It seemed quite auspicious when my morning coffee arrived with a fortune-telling sugar packet proclaiming: “Today I am going to get whatever I propose.” And in fact I did get exactly what I proposed: a deliciously warm baguette with a crunchy golden crust, sliced in half and filled with manchego and tomato slices, to accompany my coffee.

As we enjoyed our mid-morning breakfast, the small central plaza of Algodonales came to life. We had already ridden for three hours by then and thoroughly enjoyed resting our legs, feeling the sun on our faces and watching the street ballet: older gentlemen strolling and chatting amiably, young kids chasing soccer balls and clambering precariously on rollerblades, and friends visiting on park benches.

From there it was back into the rolling countryside, dotted with small hillside villages of white buildings (Los Pueblos Blancos) separated by deep green pastures of horses and cows, sheep and goat farms and acorn groves with fat black pigs destined to become delicious Jamón Iberico. It is really quite idyllic.

By afternoon we arrived in Arcos de la Frontera, one of the historic Pueblos Blancos, whose Medieval town center was built overlooking a sheer 100 meter cliff. To our surprise, this weekend is Carnival de Andalucia and the narrow cobblestone streets are packed with people drinking and eating (but mostly drinking), music spilling out of the bars and restaurants, the smells of alcohol and perfume in the air. It’s a happy and chaotic scene and we find a great outdoor cafe table to watch the action over delicious plates of smoked sardines with tomatoes and garbanzo bean stew with almonds and sesame seeds. It’s a nice finish to the day.