Labs on the Road

14 August. Car packed with enough stuff to cover every dog and weather contingency during a month away. Just 3 hours later than planned we set off on the first stage of our journey up to Bilbao. Slightly over 700 km along the Ruta de la Plata and the hottest part of the journey. Destination Tordesillas where we would be spending the first night.

Dried up rivers and burnt countryside. Even the River Tajo (Tagus) was more like a stream. Kilometre after kilometre of the damage caused by the extremely high temperatures and wildfires in July. And months of drought. A sad sight.

The road was busier than expected. French and Italian cars returning from their summer holidays. The odd Swiss number plate.

We made good progress and we were soon going through the mountains in the north of Plasencia and the Sierra de Grados. Stunning scenery. Down on the plain on the other side, the landscape changed to huge skies and beautiful views of harvested fields and sunflowers that were still in full bloom. I had forgotten how much I love Castilla y León and plan to go back there for a trip soon. So many photo opportunities, but this was operation get-to-our-destination. We were driving past Salamanca at lunchtime and with only an hour left to Tordesillas.

Goa and Thai had done incredibly well. Neither had been outside the province of Cadiz except for a long weekend over the border in Malaga. It was an extremely long journey and too hot for anything but the shortest of breaks. They slept most of the time and didn’t make any fuss at all.

At 3.00 p.m. we reached the Hotel Real de Castillo on the outskirts of Tordesillas. A small town where the outskirts means being right on the edge of the old town. The hotel was recommended as being pet friendly. It is far more. The owners were so helpful, sending someone out to help me with the luggage and the dogs. There were several other dogs staying there on their way south or back up to France.

It was Goa’s first experience with a lift. I just showed her the staircase and she quickly decided the lift was the right alternative.

It was much cooler than in Cadiz, but still too hot to explore.

After a much needed siesta, we set out to explore the town.

Tordesillas is definitely bullfighting country. Not a place for vegetarians. Huge steaks seem to be the main dish on every menu. Goa and Thai were hopefully sniffing the air as we went past the restaurants on my search for a salad or at least something lighter. Finally found somewhere and had a quick meal surrounded by people discussing the bullfight earlier in the evening.

Everybody was carrying a cardigan or a jacket. It was pleasantly warm at 10.00 p.m., but forecast to go down to 14 ºC! Exciting for somebody who had had over a month of tropical and equatorial nights in the very hot summer in El Puerto de Santa Maria.

Back to the hotel. Another longish drive the next day awaited. Discovered that the travelling water bowls I had bought were not designed for thirsty Labrador dogs. New use for hotel bidets is that they make great water bowls for dogs on their travels

Day 1 of the journey safely over.