Tea & Hobnobs, we are English

Today I rode from Segovia to Avila, reluctantly I took the N110 which is a 'National' road but I was assured that it's not too busy.  It was 70 odd kilometres and options for quieter roads were limited or more accurately, none existent.  It wasn't too bad, there is always a hard shoulder on these roads and most of the drivers give you a very wide berth.  Nevertheless it was a fast road and not ideal.  Anyway I'm in Avila now and failing to find a camp site I'm in a Hotel, the view from which was worth the slog along the N110.

Yesterday I could see the Roman aqueduct in Segovia from my hotel, albeit some distance away, today it's a 30ft concrete wall!

No big climbs today but continual rolling hills with 10 minute climbs 

and 2 minute descents which after 

a few hours take their toll.

This was a small town en-route which for

some reason had a huge church?  As is becoming

routine the roof was occupied by nesting Storks.

This is a Spanish motorway at 2:00 o'clock on a Friday afternoon!

This was just the start of today's offering in the way of lunchtime interest.  I headed for the village square as usual, the Plaza Major.  I found the Fuente to quench my thirst, as I slugged my first bottle a campervan with British plates pulled to a halt.  I ended up having a very pleasant lunch with the occupants, a lovely couple from Yorkshire whose cycling exploits put my little jaunt into perspective.  They once spent 6 years on the road and have toured all over the world.  The vans facilities were used to provide post lunch tea and biscuits, some French equivalent to chocolate Hobnobs, very nice too!

I'd been considering the option of dumping some of my kit, I'd brought too much as expected but for a miser like me I wasn't comfortable doing that.  I also thought about posting a parcel home and probably would have taken that option had I not had the kind offer of having my surplus kit travel home in style in a campervan.

So it was, in the middle of the Plaza Major I had a kit explosion and decided what could go:-

1 pair socks, 1 pair cycling shorts, 1 thermal top, 1 synthetic jacket, 1 spare buff and a fold-up washing bowl which I haven't found a use for yet.  If the weather turns now I may be sorry but at least I'm travelling a bit lighter and I have a bit of spare room in my panniers.

Oh, today I heard my first Cicadas so I must be making some progress south!