Specs

On my last day we met up with a load of other for an extended lunch and then a walk. A quiet night as I had to leave reasonably early the following day to get the boat back from Roscoff to Plymouth. More wind and rain forecast. Great! The lunch place at Melrand was a bit like a geriatric convention so I felt right at home! Liked the coffee so took this to remember the brand Past the local fire station The old Breton flag Lovely river In the trees there 's a water wheel, turning, although I don't know if the mill was still functioning. Not sure what this was about. Seemed old. Roscoff waiting to board. The guy in front of me on a Guzzi was the same on that was two places behind me at Plymouth on the way out, and that we'd met at Caceres Camping on our second night! Small world. A gloomy Plymouth Sound with a gloomier RFA Fort Victoria. An old shipmate knew that I'd be on the ferry so came down with a mate to say Hi. Nearly missed him, just heard someone call my name as I rode past. A pleasant surprise. Then it was off into the twilight wind and from Avonmouth rain until I arrived home at about 2330 to a small flood from a rotten hot water header tank in the airing cupboard , but that's another story. Just under 3k miles travelled.

My mate's cooker was knackered. We went to Pontivy where a got a cheap replacement, but it had been fitted with jets for mains gas rather than butane so I was roped into changing them over. Then it was another visit to the lake for a walk and a couple of pints. Bloody strong stuff as we both felt half pissed after two. A ride report about changing cooker jets! Guemene Sur Scorff street view Outside my mate's place At the lake before hitting the bar: foreign goose.

Yes maybe. There were loads of them along the main routes either walking or cycling. Forgot to mention them!

I left the following morning in cold fog. Bliss! Just a motorway run to Bayonne only stopping for fuel. Wasn't impressed with the hotel as the bar and restaurant were closed and I ended up walking a few miles to a McDonald, but enjoyed the walk. The following day it was raining off and on all day so head down, pay the tolls and get to Brittany as quickly as possible. Fuel and snack stops Rain forecast along the coast road so headed inland I was dragged kicking and screaming to a bar by a lake run by Brits. Ended up being a late one. Made a friend.

The ride to the next place somewhere between Santiago de Compostela and Fisterra wasn't as pleasant as the roads I'd ridden in the last few days. Traffic was pretty heavy and the scenery was more urban in nature. I only stopped briefly for coffee and doughnut and to check my phone. The room I'd found was only €40 for two nights! Cheapest stop of the whole trip. Downstairs there was a small supermarket with a bar- restaurant attached, and all run by the same family. The following day I'd planned to ride over to Fisterra to see the sea but it rained! I had a wander around the village or hamlet more like, and pent the rest of the time enjoying being cool, reading and dozing. My mate who has a house in Brittany contacted me and asked if I was popping over. This set me to thinking. I had no plan so rather than wander Europe aimlessly I decided to head up to his place. Stop for setting the Garmin Some photos of the village The bar Must have rained recently Trees breaking up the rocks Someone must have a wood burner There were several of these traditional grain stores about, some in use, and others seemed to be more of an ornamental thing. Horreo Local church and graveyard I've no idea what this is, but it looked interesting. Some sort of dead plant maybe. A modern take on the idea

The Bruce Springsteen room at the Rock Star Hotel. Bed was huge.

Not a fan. Could well be. It was the 221 for a while. All great though!

I think it was round about this day or the next that Pedro contacted me and very kindly offered accommodation and a meal, but I was going in the wrong direction but it would have been good to meet up. He suggested some roads and it transpired that I was just off the one and would be going on another as the "Adventurous Routing" seemed to suggest the same route. Result. The roads in this part of the world are amazing. Surfaces generally excellent, low traffic density and splendid scenery. I will definitely be returning. Just had to stop and take in the scenery. Once again beginning to overheat, it must have been 25degC + as this seemed to be my comfort point. Water and shade. I think that the town was Mirandella. I missed most of it. It was getting hotter so I stopped for a break next to this place. Church? I'd just passed the local baker's van so took a walk back to get some bread, but it drove past. Too late to the party. Anyway could hear hooting so assumed it had stopped up the road and it had. I got some lovely fresh bread to go with my water. Really pushing the boat out! Some of the stonework here looked really old. Clouding over. Mackerel sky. A change of weather coming. Having crossed the border to Spain it wasn't getting any cooler. Another water and bread stop. The river here was typical of most that I'd seen, heavily overgrown due to drought conditions. Arrived at the hotel to be greeted with this note. I have a video that I took of the room but I'll have to figure out how to load it! Chance of showers for the next day and a bit cooler.

