Rafa brought all the food and supplies in his car. We brought our bikes on the cercanía train to Jérica. [Cercanía trains go farther than the local metros but generally within the same region or province in Spain.]
From Jérica, we rode our bikes along the Via Verde (Green Way), an old train route converted to a walking and biking path. It was beautiful! And *bonus* for us amateur bike riders ... because it was an old railroad, there were not any hills. Yeah!!! After riding through tunnels, under bridges, through forests, and overlooking great views, Rafa and Isabel met us in Navajas and pointed the way to a camping ground.
Once we got off the Via Verde, there were a few hills that kept going up and up and up. With the hills, there were a few tears of frustration and exhaustion. Matthew and I faked our sheer enjoyment to save face in front of the kids but, we too, discovered a few of our lost and abandoned muscles. The biking effort at the end made our prize of swimming and camping really worth it.
We had a perfect campsite next to the Embalse del Regajo, a big lake created by a dam of the Palancia river outside Navajas. I had psyched up myself (and my shy bladder) for "real" camping. "Real" camping, for me, means going to the bathroom outside. Actually, I didn't eat or drink for two days so I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom. I can comfortably go days without combing my hair, taking a shower, or changing my clothing (though not so comfortably for those around me). But, I prefer to have a toilet.
Anyway, when we arrived at the campsite, the first thing I noticed was a building with toilets! YAAAAHOOO!!!!! I was so overjoyed that I almost peed my pants (just kidding). It was perfect. Real camping. Real toilets. (Sorry. No photo of the toilets.)
Rafa and Isabel borrowed tents and sleeping bags from their friends for us to use. We brought a couple of hammocks that provided hours of fun for the kids, a few minutes of relaxation for the adults, and an alternative to sleeping next to (i.e. UNDER) Elena.
Not surprisingly, camping isn't very different in Spain than in the US.
- The ground is just as hard when you are trying to sleep. Except for Elena. Elena doesn't sleep on the ground; she sleeps on top of us.
- The ground is just as hard when you are trying to sleep. Except for Elena. Elena doesn't sleep on the ground; she sleeps on top of us.
- We cooked over a wood fire ... in a paella fire house. Open air campfires are not permitted.
- We made S'mores using European ingredients ... squishy, strawberry, sugary candy, biscuits, and Swiss chocolate.
- We sang camp songs ... in English. I don't know any Spanish camp songs. If I had the words, I wouldn't know the melodies. True, I can't sing the melodies in English either ... so Yana helped while Isabel laughed hysterically at my feeble efforts.
On Sunday before catching the train back to Valencia, we rode our bikes into Navajas and swam in a beautiful river reservoir under a high waterfall (Salto de la Novia ... Jump of the Girlfriend).
All the photos: (You can click Slideshow in upper right if you would like.)
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