Zuheros to Cordoba

This morning we toured the Nunez de Prada olive oil factory -- the finest in the country and supplier to Trader Joe's. Beautiful!

On to Cordoba -- 70 K. The mosque/cathedral is right across from our hotel. This week is a patio festival, where families open their courtyards for a competition.

Olives and Oil

A challenging but beautiful day. We rode thorugh mile after mile of olive groves, and had a tasting in Priego de Cordova. We sampled top quality (very grassy) rancid (pressed from olives on the ground, but not bad) and typical ordinary what they import to America (oily). The best was the olive jam on crackers. Who knew?

It got very hot!! 30 degrees. I thought I might have a heat stroke. Since we had snow not that long ago in Massachusetts, we haven't had much chance to get accustomed to hot weather. No shade! Hopefully I'll become accustomed.

Tonight we are in Zuheros. There is a IX century Arab castle perched on a huge rock outcropping. Tomorrow will be more olives, and mostly downhill.

TAles from the Alhambra

Amazingly beautiful -- intricate beyond belief. We spent most of the day here, then wandered the town and saw Ferdinand and Isabella, or at least their mausoleums.

Spain!

Arrival in Malaga. Uneventful so far, as we've both been sleeping, trying to throw off the ill effects of jat lag and the very late Red Sox game Wednesday night. Bus to Grenada in the morning.

Bodo, Norway

WE arrived yesterday afternoon and it is cold. Any rainy. And windy.... We have a nice room on the harbor and the wind has been howling for 24 hours, although it has calmed down a little now. Tiday I bought wool long underwear, and plan to ride in it. The weather sounds much the same all week. Tomorrow is a loop ride back to Bodo and many of us do not plan to ride if it stays like this.