Day 7 - Leon

Carrion de los Condes to Leon, 113 km
Got up early and packed my bags with a bit of nervousness inside. Another long day lied ahead, and I wasn’t sure how my legs would feel. Got on the road at seven (the earliest thus far), while it was still dark, and quietly cycled out of Carrion. The plan was to get as much km’s behind me while it was still cool on the exposed Meseta.

It was flat and easygoing on the N120 till Cervatos del Cueza, but then the route turned right (still the same road name) and into a light headwind towards Ledigos. Just to punctuate this the two Germans passed me as well. Head down I managed to keep a good pace and went past Sahagun, but at Gordaliza I turned off to buy lunch at a bakery. Back on the road the wind was slightly from the back and I made good progress.

At the T-junction just after Castrovega I spotted the Germans having lunch, and I joined them for a drinks break and pictures. They left early, and when I reached Matallana a few km’s further on the N601 I stopped again, this time to get my tyres a couple of bars stiffer. Convinced myself it was easier going from then on.

The final 20 km’s to Leon again just didn’t want to finish. You can sense and feel the big city is close, as the road signs and advertising suddenly increase and there’s also more houses next to the road, but on a bike your progress is just too slow to make a royal entrance. It was a bit of concentration to keep on the marked route of yellow arrows, and in one place it splits as well. But I managed to find the modern multi story block of flats which was the refugio. It’s impersonal, but modern and clean inside.

The first half of the trip – and the Meseta with it – was finished. But now the famous O’Cebreiro mountains lie ahead. And it was supposed to be tougher as well. I had an early night’s sleep.

Time on bike: 5:09

Average speed: 21,9 km/h