I awoke feeling tired and opted for a rest day. After all, the food was good. And cheap. And the wine plentiful. But my hotel was showing up on Booking.com – it was Saturday, and fully booked? I asked downstairs and learned that, unfortunately, "hotal completo." At least, that's what I thought the man behind the bar said after checking the computer. The hotel across the road, where my bike was stored, also showed full on booking.com so it looked like, after all, I was fated to ride. The forecast was for rain.

I packed up and left my panniers by the door and went to collect my bike. On the off chance, I asked the lady if they had a room. Her initial response was "No" but, thinking for a while, showed me a very nice looking room on the ground floor. It was a suite of three bedrooms, with only one (mine) open. A shared bathroom, shared with the other two empty rooms. I smiled, proffered my passport and credit card, went to pick up my panniers.

I walked into town, took a few photographs of the church, and returned in the drizzle to my original hotel, the Hostal Restaurante La Trucha (the Trout) for a glass of Radler (beer with a lemon hint, almost a shandy), then over to my new home, the Hotel Santiago, to process some pictures and update my blog (this blog) a little. I returned at nine for dinner; the room was made up for a large party but there were a couple of tables available at one side. Again, nice if not spectacular food, nice wine and a nice price.

My guidebook wasn't too excited about the off-road section for today's ride, until the end which was better. Since I'm going in the opposite direction, I chose the off-road option to start. And it was a very pleasant start to the day.

No matter how nice the scenery, I much prefer the off-road options. It's as though the road is about getting the miles done and the trails are about enjoying the ride. Also the scenery is generally better on the trail than on the road, and it is closer – not behind some guardrail or down an embankment. It's easier to stop for photographs. The riding is harder off-road, and my already slow speed is a few kilometres per hour slower, but it feels more like what I am touring for.

Even on the quiet N-630, which follows very closely to the pilgrims Via Ruta de la Plata, there is still traffic to contend with. Not much: it's wonderfully quiet by usual road standards now that almost all the traffic uses the nearby Autovia instead, but cars do still pass. Often at a high speed. They are (almost all) courteous and give me plenty of room. It's hard to imagine big semi-trucks moving completely into the far lane to give me space in England or back home in Canada. (To be fair, there is too much traffic in England for that generally to be an option.)

But the off-road options can also be too hard. For me. That painful day, all climbing, over the pass from Asturias into Castilla y León had me riding and pushing for an elevation gain of 1100 metres. The off-road alternative was almost twice that. With more food and time, I could have made an adventure of it, camping out in my bivvy-sac. Maybe when I'm fitter...

And I get more saddle-sore on the road. I suspect my position is more fixed so I don't move around on the saddle. Off-road, I'm shifting about a bit. And concentrating more on the trail than on my behind!

I started off off-road, on a lovely rail trail, and was happy to be there! There was some rain, as there has been most days, but nothing of consequence.

Green fields on one side, plowed soid on the other. A couple of Sunday riders passed me. A tourer going the other way. As they mainly would be, if following the Ruta de la Plata. I'm going against the flow. Although the current is not very strong!

It looks like some heavy rain has cost a farmer some necessary cash here.

Then the rail trail ended, after about ten kilometres, I transferred to the N-630. A vehicle every few minutes. Wide shoulder. Not exciting but easier progress.