Round 3: Ramble around Iberia

Nazare to Vana do Castelo

Not much sleep to be had last night, and not for any good reasons either :augie

A visit to the seafront for a cheering up stroll. There's a lifeguard on a quad bike going up to folks on the beach and telling them to get back from the sea. Evidently this is one some of the worlds most liveliest coast and one of the most dangerous beaches, off which featured the highest ever recorded surfed wave some time back and there have been recent cases of folk swept away.

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And so to a walk around the local market. On the way to said Market..

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Locals at market. I thought Les Dawson was deed?

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A whole load of fish going on..

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So back to the hotel and tempers are a bit short for once. We load up and faff about a lot, and it's far from the slick operation that's developed over the past days together on the bike.
If I can offer some words of advice, the ideal way to motivate a female pillion to embark is not to use the words 'Oh just shut up and get on the back you silly tart' as this could be said to have a negative effect, resulting in folded arms and mutterings of disapproval. Eventually we negotiate a set off and some heavier than normal braking results in a thump in the back (well, a thump in the back protector that is. I like motorcycle gear :D )

We navigate through Oporto's crazy traffic..

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And pop out the other side back to the fast roads. Evidently it's not only Spain that is suffering with fires at the moment..

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We reach Vana De Castelo and everything has mellowed out again, quelled by the scenery. Probably using bribery of a white chocolate magnum helped as well.

The few days of Motorway on the older tyre have left it badly squared off, as square as a very square thing. Going to need to sort that one out fairly sharpish.

We sourced a cheap stop over hotel at 45 Euros via t'internet and headed in. What a very strange place; the reception was straight out of the seventies, all it was short of was the reception guy having platforms and crushed strawberry velvet loons; however when we got the rooms everything was ultra modern, superb comfortable bed, Home Cinema size Sony Flatscreen TV on the wall. Most odd. I've been to many hotels where the opposite was the case, but this was different. We approve, mind.

Fancy a bit, love?

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Dinner was in form of a very nice Portuguese restaurant, The Three Potes. Mixed Fried Pork and Oven Roasted Kid Goat, featuring a Garden Salad the size of Welwyn Garden City.

'Hmmm.. Now, if I can just find a tyre dealer..'

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Vana do Costelo to Baiona

The reception gent this morning was a 1200GS owner. We chat bikes for a bit and its good stuff. A really helpful and good guy. He's off for his holidays to the South next week, so we wish him the best.

Soon enough we're road bound.

Today's ride was a mere 40 miles, a fantastic 40 miles though. Since we'd killed off much of the traverse North, we were free to dob about as we wished, and we agreed that if we found something nice between the off and Santiago we'd knock off and call it a day.

We decide to take the little ferry across the river to Spain.

Tosser on Ferry with not much better to do..

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My bike, developing into quite a little mobile tat shop, and co-pilot on said ferry..

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We thought this odd as we crossed.. So considered it the border :)

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Put your watches an hour forward after a ten minute ferry crossing.. :D

En route to Baiona we catch up with a Goldwing rider. We hang back and observe the silky smooth skills of the pilot.. Some real riding flair and a pleasure to watch.

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We de-camp in Baiona and with help of the free seafront internet get a hotel a minute away. Parking is on the road, but the good lady of the hotel says that It is no problem and safe- and it is all true to her word, which is cool.

Out for refreshments then.. Estrella Galaicia shows 'The Way'…

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A lovely evening. Baiona is a cracker.

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Lovely..

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And then.. quality dinner..

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..
 
Baiona to La Coruna

We leave Baiona and the sweet little budget Carabela La Pinta hotel. It's mostly Autovia- my old Zumo is now completely knackered so it's manual map reading.

Crossing the bridge at Vigo..

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Aside a detour through Santiago, which isn't very kind to drive-by sightseeing from tourists with no proper map, it's to La Coruna. We stop for coffee and cake and have a look around the gift shop.

Jarvis, eh. Just fancy that..

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Through good fortune we more or less drive straight in to La Coruna and to the Hotel, the Hotel Sol. Now time to pack and reorganise ready for the departure of the good lady. Opening one of the panniers, the camping pannier on the exhaust side, there's an immediate aroma. Not good. It is then that I make a gruesome discovery..

