RTG Espana Daily Dispatch - mid-res - Flipbook - Page 17
Day 7: Salamanca to Puebla de Sanabria, 1 May 2022
proved to be a real roller coaster of a section complete with
nut groves, narrow stone bridges and precipitous hairpins.
Once we’d climbed out of this valley we then ran to the
Time Control in the Hostal Santa Cruz in Masueco. Keith
Ashworth was running a little late, however, thanks to a
broken throttle linkage. Andy Inskip and Charlie Neale
managed to jury rig it to get the crew down the road and
eventually into the night halt. By constrast Gavin Henderson
was a little late out of the Control thanks to a leaking fuel
float chamber. Sadly the sweeps weren’t able to remedy
this by the roadside and the Bentley finished the day on a
recovery truck.
The second Regularity to Fermoselle took us over the
Rio Tormes, the very same River which flows through
Salamanca and joins the mighty Douro a few kilometres
west of here. Much like the preceding one, this hilly section
featured steep climbs, tight turns and impressive views in
the rear view mirror.
By now we’d covered quite a lot of ground and the lunch
Time Control in the Hacienda Zorita proved to be a rather
special event, with an olive tree and cypress avenue leading
to a choice selection of tapas and the chance for crews to
relax in the gardens with a coffee before setting out for the
afternoon’s session.
The metal bridge over the River Douro was the final
Regularity the crews had to deal with today. It presaged a
brief, but memorable, visit to Portugal which saw the rally
clatter down the cobbled streets in the tumbledown village
of Guadramil, in the Parque Montesinho. Soon afterwards,
we reached the night halt, another Parador in Puebla de
Sanabria.
Whilst the engines might have been switched off, the fun
hadn’t finished as the Organisers had laid on canapés, folk
music and some suitable refreshments to keep the crews in
the car park for just a little longer this evening.
Gerardus Mercator, Dispatch reporter
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Gavin and Diana Henderson, 1922 Bentley 3-4½
Anthony and Sonja Verloop, 1973 MGB GT V8
Graham and Marina Goodwin, 1925 Bentley Supersports
Enrico Paggi and Federica Mascetti, 1976 Lamborghini Urraco P250 S
www.rallytheglobe.com