fastest route and recently introduced their version of a fuel efficient option. I opt for the later. In addition, although it typically performs well, occasionally there are hiccups. Like today!

All was going well, I had about 13 kilometres left of a 108 kilometre journey, when I was instructed to take a left turn. Unfortunately, there was a sign "Carretera Cortado", which translates to: road cut! So, I continued on the road I was already on, which forced Google Maps to re-route.

Unfortunately, it sent me down a single track road that started off well surfaced but steadily deteriorated as a progressed along it. I did manage to navigate some minor obstacles, that was, until I came across a rather large puddle.

Initially, I got out of the van and made a visual inspection, which left me feeling reluctant to continue for about the third or fourth time.

However, not ready to give up having got this far, doing a u-turn would likely end up being a fifty-point-turn! I returned to the van and put my green wellies on. Here we are in the puddle:

It was at this point that I realised that to continue onwards would not be the wisest thing for me to do. Fortunately I didn't have to reverse for about three kilometres: I managed to do a roughly six-point-turn at a slightly wider section of road that I encountered after some 200 metres or so of reversing.

Back on the main road, it was a further 33 kilometre detour to get me to Arcos de la Frontera, where bike ride start was located.

I arrived about 1.5 hours later than my originsl estimated arrival time was predicted to be. Not only that it definitely was not very efficient. The warnings were there first thing!!

If all had gone to plan I'd have started my bike ride between 11am - 11.30am, as it was, I set off just before 1pm.

Initially, I cycled through the town and was surprised when I came across this statue/work of art/memorial/religious iconography/weirdness/whatever:

The cycling was good, but there were times when I thought it would rain, thankfully it did not. Here is some earlier rain water making it's way to a reservoir:

And, here is a photo of the reservoir:

Finally, here is a photo of Arcos de la Frontera:

It did mean that the final kilometre of the cycle ride was uphill (a 6-7 percent gradient)!

After some food, a shower, wash-up, tidy-up, I decided to drive to the start of tomorrow's ride - thus, avoiding a repeat of today's misfortune. Plus, the ride is longer tomorrow.

By the way - it is now 23:15, I've been awake since about 07:00 and, I am knackered! Goodnight.

• Distance driven: 113 miles
• Distance cycled: 85 kilometres
• Weather: Mainly sunshine and clouds with temperatures in the mid-teens.
• Location: Google Maps

Today's ride: