Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Well, here we go, this will probably turn into a long winded thread all about Paul's and my exploits on our recent, disastrous trip to Spain and Portugal - So if you value your 'Will to live' then I would leave now.

I have photos you know..

And I will be uploading some of them on an 'as time permits' basis.

Now then for both of you who have decided to stay here and brave the telling of this tale you will need... a sleeping bag, plenty of food and high caffiene drinks - oh yes and an up to date will!

Well, we were planning to leave Scotland on Tuesday 30th March and travel throughout the day to Portsmouth, to the travelodge, spitting distance from the ferryport. However, that tasty weather-chick, Becky, had other ideas. She had ordered some snow up for Monday night, so, after speaking to Paul, I quickly abandoned work, dashed home packed my knickers, socks and hair striaghtners in double quick time and was on the road by about 4-4.30PM.
The revised plan was to travel to Manchester and stop at my parents overnight and then travel from Manch. to Pompey on the Monday and hopefully be ahead of the snow. Well we did, and we were! However, we rode down to Manch. in the most horrendous rainstorm! Visibility was so bad that at times on the M6 we had to slow right down to about 40MPH and when we were passing trucks, we couldn't see anything because the rain and spray turned into a wall of bright white water.

Still we arrived at Ma & Pa's at about 10PM and proceeded to get stuck into Pa's homebrew - damned fine stuff, don't you know? That was, of course, after we had strewn wet biker gear all over the house and scared the bejeezus out of the cats.

Next morning we arose bright and early - I don't actually know what time it was except that it was cooked breakfast time! Cheers Ma & Pa. (And :q16: to the cats, coz there was no way they having any of my bacon).

So, Tuesday morning we set off for Pawtsmiff. And had a relatively dry and uneventful trip down there and at about 7PM we were sitting in the hotel having a beer deciding what to do, we ended up going to The Blue Anchor - Well, with a name like that you have to go and try it don't you? Well it was nothing to write home about, but then again, I have never been a fan of Pawtsmiff - actually I f*cking hate the place!

Wednesday morning up bright and early, straight into the ferry terminal and we then settled down for a 24 hour - booze filled crossing to Santander. :q38:

Views of the ferry..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_1032.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_103201.jpg

Moving in towards the spanish coast and Santander..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_103301.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_103601.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_103701.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Portsmiff/P01-04-10_1037.jpg

[All above pictures courtesy of Funmonkee] - Also the more astute of you will notice the lovely blue sky, that's what we were getting while you had... er... snow HAHA!

Part 2 to follow......
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Up bright and early, full fatman foldover for breakfast and we jumped into the queue for the garage, enentually got into the aforementioned, went over to the bike, glanced down, spotted a puddle of golden yellow oil, immediately dismissed it - can't possibly be mine! - kept looking at it, pretty sonn there was a wee group of us dipping fingers in it and sniffing them like coke addicts! (glad it wasn't cat piss!). I was totally convinced it wasn't mine from my lovely Suzuki.. However the more I looked the more obvious it became that the puddle was only under my bike. So I said to Paul we'll get off the ferry and pull up straight away to see if I can find the source.

No need! As soon as I sat on the bike I felt it - rear shocker oil. Well now I truly did have a bobber, on occasion it bounced so much it lifted me out of the seat!

Now THAT took some getting used to, scary as f8ck, you have this thing cranked over in a bend and you spot a bump that ordinarily would mean nothing! I remember thinking this is going to hurt.... Thank god for dry weather and good road surfaces.

So it is out of Santander..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/IMG_1880.jpg

Yes and even motorcycle gods require fuel... see...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/IMG_1877.jpg

... Demi-gods too..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/IMG_1878.jpg

Well Itera De La Vega was quite possibly the smallest village in Spain, we rode past it twice!!

So we rode down the main street, we had travelled about 1/4 of a mile and realised we were heading back out of the village, So a quick about turn and there it was La Mochilla, our des res for the night.

