May 14, 2023. Segovia to Sepulveda. Distance: 41 miles. Elevation: 2,510 feet

The weather has been interesting on this trip. We started out with an unprecedented heat wave in southern Spain. It was at least 10 degrees above normal. Now that we are headed in to northern Spain they are having an unprecedented cold snap with temps 5 degrees below normal. A couple of days ago the temperature was 37 degrees when we got up. No one was in a hurry to leave that day.

Today was just about right, still wearing our leggings and showers pass jackets all day with 50 shades of gray clouds giving way to blue skies and white puffy clouds when we got to our destination. Much of our riding was on very small country roads, very little traffic. Rolling hills and wide open plains. Quite a lovely ride.

We got to our Hotel Rural Vado del Durarton around 2pm.

Here we’ve just arrived and are taking the bikes around back for safe keeping.

By 3:30 we joined some friends for an amazing afternoon lamb dinner, the local specialty. It was incredibly tender and tasty.

Waiting for the red wine to go with the lamb. SLO friends David and Barbara on left and Steve from the Bay area in middle.

After a long leisurely lunch we got back to the hotel just in time for the daily 6pm Happy Hour/presentation on the next day’s ride. As soon as that was over we had a wonderful Mother’s Day call back home with Justin, Lauren and Annabelle.

By 8pm we were too pooped to pop so there was no wandering the town this time. Therefore not many pictures to share. Here are just a few.

Note our ride in to town, from upper left, quite the long descent before the climb back up to the city.

Note stork nest atop the bell tower.

And my favorite picture of the day was just as the sun finally broke through the clouds.