France and Spain

Saturday June 3rd 2006
Set out at 03.45 for ferry, for once it was not freezing cold, pouring of rain or blowing a gale. But it was a bit foggy and cold. I was supposed to meet the lads at 4.15 at Newbury services, but only allowing ½ an hour was mad, I arrived at 3.35 and still made good time.(good job the police where in bed…he he)
What a bonus the ferry booked was the fast ferry so we arrived in France at 11.45 UK time in Ouistreham. Food on ferry was crap and expensive. We set off towards Rennes on the boring motorway, had to have a bit of a blast to get the cobwebs out, we continued around Rennes on the periphery and out to Fegreac in good time. It was like having an extra day’s holiday. It was also bloody hot.
We had a trip down town into Redon where we had drink at a bar. Neighbours Jackie & Terry did us a Barbecue and admired my lilly-white legs in my old faithful green shorts (looked a right prat). Good night with a lot beer and laughs.

Miles covered: 340


Sunday June 4th 2006
Got up 5.45 am ready for the early start and set off before breakfast. We had a near miss 18 miles from the house with a roaming Alsatian dog running around in the middle of the road, I braked hard everyone but Darryl manage to stop, he clipped the side of Ray and shot off down a grassy bank, missed the dog and (all be it gently) stopped but he landed in a grassy bank. We had to pull the bike out the ditch and remove a lot of grass. No damage done though and we set off again; down to Bordeaux on the N137, around on the periphery out on the N250, we turn off on the N134 and on to Pau, travelled about 394 miles today had a problem with Bank card in one garage (they don’t like English cards in those petrol pumps) but about 30miles on found another garage.
Have just booked into the hotel Ibis (85 euros per room, bloody expensive). It is clean and tidy though and nice bar with cold beer.
I had a narrow escape in a local restaurant. Luckily they got my dinner order mixed up with Darryl’s I only had to scrape his sauce of his steak (what I ordered came raw with an egg on top) yuck. Darryl ate it though and said it was good. We had a nice sweet, bottle of wine and more beer.

Miles covered: 394


Monday 5th June 2006
It was an early start had breakfast (jam and bread) and we cracked on across the Pyrenees through the mountains, good views. We headed off down towards Madrid. We end ended up staying about 50 miles further on past Madrid. Hotel was a truck stop with bar and restaurant and it was cheaper too. The room was 50 euros and 6 more to park the bikes around the back where it was locked at night. We have done some miles today and I am knackered.
Got to get a drink!

Miles covered: 456


Tuesday 6th June 2006
Started off early towards Benalmadena, made it to the Triton hotel early afternoon, it is very busy here, we had to stay in the annex, which really pissed us off as it’s a but of a jaunt from the main hotel. This was the only place that wanted the room paid for up front, which really pissed Ray off (don’t mention it, he had the broom cupboard as well) he he.
The price has only gone up slightly from 3 years ago it was 160 euros for two nights.
Weather red hot and Bonzo, Ray and Darryl are all in shorts I’m the prat in jeans, straight down to the bar for plenty of refreshments. At least this year we will not be the only prats in leathers on the beach, but the site of those knock knees is not nice. He he.
Had a nice shower, and race down to the bar, loads of beer, nice meal at a local restaurant and I fell asleep in the hotel foyer. The lads woke me up and slung me into my room after taking silly photos of me.

Miles covered: 232


Wednesday 7th. June 2006
Day off, big breakfast of fruit, eggs and bacon, croissants (don’t mention what Bonzo had) so with full belly lets go for a bike ride! (Must be mad) Had a lazy day! Only 151 miles or so with a couple of café stops. We popped to Gibraltar and back had to do the cable car what a view and again we eat at the top in the café (pasty and chips, lovely). Loads of idiots on scooters fly past you at break neck speed and cut in front of you, all you want to do is give them a smack! It was very busy to get off the island, had to show passports again. There must have been a hundred bloody scooters trying to get off the island as well.
We had a late start about 12 .00 and got back amount 6.30, nice shower and back to the bar. We went along the promenade to find a restaurant and had a nice meal and more beer.