Well as we pulled up the owner came trotting down the street (from the bar) and started getting all Spanish about the bikes, what he actually did was lead us round the back to stick the bikes in his back garden.. through here...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P02-04-10_092402.jpg

Paul started muttering things like Hannibla Lecter and the like...

So we rode into the garden, then we spotted a big abandoned bar, you know the type of thing everyone has lying behind a bush, so he opens this up and we stuck the bikes in there..
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0161.jpg

Unfortunately, I hadn't noticed Uncle Fester manning the bar..!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0164.jpg

So, inwards we go to be met up with a free beer (softening us up for the ritual scacrifice says Paul - I must confess at this point I was beginning to believe him!). Our twin private room was not to be, a couple of Spanish hotties had got there first! Still our host did reduce the price accordingly.. So we looked out of the bedroom window..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P01-04-10_163802.jpg

Then to the left...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P01-04-10_163801.jpg

Well we had a wee bit of time before we were to be mercilessly offered up to the goddess of fertility, so we decided to explore the village and we found a church.. Which was also home to the Stork God..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P01-04-10_1704.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P01-04-10_170502.jpg

We also managed to find both bars, that was a struggle, let me tell you, a place this size was so easy to get lost in! So anyway, back to the hostel and we met up with this lot, who we had dinner with and despite our fears we were not being fattened for the kill.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0165.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0166.jpg

This turned into a brilliant wee night, these folk were from all over the place, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, Scotland... oh... and.... Engerland.

It was probably one of the best nights of the holiday! It turned out thes people were all strangers, well except one couple, who were walking the 'Camino de Santiago' which was originally a pilgrimage from the south of France all across the north of Spain to Santiago de la Compostela, about 500 miles. It is now the modern equivalent of "Extreme West Highland Way" some people take years to complete it and you don't even get a t-shirt! You do however, get on of these.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0168.jpg

Some more pics of the night, before we rolled into bed...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/DSCF0169.jpg

The intrepid explorers - they all though we were cooler than Ewan & Charlie and of course, we were doing 400 miles per day rather than thier 160 miles with a cast of thousands..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Itera%20de%20la%20vega/P01-04-10_2209.jpg

Stay tuned... Oporto is next.
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Next morning up bright and early for a wee trip over to Oporto, Portugal a quick 320 mile hop. Well I must say journeys like this a far easier when you have a road system which comprises of miles and miles of straight roads only broken by sweeping bends that don't require a change in speed. Oh! and much to our disappointment, no pot holes either.

Like this...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Oporto/BILD0080.jpg

It was a wee bit bizarre though, when we crossed the border into Portugal, to see the now redundant border crossing, with the buildings up for sale..

Ah well onwards to Oporto, there isn't really a lot to write about this place because we only spent the one night, although we did manage to get lost when we went out looking for something to eat, we decided to walk around the block just to see a wee bit of the place, well, let me tell you.. Sneaky as f*ck these Portugese roads with a cheeky little bend in the road leading off in totally the wrong direction, an hour's worth of walking, asking someone for directions to the railway station, who sent us to the wrong one.

If all else fails .... TAXI! ... A ten minute ride back to the hostel!

Still, back on familiar ground we buggered off round the corner to get some scoff - oddly enough - in the first cafe-bar we passed (it was also the first one we passed an hour and a Taxi ago!!!).

I had the spectacularly delicious home made hamburger - made with real pig.. not cow! - with a fried egg on top, a bit like a McEggyburger, except it looked nice, and didn't taste like cardboard.

Anyway, stomachs full we headed back to the hostel - Pensao Poviera - which was an 'Edwardian' era building reeking of 'once upon a time opulence' which had all become a wee bit tired and jaded. The dining room was like a 1930's railway waiting room, personally, I loved it.

