Cycling in Spain
Cycling in Spain is a wonderful pastime as the country is vast and beautiful
with many extremely quiet and relatively traffic and pollution free roads.
However in addition to the normal highways and byways Spain also has a wonderful system
of Via Verdes, or Greenways, which are disused railway tracks that
have been renovated and turned into
cycling and walking tracks. There are around 1,500 kilometres of Greenways throughout Spain (more than 58 tracks),
of varying length. They have all been carefully prepared to provide an
excellent surface for cyclists, walkers, horse riders, elderly people and children
and even mobility impaired people. They allow you to explore some wonderful
hidden corners of Spain far away from traffic, noise and pollution.
Passing through diverse scenery, depending on the via Verde in question, you will
discover amazing valleys and mountains, impressive bridges and viaducts
more than one hundred years old and pass through some mysterious tunnels
that once let the trains through. Be careful in these however as some of them
can be a kilometre long and pitch black in the middle if the lights go
out when you are half way through!!
Don't worry if you don't own a cycle, or at least don't have it in Spain with you,
because at many of the stations you can hire bicycles.
We did the Via Verde that runs from Puerto Serrania to Olvera in the
Provinces of Cadiz and Sevilla, Andalucia.
It is a total of 36 kms. long
and passes through 30 tunnels and over 4 viaducts.The stations at either end and one
en-route have been renovated and provide bar and restaurant facilities
plus hotel accommodation for the weary traveller, or in our case the
totally and utterly exhausted traveller!!
We set out from Puerto Serrano and walked to Coripe, the first station
down the line, about 15 kms.Here we had a very pleasant lunch and generally
recharged our batteries before completing the next and final stage to
Olvera. The scenery was magnificent and the tunnels great fun although
rather frightening when the lights go out as they are all on time switches
but don't seem to give you long enough to get from one end to the other!
However there are switches at intervals along the wall but they are not
always easy to find in the dark!
The route passes through some stunning scenery and alongside numerous rivers.
It is so peaceful and quiet away from all the traffic, and the bird and wild flowers
are magnificent, particularly if you go in the spring which really is the best time
as it is too hot for such energetic activity in the summer.It also goes past
el Pe??n de Zaframag?n which is a spectacular mountainous
area with the largest breeding colony of vultures in Andalucia.
So having arrived at Olvera station, still just about in one piece, we
repaired to our room and collapsed! Then having showered and changed
we had a surprisingly good meal in the restaurant, a drink in the bar,
and then a much needed nights rest.
After breakfast the following day we collected our bicycles, I expect
you were wondering when I was going to come to them, which we hired
from the station, and then set off for the return journey to Punto Serrano.
This was great fun, neither myself nor my husband had cycled for years
and we thoroughly enjoyed it,it certainly beats walking! For the most the
surface of the track is very good and of course being an old railway line
basically pretty level. The cycle ride was a fraction of the
walking time
but we still didn't manage to get through the longest tunnel without the lights
going out and it is virtually impossible to cycle in the pitch dark.
If you are already cycling in Spain on your own bike then it would be
a good idea to have it fitted with a light.
A torch would be handy in any case.
Also be sure to carry water as there is nowhere to get any between stations
and even in the spring it can get pretty hot.
So if you are new to cycling in Spain you are in for a real treat
with so many via verdes to explore. In many cases there is a functioning station
nearby which makes it easier for you to arrive at the greenway of your choice and RENFE,
the Spanish railway network, offer some good deals on taking your bike by train.
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The Benefits of Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Since the dawn of time, mankind has had an interesting relationship with animals.
In some ways, the history of modern man is intimately linked to our interaction with animals.
Dog's, for instance, have long been considered man's best friend.
Any dog owner will gladly confirm this for you.
Cat's, too, have been living in close quarters with man for literally thousands of years.
In modern times, there has been a lot of research and experimentation regarding the use of horses in various forms of therapy.
Back in the early 1900's, Dame Agnes Hunt used horses in the rehabilitation of her patients at the first orthopedic hospital in England.
A few years later, therapeutic riding was introduced to soldiers injured on the battlefield during World War I.
In the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, an amazing feat was accomplished.
Dame Liz Hartel, a former Danish dressage rider, decided to compete...
Horse > The Benefits of Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Enjoy Luxury South Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals At 40% Off
Lake Tahoe, CA / NV (ContentDesk) January 6, 2005 -- Lake Tahoe Lodging, Inc. offers 40 percent off on mid-week Lake Tahoe vacation rentals with a 2 night minimum stay.
Lake Tahoe Lodging, Inc. (LTL) A provider of Luxury Lake Tahoe accommodations announces their Get into winter special offering 40% off on mid-week vacation rentals.Known for its vacation rental bonuses and immaculately kept quality properties, LTL is providing this special mid-week savings to guests who book a minimum two-night stay at any of LTLs properties. This is a great opportunity for guests to visit us for a mid-week stay...
Horse > Enjoy Luxury South Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals At 40% Off
Audio Speaker Systems
There are many types of speaker systems for different applications. There are car speakers, stereo speakers, surround speakers, and speaker products for home theater systems. The wireless speaker is becoming very popular for home speakers. It allows you to have a speaker system in every room of the house.More and more people are using their computer as their home entertainment center, so computer speakers are a popular consumer item. By connecting your speaker system to your computer, you computer...
Cycling in Spain Audio Speaker Systems speakers Horse
Horse > Audio Speaker Systems
RealWebFunds Secures $3,350,000 Investment Property Financing For Strip Retail Center
(ContentDesk) August 15, 2005 -- Christy Slye, a mortgage broker with RealWebFunds Commercial Mortgage, has announced that the firm recently closed a $3,250,000 commercial mortgage financing for the Baywood Center strip retail property in Longwood, FL, a suburb of Orlando. The 38,250 s.f shopping center has been recently renovated to withstand the region's hurricanes. The plaza is 95% occupied with 20 tenants. The purpose of this commercial loan was to refinance into long term fixed rate financing...
RealWebFunds Secures $3,350,000 Investment Property Financing For Strip Retail Center Cycling in Spain
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The Secret To Success And Riches
You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded. A courtesy copy of your publication would beappreciated. Send to willie@williecrawford.comThe Secret To Success And RichesCopyright 2004 By Willie CrawfordLook at the world around you. Observe the buildings, yachts,and huge complexes that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.Can there be any doubt in your mind that this world...
Cycling in Spain The Secret To Success And Riches vacuum Horse
Horse > The Secret To Success And Riches
Diets, Exercise, Health and Weight Loss
Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin
Square one. Stop thinking about diet, diets, dieting, on a diet, fad diet, latest diet, celebrity diet, diet pills, diet plans, diet programs?ad nauseum?literally!
A diet is simply what you eat! Your diet can consist of chocolate donuts or alfalfa sprouts, but most "Diets", with a capital "D" will not set you free. Instead, they lock you in a cage. Eat anything other than what they prescribe, and you are a failure?at least, so reads their...
Horse > Diets, Exercise, Health and Weight Loss
Whats Wrong with Organic Food and Organic Agriculture?
Criticism of organic food and organic agriculture includes the following:
Organic food is expensive
Unfortunately, at the moment retailers are charging artificially high prices. I was in Tesco last week which is a rare occurrence as I shop locally where possible, and I nearly died when I saw the prices being charged for organic yogurt and eggs compared to the non-organic brands. I understand that we have to pay more for organic produce because there are more crop...
Horse > Whats Wrong with Organic Food and Organic Agriculture?