Here goes, my third try on getting this post done. I seem to be suffering finger trouble and keep losing it! This was the day to take me across the border into Portugal. I'd found a place to stay in ‎⁨Pinhel⁩, ⁨Beira Alta, that wasn't too expensive and used the "Adventurous Routing" option on the Garmin to give me an interesting route. It had been pretty good so far, once I'd found out how to use it! A great route with quiet roads, small towns and villages, and amazing scenery. Water levels seemed to be well down as can been see here. The bridge remains looked pretty old but I couldn't find any information. Had to stop for a castle photo. Near here I think. Snack break. People were stopping at the graffitied water spout across the road to fill up bottles. Haven't experienced fly splatter like this for years. Stopped at this bridge for a quick break and some water as it was getting a bit warm! Just had a look and it was in Portugal. I hadn't taken my lid off and could hear some bird calling with a weird call that I didn't recognise. Lid off to find that it was in the opposite direction to what I'd though and that it was frogs! I arrived at the hotel but no-one there as I was a bit early but I found a comfy chair and chilled until some staff turned up. Handy room on the ground floor so easy enough to carry stuff from the bike. I forgot to take any photos but took a few snaps of the village. There wasn't anywhere to eat or get a beer so I had to ride into the nearest town, Pinhel I think, for something. Lovely sitting outside waiting for the restaurant to open having a beer. I managed to work round the language problem by finding the restaurant on GoogleMaps and pointing to the food I fancied on the menu pictures. Result! Struggled to eat it all. All very tasty. Was fascinated by the painting on the wall showing how road construction used to take place, with all the different stages depicted.

I have more sense than to even try!

Probably not, we'll see. I spoke with the manager there this morning. He was obviously under pressure and ensured me that they weren't always as busy as they are now. Also said I could take the bike elsewhere if I wanted to, but that it would probably the same due to all the recalls. Apparently they managed to clear the fault warning yesterday so it's no longer in limp mode, but need to pug it into the computer, which wasn't working, and that will be on Tuesday. That's three weekends that I've lost. I had a text yesterday from the Honda stealer in Cwmbran saying that they'd just taken delivery of their demonstrator Transalp. As soon as mine is sorted I'll book a ride and see what they will offer, if I can put up with the transmission whine, that is!

In the course of complaining I was put through to the BMW UK complaints people. Long story short, it seems that there's a recall on some models, so all the workshops are busy with the backlog of bikes resulting in the delays. Well, that's what I was told anyway.

It’s still at the poxy shitrdden excuse of a stealer.

It was certainly some sort of meat and what I thought was spuds turned out to be cheese balls.

I headed north towards Careres where we'd camped on the way down. A longish ride but I chose a route avoiding Seville passing to the east then through some interesting areas of hills before getting on the motorway for the last bit to the campsite. Slight hitch when I tried to book. They were full up. I checked booking.com for a nearby hotel and it transpired that a room was available at the campsite. I hadn't realised that they had rooms there, next door to reception, which was next door to the bar. Sorted! Some photos of the run there before I got too hot and lost the will to stop. Really enjoyed the ride except for the last bit. I visited the one made famous in WW2 back in 1980 if I remember correctly. Apparently an arab fort/castle. A snack after arriving. I had more of the same later. A change from soaps at home.

The following morning we headed off along the coast road towards Algeciras where Titus and Omar were catching the ferry to Ceuta. I turned off, at the wrong turning as it happened, waved goodbye and headed back up to Ronda where I'd booked a room for the night. I didn't want to go too far as I really hadn't decided what I was going to do. I'd been told that it was a lot cooler up in northwest Spain, and I also considered heading for the Pyrenees, the Massif Central or the Alps. No idea really so I decided to sleep on it. Note to self to always have a Plan B in mind. Nice enough hotel. Not very expensive, friendly staff and enjoyed the bar and food. The room however was a disappointment as it was in the slope of the roof and wasn't at all suitable for my six foot. The more vertically challenged amongst us would have struggled in the lowest part of the room. Not a cover but my flysheet getting an airing. I giggled when I saw this. Schindler's Lift. Ok, forget it! I really like the idea of something with beer.

In Marbella I was so overcome by the heat and the beer that I failed to take many photos. Also I had a lot on my mind as I was suffering from what I thought was vertigo, and I was increasingly concerned about how I wasn't adapting to the heat. I hadn't realised at the time but there was an unseasonal heat wave going on at the time that didn't exactly ease my suffering. Thoughts about 'letting the team down' and the reality that I could become a liability had to be taken into consideration. Did we all want the same thing out of the journey? All this was going through my mind and despite copious amounts of beer kept me awake at night. Eventually I decided on giving up on the African adventure with something in mind about trying again maybe, when it wasn't as hot. Decision made I felt better but still have niggling concerns about letting Titus down. Titus and Omar are now in Senegal and are talking about heading back as the political climate isn't great in some of the countries that they'd have to cross if they tried to get further south. A stroll between sessions in the pub! The sailing ship was supposedly a replica of the Santa Maria, maybe. We decided on not going aboard as the price was rather steep and the money would be better spent on beer. View from Carmel's appartment.

