First full day in Spain

So, my philosophy on this trip is to take it easy. My last visit to Spain on the bike was the cause of some anxiety and a baptism of fire of tight steep hairpins, I remember but I think that was only the third time I had ever gone travelling on the bike and the first time on the heavy gs. Today I went out, after mid day looking for medieval Potes but the road I was looking for wasn't there. Kindly at breakfast two teachers from Portugal had given me some in depth - cave-orientated advice about what to see around here.

Luckily the El Sopleo (it means breath or breeze I think) caves were part of their recommended itinerary so I made a sharp right and then a further right up a steeper road (there were cows with horns wandering on it on the way back) signposted to these caves. There were some tightish hairpins today but only one gave some anxiety . Once up on the visitor centre where the caves are there is a stunning view from the site.

I paid (a very reasonable) €12 for a guided tour of the caves which you start in a rattly old mine train something like the Waterloo and City line used to be - but open carriages. Once inside the show starts and the melodrama reminded me that I am in the country of Almodovar: a light show and loud synthesised atmospheric music. At this point I remembered that I'd left my expensive movie camera on my bike. Annoying but I am burdened with too many gadgets anyway and part of me would not mind, I thought, to find it gone. The cave was cavishly amazing. At the final part they played opera, a soprano singing an aria that I didn't recognise, loud and beautiful. Some families started to hug eachother and kiss. The guide said, I think, though my Spanish of course is non-existent, 'Music and lights stimulate the frontal cortex'. Then we rattled back up the train back into the daylight. Photography was banned which was a relief. We have to concentrate and rely on memory. A potato salad and Fanta in the cafe celebrated the safety of my camera.

Tomorrow I will try to find Potes. This holiday is going to be measured in terms of mileage covered though the Portuguese did tell me Galicia, further west, is beautiful, though it rains there. The weather is perfect. The 7pm sun on the roof tiles and bricks where I am sitting now are so warming. There are tourists - all Spanish - but nowhere is crowded and no one drove behind me today making me think I should ride faster than I want to. On my return I realised I'd lost one of my Zig bottles from the back of the bike (the one with vodka in it). I was fond of it. You can see in the picture that already its coming loose.

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