The Journey Part 3 - Bilbao to Segovia

The drive from Bilbao to Segovia was gorgeous.  This was our first visit to northern Spain, but so much has been said and written about its rugged and green beauty and all of it is true.  The mountains and hills to the south of Bilbao are covered in trees of all kinds, and the deciduous varieties were just beginning to change colour.  In the height of the autumn, this landscape must look stunning.  The buildings are very alpine in appearance, and it was reminiscent of the Austrian Tyrol in parts.  

I have always said that the roads in Spain are a joy to drive.  Huge amounts have evidently been spent on the road infrastructure, and the motorway from Bilbao is a prime example.  There is minimal freight traffic, and very few cars.  When I compare this particular journey, from Bilbao to Granada to the journey we have taken fro London to Scotland, they are poles apart.  Driving in the UK has become so stressful, primarily due to the sheer volume of traffic on the roads.  I tend to d most of the driving, and when we journey north, I arrive knotted with tension and exhausted from concentration.  Driving through Spain reminds me what a pleasure driving is, and not once did we get stuck in traffic or congestion, even in the busier stretches around Madrid.  Many of the new motorways in Spain are toll-paying, but a fee is a small price to pay for such great roads and such wonderful driving conditions.

It took us around 4.5 hours to reach Segovia, and by the end of this drive we realised that the van might just do the job.  Despite its mileage and dejected appearance, it was a valiant workhorse.