The main route from Aranda to Burgos is straight as an arrow, and I suspect,the route most people will take. However, if you are on a bike, you almost certainly have to choose the scenic route throught the villages but, shush, don’t tell anyone, it’s better anyway.
I had a feeling that my Garmin had the “arrow” route plugged in so I planned an alternative, zigzag route through the villages,which, I must say,is much longer, but bound to be more agreeable. I wrote it all out on two pieces of paper. First village x then on to y etc. And what a treat. This is real Ribera del Duero country with some fancy wineries to roll by.
The scenery, of course, is stunning and the further north I go the greener it becomes.
The zigzag route often finds you in the middle of nowhere, and I managed to find the right road from Cilleruelo, a tiny hamlet, to Villafruela, a small village, via a moorland road that was being repaired by a heavily numbered gang of pothole fillers.
I was flagged down by the chief flag downer waving the “Stop/Go” board. She seemed concerned. I was probably the only none pothole filler she’d seen that morning. She interrogated me in rapido Spanish.
Did I know where I was?
Yes, in the middle of nowhere.
Do you know you are in the middle of nowhere?
Yes – I’m English. We used to do middle of nowhere really well centuries ago.
Where did you come from? Cilleruelo?
Yes,that’s the place.
And where are you going?
(Blank look whilst I compute my response.)
And you are going to Villafruela?
Yes.
Okay, it’s about 8 kilometers, that way. She said pointing.
And I spent the next 8 kilometers zigzagging wet tarmac filled holes.
All I can say is, Osbourne, THEY ARE FILLING THEM IN!
I arrive at a junction into Villafruela with a choice. Which way? I interrupt an old lady, mindlessly taking her morning constitutional, and ask her the way to Iglesiarrubia, the next hamlet on my journey. The only word she hears is “iglesia” and promptly tells me the way to the church, 150 yards away and 200 feet tall !
No, gracias, Iglesiarrubia, I say, trying to ignore that fact that we can both clearly see the iglesia.
Regardless, the only thing she is going to tell me is where the church is so I thank her and give up. She wanders on satisfactorily armed with gossip about meeting a stranger this morning who clearly couldn’t see the church. Poor man must have bad eyes.
Now here’s a thing, cycling fans, you do fall in love with roads sometimes, don’t you? Or is it just me ?
The B-100 (yawn) from Villahoz runs straight into the backside of Burgos and is beautiful.
Whilst I was riding it I thought you could timetrial on here and then low and behold, I see a poster in Burgos advertising a rally at Villahoz. It can only be the B-100. Anyway, enough boring rep stuff. I have two days to explore Burgos. So looking forward to it.
Moral of the tale? Take the scenic route through life.
singlemaltmonkey 
Lovely, lovely, lovely 🙂
Thank you. 😊