12 August final days.

Keen to go after 40 days on the road but ready y leave the hotels behind. The roads have been wonderful everywhere and so far a great trip. Yesterday was a different day. Started with villages got to the coast and the teeming crowds. One of the joys of travel people are the same everywhere and in summer they go to the beach. And the sure do in France. So I had bad traffic, and means go to smaller roads or bigger ones. I did both and went village roads till I found a motorway and into Nantes. Today looks like a ferry to England. Fingers crossed but I have never been turned away yet. Anywhere and I have been on a hell of a lot of ferries. So despite my fears no rain in sight....yet ! No pictures today, sorry.

10 August France again

Woke in Saint Emelion and a French Hotel breakfast. It was pretty good. It was still a pretty town in the morning sunlight and after another round of the village I was heading North again. The French countryside is really very pleasant to ride in if one can keep Garmin off the main roads. The age and overall attractiveness of the countryside is a joy to ride in. A shortish day as I was returning to Perrigeaux to collect the tent I left behind as the loss of days at the start meant I was not really able to pitch a tent and go walking. I needed the extra time on the road to cover the distance. As it turned out I have gone a little better and I have a couple of days to get to the ferry and the UK by Friday. I see the weather says rain Thursday and Friday so perhaps the timing is not so bad. Looking forward to the French coast. I hear it is beautiful. So so pictures of Saint Emelion

9 August and adios Spain

Desite a really disappointing last night in Spain it has been a great ride. Rode wonderful roads, saw magical places enjoyed delightful countryside, friendly people, good food and wine and in all a memorable visit. So off down the motorway to get some miles behind me. Soon I find the waterfront and in and out of villages into the mountains and back to the seaside util Donatia San Sebastian. What a most attractive city on the waterfront. Well laid out beautiful buildings and not full of rebuilds, glass towers and the like ( if you build right first time I guess it lasts)..., but instead tree lined streets stone buildings wide avenues, waterfront and a stunning feeling. Had the Garmin waltz getting out of town, I passed the same intersection 3 times, thanks Garmin, the roads have changed the maps have not ! More great beaches as I head toward France. Sadly the shower of tears (rain) that I encountered reflected my parting emotion. I really enjoyed Spain. Its history its culture....... did I mention the wine ? The open roads of France were good to ride apart from the need to sit in a bus shelter a couple of times as the showers came through. In the late afternoon I was into the rolling hills of Bordeaux. The grape vines and wonderful old Chateau. It is a very attractive area. Mile upon mile of vines all bearing their dark red berries looking fantastic. The Town of Saint Emelion is a Unesco protected area. It is as quaint as can be. Old "caves"... Cellars housing the areas wine sales outlets, by the score. All wonderful places all selling some pretty good wine. The limestone caves/cellars really are caves dug out of the limestone although the soil is red and not stones like other wine growing areas, but is built on an old fortification. The oblong large stone "bricks" were there for fortification and are still able to be found, but most have been recycled and most effectively. I suspect many of the old stone roads are original. Thanks Paddy from the Wine Guru who is an Irish man with a "Cave". He sells wine and has outlets in Ireland and the US and Spain, and he is one of lifes characters. Rides a Harley for fun although how that is fun eludes me ! The reality of the differences in prices struck me, Hotels double, meals I get one dish here for what I would have paid for a 3 course meal and wine in Spain. And the dish hardly food in my opinion, a small slice of chicken stuffed with plain stuffing, two rolls of mashed potato without herbs and a "salad" of a half leaf of lettuce and some standard mayonnaise. I was left to this place because the restaurants closed at 9, which was another change because in Spain they did not start serving until 9 pm ! Culture shock at its most real.

8 August

It were a funny day today as Ronnie Barker might say. Breakfast was no good so I skipped it. Found a coffee and a coissant (yeah I know I cant spell !) somewhere along the route so not a disaster. Then a couple of hours later I found a little cafe in a town that looked inviting so that was a wine some tapas and a coffee..... Lunch was better. I reckon it was in Cangas but will have to check. a wine and a Tortilla and a coffee. The restaurant seemed to sell a lot of Cider (Sidra) and had a little act of pouring it from a bottle held in the air, I will add a pic if it comes out. The ripper ride followed and it was not the local Vino Tinto either. The restaurant was flat out. I had some great countryside riding some really pleasant coastal riding, and some exceptional gorge riding down from the hills toward San Vincente, truly memorable and as good as I have ridden anywhere. You know you are on the right road when 6 BMW come toward you all waving ! It was fiesta in the hills today. Must have encountered about 4 of them. The town centre is closed off and they go crazy. People music, floats, bunting, all the fun of the fiesta ! The only disappointing thing is that stopping is not possible. I have a rule to only have one glass of wine when I stop and eat so as a side effect I am putting on weight ! Anyway the GPS finally drove me mad so I stopped, well short of Laredo on the sea front where I was heading, but I gave up. Bloody Garmin ! The biggest GPS Company in the world perhaps and their maps are allways at least 2 years out of date. I would really like them to give up and let Google do their maps. Oh and the bloody voice. Turn left in yeah yeah but today took the cake....the road was CA VI which I would say was C A 6 (roman numeral) but no she says turn onto "car vee"..... There was a saying "do it properly or don't do it"....take note Garmin ! Had to ask the Barman in the Hotel where I was, and then I couldn't find it on the map. I was mad all right. There is allways a good side though, as half an hour later it hosed down. It has been threatening all day, even got a few spits.....but so far dry all the way. Maybe tomorrow will dawn fine. Trying to get to San Sebastian for a city walk then up the coast to Bordeaux. Time is running out and I need to be in London midday Friday 14th. It has been a helluva ride. In fact I am now so bike fit that I wondered if I had left the bags in the hotel. The extra weight does make her a bit sluggish and a bit heavy in the corners, but not today. The coast of Spain in the north on the Bay of Biscay is rugged and beautiful. A bit like the coast of Victoria in a way. But rugged with some great little sandy inlets. The roading that is being done here would make your eyes water. motorways being built almost as you watch, kilometer after kilometer of it. I do not know who they are expecting but I hope they come. I was told once it was EEC roading grants. They must have a lot of money ! Footnote : Did I say putting on weight I asked for some dinner, Tipico ( the expression used to describe the local favourite dish) and was told yes we have tonite it is 1 KG of meat, but not so big because it has a bone !!

7 August

Left at a decent hour after a poor breakfast, coffee and coussant (?) and from Cerido off to see the sea. What a thrill to see the Atlantic Ocean. Short lived as I was on the road from Ponteverdra to Compostella. I enjoyed a brief visit to Compastella, to see the "destination" for so many people, and the many people that had reached their destination. It was a strange feeling as these "pilgrims" collected their certificates, rejoiced, felt relief and many I think looked a bit bewildered but good on them. The bagpipes in the park added to my pleasure but I just did not have the time to see if they were gallican or scots.....I did hear the spanish pipers in a contest in Scotland and their pipe music is rather special. They play more notes than a scots pipe and can play descants (for those that know) or two matching notes but not the same......and that creates a special sound well it does for me. Then it was a wander up the coast round Muros and Cee wonderful wonderful rocky coastlines and sandy beaches.....as I headed for Coruna, which I did not enter, and looking for the north coast trusted my GPS, silly me......had to re-plot my course, but eventually a good road a bit like coming down the blue mountains in NSW with the windy road and the smell of gum trees......and found the town of Viviero and a Hotel in an unexpected place. A local Hotel I think and the tipica meal that I asked for I got. Soup of chick peas, ham knuckle, spicy sausage and tripe, and it was great. Followed by Squid fresh and lightly cooked, and Feta and quince jam........ Now I reckon that was a good meal. I did leave out the beer and tapas pre dinner, the cerveca was local and the sardine on bread I think also ! But who knows ? The pics. One was a walker on the trail. One was a guy with a dog selling phot opps for 1Euro. The Cathedral is "the" cathedral !