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Bloody hell that wasn’t funny at all. That's been there since we got to Spain 12 days ago, in a pannier that got so hot down in the Algarve it almost burned. I'll leave it to you to conjur up that scent.
Anyway, one I'd fished out my new cheesy zumo, with the aid of a decent internet connection I can download the maps to it that I successfully ruined pre-trip. No more Nanette Newman fairy liquid screen treatment for the old one, that'll be going back to Garmin for a repair at long last. Fingers crossed this thing does it then, eh..

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Out for a walk in the city.

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There's nothing I like better than getting back to the old country for a Guinness, to be (un)sure.. :D

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Galicia's new digital generation..

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Drool..

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We came across this fabulous little group on the wander..

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Tapa tapa tapa…

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Thankfully, by time we're back to the hotel the new Zumo is all set. We like that :thumb2

And so for an early night as much to do tomorrow.
 
La Coruna to Pennaronda

I was woken at 5am by the good lady of the trip. Nudge… nudge.. Shove. 'What', is, of course, the male stock response. 'I think there is some sort of protest or something outside' she said. I go on to the balcony and there is indeed some sort of a commotion, but it's just the bars and the drinking out onto the streets.. still seriously lively at 5am. Gotta love Spain.

And so, today is the day to say goodbye to her. Despite the early morning wake-up call it was going to be sad; we'd got into a George and Mildred style curmudgeonly preparation groove, and everything once on the move had been so easy. I'd also gotten used to having an on-board photographer, getting very welcome on-the-road shoulder massages (from a trained masseuse by the way) and other miscellaneous benefits such as being fed Fox's glacier fruits from time to time on what seemed to be developing into a telepathic request basis. She'd also developed into a highly proficient pillion, previously only having a couple of day trips and overnighter out, managing to float effortlessly on and off such a loaded bike without so much as a wobble, and putting up with all that gear crowded around her (admittedly most of it was hers anyway..)

So it was sad indeed that we toddled off to the airport. It was quiet there, so we just parked on the pavement a short distance from the terminal and went in for croissants and Orange Juice. We said our goodbyes and then I was off to head East.

So, off I go today then. Ho hum; nowhere to go, and no time to get there by.

Time for some Music. Rolling hills, sunshine and pleasant clouds, a fresh breeze, 25 degrees. Pink Floyd's 'Live at Pompeii'* accompanied the plodding climbing and descending of the AutoVia away from La Coruna; Other good highlights were Radiohead's 'Codex'; Husky Rescue 'City Lights'; Future Loop Foundations' 'Homegrown Dynamic' and quite appropriately today I suppose, Mario Basanov's 'Lonely Days'. A real chill out to accompany some really gentle 60mph riding. Peaceful music, a beautifully peaceful day.

They're still building AutoVia's around here.. Some of them up in the skies. Wow. You've got to marvel, without getting all Daily Mail, just one of these sections must cost mega £££££.. How's that getting paid for now!? And they're still putting stuff up all over the place, incredible :eek

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Soon enough it's about 4pm. I cross the bridge at Ribadeo and decide to have a wander off. Soon enough I'm by a beautiful beach, watching the surfers knock about. There's an adjacent camp site, and I'm 14 Euro lighter with a tent up about 45 minutes later.

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Funnily there were some Germans who had turned their patio chairs from their camp around to watch me put my tent up, I guess sensing some sort of theatre with this lumbering clumsy biker sod. I reckon that I proper pished on their parade by having the tent up and being sorted in ten minutes flat :)

Tent up double quick. In your face, Dusseldorf :pullface

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Quick spot of dinner outdoors..

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I felt a tad solemn what with being on my Jack Jones again, so I watched some Auf Wiedersehen Pet early episodes on the Laptop. A while back when I wasn't so well I watched them many times. They always cheer me up- here's to better times getting better.

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* If you click on the Live at Pompeii link bear with it, it's a cracker :D
..
 
Pennaronda to Potes

A very appealing little ride along the North Coast today. I woke just before 8 and had the padding down the lane for a whizz at the facilities to deal with, and by the time I got back I couldn't be bothered to pot-hole back into the tent, so I just got set and headed off. A nice ride combining the new Autovia with some of the back roads, switching from one to the other, the odd stop at Asturias' fabulous coastline..

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After a decent morning of riding I head South for a bit and skirt along the edge of the Picos de Europa park. And very good it is too. Starting to see a few bikes now..

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Poo.

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And after a decent bit of two-wheeled good fun I'm near Potes, following a provided set of coordinates for a rendezvous. However, these coordinates are a bit odd: Up paved roads, into tracks and then on.

