Had a gourmet breakfast at the same place as last night's dinner ... the best orange juice ever. Today, was a long day. Headed south to Valencia through some nice secondary roads with little traffic.
It is interesting that you can still find remote unpopulated areas in these old countries in Europe ... they tend to have dense population centers with public transportation limited sprawl. It feels more organic ... settled ... less hectic.
Stopped for a quick bite in Requena still in the province of Valencia where there is an old moorish fort.
The afternoon was spend traversing the heart of Valencia and into Andalusia on secondary roads that were full of great views ... wide sweepers ... twists here and there as the road went up and down and in and out of valleys ... almost empty roads ... a few towns ... an absolute zen ride most of the afternoon.
Towards the end as I approached Ubeda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and where I planned to spend the night, everything around me was olive trees ... all the way to the horizon ... the call this area the Sea of Olives because of the undulating nature of the terrain. A jaw dropping sight at times.
Most of these farms, I found out, are owned by small farmer families that have been in these area for centuries ... and they collectively produce 20% of the world's olive oil!
Ubeda is a nice historical town with a lot of churches, plazas, cobblestone pedestrian streets, a wall that surrounds the city (partially) ... took a long walk all around ... found the seniors center with music and art classes ... had dinner on an outdoor table in an alley full of restaurants ... restaurants in Spain do not open until 8pm ... nice!
Tomorrow, is the last day of riding. I hope to get to Sevilla around noon. I still have not confirmed or figure out how or where I am going to leave my motorcycle. I also need to arrange for new tires, oil change, and new brake pads to get the bike ready for Africa.
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