Miles covered: 151


Thursday 8th June 2006
Had an early start pack bags, make the jaunt back to bikes to load up. Had nice breakfast in the hotel, should have seen the size of Bonzo’s breakfast would have fed a normal man for a week. We started off heading up around Malaga towards Andalusia, went around Granada up the E-902 towards Jaen, then turn off on the A-316 through Ubeda, towards Albacete, then went up the N-322 to Requena by then we are knackered, tried to fine local hotel but the one we went to was fully booked so we headed off towards Valencia on the A3. We found a hostel and stayed the night. This hostel had right funny shower trays very high and small inside (just like a hand basin/ toilet), with just a curtain around. I was the only one with hot water, he he. It was very basic but clean and friendly. It only cost 30 Euros.

Miles covered: 397


Friday 9th June 2006
We had a thunder storm about 4am only Bonzo woke up and heard it, had a sprinkling of rain which made the bikes look shitty, and covered in gray dust.
We then set off towards Valencia on the A3, we then join the A7 heading for Barcelona, we cut around on the periphery and took the C16 and the E9 towards Andorra.
Arrived at Andorra had a touch of déjà vu Ray had to have a new tyre, but if you have to have a new tyre this is the place as it’s cheaper and quicker than Spain. We booked into the hotel Pyrenees, nice hotel if you go there, highly recommended.
It’s right in the town centre and was only 50 euros a night per room. They have a lock up garage to park in. We stayed there last time we went down to Spain and they still had us on computer. We went out to a nice restaurant, but walking back to the hotel Darryl and Ray nipped into a fast food store and had a burger (greedy gits, both need worming).

Miles covered: 362


Saturday 10th June 2006
Travelled up through Toulouse and then took the right hand fork in the main road. We stopped at Tournon D’Agenais on the D102 for a drink it’s very scenic this way. The weather is so hot glad I brought some padded jeans for this trip and did not have my leather trousers on; if there had been more room in my top box I would put my jacket in it as well. Room was 69 Euros in the Campanile Hotel just outside Bergerac. We hired a taxi to take us into town where we found a couple of nice bars and an outside restaurant, we meet some nice French and Belgian people who could speak English.

Miles covered: 240


Sunday 11th June 2006
Bonzo and I are up and ready so we oil the chains on the bikes and load our top boxes.
We meet Ray and Darryl have a nice breakfast and we meet the French people from the restaurant the night before, we pay the bill and head for the town centre. Thank god for GPS units. We have spent the morning going across country to Nantes via Noir. It is still very hot, gloves are in the top box and my hands are covered in flies. I had to wash of the dead flies off my hands to eat my food in a services and I am starting to ach a little now. We arrive at our house in Fegreac, strip off and put our hot feet on the cold tiled floor (heaven). We had to open all the doors and windows in the house tonight as there was a strong smell of feet, lovely.
We crawled back onto the bikes to have a Pizza in Redon tonight. Only a couple of beers, then back to house put film on TV then plenty of beer, Darryl went bed first knackered then me about 1am Bonzo and Ray stayed up till gone 2 still drinking (piss heads).

Miles covered: 314


Monday 12th June 2006
Me and Bonzo were up so I flashed up a light English breakfast of 3 eggs 2 sausages 4 rashers of bacon and beans each. We just had to call in to Mont-Saint-Michel so we made good time, got there by 1 p.m. and we then had a nice ride back up to Caen to catch the 5 p.m. ferry. The boat arrived in Portsmouth at 9.45 pm
We road up to the M4, said good bye boys, see you next week and head home. I arrived at 12 midnight, Ray and the boys about 12.30 in Wales.

Miles covered: 360


Cost :-
Ferry £130.00
Petrol about £250

Total spent £1100.00


Worth every penny. Bob

(I want to go again) he he

More pictures of the trip can be found here