Cadiz
With just under half of the letter complete, we still needed to re-enter Spain and slowly make our way up to Madrid.
Portugal back into Spain
Our first stop was Cadiz. Having been here before, I was keen to show Katy the sights and make a lovely weekend of it. This ancient port city is full of things to do and the historic old town is great for exploring on foot with it’s narrow winding alleys and large plazas.
Beautiful Cadiz
We rested here for a couple of days before packing up and moving on once again. To draw the tricky section of the letter B, we would head towards Murcia from Cadiz before changing direction and gunning for Madrid.
Murcia to Madrid
The Sierra Nevada National Park
To break up the journey, we decided to visit the The Sierra Nevada National Park. After a few hours, the van was meandering it’s way into the National Park and slowly climbing the roads towards the Sierra Nevada Ski Station.
Slowly ascending
We had no idea what to expect so found ourselves in complete awe of the mountains. They are huge. Pico de Velata is 3,398 m and Mulhacén is the highest mountain in continental Spain at 3,478m. These peaks are right up there with the tallest in Europe and allow The Sierra Nevada Ski Station to hold the title of ‘the most southerly ski resort in Europe’.
Pico de Velata
Classic
Made it
After enjoying the wild peaks and peaceful atmosphere of the national park, Katy, Betty and I continued with our Iberian adventure. We quickly covered the ground to Murcia and pivoted towards Madrid. After half a day on the road, we stopped on the outskirts of the capital and camped for the evening. We had a spectacular spot…
Our spot on the road to Madrid
Madrid
The following morning, we entered Madrid. This was like a homecoming for me – we parked up the van, found a nice dog-friendly hotel and settled in for some time in the capital. Katy and I had a lovely time exploring the streets, markets, tapas and beer.
Madrid
We also had time to reflect on the trip – it was now of course nearing it’s conclusion, 27 countries down and well over a hundred days on the road. Thoughts began to turn to home and the obvious question of what next? We sat, relaxed and contemplated the past, present and future.
The last few days
The last few days
The Final Push
Three days after our arrival in Madrid, it was time to say goodbye and finish this project once a for all! All we had to do now was head north-east towards Zaragoza before pivoting and finishing the B back where we started in Bilbao/San Sebastian.
The final leg
