France & Spain 2015
- Thread starter nevil280659
- Start date
Europe passé ?
Not at all, get busy writing and include plenty of pics, I'll put the kettle on........
Not at all, get busy writing and include plenty of pics, I'll put the kettle on........
OK! here goes.....
Day one - Friday 17th July
Route - Calais to Busserolles (South West of Limoges)
Distance - 470 Miles
We took an early train through to Calais and set off on what would be one of the longer rides of the trip. Mostly motorways today as we had a deadline, our friends baby son was being Christened on the following day and Mrs Nev was to be the young lads Godmother. The weather was a little overcast but pleasantly cool as we thrummed down the A16 towards Rouen and then various autoroutes / N roads past Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers, Limoges and finally the small hamlet of Busserolles. At this point I confidently pulled out the sat nav to find Kev's farm (it's not on many maps!) only to find that the 'update' that I'd carried out the night before had wiped all the data from the garmin! We spent an hour or so trying to remember the route but finally gave up and stopped at a local cafe, where we grabbed a phone book and called the cavalry (Oh yeah..... managed to travel without the phone number as well!) A few minutes later Kev and his wife appeared in the old Citroen traction avante, and led us to our accommodation for the night, the old caravan outside the barn, lovely! A few beers and a bite and then (very tired) off to bed.
Route - Calais to Busserolles (South West of Limoges)
Distance - 470 Miles
We took an early train through to Calais and set off on what would be one of the longer rides of the trip. Mostly motorways today as we had a deadline, our friends baby son was being Christened on the following day and Mrs Nev was to be the young lads Godmother. The weather was a little overcast but pleasantly cool as we thrummed down the A16 towards Rouen and then various autoroutes / N roads past Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers, Limoges and finally the small hamlet of Busserolles. At this point I confidently pulled out the sat nav to find Kev's farm (it's not on many maps!) only to find that the 'update' that I'd carried out the night before had wiped all the data from the garmin! We spent an hour or so trying to remember the route but finally gave up and stopped at a local cafe, where we grabbed a phone book and called the cavalry (Oh yeah..... managed to travel without the phone number as well!) A few minutes later Kev and his wife appeared in the old Citroen traction avante, and led us to our accommodation for the night, the old caravan outside the barn, lovely! A few beers and a bite and then (very tired) off to bed.
Attachments
Day two - Saturday 18th July
Route - Busserolles to Moizan (These places are REALLY small!)
Distance - 51 miles
An easy morning spent tinkering with the Citroen and catching up with old friends gave way to a short afternoon hop south to Moizan, near Chalais in the Charante-Maritimes region. We spent a lovely evening chatting and eating etc and the next day went to the local chapel for the ceremony. This is not really out sort of thing but it was a deeply pleasant experience and after the service we repaired to the house for a bit of a party and a knees up. We slept well that night, both knowing that our real holiday would start the next day, as we struck out towards the Pyrenees.
Route - Busserolles to Moizan (These places are REALLY small!)
Distance - 51 miles
An easy morning spent tinkering with the Citroen and catching up with old friends gave way to a short afternoon hop south to Moizan, near Chalais in the Charante-Maritimes region. We spent a lovely evening chatting and eating etc and the next day went to the local chapel for the ceremony. This is not really out sort of thing but it was a deeply pleasant experience and after the service we repaired to the house for a bit of a party and a knees up. We slept well that night, both knowing that our real holiday would start the next day, as we struck out towards the Pyrenees.
Attachments
I'm in.
Waiting for the next instalment.
Waiting for the next instalment.
Day 4 - Monday 20th July
Route - Moizan to Pau
Distance - 174 miles.
We got going early, one because we has a bit of a ride ahead of us and two, we really wanted to get going!!
We avoided the autoroutes for this leg, electing instead to travel through the vineyards of Bordeaux. The scenery was green and cultivated, huge fields of vines with grand chateau's and winery's dotting the landscape.