5 and 6 August

I had nght at the pub in Leon, which was rather good, so I could visit the BMW dealer the next day. And I did. The last thing I did in the UK was visit the tyre man who took off the front tyre checked it and replaced the valve. So when the front end started behaving badly all I could imagine was what the mechanic had told me in Bath, the head bearings are about to go. I rode with a mate in Russia who had head bearing problems, and we had to leave Tom to the mercies of German repairs. Never to be seen again, but we have corresponded since. Anyway my front head bearing not good apparently. And that was all I could imaging after the wheel fix, and of course as the BMW shop says front wheels work better with air in ! Humble pie day ! I have to admit that there was a time when I would not have just fixed on one solution to a problem...... So I got to have a day in Leon. It is a spectacular City with a huge history, and it is a rather nice city as well. You would not believe it has a Cathedral (or two) and of course the Parador which is a beautifully rebuilt church and monestary that was built for pilgrims in about 812, was taken over destroyed, whatever by several invaders, including the moors, they were kicked out and then came back and flattened it, and it was abandoned, rebuilt, taken over for the Spanish horse stud, used as an incarceration prison in which many people were tortured and killed and finally rebuilt in a very handsome style with all sorts of prominent people adorning the building from legend and history and of course all or none of that may be true ! However what is true is that it is one heck of a decent Hotel. Opulent and decently priced. So go to Leon. Then I had to leave. Late of course. And away toward the sea. The land is flat and uninteresting. Spanish plain. There are no hills with castes and walls ut to my surprise there was Astorga. This is on the Compostella de Santiago trail of course....lots of people signs and markings. The city was old and attractive, even with a Gaudi Hotel with little evidence that Gaudi knew of it let alone had any part in it. Then I came to the hills and the answer as to the roofs came to me. Instead of tiles they were slate. And there I was in mountains of slate, which is why the bridge is in the chosen few pictures. But there were vines and fruit trees and wheat, and olives and all that makes Spain special. I stopped in the wonderful hills that surround that plain and asked for a local dish ( tipico) for lunch and was served octopus ! More on that later. But what a great ride, hills, narrow roads, walkers, cyclists, more hills cemeteries, and while I was at one a cyclist said are you really from NZ and I said yes, he was from Belgium he said, but was born in Morocco, and I replied I want to go there. All I heard was "just do it" as he pedalled up the hill ! The only downside was the Johnny Appleseeds relatives, Johnny Pinecone, and Johnny Gumtree had been there as well. Travel soon or it will all look the same. But here was different horse shit on the narrow roads and even a horse and some sheep, round a place called A Canzia, but despite heading for the sea I got to Pentavedra and could go no further. It was after 7 pm but "dinner" was not served till 9pm. So I had to have a cerveca. What a cracker day. Pictures Bull ring Bull yard (prison) Old buildings, And a Roman statue on the once roman wall in Leon.

