Salamanca Spain – Biking Day 2 – The Bennetts On Tour

Editors Note. Tap on the thumbnail photos to see the full image.

Awoke without, surprisingly, any major aches from yesterday’s ride. The clothes strewn about the room on radiators and hangers were dry for the most part which was good given the sound of rain drumming against the windows.

Our short walk from our villa to breakfast felt odd given it was still dark at 8:00 a.m. Definitely not a good sign.

Given the forecast of rain, more rain and then heavy rain, our guides chose to cancel the morning ride.

The decision was universally welcomed as it simply would have been a test of fortitude without any ability to enjoy the countryside we would be riding through. And that’s without mentioning the wind that has sprung up.

So the morning was spent lounging around and reading while also finishing up drying various clothing items.

At lunch we were treated to a lesson on the various hams produced in the area and given a tasting of various grades/cuts. Salamanca is famous for different cuts and curing techniques as well as using different types of pigs and diets. Who knew?

The hotel where we’re staying is very posh having started life as a monastery, then a mill and now a luxury hotel. They have a large vineyard as well!

A decision was made that a break in the weather was forthcoming so it was time to saddle up. They were right sort of. Over the next two hours we faced intermittent rain and heavy constant wind. Occasional the sun broke through so it was a huge improvement versus yesterday. We rode through hilly sections of farmland and through villages and hamlets where the buildings came right to the edge of the road. I hit a top speed of 53 km/hr on one downhill stretch. Felt very Tour de France like albeit in Spain.

Again no pictures of us in action but we managed the 48.6 Kms quite nicely with less use of the e-bike feature.

Next we were taken into Salamanca for a very informative 90 minute walking tour of the old city. It is home to the 4th(?) oldest university in the world which opened over 1,200 years ago. The cathedrals, buildings and squares were amazing. And the sun was shining!