Via Mediterra - The Journey around the Med on a HP2

[Giles]

I'm Hooked!!

Stunning pictures Dirk, and not just from the technical side of things. I love your artistic eye for a great photo - the blonde girl amongst all the black veils (mantillas) for example.

Take a pat on the back buddy - I'm one of the many trapped in to a world of work, mortgage, kids .... and I'm pulling my hair out with jealousy!

 

[Yonkyo]

Stunning Pictures, good story. Awesome thread.

Subscribed..

 

[kimangao]

The following day sees Oli, Jürgen and me riding along the coastline. Because it is still early in the year, there are almost no tourist around and the beach is ours.

Ok, tyres are not on all bikes ready for the sand.

Olis tyres are better, but we're too lazy to adapt the tyre pressure. Instead courage shall help.

So far with courage.

Mount Canigou, you've seen him several times before, accompanies us along the shoreline.

Returning to Prades I have a look at the local market to find something very interesting among all these products.

The special thing is this: What looks like a stone is actually a piece of olive soap. The name written on it "Alep" refers to the town of Aleppo in Syria. That's one of my destinations within the next months. At the bottom left there's another soapy cubus with "Marseille" on it. Marseilles and Aleppo are for hundreds of years the two olive soap producing places. Isn't that weired, that two towns are linked by soap?

Cheers for now

Dirk

 

[Dazzle]

I'm Hooked!!

Stunning pictures Dirk, and not just from the technical side of things. I love your artistic eye for a great photo - the blonde girl amongst all the black veils (mantillas) for example.

My favourite too

 

[kimangao]

My favourite too

It took me a while to find the picture you're referring to. Now I've found the reason: The blond girl actually was an old lady. Blonde ... ;-)

Cheers

Dirk

 

[kimangao]

Back to Olis place I have a quick look into the internet and check about my next destinations: The German ministry of foreign affairs gives a warning to travellers in the Maghreb meaning Morocco but especially Algeria and Tunisia. On the 22nd of February several people were kidnapped in Tunisia ...

Though I'm still far away from Algeria I check which alternatives could be there. What I don't know yet is that Algeria will become a major problem on my journey. But in another sense than I imagine now.

Anyway, Oli recommended a place to visit in the nearby mountains, the abbaye of Saint-Martin du Canigou. It's a remote place and since the ancient pilgrim paths across the Pyrenees became less and less important Saint-Martin du Canigou also lost influence.

Talking about Oli: Besides his sympathy for everything on wheels, he's the motorcycle man to me.

In the morning he rides his 950 through whatever ...

... takes his big one in the afternoon for a little cruise ...

... plays in the early evening with the WR ...

Some people are just suffering

But how can I complain?

I'm feeling very sorry for leaving Oli, the region and finally France. But hey, this is supposed to be the circuumnavigation of the Mediterranean Sea and not pleasing myself in the comfort zone.

So see you again on the next leg of the journey. In beautiful Spain!

Cheers

Dirk

 

[kimangao]

This is the day to finally leave France. Weather reminds me that it is still spring and dark clouds over Colliure greet me a last time before I arrive at the border. Btw: on my nine months lasting journey around the Med it rained only on five days. Very close to paradise.

One of the best things for travellers that came with the European Union is the absence of border controls. The former barriers are deserted and nobody bothers you while you take pictures where it has been formerly strictly forbidden.

I'm crossing the first of the expected 20 borders and - in terms of tar riding - I have the feeling that this is probably the most exiting one. Well later on I will learn, that there's another outstanding one. But have a look at the following pictures and how the road winds along the coastline.

France and Spain unfortunately do not share the same railway system. This is why all trains (except the modern high speed train to Barcelona) ended near the border and passengers had to swap trains.
Two very similar villages on both sides of the border therefor have extensive trainstations. It's Cerbère on the French side ....

... and Port Bou on the Spanish side. And ... kep an eye on the road.

Following the coast furtheron I pass by beautiful places like El Port de la Selva. No wonder that the region beginning here - the Costa Brava - is one of the most popular holiday regions.

One place not to miss is Cadaques. Salvador Dalì the expressionist painter and sculptor has had a house nearby and once you're in Cadaques you know why.

Off-season, like now, the town still spreads the romantic ambience of a fishing village.

Talking about romance: Francois and Valery whom I've met weeks before in Nice gave me this little girl friend because they expected me to be in need of some ... Anyway, today is the day my new girlfriend enjoys a sunbath on the beach of Cadaques.

This café is one of the places Dalì was supposed to hang out pretty often. Inside you'll find some memorabilia referring to him.

As the sun sets I ride to Spains northwesternmost point, the Cabo de Creus. A lighthouse above the steep cliffs is where the road ends. Ok, and where shall I sleep now?

I try the backside of the lighthouse, nicely protected from the strong winds. What I learn later, also well protected from the patrolling police cars. Two ladies in a camper van who'd parked their car nearby got fined and had to leave the spot in the night.

I've spent the night nearly undisturbed and in the morning the sound of Cadaques' trawlers heading out into the sea wake me up.

Some other early risers enjoy the Sea as well. God, I'm happy to be here.

To give you a little impression of the ride along the coastline:

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u2PubNymGpk" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" width="720"></iframe>

Cheers

Dirk

 

[dr nosh]

This picture has an almost surreal look about it - The colour is 'vivid' (probably not the right term for it) and it has a 3D effect - well it has on my monitor anyway.

Its a fantastic picture amongst many other really good pictures in this report.

Chapeau.

 

[SM46]

Superb ride report & absolutely stunning pictures, thanks for taking the time & sharing

 

[rocky burns]

Have you gone to sleep on this one?