4 August

Left the Olite hotel and into the countryside again. Today it started as grapes, miles on miles of them, beautifully tended although a different style from Blenheim...smaller lots, and drier.... Then into wheat country and huge piles of bales of straw. Mountains of it, to winter pigs no doubt. And lots of pigs of course. After the wheat and the fruit came the sunflowers. Miles of them all smiling in the sun and it was warm. Mostly. One patch of hilly road it got down to under 20 briefly, and then up to 33 again. After a rural ride to set me up for the day I hit the motorway along the route to Compostella di Santiago. After a small town Santo Domingo de la Calzada I was "on the road to Santiago" and it was for sure, walkers, not so many, bikers plenty of them. A wonderful ride walk whatever so I can surely recommend that if you have the desire to purge sins or loose weight or just walk and contemplate what life is about this is the place to do it. It was burgos that I stopped in the shade to check the map and to hear a very loud sound near me....and to my right the town crematorium at full noise......they must save the bodies for a while......makes you aware of what life really means.. ashes to ashes !!! So I had a wonderful lunch instead of sheeps intestines, never tasted so good ( I was expecting tripe)... Then it was motorway motorway to Leon. Trying to get to a BMW garage to see if I can get a repair to the steering. I can ride but it is like wrestling a bull every day as the bearing in the front forks ( for those that are more mechanically minded than I am )....have worn out and instead of leaning and turning I have to wrestle the bars to make a turn, good character (and muscle) building stuff ! I came to the town of Leon a number of years ago with a friend and we stayed at the Parador. First one I had been to. They are a chain of ex prominent buildings, Monestaries mainly ( do not get offside with the the ruler) that the government took over and they are darn pleasant places, well a bit more than that actually they are great. And spectacular really. Leon is a pretty pleasant city. Spain is a pretty pleasant place and the people are friendly even for a non spanish speaking colonial like myself. I get many pleasant exchanges and it is really enjoyable. Mind you I try to make a little humour myself for those that know me as the grumpy guy, and I did meet a fellow that his family call Uncle Grumpy which I enjoyed.(And he seemed like a most amicable chap to me !) Plus the food and wine is a bit above average. I found out about how Tapa's work and they are good. And on that subject Leon, Spain, France, everywhere I guess is full of older people. It is 70 years since many people were lost in a war. And medicine has improved a bit, not a lot since penicillin, but surgery has, for those that can afford it, so they are still here drawing pensions. Waiting in line. Leonardo has a picture in Florence that shows it in stark reality, but enough of that. So I had so much fun last night 3 beers and 3 wines and I was at peace with all, so peaceful in fact that I forgot to charge the camera battery. But here are some things I saw....

3 August......leaving Catalunya

Pleasant day, left the city and headed West. Over the hills behind Santa Caloma and headed toward Sabadell. I find that if I direct the dreaded Garmin toward some place I can see on the map I have less chance of going places I had not intended, or ending up on motorways I wish to avoid. So then Terrasa and Tarrega through the fruit trees and to Balaguer. Apples and Corn, and more apples and corn, some grapes and pigs. Lots of pigs and then lots of harvested maize I expect or maybe wheat and the pig effluent is spread back on the land so all along the road the smell of pigs, and then I follow a truck of pigs. But not all bad because in the smokey mists of the plains a hill will rise and on it a Church or a fort and a town surrounding it. No doubt if the wall has now gone, it did have one. It is a reminder of the past. One of the reasons I enjoy these trips. The history of these lands is astonishing and France and Spain have been conquered or invaded more times than we from the south could imagine. Not having a language whether it is French Spanish or German is a decided disadvantage. Then the GPS instead of going direct to Huesca took a loop, but it was into the Serra del Montsec and there was a Hydro dam and the water courses that spread across the land like fingers. The Hydro dam was a reward and Huesca when I arrived was asleep for Siesta. A very pretty city and evidence of Fiesta but totally empty, so on I went. I logged in a distant Hotel and saw Ejea de los Caballeros was on the route and could see that on my rather inadequate map, so off I went. That is when the sky turned black and I started to question my sanity. The road became narrower and the villages smaller and more remote and drops began appearing on the helmet, but on I went gazing at the lighter spots in the sky and hoping. And it held off. I expect the town was near Sabada where the the street were closed for Fiesta, the men all dressed in white with red scarves off to the town centre to "fight the bulls". The threat of rain and the lack of accommodation left me little option, so I kept on disappointed I could not stay. It is Fiesta season and villages across Spain display bunting flags and preparations for the annual event. The small towns erect walls round the square and the local men climb in and taunt the bulls for fun and bravado. But I did not stay. Soon my love hate relationship with the Garmin had a good turn. There was a place on the map that I had stayed two years ago, so as the rain drops got heavier I pulled in to Olite. A walled town with a monastery now a hotel with a vineyard outside the window surrounded by wallnut trees. I failed to record the massive plantings of wallnuts in France . So the Hotel staff found my past visit on their system October 2013. I recall it well. So the rain fell down and I found shelter in a small restaurant bar and had a humorous half hour with a Pom and his wife. They were going from Valencia to the UK for a wedding. He was firmly of the belief that England would win the world cup. So from the City of Barcelona to the heart of Spanish countryside was a wonderful contrast.

