Friday 28th April 2023

Quite the day to describe for you.

It was a our last full day in Spain, and so, because due to a cock up in communications, we had an early flight booked on Saturday morning, and there was no way that we would be able to get from northern Spain to Valencia without getting up at around three and then driving for nearly five hours, with any chance of catching our flight.

So, we bit the bullet abd booked a hotel near the airport in which to spend Friday night, but this would mean leaving the tour on Friday.

Even worse, the guides had a great lead on the dream UK species, Camberwell Beauty. I was very tempted to not travel until I had joined them on that visit, but decided that there was other stuff we could do. In the end, they found four Beauties, and they looked magnificent, but we did something good too.

Although, there was drama and adventure.

So, up at seven to look at the moth traps, and then a large and slow breakfast, before we loaded the car and said goodbye to the others and guides on the tour. One last group photo, and we climbed in and drove off.

First call was the valley near to the hotel we visited on Wednesday after the deay on the motorway. I wanted Jools to experience the narrow road winding through the gorge. And now I have uploaded the video to Flickr so can you!

After that we drve the hour or so to the national park in the very north of Spain to see the Alpine meadow Jools had seen the day before.

This was the adventure.

At first, a drive along the main road east, then turning off on ever-narrowing roads, until we turned up a valley and went along cobbled streets barely wide enough to get the car through. More than once it was like driving up a footpath.

The road then began to climb and twist, up and up it went, the road becoming a track in places. But with the sun out, it was a fine day for a drive in the mountains. Hairpin bend after hairpin bend, I was casual driving, too casual, because coming out of one corner, I went over a rock with the rear wheel.

There was a bang, and then the sound of escaping air.

A puncture.

Not much we could do other than get the baggage out, get the spare wheel out and try to change the wheel.

In a dirt track miles from the nearest town and out of phone range. In a country we could not speak the language.

Eeek.

The wheel change went well, other than it was a space-saver, which meant that we would be limited to 80KM/H on the drive that would then take up to 8 hours to Valencia.

The wheel was on, we reloaded the car, and went on, up and up to the dead end track to the entrance to the national park.

From here it was a 600m walk to the meadows, but that would take 15 minutes as the track was at an angle in excess of 45 degrees.

I went on, as Jools had found orchids there, so with plenty of stops, I climbed up and up until the ribbed concrete ramp ended, and the land flattened out, and there were thousands of Cowslips, two species of Gentians and both colour forms of a fine orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina.

But time was pressing, and we really had to get the tyre fixed.

It was a 45 minute drive back to the main road, through two tiny picturesque villages and countless hairpin bends, ups and downs. Jools drove, and she got us down safe.

Spain like a siesta, and I like the idea of them, but at half one in the afternoon when you want a tyre fixed, it meant nowhere was going to be open until half three. The second place we rolled up to, seem to suggest they would fix it at half three when they reopened, so we agreed.

Opposite was a truck stop, so we went in t kill the 90 minute wait.

For €16 we got huge plate of Ceasar Salad, followed by steak and potatoes and rounded off by cheese and quince jelly, washed down with a 1.5' of water and fresh bread too. All for 16 Euros.

It was damn fine eating.

Back to the tyre shop, and they looked at the tyre, it was fucked. Needed a new one, and by law both on the axle had to be changed. But they had two they could fix, so off they went, in their own time.

90 more minutes ticked by, but at half four, it was done, sesors reset and after paying we could leave.

The sat nav told us we had 4 hours still to go.

Best get going then.

The road took us over the spectacular mountain pass, and down onto the plains on the other side. It was hot and hazy, 31 degrees, but the miles slipped by as we headed east and south, with the weather warming up, even as the sun set in the west.

Not much else to tell, we did well, swapping driving duties as the afternoon slipped into evening, with the sun setting as we dropped from the plains towards the coast.

We got lost twice in the complex road network around Valencia airport, but as darkness fell, we reached the hotel, though we could not find our way into the compound. In then, Jools went in and was told, drive to the gate and it will open.

And it did.

We checked in, went to our room which was as hot as an oven. Jools went to fetch supper which laid heavy, but what the hell. It was nearly 11 and we had made it to within 6 km of the airport, we just had to find it in the morning.

Should be easy, but one time I couldn't find LAX from rout 101.

So, who knows.....