We took things steady, stopping for coffee along the way and a picnic lunch by a lake before arriving in Pau mid afternoon. We'd booked the Ibis Pau Centre on booking.com the night before. We hit a snag as the one way system in Pau allowed us to be able to SEE the fecking hotel but not to RIDE to it! I tried 6 or 7 different routes, each of which led me back to the same junction, at the wrong end of a one way street leading to the hotel! Melting in 32 degree heat, I threw in the towel and pushed the bike 100 metres the wrong way up the road and dumped the bike in the hotel car park. Niggles aside, it's a great place to stay, not the cheapest of the cheap BUT in the centre of the town, which allows an easy stroll to the historic centre for an evening beer and steak-frites!
Pau is definitely worth a look if you're in that area, part of the road system was used as a Grand-Prix circuit back in the day and they still hold classic street races there. You'll know when you're on part of the track as the kerbs are painted red and white! Pau is also a great stop-over en-route to the mountains.
Route - Moizan to Pau
Distance - 174 miles.
We got going early, one because we has a bit of a ride ahead of us and two, we really wanted to get going!!
We avoided the autoroutes for this leg, electing instead to travel through the vineyards of Bordeaux. The scenery was green and cultivated, huge fields of vines with grand chateau's and winery's dotting the landscape.
We took things steady, stopping for coffee along the way and a picnic lunch by a lake before arriving in Pau mid afternoon. We'd booked the Ibis Pau Centre on booking.com the night before. We hit a snag as the one way system in Pau allowed us to be able to SEE the fecking hotel but not to RIDE to it! I tried 6 or 7 different routes, each of which led me back to the same junction, at the wrong end of a one way street leading to the hotel! Melting in 32 degree heat, I threw in the towel and pushed the bike 100 metres the wrong way up the road and dumped the bike in the hotel car park. Niggles aside, it's a great place to stay, not the cheapest of the cheap BUT in the centre of the town, which allows an easy stroll to the historic centre for an evening beer and steak-frites!
Pau is definitely worth a look if you're in that area, part of the road system was used as a Grand-Prix circuit back in the day and they still hold classic street races there. You'll know when you're on part of the track as the kerbs are painted red and white! Pau is also a great stop-over en-route to the mountains.
Attachments
It's a yes from me 
Day 5 Tuesday 21st July
Route - Pau to Pamplona
Distance - 127 Miles
We awoke to the sound of distant thunder and I pulled back the blind to be greeted by a slightly damp Pau. We packed and got ready to hit the road, electing to throw the dice on the waterproofs and see how things developed. Our route took us south to Oleron-Ste-Mairie, then Aramits and the coffee in Arrette before starting the climb into the high mountains on the Col de Pierre St Martin. By the time we stopped for coffee, the clouds had cleared and the weather was perfect! This is a great route across the mountains, and this year featured in the Tour de France. At the top, the ski lift was running, so we grabbed a chair and had our lunch (bought in the supermarket in Aramits) a grand experience in beautiful weather!
After lunch the Col takes you higher still and crosses into Spain before the descent towards Isaba. This is a great stretch of road, with breathtaking views and great twisty sections. Watch out for cow shit in the road, this is generally a sign that there are cows in the road!
Following our noses down the hill, we picked up the main N road near Jaca and headed to Pamplona. The final 30miles or so were on a brand new and almost completely deserted Autopista. We stayed at the Hotel Tres Reyes, which is a large, somewhat faded 70's style hotel. It has however two saving graces.
1) It's tall and very well signposted, making it easy to spot
2) It's very close to the historic centre of town, with all the Tapas bars and restaurants.
I paid 10 euros to park the bike under the hotel but I'd have been happy to dump it in the bike park over the road.
That evening, Tapas and beer was the order of the day and while we ate, the heavens opened, obliging us to drink and eat more whilst we waited for a break in the weather, before walking back to the hotel.
I liked Pamplona! Well worth a visit.
Route - Pau to Pamplona
Distance - 127 Miles
We awoke to the sound of distant thunder and I pulled back the blind to be greeted by a slightly damp Pau. We packed and got ready to hit the road, electing to throw the dice on the waterproofs and see how things developed. Our route took us south to Oleron-Ste-Mairie, then Aramits and the coffee in Arrette before starting the climb into the high mountains on the Col de Pierre St Martin. By the time we stopped for coffee, the clouds had cleared and the weather was perfect! This is a great route across the mountains, and this year featured in the Tour de France. At the top, the ski lift was running, so we grabbed a chair and had our lunch (bought in the supermarket in Aramits) a grand experience in beautiful weather!