Paul took couple of snaps of the incredible staircase..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Oporto/P03-04-10_0912.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Oporto/P03-04-10_091201.jpg

And we added to the olde worlde feeling of our room, by breaking the bog flushing handle..Ooops!
Overall, Oporto, I doubt very much whether I would go back there, but as I said we didn't get much of a chance to explore..
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Next up... Lisbon.

The ride from Oporto to Lisbon was pretty unremarkable - except for the tolls, fuckadoodle-doo! one alone was just shy of £20. The total journey was 200 miles, a bloody expensive 200 miles!

Still, as I said uneventful, oh, and SCORCHING hot! This far the weather had been pretty good but during this leg it ramped up to 'Hot as F*ck' as Becky Mantin would say. When we arrived at the riverside in Lisbon we rode along the road in an evil traffic jam, the traffic was so close you couldn't get a fag paper between the adjacent vehicles so screw filtering in that. Eventually we pulled off the road and sat on the pavement for 10 minutes, while we shed several layers and cooled down a wee bit, Paul decided to pull onto a parallel road rather than fight our way into the mad maelstrom of traffic, and Hey Presto! 5 minutes from the hostel. Reeesult. We pulled up and parked on the pavement, to unpack the bikes and couldn't believe our luck.. We had a room that overlooked a square right smack dab in the centre of the activity. So we trotted quite the very thing, up to the door of the hostel, phoned the proprietor, we were then greeted by a pair of tits (covered of course) hanging out of the third floor window, with a pair of eyes, just visible above them, saying "allo! Fie minis - fie minis" Well those 'Fie minis' turned into fourty-fie minis, and we were still waiting on the pavement!

View to the left...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_1617.jpg

View to the right...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_1639.jpg

Well, we eventually got let in and we were greeted by a superb wee flat. It had a common kitchen, common bathroom and common lounge with 6 seperate bedrooms - naturally we had the twin with the ensuite, after all we needed somewhere with air tight storage for the bike boots at this point!

Apparently the flat used to be run as a brothel.. "Oh-ho!" says I , "we could be onto a right little earner here Paul" but the real reason for the landlady telling us this, was to make sure we locked up properly and didn't let strangers in - "Hmm.. but we got in no bother" thinks I...

A picture of the living room, I think Paul was particularly taken with the curtains...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_1648.jpg

A couple of views from the bedroom window...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0171.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0172.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0173.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0174.jpg

Then... It was time for a shit, shave, shower and shampoo. Then out doing the age old "Me, man the providor," thing and go out forraging for beer. This time we were slightly less adventurous and stuck to streets we could see were square AND armed with a map, we went hunting.

SUCCESS!!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_210901.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_2108.jpg

Then we had a wee stroll around night-time Lisbon..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_2038.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_204002.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P03-04-10_203801.jpg

...and so to bed.
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Paul reminded me there was a period of time on the road to Lisbon, where we went over some hills and we ended up in a wind tunnel, there were periods where there was so much rain visibility was down to feet, however, the closer we go to Lisbon the more it cleared up and as I said we had to stop at one point and start shedding layers.

Anyway... onwards..

Today was a day spent just riding around Lisbon and enjoying the views.. But first, we decided on a wee route change. Originally we were going to depart Lisbon via the Vasco Da Gama bridge - Europes longest bridge at 10.7 miles and the main suspended span is 0.5 mile wide.. but, it was a wee bit of a detour, so we reverted to using the bridge nearest to us.

However, we couldn't not ride the VdG bridge so we went over it .. just for fun.