It was decided after a phone call that we would make it to Marbella in a day. It would be across country as well without as many motorways, a plus. The negative was that it was getting hotter! We went to Italia just north of Seville to look at some stuck together stones. I would normally have enjoyed exploring the remains of one of the Romans' largest amphitheatres, but by the time we got there I was running hot, and thought that sheltering under the trees by the entrance was more attractive. Anyway we didn't have a lot of time so Omar and I went for a wander while Titus kept an eye on the bikes. Italica Amphitheatre Then we joined the gridlock that was Seville. I was fuming at this point as my GPS was offering a route avoiding the city. It was generally all that I dislike about cities, heat and traffic, all to save 20 miles. We followed some pleasant enough roads towards Ronda and I was looking forward to a coffee or beer in the shade somewhere when I realised that we were heading towards the town centre. Great I thought - beer. Anyway I was wrong. We went down some cobbled goat path that led to a viewpoint of the bridge above the gorge where apparently people were thrown out of the door to their deaths. It was all that I could do to grab my hat and water and then shelter under a bush until it was time to move! Had it been cooler I'm sure that it would have been a wonderful place to visit. Ronda. The track that we came down was to the right out of shot. I enjoyed the ride down from Ronda to the coast, a tarmac ribbon of bends, bends and more bends. It would have been more fun with less traffic in cooler weather but I still enjoyed it really. It was beer on arrival and more tapas. It was very good of Carmel to put us up for three nights. Lots of beer consumed! Local poster that caught my eye.

It was in my body! When I used to join ships out in the Tropics it always used to take me about two weeks to acclimatise, and I'm older and more decrepit these days.

It's more about the piss poor service by the local stealer. Spent time yesterday complaining to the warranty people, who were sympathetic, and then transferred me to BMW UK complaints who were also onside and would have paid for the bike to be transported elsewhere for inspection. Anyway, it seems that all dealers are currently overwhelmed with work on recalls! I have a tracker fitted so noticed that the bike had been in the workshop all day today. Maybe the phone calls yesterday helped a bit. No idea what caused the problem yet, but I reckon a new Honda Transalp might be the solution!

No. It's a loooooong story.

Well it was for me. The other two are there now.

Today it was time to head for Portugal where Titus wanted to show us some stones. It was quite a pleasant ride through villages once we'd left the motorway. We found a campsite at Evora that was ok, it had internet, but the pitches left something to be desired. It was getting hot. Time for some laundry. Then it was time to look for stones. By the time we set off it was bloody baking. Interesting ride ending up along some dirt track. Then it was a hike down a footpath broiling in the sun, where we saw a stone. Great. After hiking up a mountain to get back to the bikes I was bushed! More water then another couple of miles to look at more stones. I thought that the mound of earth was for burying people who'd cooked for long enough. Lots of stones. I had a lie down on this one until I realised that I was cooking from it's heat. A new one for me. Bark taken for cork I assume. Then I thought it would be nice to photograph some flowers. I might have been hallucinating in the heat. It looks as if the bark has been taken off a lot of these trees. I remember this as being more colourful, man! This was the highlight of the day. Shade and beer! Unfortunately the food left something to be desired. All to be expected in the local football club bar.

The next day I realised why I'd heard a few sirens during the night. Hotel was opposite the fire station. Then it was south again, on the motorways. We stopped for coffee and fuel, and for Titus to look for insects. Another bit of motorway to Plasencia where I had read of an aqueduct that was supposed to be worth seeing. By the time that we got there my brain was nicely cooked so after grabbing some photos and slurping water it was back onto the motorway heading for Caceres where we were to camp for the night. We arrived, with my brain cooked a bit more, at the campsite and before even going to the pitch it was beer time. Back on the bikes and up to the pitch. All a bit strange having out own toilet and shower! A guy rocked up, barney who was a few pitches down from us. He was in the queue in Millay behind us. Small world. Anyway it was time for more beer and tapas so that was it for the night. A very pleasant evening after all the motorway riding.

My mate Titus and I had decided that as we weren't able to do a circumnavigation due to the odd conflict here and there that a trip to Dakar would have to do as a poor substitute. Beer was involved in arriving at this decision. On the morning of 16th March, in drizzle and 11degC, I set off for Plymouth where I was to meet Titus and his son Omar, who'd decided to come along for some father son bonding, and sharing his father's love of travel. Loaded up ready to leave. Sainsbury's Plymouth for breakfast, meet-up and fuel. Then on to Millbay for the ferry. It took an eternity to get through checkin as Omar, late to the party, had booked as a foot passenger, whilst Titus and I plus bikes were on another booking. Computer couldn't cope and there must have been about fifty people involved in sorting it out. Then it was the same again at the customs check. Nightmare. Then I got mugged in the bar. Just leaving Millbay.The bogs where I used to sleep when I missed the liberty boat back to the ship has long gone. I think it was about £6 for a Murphy's. I'd booked a cabin for the night as I knew I'd be knackered but the other two decided to sleep on the deck somewhere. Apparently not very well as they were knackered in the morning. Waiting to escape at Santander. Loads of bikes on there. Then it was on the bikes heading south for Palencia. A bit further than we'd liked to have done, but it was cheap. At one point Titus veered to the left then caught it and carried on pulling over for a coffee break - he'd fallen asleep. Bloody scary. Nice enough through the mountains but not what I'd have liked to have done. Needs must I suppose. Parked up for the night. We wandered off up the road to try and find beer and food and ended up in a small tapas bar. They weren't hungry having devoured about six chickens between them that they'd got in Sainsbury's.