After lunch the Col takes you higher still and crosses into Spain before the descent towards Isaba. This is a great stretch of road, with breathtaking views and great twisty sections. Watch out for cow shit in the road, this is generally a sign that there are cows in the road!
Following our noses down the hill, we picked up the main N road near Jaca and headed to Pamplona. The final 30miles or so were on a brand new and almost completely deserted Autopista. We stayed at the Hotel Tres Reyes, which is a large, somewhat faded 70's style hotel. It has however two saving graces.
1) It's tall and very well signposted, making it easy to spot
2) It's very close to the historic centre of town, with all the Tapas bars and restaurants.
I paid 10 euros to park the bike under the hotel but I'd have been happy to dump it in the bike park over the road.
That evening, Tapas and beer was the order of the day and while we ate, the heavens opened, obliging us to drink and eat more whilst we waited for a break in the weather, before walking back to the hotel.
I liked Pamplona! Well worth a visit.
Attachments
Day 6 - Weds 22nd July
Route - Pamplona to Potes
Distance - 221 Miles
We awoke to find that the rain that had started the previous evening has partially cleared but the skies were still leaden and there was a definite prospect of further downpours. As we wanted to get into the Picos and bearing in mind the poor conditions, I elected to take the Autopista up to Bilbao and then to follow the coast towards Santander and beyond, turning inland at Unquerra and then taking the N621 up to Potes.
A pretty uneventful slog as it turned out. The rain that threatened kicked in on the way up to Bilbao and stayed with us on and off until we got past Santander. At this point, somehow I missed a sign (or two!) and ended up being sucked into the centre of Santander (which was nice!) Anyway, after a bit of farting around we got back on track, stopped for a coffee in Unquerra and headed up into the Picos to Potes.
We stayed at the Hotel Infantado just outside Potes. It's a large quite impressive looking building on the main road (easy to find!) and has a good size car park, reasonable rooms and a pool. Given the location (i.e. a little isolated) I chose to go half board. The food (rather like the rooms) was on the OK side of just about acceptable but really nothing to write home about, however there wasn't a great selection of alternatives locally, so perhaps this was the best option.
We got settled in, had dinner and hit the hay.
Route - Pamplona to Potes
Distance - 221 Miles
We awoke to find that the rain that had started the previous evening has partially cleared but the skies were still leaden and there was a definite prospect of further downpours. As we wanted to get into the Picos and bearing in mind the poor conditions, I elected to take the Autopista up to Bilbao and then to follow the coast towards Santander and beyond, turning inland at Unquerra and then taking the N621 up to Potes.
A pretty uneventful slog as it turned out. The rain that threatened kicked in on the way up to Bilbao and stayed with us on and off until we got past Santander. At this point, somehow I missed a sign (or two!) and ended up being sucked into the centre of Santander (which was nice!) Anyway, after a bit of farting around we got back on track, stopped for a coffee in Unquerra and headed up into the Picos to Potes.
We stayed at the Hotel Infantado just outside Potes. It's a large quite impressive looking building on the main road (easy to find!) and has a good size car park, reasonable rooms and a pool. Given the location (i.e. a little isolated) I chose to go half board. The food (rather like the rooms) was on the OK side of just about acceptable but really nothing to write home about, however there wasn't a great selection of alternatives locally, so perhaps this was the best option.
We got settled in, had dinner and hit the hay.
Attachments
Great Stuff! Keep it coming.
Day 7 Thurs 23rd July
Route - Picos circuit, Potes to Potes
Distance - 125 Miles
We'd ridden pretty hard for the last few days and covered some good distances. Today was to be a sort of day off, with a plan for a gentle bimble around the mountain roads.
That morning, the grey skies that had persisted during the previous day were still with us and I was a bit pissed off, thinking that I'd come all this way to see the Picos, only to have the experience compromised by the poor conditions. Determined to get my mountain fix, I decided that I was going anyway. At this point, Mrs Nev was in two minds as to whether to come along, but at around 10.30am we both hopped on the bike (waterproofs in the top box!) and set off.