OH! here it is!!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Ponte_Vasco_da_Gama.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0184.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0025.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0060.jpg

A couple of shots of Paul..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0033.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0031.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0061.jpg

....and the bridge goes on... and on... and on..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0027.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0029.jpg

So, we got to the other side of the bridge and it depostited us on a motorway, so after a wee convoluted trip we headed back to the bridge to travel back to Lisbon and OH....OH! a Tollbooth, now then we hadn't passed through one on the way, so we didn't have a ticket, so we shot through on the voucher lane, I went first and of course poor old Paul hit the gate right behind me.... right when all of the bells and lights and alarms went off - he was half expecting a barrier to come down and try to chop him in half! (like last year - but that's a different story!).. any way we got through that without being pursued by Portugese SAS killer squads and we spent the rest of the day touring. At one point Paul was leading and we were totally lost, then somehow we swapped places and back through a wee Plaza and the Police jumped out in front of us and asked us why we were going down one way roads the wrong way - I couldn't very well say "it was his fault" now could I? The Po-po may have shot me! So I looked all guilty and trite, then after explaining we were lost he pointed us in the right direction and off we went, I must confess we were lucky it was the sergeant, coz his sidekick looked like a nasty peice of work..

There are a truck load of pictures to go in here, however, I have to dash off, so I'll edit this tomorrow to finish it off.
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

....and some more....

The Old town Square, presently being renovated

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0213.jpg

...and the contender for March, 2011.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/DSCF0195.jpg

Or perhaps Funmonkee on the VDG Bridge....
We may well have had this one before...but I like it!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0033.jpg
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Mmmkay So, next morning up bright and early, today we set off for Gibraltar, the ultimate destination. To go and see some monkeys.

A total of 370 miles, all heading south, all heading into the warmer weather, all on lovely roads. This was a fairly uneventful day, we did get split up a couple of times, once was when we were leaving a service station and Paul had just topped up his tyres. I pulled onto the motorway and hoofed it to get up to speed, checked my mirror. No Paul.

I thought to myself, why can't Suzuki make a bike capable of at least keeping up with my cruiser? Never mind slow down a bit.

Couple more miles... No Paul...

Slow down again, couple more miles still no Paul, ooh yeah service station.
Stopped, tried to get the man on the phone, sat there for about 20 mins listening to a bunch of arrogant ex-pats twat on about thick these foreigners are. Finally got hold of Paul. We had somehow.. don't know how, ended up on seperate roads. And when we were leaving the previous station, his tyre suddenly went totally flat! Fortunately this happened on the forecourt... PHEW!!

Anyway, we eventually met up again and carried on together, down some SAWWEEEEEET roads. At one point I was passed by an Aprilia, trying desperately to save front wheel rubber! He passed me and the car in front, doing a wheelie!... Smart-arse!

Later on we spent a few stints with huge gaps between us as we were heading into gruesome winds, the cruiser prefers a wee bit of speed to power through them, but Pauls 'Busa became a sail, so he had to slow down a wee bit, still no real dramas.

So on and on we go closer to Gib, but not one single road sign, as we got to Algeciras we could see Gib but no signs telling us which exit.

The Spaniards really do hate the Gibbo's!

And guess what, we got in a real kerfuffle with a cluster of really close exit ramps and totally impatient, bad driving Spaniards and yep... split up again. Still at least this time we were only a kick in the arse from our destination, La Linea de la Concepcion, just of the border from Gib.

Anyway I gets to the hotel first... obviously, because I am cleverer, only to find Paul had been stopped at the McDonalds just down the road.. where they sell McBeer - at this point I was beginning to doubt my intelligence.. oh well.

We both got there just ahead of the rain!

Pretty much the whole day was taken up with riding .. so here are some pictures of the route.

The old bridge out of Lisbon
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0064.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0063.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0066.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0067.jpg

OOooh gotta stay ahead of that rain.. which fortunately we did! Oh! and the wind turbines should have given us a hint that it was going to be windy...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P06-04-10_0958.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P06-04-10_1000.jpg

And some lurvely A roads.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0080-1.jpg

Breakfast!!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/BILD0079.jpg

WWWWIndny 'Busa

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Lisbon/P06-04-10_100001.jpg

Well that's about it for this bit, next stop Gib'.
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Then from the tippermost toppermost part of the Country (peninsula... whatever!) to the very southern tip.

