While this was being done we took the opportunity to visit the Aljaferia palace and enjoyed seeing some more Moorish architecture and learning more about the Reconquista and the Reyes Catolicas, Isabel and Ferdinand, who added to this palace later. Katherine of Aragon was their daughter and I find that knowing more of Spanish history helps me to understand the strength of antagonism between the Catholics and Protestants in England in Tudor times. How could Katherine and her daughter Mary have reacted differently coming from such a background?
We struck lucky for lunch with a restaurant near the cathedral which had a help-yourself buffet; for a fixed price you could eat as much as you liked from a huge variety of great salads and other mains, as well as trying a superb selection of desserts including a chocolate fountain. Ben certainly did it justice - we stayed there a long time!
Oh, and the other thing we did was to go to the station and book a train ticket to take us 150km into the Pyrenees.
Basically we are pretty tired; we've now cycled very nearly 3000 very hilly kilometres, it's very hot (mid 30s) and we haven't so much time in hand. We will get off the train at 800m and will still have to get ourselves over the Col de Portalet at 1800m and into France, so we don't feel too guilty about it!
Zaragoza - 10km to bike shop from campsite and back.
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