Diversion to Soria

I had a fitful night's sleep last night, haunted by worries about money. What if my credit card gets wiped? What if this cash wire service never works? What if I get robbed? Etc etc.

Planning the trip, I hadn't considered access to money would be a problem. I made sure I had plenty in my account and didn't even consider card failure (Rumsfeld scholars will recognise this as an "unknown unknown").

I suppose, in the early hours of the morning, I felt a bit blind-sided by potentially the biggest impediment to my trip coming out of the left field like that.

Plus, I know from experience that cancelling a good adventure because of cash flow problems is frustrating and, more than that, humiliating.

So I was gloomy when I woke. A shower lifted my spirits a few notches to grimly determined, then the kindness of the hotel cleaner who helped me with my panniers and flattered me by asking if I was a professional cyclist or an "aficionado" tipped me over the edge into enjoying myself. Even the lower-status "aficionado" sounded impressive so, ego restored, I set off for Soria to get some readies, greenbacks, pelas, efectivo. I was damned if I was going to spend the rest of the holiday a slave to the capricious whim of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Almazán - Town of Furniture! - where I spent a fitful night worrying about a new category of disasters that might beset my trip. Pretty little place.

I toyed - for about a second - with the idea of taking the more direct route up the N111 but quickly thought better of it and hit the b-roads. I had a very pleasant ride up a minor road through sunflower fields and pine forest and past some mouthwatering public swimming pools. Another day perhaps.

A picturesque cemetary

I passed a fellow cycle tourist - the first so far - going the other direction and we exchanged enthusiastic waves and greetings.

On the way I mused at the effects of two and a half days in the saddle. My legs are actually fine. They're tired at the end of the day but it's not the pain you get from impact sports like ski-ing or mountain biking. It's a weariness and the next day they're good as new. I have been deliberately finding a gear which feels natural then dropping down a gear to spin faster but putting less pressure on the legs. This helps you keep going longer and is better for the knees.

I expected to get - and have got- numbness on the balls of my feet. My pedals are small and fixed to my shoes so the constant pressure all day in the same place makes my feet numb. Oddly, it only ever seems to happen to one foot at a time.

Another, really unexpected physical effect of so much cycling is the grip when I touch my fingers and thumb together on my left hand has become utterly feeble. And pushing buttons is difficult. I've tried making a fist and that's fine. And it doesn't hurt, it's just weak. I think it is from changing gear so often. The good news is that I can still grab a handful of brakes if I want to.

I've got a longish afternoon today so I'd better hit the road.

BC