We have had phenomenal thunder storms over the last few days.  Biblical... is the way some people describe them.  The rain here in the mountains was intense but the destructive effect of rain in the mountains intensifies as the water runs downhill.  All along the coastal plain there has been flash floods, extensive damage and loss of life.  It's been wet and soggy here but very limited damage or danger.

Here we are on main street in Olvera. Going shopping for groceries.

Despite the rain, we have managed to cycle every other day. The sun rose this morning into a clear blue ski. Having run low on groceries (due to the fact that we forgot that nothing is open on Sunday!) we went out for breakfast this morning.  There is  great little cafe / bar on the way to the grocery store.  (Las Niñas) We ordered "dos café americanos y dos molletes con tomate y aceite". This is traditional breakfast meal here.  Molletes are a type of bun and are often serves with  fresh blended tomato sauce. Instead of butter on the buns one dribbles fresh olive oil.  They are pretty tasty!  As is the coffee.  Really the coffee is not just tasty... it is incredibly tasty.  I don't have a clue why the coffee is so great here.  It just is the best I have ever had!

We got an early start this morning so that we had time to have breakfast and the to pick up some groceries before we were meeting Gary & Caryn for a bike ride at 11 am.

Mollete with tomatoe, olive oil and fabulous coffee.

Gary picked a good route going north out of Olvera though the town of Pruna to Algamitas then looping back to Olvera on A384. The route was a little under 50K, up and down though the olive fields on local paved roads.  The towns we passed through were not all touristy,  quite the opposite.  Reaching Algamitas we were hungry and thirsty. However we quickly discovered that there are no restaurants in Algamitas!  The locals gave us directions to a restaurant 3 kilometres uphill from town. The distance estimate was bit off, but after 5 or 6K we found a nice restaurant and stopped for a beer and a bocodillo (sandwich) . After getting back to Olvera, Gary calculated that we had climbed over 1000 metres during the ride.  Thank goodness for the electric assist.  Even so we had sore thighs when we arrived home.

Below are a few photos from this ride

Looking back to Olvera

We stopped a country church on top of a hill

Looking north from a hill top on the road between Pruna and Algamitas