AlanAce1967
Registered user
Trip to France and Spain inc Pyrenees June 2013.
About 9 months in waiting since wife gave me permission to play in Pyrenees for 10 days !
Only firm plan I had was 1st night in hotel in Boulogne and last night in hotel in Boulogne !
Finished work Thursday lunchtime and loaded the bike.
Rode down to the services at the junction before the tunnel and had a Wimpy burger and chips. Its no wonder they are going out of business, the food was awful and I binned most of it, yuk ! It had also rained most of the way just to cheer me up.
Got to Euro Tunnel and so did loads of people heading to Le Mans, there was loads of Astons and Ferraris’ waiting in the car park to cross, a real petrol heads dream !
Crossed over easily as usual and headed to Premier Classe hotel in Boulogne.
Miles day 1 = 190.
Next morning it was still wet and horrible as I headed south towards Poitiers but as it was crap weather I decided to keep going and got as far as Premier Classe in Angouleme.
Miles day 2 = 459 = Total 649.
Day 3, left Angouleme and drove down what I thought was a free motorway, whoops, it is now a Peage ! I had no cash handy and cards were safely tucked away, a biker went through in front of me but the barrier stayed up and the light was green so decided id get through quick before it changed its mind and saved myself the 90 cents !
Got as far as Biarritz and it was as if someone through a switch and the sun came out and it was suddenly warm !
Pitched my tent at Camping Biarritz, a good campsite with excellent facilities close to the town.
Headed into town to check it out.
Surfers heaven.
Then headed to a bar to get my first beer in a few days.
Then the clouds came out again…..
Chicken and chips at the campsite just before it rained again !
Miles day 3 203 = 852 Total
OK, this is what I came for, day 4 and im into the Pyrenees, the first two Cols are freezing, foggy, wet and miserable, but challenging and I enjoy them. There is still snow on the tops. I run wide onto the grass as I go round a corner on about 4500 meters up and need a change of underwear as it’s a shear drop !
Funny though as I get into the Spanish side its as if someone throws a switch again, the sun is out, the roads are dry and its warm.
After a fantastic day riding with some of the best roads ive ever ridden im about 10 mins from my campsite my charging warning light comes on. Luckily for me I took out Carole Nash breakdown insurance. I get to my camp, Camping Pena Monteresa, get my tent up and call them, they arrange for the bike to be collected next morning.
Miles today, 239, total = 1091
Its tough, but I have to stay and drink, eat and relax by the pool.
That afternoon the bikes ready, the alternator belt had broken and I arrange to collect it the next morning.
After a 100km taxi ride to collect the bike I head towards the mountains again.
I head towards Roses on the Spanish coast. The roads are fantastic. The bike is fantastic, its fully loaded and you would never know it as it eats up the miles, turns in to all the bends, brakes late, does everything you want until you stop, its then it’s a handful. I did drop it on my first day in Pyrenees.
Made it to Roses…
Not impressed when they threw me into a corner…
End of day 6 another 295 miles = 1386.
Stayed 2 nights in Roses, a nice town, hated the camp, weather was fantastic.
Left and headed to Millau.
Camped here for one night.
Its worth exploring the town, its fantastic.
This was another 192 miles making it 1578 total.
From here the weather was crap, I pushed all the way to Evreux to another Premier Classe hotel and bought the wife 12 bottles of wine.
Another 487 miles = 2065 total.
Next morning I headed back to the tunnel, then back home mostly dry but cloudy.
Another 347 miles, big total = 2412 in 8 riding days.
Im quite impressed, I survived the weather, a breakdown and 2 foreign countries by myself, for the first time and lived to tell the tale. Hope you enjoyed this.
My only regret……..Doing it alone !
Alan.
About 9 months in waiting since wife gave me permission to play in Pyrenees for 10 days !
Only firm plan I had was 1st night in hotel in Boulogne and last night in hotel in Boulogne !
Finished work Thursday lunchtime and loaded the bike.
Rode down to the services at the junction before the tunnel and had a Wimpy burger and chips. Its no wonder they are going out of business, the food was awful and I binned most of it, yuk ! It had also rained most of the way just to cheer me up.
Got to Euro Tunnel and so did loads of people heading to Le Mans, there was loads of Astons and Ferraris’ waiting in the car park to cross, a real petrol heads dream !
Crossed over easily as usual and headed to Premier Classe hotel in Boulogne.
Miles day 1 = 190.
Next morning it was still wet and horrible as I headed south towards Poitiers but as it was crap weather I decided to keep going and got as far as Premier Classe in Angouleme.
Miles day 2 = 459 = Total 649.
Day 3, left Angouleme and drove down what I thought was a free motorway, whoops, it is now a Peage ! I had no cash handy and cards were safely tucked away, a biker went through in front of me but the barrier stayed up and the light was green so decided id get through quick before it changed its mind and saved myself the 90 cents !
Got as far as Biarritz and it was as if someone through a switch and the sun came out and it was suddenly warm !
Pitched my tent at Camping Biarritz, a good campsite with excellent facilities close to the town.
Headed into town to check it out.
Surfers heaven.
Then headed to a bar to get my first beer in a few days.
Then the clouds came out again…..
Chicken and chips at the campsite just before it rained again !
Miles day 3 203 = 852 Total
OK, this is what I came for, day 4 and im into the Pyrenees, the first two Cols are freezing, foggy, wet and miserable, but challenging and I enjoy them. There is still snow on the tops. I run wide onto the grass as I go round a corner on about 4500 meters up and need a change of underwear as it’s a shear drop !
Funny though as I get into the Spanish side its as if someone throws a switch again, the sun is out, the roads are dry and its warm.
After a fantastic day riding with some of the best roads ive ever ridden im about 10 mins from my campsite my charging warning light comes on. Luckily for me I took out Carole Nash breakdown insurance. I get to my camp, Camping Pena Monteresa, get my tent up and call them, they arrange for the bike to be collected next morning.
Miles today, 239, total = 1091
Its tough, but I have to stay and drink, eat and relax by the pool.
That afternoon the bikes ready, the alternator belt had broken and I arrange to collect it the next morning.
After a 100km taxi ride to collect the bike I head towards the mountains again.
I head towards Roses on the Spanish coast. The roads are fantastic. The bike is fantastic, its fully loaded and you would never know it as it eats up the miles, turns in to all the bends, brakes late, does everything you want until you stop, its then it’s a handful. I did drop it on my first day in Pyrenees.
Made it to Roses…
Not impressed when they threw me into a corner…
End of day 6 another 295 miles = 1386.
Stayed 2 nights in Roses, a nice town, hated the camp, weather was fantastic.
Left and headed to Millau.
Camped here for one night.
Its worth exploring the town, its fantastic.
This was another 192 miles making it 1578 total.
From here the weather was crap, I pushed all the way to Evreux to another Premier Classe hotel and bought the wife 12 bottles of wine.
Another 487 miles = 2065 total.
Next morning I headed back to the tunnel, then back home mostly dry but cloudy.
Another 347 miles, big total = 2412 in 8 riding days.
Im quite impressed, I survived the weather, a breakdown and 2 foreign countries by myself, for the first time and lived to tell the tale. Hope you enjoyed this.
My only regret……..Doing it alone !
Alan.
