Matilda on Tour - Aranjuez – A Welcome Change of Pace

Thursday 8 October – Heading South to Aranjuez

After a wonderful night’s sleep, we were back on the road by 10 o’clock, beneath blue skies scattered with soft, fluffy clouds. Just the weather we’d been hoping for.

The scenery was changing again, with rolling hills, the first rows of grapevines and tall, slender trees dotted across the countryside. As we climbed towards Somosierra, rugged mountains rose ahead of us, opening up some lovely views.

We stopped at Buitrago del Lozoya for bacon and cheese baguettes, followed by a wander around the old walled town. It really was a sight to see and great views from the top.

Skirting around Madrid, we continued to Camping Internacional Aranjuez, a holiday-camp-style site right on the river. We settled Matilda into her pitch before heading out on the bikes for a little exploring.

There’s plenty to see nearby, including the Royal Palace, its gardens and the town itself. The campsite looked like a good base for exploring, although we soon discovered a large play park close to our pitch. And it’s a bank holiday weekend! 😱😱

Tucked up for the night, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Friday 9 October - A Day Exploring Aranjuez

After a few busy days on the road, it was lovely to leave Matilda parked up and get out on the bikes.

We chose a simple out-and-back route from Aranjuez, heading straight up the valley, with small hills rising on either side. The countryside was quite different from what we’re used to, with olive trees laden with tiny olives. We’re so used to seeing these trees heavily pruned that it was lovely to see them full of fruit.

The cycling wasn’t quite as relaxing as we’d hoped, though. Some of the smaller roads were in such poor condition that we ended up riding on busier roads than we would have liked. I did wonder whether I’d ever complain about the roads in Denbighshire again!

Still, we managed 20.42 miles, and it felt really good to be out exploring rather than sitting behind the wheel of Matilda.

Of course, there had to be a coffee stop. A coffee, a cup of hot chocolate and two chocolate pastries came to just £6! You can certainly see why so many Brits head to Spain for the winter.

Richard has been trying out his new Beeline sat nav on his bike, and so far it’s working well. He’s happy with it, which is good news. Hopefully it’ll make finding our way around unfamiliar places a little easier.

On the way back, we took a diversion through the Jardín del Príncipe. What an amazing place! We really enjoyed wandering around, admiring some of the beautiful trees. Huge plane trees towered above us, and the camellias were laden with large seed pods, something I’d never really noticed before.

We came across the Chinese Garden and wandered past fountains and ornamental pools, although it was a shame that so many had been drained.

The gardens were far bigger than we’d expected. We happily followed the route signs until suddenly there weren’t any!

That presented a bit of a problem. We’d left the bikes behind and now had no idea how to get back to them.

Fortunately, between a photograph I’d taken when we arrived and Garmin Maps, we eventually found them. Next time I’ll be dropping a WhatsApp location pin!

A stop to rehydrate took us into the centre of Aranjuez, before heading back to the campsite.

The campsite is certainly lively tonight, with Halloween decorations everywhere. There’s plenty of noise, but in a good way, with a real holiday buzz about the place.

Unfortunately, food wasn’t available until 8 pm. Far too late for us!

Looks like Pot Noodles in Matilda tonight. Living the dream!

It’s been a really enjoyable day. No driving, no rushing on to the next destination, just time to cycle, explore somewhere new and enjoy being together.

After the first few busy days of our trip, that’s been just what we needed.