 

[kimangao]

Have you gone to sleep on this one?

Nope, just had a nasty influenza that knocked me off. I'll proceed in a minute ;-)

 

[kimangao]

I have my little breakfast in the Dalì-hangout-place meanwhile this gentleman breakfasts on his cigar.

Following the shoreline is nearly like riding in paradise. The road twists and bends as if straights haven't been invented yet.

The Costa Brava is one of the popular holiday destinations. Endless sandy beaches, cheap places to crash (if you like) and nearby airports make it very easy to spend a vacation there. In the foreground the Castillo de Begur.

The sandy beaches are not natural everywhere. About every 10 years the formerly rocky beaches get "new" sand. How? Very easy ...

A ship simply pumps the sand from the sea onto the beach. Some caterpillars arrange it nicely and there's your holiday beach. To me, that was the perfect disillusion.

Talking about disillusion I have to come back to the earlier mentioned mobile homes. Especially at the Costa Brava you'll easily find parkings where hundreds of these are locked in. Once their out forget about a nice ride along the coast.

'nathor one ....

Seeking some nice roads in the backcountry.

There are enough promising roads and tracks.

How do you feel if you see a sign like this? Yeeeiiiaaaa!

And how will you feel when on the same 24kms road this buddy is in front of you and is not willing to let you pass?

Anyway, even the slowest lorry will be overtaken somewhen and I enjoy the day, the scenery, everything.

Nearby Aiguafreda I find tonights place to sleep.

Thank God it's not high-season yet.

Cheers

Dirk

 

[kimangao]

As beautiful as the Costa Brava is the crowded it becomes the closer I get to Barcelona. Too much traffic. I decide to take a little detour inlands and can't get rid of the feeling that this is so much more the Spain I had in mind than the now starting hotel areas, holiday villages and all this touristy facilities.

Nice tracks follow flocks of windwheels. They lead to me to the town of Morella.

Like a lot of Spanish villages Morella is crowned by an ancient fortress on top of the villages hill. Morella was able to save its city walls over the century.

I'm happy to stay in the same place as Carlos and his friends. They're on their weekend trip. Great bikes, cool riding and superb characters.

You should hear the sound of Carlos 1098. What an acoustic blast!

Unfortunately we've had only a few meters together.

Adios amigos, hope to see you again soon!

Dirk

 

[(RIP) DitchWater]

Dirk,

It is quite surreal riding through those windfarms around Morella. Was it the N232 between Tore Miro and Xert, and some of the CV roads?
You found a good place for your mates and your bikes.

 

[kimangao]

Dirk,

It is quite surreal riding through those windfarms around Morella. Was it the N232 between Tore Miro and Xert, and some of the CV roads?
You found a good place for your mates and your bikes.

Yep, exactly! Great roads out there ...

Cheers

Dirk

 

[kimangao]

Leaving Morella it doesn't take long and I bump into another traveller. This time it's Thilo with his 12GS.

Before I'd started the jounrey I was quite concerned about how to cope with being alone for a very long time. Now I find that there's almost nothing to worry about. There'll be company if I keep on being open for new situations, new people.

Thilo is familiar with the mountain roads west of Valencia and it's a pleasure to follow him.

Due to the dry summers on the Iberian peninsula Spain is scattered with reservoirs. Especially the south with it's extensive agriculture suffers from the annual draughts. Now they're still carriying a lot of water but in autumn you'll find basins nearly empty. Thilo takes me to this really beautiful embalse.

Because Thilo has family in Valencia he needs to go there and I decide to accompany him into town. Valencia is home to a huge architectural experiment. The city and the architect Calatrava have started to build the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias, the city of arts and sciences. To me it was like experiencing the taste of the 23rd century.

The basic idea of Santiago Calatrava is to give buildings a rather organic design.

The builing in the front is an iMax-Cinema. What appears to be little wings are the doors/gates. Hard to believe but the entire glass constructions to the left and right can be opened like a garage door.

The conference center behind this road bridge is the most spectecular building to me. The liftet calotte gives space for a balcony.

Short break at the oceanografic institute.

The cinema again.

And the calotte of the Conference Center.

I've stayed for three days in the area and I must admit it was really exciting. But - there is a but - after three days I also felt that though this is a really astonishing place it's, let's say, sterile at the same time and I was enjoying the following days in the countryside even more.

Cheers for now

Dirk

 

[rocky burns]

Fantastic pictures yet again Dirk

 

[kimangao]

Thanks mate!

 

[kimangao]

After Valencia I'm happy that the big city is behind me and I'm not keen on bumping into the next one, Alicante. So I leave Alicante to the left not knowing that in a few weeks this city will be a major spot deciding about if and how I can continue my journey.

Near Mazzarón I hit the coast again and I'm surprised to find it nearly without the common "urbanizaciones", holiday villages, beach hotels ...

Ha! And there's a track that follows the blue water! Marvellous!

THAT could go on for ages. Unfortunately it didn't though it led me to some nice beaches without any houses and no one around

This is how I used to camp pretty often. I choose most places by feeling. It's like an inner voice telling me that this will be a good and safe place.

This here is right above the town of Mojacar. Good and safe

In the early morning hours a little fleet of fisherboats heads out into the sea for their daily business. I can easily observe them from my tent.

The view from my sleeping spot onto Mojacar. A nice place with a lot of British tourists.

Anyway, I decide to have a quick coffee in Mojacar and breakfast at the sea. 30kms south in Agua Amarga I've found THE breakfast place. Absolutely beautiful, calm, warm ...

What do you need more in the morning?

Have a nice one!

Cheers

Dirk

 

[luke scott]

Hi Dirk, what time of the year were you doing the trip along the Spanish costas ?