5 and 6 August

I had nght at the pub in Leon, which was rather good, so I could visit the BMW dealer the next day. And I did. The last thing I did in the UK was visit the tyre man who took off the front tyre checked it and replaced the valve. So when the front end started behaving badly all I could imagine was what the mechanic had told me in Bath, the head bearings are about to go. I rode with a mate in Russia who had head bearing problems, and we had to leave Tom to the mercies of German repairs. Never to be seen again, but we have corresponded since. Anyway my front head bearing not good apparently. And that was all I could imaging after the wheel fix, and of course as the BMW shop says front wheels work better with air in ! Humble pie day ! I have to admit that there was a time when I would not have just fixed on one solution to a problem...... So I got to have a day in Leon. It is a spectacular City with a huge history, and it is a rather nice city as well. You would not believe it has a Cathedral (or two) and of course the Parador which is a beautifully rebuilt church and monestary that was built for pilgrims in about 812, was taken over destroyed, whatever by several invaders, including the moors, they were kicked out and then came back and flattened it, and it was abandoned, rebuilt, taken over for the Spanish horse stud, used as an incarceration prison in which many people were tortured and killed and finally rebuilt in a very handsome style with all sorts of prominent people adorning the building from legend and history and of course all or none of that may be true ! However what is true is that it is one heck of a decent Hotel. Opulent and decently priced. So go to Leon. Then I had to leave. Late of course. And away toward the sea. The land is flat and uninteresting. Spanish plain. There are no hills with castes and walls ut to my surprise there was Astorga. This is on the Compostella de Santiago trail of course....lots of people signs and markings. The city was old and attractive, even with a Gaudi Hotel with little evidence that Gaudi knew of it let alone had any part in it. Then I came to the hills and the answer as to the roofs came to me. Instead of tiles they were slate. And there I was in mountains of slate, which is why the bridge is in the chosen few pictures. But there were vines and fruit trees and wheat, and olives and all that makes Spain special. I stopped in the wonderful hills that surround that plain and asked for a local dish ( tipico) for lunch and was served octopus ! More on that later. But what a great ride, hills, narrow roads, walkers, cyclists, more hills cemeteries, and while I was at one a cyclist said are you really from NZ and I said yes, he was from Belgium he said, but was born in Morocco, and I replied I want to go there. All I heard was "just do it" as he pedalled up the hill ! The only downside was the Johnny Appleseeds relatives, Johnny Pinecone, and Johnny Gumtree had been there as well. Travel soon or it will all look the same. But here was different horse shit on the narrow roads and even a horse and some sheep, round a place called A Canzia, but despite heading for the sea I got to Pentavedra and could go no further. It was after 7 pm but "dinner" was not served till 9pm. So I had to have a cerveca. What a cracker day. Pictures Bull ring Bull yard (prison) Old buildings, And a Roman statue on the once roman wall in Leon.