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I follow the track for a while, it gets more difficult and narrow. To a point where I decide to stop and walk for a bit onwards as it looks decidedly dodgy- about half a km from the supposed destination. I'm glad I did- the track narrows to a very slim width on a ledge, lord only knows what traverses this, only maybe a quad bike at best. So, that leaves me a bloody awkward 30m back pedal on the bike to turn around, but I manage it with a fair bit of huff and puff.

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Best learned lesson from the BMW off road skills course- to turn the bike around on a downhill incline to waggle the bars left to right :thumb bloody good tip that was I tell you.

Eventually, back on tarmac, and after summoning up the destination from Google Maps an Android Smart Phone, which turns out to be as not smart at all, I'm sent back up in the tracks in the hills. Garmin and Google totally disagree with the destination and even the bloody road layout. How's your luck!
At another suspected destination in the hills, following up a tricky track I again leave the bike to walk up further. I return to find a lady leaning over a bottom closed farm door looking curiously at the bike outside her door to which I left it. She's smiley and friendly. I ask for directions, she gives a knowing 'not another lost person looking for this place' style look. She has no English, but is very helpful... bless her dearly.

Alas I'm still no closer, and after asking about again I'm ready to give up after an hour and twenty of bollocks.

Back on the main road and I send a text saying I'm lost. Thirty seconds later I spy a parked 1200 Adventure.. and lo, I am found. By jove, It's Ballistic of this parish! Beers had.. And a plot to cover more of Spain in the immediate short term :thumb2

:beer: :beerjug:

Lamb chops for dinner. Ace ;)
 
Potes to Nava

So Brian, aka Ballistic, and his pal Ted have travelled down yesterday on the ferry over to Santander. I'm going to link in and have a ride with Brian for a few days whilst Ted visits his newly born Grand Daughter and family over here. Ballistic is a veteran in this part of the world, so I'm looking forward to some entertaining roads and scenery.

And then there were two..

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Destination Picos..

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Overnight the weather has closed in and it is overcast with low cloud. We're off, and within a few KM's were up in the clouds and its raining. We spend a good fifteen minutes or so tailgaiting a Dutch registered Volvo in the fog, until the mist clears momentarily and we can zip past.

The weather changes. Up the mountain, rain, fog, cold. Down the mountain, Sun, warmth. Brian had more costume changes than a bleedin' Madonna concert. Summer outfit, winter outfit, waterproofs on, waterproofs off. Ah, here's one of those roadside pauses..

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Picking up the pace is a bit of a shock to the system for me. I've become all too used to just pootling and of late have been progressively vegetised by Vinho Verde and Super Bock. I'm not used to all this riding in rain and fog, plus chasing after a seriously smooth and rapid bod in Ballistic.
To add to the fun my Kenneth Connor Hengist Pod square wheel trail attack is on my mind, plus with all the silly stuff going on with the bike the dashboard its lit up like Selwyn Froggit's 'Road up Disco'. Never mind. We'll manage.

All said though, a great little morning, very interesting, and for all of those misty vistas, well I'll just have to come back again another time to have a look, eh.

We have lunch. A bottle of Amstel, a large coffee and a plate of meat for two for five Euros. Very nice too..

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After lunch, where it is bright and sunny, we head off. 15minutes later we're in thick fog and rain. Here it comes again then..

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We descend 1000 or so metres following a tanker truck in the fog and rain. Slow painstaking going, conditions bloody horrible.

Wet/Fog aside It's another great afternoon of riding though; great varieties of roads, surfaces, hills, conditions. Really enjoyable. We roll up in Nava around 4.30pm to be greeted by Ted and a cup of tea.
Ted is on the case for my tyre quest. His son in law Matthew has a Spanish speaking 'fixer', who is doing research for a small fee. Evidently tyres are just not easy to come by; bikes are not big in the region here and GS's particularly rare as they're so expensive. Matthew should know as he runs a bike tour enterprise here and thus knows all things biking rather well.
Ah, that's not so good; I mean, we'll get a tyre alright, but would prefer to not wait days for it to come.

A short time later we get a call back from the fixer. A rear trail attack is coming overnight from Madrid to a tyre place some 20km away, so its down there then first thing tomorrow :thumb

Over to the hotel in Nava. All things Asturias..

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THE WAY to pour Cider, or Sidre from the region, well demonstrated by our happy bar lass..