Europa point

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0051.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0045.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/P06-04-10_180001.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0044.jpg

*no comment*

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0046.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0050.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Gibraltar/DSCF0053.jpg
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Then...

The next morning we were off to Alicante. Another marathon (380 mile) day.

Split up again, this time I took the wrong turning and ended up on the coast road rather than the motorway. Torture, at one point I ended up being taken off the main road through this wee village then back on to the main road, there was 30 wasted minutes... what a detour!!

Then foolishly instead of carrying on and joining the motorway *naturally* I decided to take one of the roads that join the two together.. Uphill. All the way .. wind tunnel.. About 80 f'kin' miles.. TORTURE!

Anyway at this point Paul was miles and miles ahead of me so he just chugged on into Alicante, to wait.

Quite a nice hotel this Albahia one, I must say, very reasonable as well, even in the restaurant.

Anyway, I digress, I finally pulled into Alicante about an hour - 90 minutes behind Paul and totally Knackered.
Food - booze - Bed.

So here are some shots from the Hotel Balcony..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_170802.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_170801.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_1708.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/DSCF0240.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/DSCF0241.jpg

So the next morning up we gets to go and explore the town and guess what, BANG - CLANK - RATTLE says Buster's bike. Did not sound well at all. Ah well time to phone the breakdown company, and well, you all know the rest of the story.

Here is the last destination the bike made under it's own power *sniff*

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/DSCF0238.jpg

Unfortunately most of the remainder of the stay in Alicante was preoccupied by me sorting the bike and it's subsequent recovery out.

Some shots from around and about Alicante..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_172401.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_1723.jpg

Our Hotel (Albahia) is the brown brick building beside the railway arch.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P09-04-10_172402.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P08-04-10_1419.jpg

Lonely Hayabusa!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/Alicante/P08-04-10_1534.jpg
____________________
Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

OOPS!!

Missed these, this is another bunch of pictures taken on the route from Gibralter to Alicante

Er.... sorry!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/CopyofBILD0088.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0089.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0082.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0083.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0084.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0085.jpg

OLE!!

El Toro.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0087.jpg
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Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Now then, before I continue, for those that do not know, a recap of the breakdown.

As I said, BANG-RATTLE-CLANK in Alicante and at the time I did have breakdown cover, I must admit, I did procrastinate a wee bit about phoning the recovery people, because I expected the same old "your left shoelace isn't fastened properly - or - you have no chocolate ice cream in the freezer, so your cover isn't valid" type of response..

But NO!

I phoned them, the girl was brilliant, listened to my tale of woe, arranged for the bike to be collected and taken to the local dealership for assessment - with no fuss whatsoever!
The dealership said - "Juor bike is Ghoosed, Ju fat Gringo" They even phoned the girl at the breakdown company who translated for me - get this.... Because I was in Spain, they allocated an Spanish/English speaking operative (I do like Bi-lingual women!). Not Villy Smithbutbutdingding, in an Indian call centre!

Anyway, after the girl explaining to me that the bike was goosed, she came up with a raft of alternative methods to get me and my steed home, which started with them sending me a taxi, to take me to the car hire centre, where there was already a vehicle waiting in my name! How good was that?!?!?
So eventually after tossing ideas to each other, she gave me a car for the remainder of the trip, to be returned at Santander, then there was another waiting for me at Portsmiff.

The bike was returned about three weeks later to a destination of my choice.

All of this for £25.00 and NO hidden costs, (not even the taxi fare!)

I honestly can not praise this organisation highly enough!

I subsequently located a replacement engine and rear shocker, then sent the lot to Area 51 in Clydebank who sorted it all out for me.

:q38: Guys.

And for those who haven't perused the Breakdown recovery thread...

Breakdown Direct..

Anyway I'm fed up with regailing the masses with my tale of woe, so on with the trip.
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Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Next leg was a wee bit mundane for me as I was in a box for the trip, Paul hwever, was having the usual fun .. on his bike ..