Barcelona images

I need more space ! What a place. Another old bloke, this time finding a place to read his book. There are more "men" than seems usual. Or perhaps the women are less visible but lots of "old" couples. Generally a pretty good people but certainly more of the wild element than either France or Germany or maybe it was just where I was. Bot more loons in hoon cars here. And motorbikes so many..... Keen now to get into the countryside.

Hola from Barcelona on 2 July

What a day. Train to Catalunya ( Bercelona central). Tourist bus for 1hour 40. Back to Familia, the Gaudi Cathedral. Told I would have to wit for 3 hours and got lucky straight in. Huge experience. Hard to describe the impression it makes. After orthodox Cathedrals in UK and France this leaves one just dumbstruck. I admired the workmanship of what was achieved 1000 years ago but this is simply astonishing. After a couple of hours with my mouth open I was pretty thirsty I can promise ! Walked up the Gaudi Avenue to another of his buildings and that is a spellbinder as well. Returned to find the "other bus route", the red route and it was even more unbelievable. Frankly I have not ever been to a city that leaves me so struck in wonder and almost disbelief. They seem to have many things sorted around a spectacular site with history climate and people. Perhaps 4 or 5 huge tourist liners in the port may give a clue. Great day. Amazing place. Sad to leave but this is part of a tour not the destination. Selecting pictures that present a plausible image will be difficult, but I like buildings and history, so will do my best but I could show 6 of Familia and still leave parts missing. So my best 3 of Familia and I ended up with all Gaudi so Barcelona next......

1 August

I did leave Callioure after a walk and a good breakfast at last. Back up toward Perpingan and into the foothills. Vineyards fruit trees and villages. The first Ceret, and then the pass to climb with sinister clouds and cool air that fortunately came to nothing more than fog at the top. The first stop was if I can recall the name correctly, Sant Pau de Seguries where the kids were playing boulle under the trees, so I had a coffee and enjoyed the stop. Over the top at about 1500m and down the other side to Spain. Another glorious ride past Repoll and at Tona turned left into the hills of a national park and worth every minute, but I am ahead of myself. At Tona, just after, was a small village the name I do not recall and my map does not register it but I rode past a bar on the street at about 2.30 and it looked great so I stopped. It was good. Huge character, and delightfully decorated, if they had rooms I would still be there but the English speaking waitress (learned in Colombia as a kid) was really helpful and persuaded me that a glass of local wine and a steak would do me a lot of good, and it did. Got a picture before I left of an old bloke sitting outside with a wine and a silly grin. Sort of summed it up really. So through the park, over the pass that clearly got its share of snow at times, down and up again for another pass before the mediterranean came into view again. The town that I had identified did not have accommodation so I carried on pretty much to Barcelona. Back in the high traffic and not enjoyable, but the hotel is OK and the Tapas bar in the park was good. That means tomorrow I can catch the underground to the city and have a days walking about. That is the plan anyway. I had a wonderful day. Cold damp warm hot sunny, mountain passes, coastal plains, forests, vineyards, villages, cities, no people to crowds and traffic, so I have had it all. Lots of motorbikes in the remote areas, and I mean lots......and they almost without exception wave. So another memorable day. I might have preferred some things to have been different, but in retrospect what I got I was lucky to have experienced. Few people get the chance and I appreciate the wonderful world that I ride through, and the many people that communicate with me. It is pretty good. Pictures will not do it justice but I try !

Callioure I did not do it justice

The pictures yesterday were not adequate. It was a very pretty little seaside town built around the desire to make it better for human enjoyment. Originally no doubt to provide a harbour for protection but latterly for habitation. There is a lesson. Surely there is a compromise between not interfering with nature, and accommodating the enjoyable habitation by the other animals that live here. So the pictures :