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Interesting Dinner Menu, featuring such items as 'ESPECIAL PLATE HUSHPUPPIES' and 'CLAMS IN A SEAMAN LIKE WAY'. The mind boggles :D

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We eventually settle for Steak, which we initially sent back as it was still moo-ing, and we settle in to watch Real Madrid beat Man City on the telly.

A very good night indeed :thumb

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;)
 
ballistic moo lmao

les dawson WTF!!?! :D

shame about the fog

cider lady - WOW

why do i get the feeling the tyre might not be a bargain.............

seeing as you watched the inferior team last night will you be watching the team in red tonight ? :D

enjoy
 
Just got back from a week's holiday in the US and that's cheered me up.:thumb:beerjug:
 
Ta, Folks :thumb

why do i get the feeling the tyre might not be a bargain.............

All will be revealed.. ;)

seeing as you watched the inferior team last night will you be watching the team in red tonight ? :D

No TV for that where we stopped.. the pleasure of staying in the middle of nowhere.. :thumb


Most definitely.. can't beat it :JB

Just wipe it's arse and cut the hooves off :guitarist: adiós amigos.

Oh, yes D :D
 
Nava to Vega de Rengos

I'm pretty sure that Spain is spending its last few Euros that it doesn't have on roads. Most of it on building them, and the rest on the training of crack squads of cattle to shat on the apex of rural road corners. After today, on the roads we hit, on most corners there are two kinds of shite. The material left by said cattle, and then what's left by me as I recover from my sliding about to make it round.

Anyway. This morning we followed the lead to the tyre dealer, about 20km from out hotel in Nava. The tyre, we were told, would be delivered overnight by 10am, so we roll up. It almost sounded to good to be true. And so it was.
We rolled up on schedule just before ten. The tyre bod says it isn't here and it will probably be another hour. Maybe an hour, so we have coffees at the place down the road. We come back, no tyre. We wait about. The tyre bod appears. Now he doesn't know when it is going to arrive. So we wait it out for a bit. Another hour comes and goes until just before one where the guy again says (using a translation thing on his phone) that he doesn't know where it is and they're closing now until 3pm.

Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.

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Sod this for a game of soldiers. To be fair, we'd lost confidence the thing would appear and standing around at 7pm appealed not. To quote the life of Brian line 'How shall we feck off' was the conclusion. There's a bit left on the tyre still, maybe 500 miles or so, so we do one.

Over the tops and into the fog..

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And out of the fog, into lovely blue skies with little puffy clouds. An encounter with a bus that didn't want to let us pass. Eventually we squeeze through where it stops in a tiny village to let folks off, despite the best efforts of Senor Nobber to park so we couldn't pass.

Fantastic Valleys..

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Who stole the river?

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After a few Michelin green roads we've actually salvaged a pretty solid ride out of the day which is a relief to me, for Brian's sake. Standing bored outside a tyre dealer is an overrated experience.

In the early evening we decide to find a rural stop off. We come across the Hotel La Pista in the middle of pretty much nowhere amongst a few rickety houses and a graveyeard with what looked like an office block in it (don't ask because we have no idea either). The bikes are put behind gates and the accommodation is basic and decent enough.

I go through the check in process. Not many visitors around here, and the lady isn't familiar with our passports at all. She keeps asking me questions in Spanish. 'No habla Espanol!' Is my reply. Here's a tip my dear: Just saying the same question in Spanish, multiple times and then slower each time will not learn me Spanish. I thought it was the sole preserve of the English to use that particular technique (albeit ending up with shouting at the foreigners) Clearly not :D
Going through the process is as painful as being strapped down to listen to a Kenny G album. So far its taken fifteen minutes at least to do a ten line registration form. In the middle, nearing the end, the phone rings and she's off. I decide to take my bags up. Brian is already sorted and out of the shower. I have a brief rant and then go downstairs. She's started again with a new form.

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Eventually it is completed. She's nice enough though, bless, and I retain my smiley stature as we're planning to eat there later.

Dinner is one of those 'Have what you get given' affairs. A fabulous soup with meat, potatoes and a very nice garlic infusion, followed by excellent veal and boiled spuds in a sort of onion gravy. The cold cinnamon custard isn't my cup of tea, but I think all of that, for two with a bottle of wine and an ale, including the accommodation (with Wi-fi) and a very good breakfast for two ended up at 67 Euros. Can't be bad!

