Wake bright and early … the sun is warm, the breeze has dropped and the sky is blue!
We head into Mosqueruela town, partly to have a nose around but also because we are feeling guilty at not having paid for our stay so are going to drop the 3.50E at the Town hall. The town is small but really attractive, with a walled old town and the expected oversized church. After eventually finding someone in the town hall (other than the cleaner) we paid our fee for the aire and sat in the sun with a phone call home … out of the breeze it was really hot and G’s fleece came off!
We picked up some breakfast treats from the little bakery and headed back to the aire for something to eat and drink. The aire is also a picnicking spot and has indoor barbecues and a fresh spring water fountain which people arrive at frequently to fill water bottles … I suspect it’s a very busy place in the summer.
The aim today is to reach the thermal springs at Montanejos. It’s not a great distance but it’s the slow road again and things to see on the way!
Big, wide views and pine covered hills are the order of the day. The road is still smooth and wide enough but steep and twisty, generally the altitude remains high and there are snow markers on the route but the sun is really shining and at its best the car is reading 25.5 degrees.
We stop at a view point before Linares de Mora and have a long chat with a Spanish couple from Catalonia who are keen to hear about our journey so far and share our delight at the views on this road
A brief stop at the edge of Linares de Mora , which appears to have all the requisite tick list of church, castle and stunning location but we crack on without going into the town centre.
From here it’s still mountains but the roads are getting busier and we pass two or three cars on the next stretch.
Rubielos de Mora is a worthwhile stop. Whilst it has a similar feel to the other mountain villages there is an obvious former wealth here and many of the older houses are more opulent. It’s siesta time when we arrive so very quiet but we walked round the old town and it’s pristine streets. The church here has the ‘second widest nave in Spain’ but is locked so we can only see the size from outside. We are alongside a massive lake/reservoir here with associated civil engineering. It has the bluest water and sits between high rock faces. We were hopeful of a canyon walk, but when we reach the baths at Fuente del Banos it becomes obvious that waterside access is limited without a full scale hike. we are able to walk a short distance alongside the 'beach' and the footpath adjacent to the water.
Its very pleasant but a bit disappointing if I'm honest as we were expecting more. the water isn't really warm at all either.. just a little warmer than if it were straight out of a spring. we did see some wild goats though that crossed the path just in front of me. We tried a little uphill climb to see if there was a view further along the gorge but the path was poor and was quite enclosed so we gave up quite quickly.
It's getting late so we are just going twenty minutes up the road to a village aire. Its on the edge of Cirat beside the sports centre and is advertised as having six places but the hardstanding for the 'six' is already occupied by three poorly parked large vans. However, the car park is large and there are already several other vans scattered around so we tuck ourselves into the corner.
We walk into the village which is quiet aside from a few locals chatting in the street. There's an attractive church and a couple of small bars but even those are quiet, makes for a nice wander before bed though.
Miles so far: 807
Steps today: 13,049
Overnight: Municipal Aire at Cirat - free
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