It turned out to be a highlight of the tour.
If you look at the map, there's a pretty obvious route around the National Park. From Potes, take the N-621 towards Reina, then keep right onto the N-625 up to El Puente, turning right onto the aa114 towards Panes, which links back up to the N-621 and leads you back to where you started.
We started out in poor (although dry) conditions and followed the road towards Riena. The views were completely obscured by the clouds and as we climbed up into the mountains, things got worse and worse, riding through the mist and drizzle.
Up we climbed and we were seriously considering turning back for a 'duvet day' when we suddenly broke through the clouds and were greeted by some of the most fantastic scenery.
Mrs Nev was so inspired that she started throwing some yoga shapes. This one's called 'Camel Pose' apparently (insert jokes about 'having the hump' here)
Route - Picos circuit, Potes to Potes
Distance - 125 Miles
We'd ridden pretty hard for the last few days and covered some good distances. Today was to be a sort of day off, with a plan for a gentle bimble around the mountain roads.
That morning, the grey skies that had persisted during the previous day were still with us and I was a bit pissed off, thinking that I'd come all this way to see the Picos, only to have the experience compromised by the poor conditions. Determined to get my mountain fix, I decided that I was going anyway. At this point, Mrs Nev was in two minds as to whether to come along, but at around 10.30am we both hopped on the bike (waterproofs in the top box!) and set off.
It turned out to be a highlight of the tour.
If you look at the map, there's a pretty obvious route around the National Park. From Potes, take the N-621 towards Reina, then keep right onto the N-625 up to El Puente, turning right onto the aa114 towards Panes, which links back up to the N-621 and leads you back to where you started.
We started out in poor (although dry) conditions and followed the road towards Riena. The views were completely obscured by the clouds and as we climbed up into the mountains, things got worse and worse, riding through the mist and drizzle.
Up we climbed and we were seriously considering turning back for a 'duvet day' when we suddenly broke through the clouds and were greeted by some of the most fantastic scenery.
Mrs Nev was so inspired that she started throwing some yoga shapes. This one's called 'Camel Pose' apparently (insert jokes about 'having the hump' here)
Attachments
Day 7 Thurs 23rd July (cont.)
Route - Picos circuit, Potes to Potes
Distance - 125 Miles
After a photo stop above the clouds the road drops slightly, twisting and turning like a twisty, turny thing down to the lake at Reina. The views, scenery and roads here are just fantastic!
We stopped for a water break at the lake at Riena before heading north(ish) back up towards the coast on the N-625.
This section is a little more 'nadgery' that the 621, but the trip was still enjoyable, just at much slower speeds. There's tight turns and few straights here! High vertical gorge walls line the road as it follows the river towards El-Puente.
After coffee at El-Puente, we hit the final leg of the circuit, As114. To be honest I was expecting little of this road but how wrong I was! A great sweeping, fantastically surfaced highway, carved into the most amazing scenery! Fast straights, nicely contoured bends etc, you can really get stuck in here! At Panes we rejoined the N-621 and ran back south to the hotel. The weather had turned completely (it often does in the mountain regions) and a warm, sunny afternoon dip in the hotel pool rounded off the best days riding of the trip so far.
Route - Picos circuit, Potes to Potes
Distance - 125 Miles
After a photo stop above the clouds the road drops slightly, twisting and turning like a twisty, turny thing down to the lake at Reina. The views, scenery and roads here are just fantastic!
We stopped for a water break at the lake at Riena before heading north(ish) back up towards the coast on the N-625.
This section is a little more 'nadgery' that the 621, but the trip was still enjoyable, just at much slower speeds. There's tight turns and few straights here! High vertical gorge walls line the road as it follows the river towards El-Puente.
After coffee at El-Puente, we hit the final leg of the circuit, As114. To be honest I was expecting little of this road but how wrong I was! A great sweeping, fantastically surfaced highway, carved into the most amazing scenery! Fast straights, nicely contoured bends etc, you can really get stuck in here! At Panes we rejoined the N-621 and ran back south to the hotel. The weather had turned completely (it often does in the mountain regions) and a warm, sunny afternoon dip in the hotel pool rounded off the best days riding of the trip so far.
Attachments
Oops!
