Viva España!

cafemaestro

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This year's rehab exercise, where the stresses and hassles of the last 12 months are forgotten and replaced by banter, poor diet, twisties and hangovers, took place in early October.
Destination: Picos and north west Spain.
Time frame: 16 days
Weather: Spectacular (sun always shines on the righteous and the wicked and we had both of those...)
Recommended: Oh yes!

Short video here:

 
I stayed at that last hotel in September. Best food of the holiday. Great place.

Regards Steve
 
I stayed at that last hotel in September. Best food of the holiday. Great place.

Regards Steve

Well, for those of us who have not stayed there, and so not familiar with their car park, what was the hotel?
 
Day 1: Swim down to Portsmouth - err, sorry! Plymouth

:thumb2Originally booked the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander back in May, but, as many here will have experienced, Brittany Ferries broke their boat so it wasn't as slow as normal. It was slower. Therefore to keep the same crossing schedule, they had to shorten the crossing distance and told us to make the not so short hop to Plymouth to embark.

In years to come, when Greta Thurnberg piously points back to 2019 as the year the biblical floods and climate apocalypse began, we will be able to say we was there at the start....on the M42...the M5....the A38....paddling all the way down to the port. At least I think that's the way we went.....

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Anyway, having made the port with time to spare, we were royally looked after by Brittany and invited to stand in the downpours for over an hour while they argued over who's turn it was to open the loading doors or something....

Once on board, we wasted no time in starting the rehab programme :beer: :pirate

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Much hilarity, a blown budget on day 1 and a winning quiz performance later (I will forever treasure my Brittany Ferries pen and playing cards) we decided to hit the sack in the early hours

However, having ignored the usual advice to consult a medical professional prior to commencing any sort of new diet, we paid for it in spades the next day - Force 7/8 winds and a 15m swell in the Bay of Biscay invited an unexpected guest in the form of the mother of all hangovers the next day. Dark inside cabins suddenly became attractive as we spent the next 15 hours in varying hues of green.
 
Well, for those of us who have not stayed there, and so not familiar with their car park, what was the hotel?

Hotel del Oso, Cosgaya. Superb.

Excellent video by the way, I recognized much of that. Will be back that way and further south in April. Can't wait.
 
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Day 2 - Santander

Having sobered up and gingerly eased our way back into still damp bike gear, we settled down for the usual 3 hour disembarkation wait at the top of the stairs on our arrival in Santander.
Call it experience, but I had a sneaky suspicion that we wouldn't fancy much riding that day, so had the foresight to book our lodgings close by - Hotel Art - very bohemian!

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Kit dumped we trundled down the hill and having foresworn alcohol on the boat, we sacrificed our principles and stopped at the first bar we found. Turned out to be fantastic - I love the tapas, point and lick style of eating.
Several gesticulations and pidgin Bonjours Grassy arses later we were replete and content

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And set off on a stroll to explore - Santander on Thursday night - absolutely banging!

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Didn't have a chance to see the place properly: left it too late and was somewhat distracted by beer, banter and the prospect of where to go tomorrow.....
 
Hotel del Oso, Cosgaya. Superb.

Excellent video by the way, I recognized much of that. Will be back that way and further south in April. Can't wait.

Ta, booked a few nights there in May using Brittany Ferries Holidays.
 
Day 3 - Santander to Hotel del Oso - Hellooooo Picos!

Time to start the trip proper:

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A full day messing about in the Picos - first time for both of us and they did not disappoint.

Took various roads to Panes to hit the first must-ride road of the trip N621. Feeling pleased not to have crashed yet we thought we'd stop for Spanish tea and cake (coffees and tortilla) at Potes

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Pretty place!

Moving on, we headed south.....
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tombrucciani/49321860612/in/dateposted-public/" title="Spain 2019-00-02-52-238"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49321860612_4605a01e23_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Spain 2019-00-02-52-238"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Bumped into a group at the top of the Mirador del Corzo who were also just starting a trip.

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One couple on an RT were really not happy - just too anxious on unfamiliar roads despite the group leaders' best efforts to reassure. In the end one of them had to cut short his day to nurse them back to their hotel - you could tell it was a sacrifice but he never said a bad word. All he wanted was the group to enjoy it so he did what he felt he had to do and he was just doing this as a nice guy organising a tour for mates. Top Bloke! Not sure I would have helped out with such good grace if it happened to me.

Saw Bart Simpson's favourite animal at the top:

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And them pressed on to the next Mirador to find an Oso......

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