Thursday, September 9, 2021

Naveda

Bike Route: Polientes to Naveda, 31 miles, 1900 feet of climb

We had breakfast at the hotel and headed out about 10:00. It was a nice day, and we were not in a big hurry because the ride would be fairly easy and we couldn't check in until 4:00 in the afternoon.

We had beautiful riding. Again, we were on scenic highways through wilderness areas, with very little traffic. We followed rivers most of the day. As we got nearer to Naveda, the vistas opened up a little and we were traveling through cattle, sheep, and produce farms.

About 5 miles before we got to Naveda, we detoured to Reinosa, to a supermarket where we could stock up on dinner, breakfast, and lunch food. Fresh langostinos were impossible to resist, plus pasta, roasted red peppers in olive oil with garlic, bread, ham, cheese, olives, orange juice, chocolate.

Back on the bikes, we left Reinosa on a small country road and cut across to Naveda. Our host, Visitacion, met us in the town square and led the way around the corner to our apartment above her garage. We had storage for the bikes and plenty of room to cook dinner and relax after a walk in the village.

We walked around an immense stone building with gardens and trees, enclosed by a wall we could not see over. It had no sign indicating what it was, but it was across the street from the old church and had a statue of Mother Somebody outside the gate. We decided it was a monastery for nuns. (We often make up stories about places of interest, when we can't find any real information.)

We also found that the village was larger than it first appeared, and that many of the old homes had been beautifully restored or were in the process of restoration. On the way into town, we had followed part of the Camino a los Pies del Liguardi (Path at the Feet of Liguardi).  In town, we found a park with a map of the 7-mile pathway through small villages around Liguardi Peak. Everywhere we go, we find a camino, and we find people hiking and biking on it. There is an incredible infastructure built around these interesting byways.

Our lunch stop was at a small church on one of the caminos. Another bikepacker was finishing up his lunch when we arrived.

A stork's nest tops the old church in Naveda.