Just read the sticky regarding posting photos! - I'll get the photobucket thing sorted! - Give me a few hours!
Just read the sticky regarding posting photos! - I'll get the photobucket thing sorted! - Give me a few hours!
Day 8 - Friday 24th July
Route - Potes to Toledo
Distance - 317 miles
We left the UK with a plan to go to our friends place, cross the Pyrenees and visit the Picos. After that we were going to wing it! We'd been looking at increasingly unsettled weather forecasts for northern Spain and the Pyrenees and so elected to head into central Spain, an area that we'd never been to before.
We left Potes and headed south east towards Palencia on the CA184 - This is another great road that takes you high into the Picos, giving you a last mountain view, before descending into large forested plains, typified by long straight roads with nicely placed high speed corners every mile or so.
We then took the Autopista in the direction of Madrid. The mountains gave way to plains and a parched landscape. Temperatures started to rise as we headed south.
Within a few hours of cruising we entered the tunnel just outside Madrid and followed our noses. I felt that I'd missed a junction and so pulled off the motorway (more like a Spainish Perepherique at this point) found a McDonalds (Wi-Fi , air con and ice cold drinks!) and established the route out. We only had to make a simple correction and soon we were headed out towards Toledo.
The traffic was a bit heavy and, in the heat, the riding was less than pleasant, however we soon got out of the worst of if, and rolled, hot and exhausted into Toledo at around 4pm. A little fannying around to find the Hotel and then a shower and a rest before heading into town for tapas and a drink.
We stayed at the 3* Hotel Medina de Toledo for a couple of nights. Rooms were small but had air con and, like most of the hotels we choose, the hotel was within an easy walk of the centre, with shops, bars and restaurants. We ate as much tapas as we wanted (sometimes more!) for around 20 Euro including drinks.
Nice town, worth a visit.
Route - Potes to Toledo
Distance - 317 miles
We left the UK with a plan to go to our friends place, cross the Pyrenees and visit the Picos. After that we were going to wing it! We'd been looking at increasingly unsettled weather forecasts for northern Spain and the Pyrenees and so elected to head into central Spain, an area that we'd never been to before.
We left Potes and headed south east towards Palencia on the CA184 - This is another great road that takes you high into the Picos, giving you a last mountain view, before descending into large forested plains, typified by long straight roads with nicely placed high speed corners every mile or so.
We then took the Autopista in the direction of Madrid. The mountains gave way to plains and a parched landscape. Temperatures started to rise as we headed south.
Within a few hours of cruising we entered the tunnel just outside Madrid and followed our noses. I felt that I'd missed a junction and so pulled off the motorway (more like a Spainish Perepherique at this point) found a McDonalds (Wi-Fi , air con and ice cold drinks!) and established the route out. We only had to make a simple correction and soon we were headed out towards Toledo.
The traffic was a bit heavy and, in the heat, the riding was less than pleasant, however we soon got out of the worst of if, and rolled, hot and exhausted into Toledo at around 4pm. A little fannying around to find the Hotel and then a shower and a rest before heading into town for tapas and a drink.
We stayed at the 3* Hotel Medina de Toledo for a couple of nights. Rooms were small but had air con and, like most of the hotels we choose, the hotel was within an easy walk of the centre, with shops, bars and restaurants. We ate as much tapas as we wanted (sometimes more!) for around 20 Euro including drinks.
Nice town, worth a visit.
Attachments
Can't seem to get that to look right....
Day 10 - 26th July
Route - Toledo to Cuenca
Distance - 115 miles
Whilst we rested in Toledo, I had a message from a mate who has a place on the coast, between Valencia and Barcelona. We were welcome to stay and there was a pool, fridge full of beer... you get the picture!
The only bogey was where to split the journey? We didn't fancy trying it in one hit as the heat was getting.. well... Hot! Another pal of mine has spent plenty of time in Spain and he suggested Cuenca, so that's where we headed next.