:beerjug:
 
Vega de Rengos to Santiago de Compostela

Day 112 (as said in an irritatingly Big Brother geordie drawl).

We turn in early last night and decide to head out early to make up for yesterday's late start. We're given a breakfast of excellent toasted proper rustic bread, pancakes and coffee. Very good indeed. We're also given really a very sweet farewell by the hotel lady and we're on the road.

We're straight in to the action and ride some prime roads, really great stuff, probably the best couple of hours of constantly great riding that I've done for a long while.

The bike stutters again this morning, similarly to how it did before the 'Brake Failure' thing started back in France on the way home from the last ramble. I think that Clouseau is finally working out what is going on. Be fair, it's only taken me 2,600 miles. I think- for this particular quirk- the Speed Sensor malfunctioning is fooling the ASC Traction thing to cut in, thus getting the semi-violent interruption in power.
Another twist, too, a little later today. The bike has decided not to show the 'Brake Failure' warning and Yellow Triangle when I start now (You might recall I was able to adjust the ESA), but now the speeds are getting progressively higher before it does it and gives me the warnings. I think for a moment, now in Second, doing about 40mph- has it sorted and gone and fixed itself? Hmm. Better test the brakes. Glad I did. At the back, when I give it a good go, there's a comedy sort of on-the-moon style ABS action, where it engages the brake and slips the wheel in very very slow motion for a period before deciding it doesn't know what the feck is going on, and gives me the light show on the dash and switches everything to manual as it were, cutting the ASC and ABS. The crucial point here is that, until it realises all is amiss, the rear braking is about as much use as a Nicotene Patch to Keith Richards whilst it works out what to do. Electronics, eh? Might be a good idea to get it sorted soon I s'pose.

All things considered I ride as smoothly as I can and am still well rewarded for the ride. Roads great.. And scenery, well..

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..Just stunning :thumb

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We come to a point where the road is blocked, but good old Brian enquires if we can pass. Bod looks over the bikes and says yes, just go slowly though. ballistic zips off, and later says when he came across the workers he thought one of them was going to whack him :D
Fortunately when I roll up passing bikes are old news and they just look blankly at me.
Once we pass the blocked part we're left with 20 or so miles of new road which seems exclusively for our use. The crack cattle squad haven't even been brought in to shat on the tarmac as yet- so it's glorious :D

Rear tyre is very 'feathered' following another evening inspection to view the impact of today's plenty left-to-right impact. Erm, a new one, well, about now would be nice.

We'd booked a hotel in advance courtesy booking.com and it was fine, despite the parking being on the pavement opposite the hotel. No matter.

So tyre situation is now bad. I recall the recommendation from the Hotel bod in Portugal: Celtamotor in Vigo. I actually e-mailed them the other day using Google Translate, and they'd come back with a price for the tyre and all was OK. Question was if they actually had it, or if we'd be dependent on some mystery delivery driver coming from Madrid. So, with the kind help of the hotel reception chap, calls we placed, discussions had, and Christian at Celtamotor would call back. What the hotel lacks in parking, they certainly make up for in helpfulness and friendliness.
I wait about for an hour at the hotel. Nuts to this I say, so decide to go out. If they have the tyre, please say yes I want it? The new reception lady is on the case and is expecting a call, so if all works she will say yay on my behalf and I will have a message waiting when I return That's good, I can go out and discover Santiago de Compostela and catch up Brian.

Santiago de Compostela, the cathedral and surroundings. A very special place. There are lots of people just sitting, milling, who've reached the end of their long walking pilgramages, and there's a real atmosphere of elation amongst no doubly plentiful blisters and corn plasters.

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And inside we go for a mooch about.

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Nuns as cleaning contractors, cleaning the confessionals.

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Funny things. You can be served from the side or from the front. They have little red lights that can be switched on, wonder what for eh. Perhaps its for if the pastor inside the confessional doesn't know the answer, sort of rather like at Tesco's when they can't find a price on something :D

Time for refreshment. Nice people watching spot found and we have two beers each, and with it comes plentiful Tapas- Spanish Omlette on a stick, little sarnies, cheese and crisps. The bill: 7 Euros.

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Brian's verdict. 'We'd better go before it starts getting any cheaper' :D

A beer with some superb Celtic music. The two lads started Celtic dancing, not what you'd expect and they were really good. Didn't catch it on video but they left to rapturous applause.

(I'll upload that video anyway and put it here)

A bit of shopping in Compostela before a good Menu del dia. New T-Shirt, here's one for all of you 'A-Team'; Fans..

