2018-10-02 Piñeda de la Sierra to Espinosa de los Monteros

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Piñeda de la Sierra to Espinosa de los Monteros

Piñeda de la Sierra to Espinosa de los Monteros

During the night the temperature falls to 2°C, we are at 1400m in the mountains (about 4,500ft), but the temperature generally in Spain is falling. At 5.00am Mr C. gets up and puts the heating on! The temperature has fallen by 35°C in the past 10 days, quite a difference.

We have a very quiet night, not a soul passes after about 10.00pm, we hear a car or two passing around 8.00am. The sun rises in a red and orange sky around 8.30am and very quickly we warm up in the camper to 22°C, but it is still only 5°C outside with a nasty little north wind. I warm a little to the camping spot, the views of the surrounding mountains are very good and there are so many birds that Mr C. gets the spotting scope out. He is very happy with seven mistle thrushes (very unusual to see so many together) and spotless starlings, almost exclusive to this small area of northern Spain.

On our way again on the BU820, where we follow the Rio Arlanzón for 37km. The road follows closely alongside the river which swells out into a reservoir with dams in two places. The water level is very low and in places the weeds and tall grasses are growing through. At Ibeas de Juarros, still following the Rio Arlanzón, we take the N120 to Burgos. Here we follow the SatNav directions into the city and stop at the Area Autocaravanas next to Plaza Pacheco and Alcampo.

We stayed here 14th September 2017, so know that facilities and spaces are good. There were already 20 motor homes parked up. We shop at Alcampo for provisions of Spanish foods to take back with us (Iberian ham, cheese and some wine) we also buy basic provisions for our needs, milk, bread and meat and veg for stir fry. After a late lunch we are on our way north, on the CL 629 across the high Sierra, with endless miles of red earth and fields full of sunflowers, now brown and ready for cutting, to Cernégula.

Here there is a good filling station with fuel at a low price and worth a stop. Then we climb relentlessly, across a broad plateau with tall stone pillars marking the line of the old road. At 1000m we begin our descent along a series of serious hairpin bends and switchbacks, down and down to Quintana and into the Ebro gorge. This narrow gorge is spectacular with walls of tall grey/white rock on each side of the narrow road and pinnacles rising high into the sky on each side. In places, even the sun doesn’t reach. Often there are griffin vultures here, but none seen today.

The gorge opens out at Incinillas and we continue on good road to Villacayo, a moderately sized town with narrow one-way system. We continue on CL 629 through Gayargos, Barabda to El Ribero where we take the BU542 northwest to Espinosa de los Monteros. Through the town we find the area Autocaravanas on the left on a large piece of waste ground. There is plenty of space to park and there is a nice picnic area with BBQs next to the parking area. It is not a particularly pretty area and is used by workmen to store road gravel and sleep in old caravans, but it is functional, has water and dump facilities, although there is only one tap for drinking water and toilet cassette rinsing (not good). We find another drinking water tap on the picnic site and use that instead, filling with the watering can and not the hose.

We park up and start with Alcampo fresh prawns and Masroig Pinyeres garnache blanc wine… very nice! Followed by turkey stir fry. Later, about 9.00pm another two smaller Belgian camper vans arrive and join us for the night. The temperature falls again from a high of about 16°C to 11°C in the evening and 5°C overnight!

Our trek through France and Northern Spain

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Summary of motorhome journey through France and Northern Spain