2018 Tour - Spain & Portugal

[Rynglieder]

I'm just settling back in after this year's foray into Europe, this time having done a half lap of Spain and Portugal.

The GTR did us proud again, never missed a beat. Not so many insects were harmed on this tour, it was just too damned hot for them to be flying!

A trip report as per the previous two will follow in instalments over the coming weeks after I have found time to pick out a few of about 800 photos and shuffled my memories back together. It may be past the end of the biking season before it's finished but looking at a bit of sunshine over the winter may cheer you up and keeps a bit of traffic on the forum during the quiet time.

Here's a first picture as a taster; our bike next to some 1st Century BC hilltop ruins....

[9091] Castro de Santa Trega

[pross]

Looking forward to a brilliant report once more 

[O.C.]

Great picture, the bike looks great and the ruin looks like an ancient Round House         

[PRD]

This will be great.

[Brizzlerob]

 

[Rynglieder]

The plan

Having done north last year (Norway) and East the year before (Croatia) I decided it was time to be rude enough to impose myself on our southern European neighbours. Knowing that Spain and Portugal were likely to be uncomfortably warm in high summer this trip was planned for late September in the (ultimately misguided) belief that it may be more suitable for wandering round in bike gear.

I stuck to my usual format of moving around at around 200 miles a day with a four day break in the middle to relax things a bit and as usual made sure I had an apartment with a washing machine available so that we felt somewhere near human for the return journey. (I have been told that there are four different ways you can wear a set of underpants, but I have never felt like rising to the challenge).

As it goes of course there were some days that were going to need more than 200 miles to reach a hotel that seemed good value and on other days slightly fewer. I still wanted to leave time to stop off at places at various times during the day as have never seen the point of a straight drag from A to B without taking in the world I am passing through.

Everything was fleshed out last winter, a return sailing from Portsmouth to Santander was booked first, then the apartment and then everything else was built around it. At least this time (unlike Norway) I managed to get decent looking rooms booked for less than my target £75.00 per night this time.

The expectation was for around 2,200 miles plus a few flexible excursions and allowing another 10% for being stitched up by my hateful little Garmin Zumo.

A week prior to leaving the GTR top case was fitted with a small carrier to give a little more capacity and was treated to a new front tyre.

0.2 The approximate route

[Rynglieder]

Day 1 Stourbridge > Portsmouth (161 miles)

Our ferry was not due to sail until Friday evening so there was plenty of time in the morning to locate an Emergency Barber and sort out a few Euros in cash. I know you can do pretty much anything on plastic these days, but I like to have enough on me at all times for at least a tank of fuel or a budget hotel room, just in case.

This was our third sailing on Britany Ferries' Cap Finestere so we pretty much knew what to expect. The decent down the steep ramp to level 1 in the belly of the beast is not something I much look forward to. On previous occasions it has been a bit of a free-for-all but now each bike is held at the head of the ramp until the preceding one is safely down. We didn't have to secure our own bikes this year either, they are now pretty insistent that it is done by the crew.

The good thing about being loaded down there is that you are already up on the passenger decks whilst the cars are still driving on, so you can get into your cabin and changed or straight to the bar as is your preference.

They try hard to entertain and cater for passengers (and separate them from their cash) during the journey. The 24 hour crossing is just about tolerable, but I am always itching to get on with my ride even before land is in sight.

Day 2 Santander > Cobraces (25 miles)

A very smooth crossing got us into Santander early on Saturday evening but being first on the ferry means we were last off, so there was a fair bit of hanging round before we broke free of the port. In the knowledge that this would be the case I had booked our first hotel just 25 miles away along the coast in Cobreces. We were shown a decent sized room with its own balcony, access from the courtyard and a (just) sea view.

Although the skies were a little dull it seemed very warm and we were happy enough to get out of the bike gear even after this short run. The first day was finished with a walk down to the Playa De Luna and a beer in one of the beachside cafes.


1.1   Leaving Portsmouth
2.1 Hotel El Refugio, Cobraces
2.2 Playa de Luna, Cobraces

[O.C.]

Thanks for sharing, I hope there's more of your report to come it looks lovely    

Your comments about the steep ramps on and off ferries is very interesting, we experienced exactly that situation when we sailed on the Pont Aven from Cork to Roscoff on September 1st this year, all riders were held at the top of the ramp (only one rider tried to overtake those waiting he was on a GSA       he was suitable bollocked by the crew      )  until such time as there was a clear area at the bottom of the ramp to manoeuvre the bikes into a position prior to strapping down which was completed by deck crew and utilised thick cushions to protect the bikes seat.... we were packed in very tightly which I suppose was a method designed to eliminate damage in the event of any machine falling over     

[PRD]

Good start to a great write up I'm sure. I too was on point aven this year. Compare their video of bike loading to the reality!! Sardines in a tin!

[O.C.]

Here's the Pont Aven loading technique, with barely space to squeeze between the bikes, which made access to your bike extremely difficult.... I must say though that the boat was otherwise very good   

[pross]

Lovely write up awaiting the next instalment 

[Rynglieder]

OC, that looks even more cramped than the Cap Finistere!

The headroom seems greater though, there was no chance of camper vans on the bottom deck of our sailing.

[Rynglieder]

Day 3 Cobraces > Barreiros (190 miles)

It was a slightly dull but nevertheless hot morning that we woke up to and we set off for a fairly straightforward run westwards along Spain's north coast.

A number of intermediate stops had been plotted into the Zumo, the first was a coastal viewpoint but it failed right away, directing me to go straight on at a point where there was quite obviously a railway line across my path with no crossing. (I checked on Street View when I got home just to check I had not imagined it): https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@43.4462579,-4.9921111,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1si2B-gTRBgtVHxQJEGhRMCQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 I know from previous experience that I would have spent the next half hour fighting my Nav unit and that the paper maps I was carrying were not sufficiently detailed for such small roads, so the first stop was skipped and we pushed on.

Next up was another coastal viewpoint "Mirador de la Providencia") on which sat a modern staircase-sculpture affair offering views over Gijon where we took a bit of time off the bike and a few photos.

It was just a short run then down into Gijon city centre where we smuggled the GTR into a line of parked scooters (it probably looked like a Burgman in calf), found a bit of lunch and then took a walk around a headland fort, Bateria de Santa  Catalina.

There were still some miles to cover though so we saddled back up and road along the A8 motorway in increasing heat until we reached the Playa de Las Catedrals, a beach known for its rock formations eroded by the sea to give arches that resemble cathedral buttresses. Arriving there I found that my planning was not as detailed as it should have been as it became apparent that access to the beach was by pre-booking only. We were left to content ourselves with what we could see from the clifftop walkways and a cold drink from one of the cafes.

From there another handful of miles to our next hotel in Barreiros. The manager was good enough to lift the chain to his rear yard so that we could park the bike a bit more securely than on the front of the hotel and we were again given a fairly spacious room with a (just) sea view.

The day ended exactly as the previous one with an hour walking on the beach in the last of the sunlight before having an evening drink in one of the local bars.

Apart from the few excursions off the direct route it had been a day mostly spent on the A8 motorway, but not bad riding for all that.

3.1 Mirador de la Providencia
3.2 Mirador de la Providencia
3.3 Bateria de Santa  Catalina.
3.4 Playa de Las Catedrals
3.5 Pria de Coto. Barreiros

[O.C.]

Great write up and pictures.... more please     

[pross]

Very nice write up awaiting the next instalment 👏👏👌