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"I love it when a Flan comes together" (Ah, yes, Flans you ask.. they be pretty common in Spain as it happens)..

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We finish the evening up at the Vinoteca. A couple of nice reds and they're still plying us with Tapas, too.

Back to the hotel and there's a message. 'Please be at the dealer by 11am for your tyre.' That we like! :)
 
Santiago de Compostela to Braganca

First task of the day is to go and see those nice people at Celtamotor BMW in Vigo. The new Zumo is being odd. It won't let me deselect toll road avoidance. That's all very frugal of you, and thank you for thinking of me and my tender budget, but I'd really rather make the decision myself, thanks very much and all that. I eventually get it to do what I want by changing the avoidance selection whilst the route is in progress and hitting detour. Strange indeed, but useful to have the fast route in this case, because it knocks half an hour off a 60 mile ride which today, needs must and all that.

Zumo does decide to take me through Vigo, which couldn’t be fastest way looking at the map for a brief minute, but I couldn't be arsed to argue with it again- and I had the time, so it's a little trip through a cloudy Vigo centre, which actually whilst not anything special was quite good to have a look at the morning rush.
I get to Celtamotor just before 11am. Ah, here we are..

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Ah… Señor Bond.. we've been expecting you. I think all the reception people are well drilled and on alert for the guest appearance of the foreign Johnny with no native language skills at all, and on arrival I'm promptly ushered to the service part where a very helpful lady goes through the book in process. I decide to try and get the sensor problem sorted- with help of Google Translate and HTC she gets the drift and it all goes on the job card. It's all confused smiles and 'Ah.. si, si' with thumbs up to the discoveries, everyone seming to anticipate and relish the challenge of trying to work out just what the hell I want. They really couldn't be more helpful.

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Bike is booked in and I'm directed to a café bar next door. Quick look in the showroom. They have the new scooters in. They do look good, don't they? I got into bikes via Twist and Go's so these do interest me. Ah, Look, it's a little RT.

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K1600GTL anyone? Yikes.. :eek:

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I update some ramble drivel on the laptop and an hour or so later the lady from service reception is stood next to me. She's got the job card and some notes, so here we go with translate. The bike most definitely needs the new speed sensor, which they can do, but it will be a little more labour to sort it. Now I can live with that. She's very happy to help again, and I should go back at 1.30 when it'll be ready.. so just time for another coffee then eh.

Brian texts, and our planned meet up will be off as I'm delayed with all things technical, so I'll see him later on at the hotel.

Well it doesn't all go completely smoothly. On the road test the problem occurs again. I have a conversation with the service manager via Google Translate on the office computer and he says they will get to it first thing after the technicians are back. His theory now is that a brake fluid flush may well deal with it. I'd heard that as a theory elsewhere. Sad thing is, that they're now all at lunch until 3.30. Still, at least I see a new tyre, so that's one down and one to go.

I decide in for a penny, in for a euro, so I go back to the local restaurant for the Menu del dia.

Waiting around for a dealer in Portugal is just the same as waiting around for one in the UK. Funny, that. I wander back at around 4pm and can see they're deep at work. My bike comes out with a mechanic bod on it, does a circuit of the car park and goes back. No signs of any update thereafter.. that can't be good can it? I don't get a running commentary of progress for obvious reasons.

Half an hour later the service manager disappears in a System 6 and a Celtamotor Hi Viz and disappears off on my bike out to the main road. Ten minutes later he's back, riding up with a thumb up.. so we're set. A nice bit was the bill, too. For all the work they charged me only for an of labour, the tyre and all the huff sorting out the brake failure thing. Excellent result and a big up to all there.. :thumb

Zumo says three and a half hours fastest to Braganca. Conscious of running in the tyre I don't push on and the light fades and I leave the Autovia to head across the mountains for the 30km to Braganca.

Hitting the border by night..

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I only encounter one cretinous Portuguese driver before hitting the town, so that wasn't too bad. I arrive in time for a couple of little Super Bock Stouts and Chicken and Chips. All is well, very happy to have the bike sorted :) :thumb
 
:D :D

marcus bentley love you too :D

thought that was gonna end in a world of pain when you took off but seems they did ya right

onward!!! :rob
 
Look, stop having fun Roberto, and give us an update.:rob:D
 
Maybe he's been abducted by some sort of Portugese ladyboy:D
 


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