Spain Again

[Bart]

Just starting what will hopefully be a round trip of Spain, I did this trip s few years ago on the third attempt. A deer knocked me off the first time...broken ankel, food poisoning got me the second time (from Venison stew !!) and had to have 5 days in hospital but success the third time. The route is loosely based on the (British) Ride magazine suggestions here
https://www.ride.co.uk/routes

Caught the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, 24 hours, arrived 6pm ish yesterday and started this morning. Did a little over 200 miles on loverly twisty Spanish roads, a few pics from the day

 

[Bart]

Just starting what will hopefully be a round trip of Spain, I did this trip a few years ago on the third attempt. A deer knocked me off the first time...broken ankel, food poisoning got me the second time (from Venison stew !!) and had to have 5 days in hospital but success the third time. The route is loosely based on the (British) Ride magazine suggestions here
https://www.ride.co.uk/routes

Caught the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, 24 hours, arrived 6pm ish yesterday and started this morning. Did a little over 200 miles on loverly twisty Spanish roads, a few pics from the day

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The office for the next week or two

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Refueling
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[Bart]

Not sure where the thumb nails went to ??

 

[Boris]

enjoy your trip Bart, some great roads and stunning places in Spain.

 

[Dogdaze]

Nice

 

[Grumpy]

Have fun. I got back from a 16 day tour of France, Spain and Andorra trip on the 16 April. My mate Den who rides a Yamaha XJR1300 with loud pipes, 3 times deer run out in front of him. And me, once. I think his pipes scare them into panicking as they can't tell where the growl is comeing from and run accross the road, as it's the easiest way of escape.

 

[Bart]

Yes, just seen your post, your mate must have been freezing his bits off. Did this trip on a cb1300 last time.... but it was warm. Headed south today to get out of the rain and into higher temps, in the 20's now...luverly jubbly.

 

[MIKE R]

Love Spain

Had a 3 week tour last year.

Portsmouth to Santander then Segovia, Cordoba, 3 nights just outside Marbella, Seville, up through Portugal then 2 nights in the Picos and across to the Pyrenees for 4 nights. Pamplona, Santander , Portsmouth with 5 mates. GREAT.

This year we're off to Slovenia and Northern Croatia this June but Spain again is a strong possibility for 2020.

Have an enjoyable and safe trip

Mike

 

[Boris]

Mike, not sure if you've been Croatia before, I came through there last year, From Hungary to Zagreb across country to Split and then up the coast road to Rijeka and then onto Slovenia. Really enjoyed Croatia, the coast road is like a race track in parts and there's some spectacular coastline views. I was there in mid August, so peak season and struggled a couple of times for a hotel room along the coast, might be worth bearing that in mind if in a group, I was solo. Plenty of availability in the bigger towns and cities though. (Just saw you're out of season, so shouldn't be a problem). Oh, and they have their own currency. I rather stupidly assumed they were using the Euro

Slovenia is stunning in many parts, was my second visit there and will go again. Lake Bled, nice but very touristy/tacky, Triglavski National Park and the Soca Valley are a bikers playground!

Have fun!

 

[MIKE R]

Thanks for that.

I've ridden down 2 Croatia twice before but spent more time down south (Dubrovnik) and Bosnia.

This time we plan to do more exploring in Slovenia and Northern Croatia (Opatija).

Thanks for the heads up about the currency.

Best wishes

Mike

 

[Bart]

I recognise some of the those pLaces Mike, it frightening to think that it's 19 years since I was first introduced to Northern Spain...brilliant place though.
Went to Croatia a few years ago on a Versys 650 and did some of the coast road, its a great ride but if it gets to busy going inland a few miles quiten things down abit.

A few more pics

south of Tarragona


Did the A226 from Alcaniz to Teruel today, a must do road


and just a few miles further coffee and chocolate cake for 2 euro!!!!

 

[Nikolajsen]

Just a little envious

 

[MIKE R]

Great pictures

Are you riding alone?

Enjoy your trip

Mike

 

[Bart]

Yes, going solo on this one.

Stayed in Albarracin the other night, highly recommend for the town and great roads all around. There are quite a few easy trails too... but this was where I had my first "deer interface" issue so stuck to the black top.

 

[Bart]

A few more photo's

A view of one of the many streets in Albarracin


I have the Garmin set to unpaved roads but it forgets sometimes, this went from simgle paved to broken paved to this, but less than 10 miles so not too long.


Found a nice cool place for a picnic



Went up the Sierra Nevada and bought a sticker for the panniers, these days you can't ride to the very top, ...nice ride up and down though.

 

[Bart]

A few more....

The route down to Malaga, you don't see this very often


The road into Tarifa, Africa in the distant haze


The end to a good day

 

[Nikolajsen]

Looks really nice

 

[Bart]

The weather was looking a bit wet in NW Spain in a few days so decided to go back up the eastern side again, redueing a few favorite roads and some new ones, just using a Michelin map of Spain and following the ones highlighted in green.
This was part of the old N330, it is bypassed now so no traffic...just great

After a few days I ended up in Sort, The Pyrenees, originally booked two nights here but had a message from Brittany Ferries that my sailing had been cancelled and put back two days.......first world problems.....so had four nights here.
A old favorite is the C13/C28 from Sort to Veilha


Looking the other way


At the col, the weather has been just perfect, low 20's most days

 

[Sierra1]

I am assuming that those multi colored poles/sticks are for when the snow gets deep?

 

[Bart]

I am assuming that those multi colored poles/sticks are for when the snow gets deep?

Yep, absolutely