On day 4 of biking through Spain and doing great!

Just a quick post to say that all is well here in Spain, despite the concerns I had before heading off on my own onto the back roads of Spain... without a good guide book for this area, without reservations or listing of places to stay.  In fact, things are better than I had imagined possible!

The scenery has been amazing; each day I've been over several mountain passes (not like the Pyrenees, but demanding nonetheless), seen castle ruins and amazing cliffs (and even stayed in accommodations near some of them the last two nights), and met some friendly people along the way.  Two days ago I met a retired Belgian man who had biked down here from Belgium... and is going to bike back after he reaches the southernmost point in Spain.  So far Ayna has been the most scenic place I've stayed and the best deal on accommodations was in Tranco, where I was the only person staying in a beautiful pension.

Today's terrain, here in la Mancha, is far less mountainous and has a good number of farms and windmills... Don Quixote's territory!  Along one of these country roads I ran into 3 cyclists (well, actually, then passed me from behind).  We rode the last 30 km into Albacete together and right now I'm in the apartment of one of them - Mateo - catching up on internet stuff and getting ready for lunch!  Good times!