The town is almost directly east of Toledo, there is an Autopista route but the N440 seemed to do the job very well and was potentially more interesting. A short time after leaving Toledo, we were thrumming along straight highways at a steady 75 ish. We were talking (via the bluetooth thingy) about how riding, being without a plan etc gave one an immense sense of detachment from one's normal life. We chatted about how motorcycle touring crams experience on experience, making a few days away feel like a lot longer. We both agreed that the overiding sense was one of freedom. Within seconds of having this chat we motored past a huge prison complex, built out on the flat, sun burnt plain. We reflected on the difference between our travels and the inmates incarceration.
The ride seemed to take us away from the somewhat parched landscape we had seen in the centre of the country and yellow slowly gave way to green as we climbed through pine forests and enjoyed a more verdent backdrop to our travels.
Somewhere along this leg, I noticed that the left hand Bar-end weight was making a bid for freedom, so a quick roadside adjustment saw the fecker tight!
By mid afternoon, we'd arrived in Cuenca, found our hotel and got settled in for the evening. Sometimes a short hop feels like a good foil to the more long distance legs. Our hotel was one of the nicest of the trip so far, with a good sized room, air con etc and a huge and very comfy bed. There was a secure, covered car park just up the road for 8 euro / 24 hrs, so after unpacking, I dumped the bike there. Once more we'd chosen to stay as close to the centre of town as possible and our walk to the bars and restaurants took under a minute!
Old Cuenca (where we stayed) is built into the side of a large hill and there a few places to eat etc near the Cathedral. There is also a larger conurbation at the foot of the hill, which looked nice but we did't have time to explore it.
Like Toledo, Cuenca has a charming historic centre and is a good place for an overnighter.
Route - Toledo to Cuenca
Distance - 115 miles
Whilst we rested in Toledo, I had a message from a mate who has a place on the coast, between Valencia and Barcelona. We were welcome to stay and there was a pool, fridge full of beer... you get the picture!
The only bogey was where to split the journey? We didn't fancy trying it in one hit as the heat was getting.. well... Hot! Another pal of mine has spent plenty of time in Spain and he suggested Cuenca, so that's where we headed next.
The town is almost directly east of Toledo, there is an Autopista route but the N440 seemed to do the job very well and was potentially more interesting. A short time after leaving Toledo, we were thrumming along straight highways at a steady 75 ish. We were talking (via the bluetooth thingy) about how riding, being without a plan etc gave one an immense sense of detachment from one's normal life. We chatted about how motorcycle touring crams experience on experience, making a few days away feel like a lot longer. We both agreed that the overiding sense was one of freedom. Within seconds of having this chat we motored past a huge prison complex, built out on the flat, sun burnt plain. We reflected on the difference between our travels and the inmates incarceration.
The ride seemed to take us away from the somewhat parched landscape we had seen in the centre of the country and yellow slowly gave way to green as we climbed through pine forests and enjoyed a more verdent backdrop to our travels.
Somewhere along this leg, I noticed that the left hand Bar-end weight was making a bid for freedom, so a quick roadside adjustment saw the fecker tight!
By mid afternoon, we'd arrived in Cuenca, found our hotel and got settled in for the evening. Sometimes a short hop feels like a good foil to the more long distance legs. Our hotel was one of the nicest of the trip so far, with a good sized room, air con etc and a huge and very comfy bed. There was a secure, covered car park just up the road for 8 euro / 24 hrs, so after unpacking, I dumped the bike there. Once more we'd chosen to stay as close to the centre of town as possible and our walk to the bars and restaurants took under a minute!
Old Cuenca (where we stayed) is built into the side of a large hill and there a few places to eat etc near the Cathedral. There is also a larger conurbation at the foot of the hill, which looked nice but we did't have time to explore it.
Like Toledo, Cuenca has a charming historic centre and is a good place for an overnighter.
Attachments
Day 10 - 26th July (cont.)
Route - Toledo to Cuenca
Distance - 115 miles
We headed in to town that evening, had a wander and a few early drinks before sitting down for dinner. We both agreed that neither of us could face another plate of 'Goose Mouse' so we opted for the Paella instead!
Route - Toledo to Cuenca
Distance - 115 miles
We headed in to town that evening, had a wander and a few early drinks before sitting down for dinner. We both agreed that neither of us could face another plate of 'Goose Mouse' so we opted for the Paella instead!
Attachments
Rocketman
Registered user
Great report but needs more yoga pics
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