This morning Paul decided to leave earlier so I could sleep off my hangover, had to drown my sorrows you know.. and "besides", says he "you'll be quicker in the car".

What he didn't take into account was the fact that I am a shite driver! A real Miss Daisy candidate I'll tell you. So he arrives in Pamplona a good 30-40 mins before I did.
To be honest I did break the fear factor and went more that 30KPH on occasion, I even got a speeding ticket! Doing 130 in a 120KPH zone, just shows how desperate the Spanish economy is, have to zap fat-twat tourists in diesel Seats!

Anyway, coz' I was in such a funk about being in a car, I didn't take very many en-route pictures, still.. here they are.

This is the route from Alicante to Pamplona.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0090.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0092.jpg

All the way along the main route into Pamplona, we kept seeing these.. er.. Sculptures? and they also had them hanging from the underneath of the motorway bridges.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0093.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/BILD0094.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0055.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0056.jpg

At this point I realised, that there was no way I could stash two more wheels in the boot, just to make myself feel better

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0057.jpg
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Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Next stop Pamplona, this is the place where they let the bull loose around the streets to be herded and terrified by thousands of townsfolk and tourists. It is eventually herded into the bullring in the center of the town and then murdered - Great fun eh?

That aside Pamplona is a lovely with a very long and rich history and is even one of a handful of places in Spain I would consider going back to.

So Paul pulls into Pamplona first and goes straight up to the hostel we were booked into and scopes it out. Well, was this place not full of beardie wierdies, you know those with 4 foot long beards who think it's cool to stop the old food falling out of it by twisting it up and sticking a clothes peg in it. Whailst wondering around, sucking off cans of el cheapo lagero and Buckfastole discussing the danger to mankind of covering your body with soap and then washing it off with artificially heated water.

So we gave that one a bodyswerve and ended up checking into a place a mile away but a light year better, for the same price!

On the first evening we wandered around the place looking for food - you know the hunter gatherer instinct - we went into a kebab shop and secured ourselves a window seat complete with two burgers and a couple of drinks, proceeded to consume said burgers whilst all of the time feeling like we were some kind of social experiment in a fishtank! We didn't half get some funny looks! Never did figure out why - unless of course, they knew something about the kebab house we didn't.

Or perhaps it was just the sight of a cat and a monkey, eating burgers in a kebab house?!?!

So here we are then some pictures of Pamplona an absolutely lovely place, except for the bull murdering ...... and making burger eating a spectator sport.

The park and the main parts of the town.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0066.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/P11-04-10_114901.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/P11-04-10_1149.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/P11-04-10_1143.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0090.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0086.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0061.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0058.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0091.jpg

After a merry jaunt through the town, whilst enjoying the sights and sounds alongside the myriad tourists, our bovine friends are herded into this bullring, to be cheerfully murdered, by gaily dressed matadors in front of the cheering masses, oh how they must love it!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Sportugal/pamplona/DSCF0088.jpg
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Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

And finally .. The fort in the dead center of the town, this was built as a respite form the many and repetitious invading forces, I can't remeber the exact history but I am sure there are some French involved at some point.

It really is quite an impressive fort though.

Sir Black Pig · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Karma :

Oh, and here is the fort from a Google's eye view

Clicky

'S good innit?

Well that's all from me folks, because after Pamplona it was just a wee hop back to Santander and the ferryport, an overnighter to Portsmiff, then I collected another rental car a poxy wee Aygo (to go all the way to sunny Cardross in!), drove it to the filling station, filled it up, joined the motorway just outside Southsea, Portsmiff and the exhaust fell off!

~Meantime Paul set off on his merry way back home on his Busa and arrived in Edinburgh at stupid o'clock the following morning~

I then had to wait while Avis sent a chap out to confirm that the exhaust had fell off, perhaps in case it was something less important, in which case I could have continued, you know, like the gearbox...
So Johnny Towtruck confirmed the exhaust diagnosis, this Avis finally accepted, after all we couldn't both be wrong could we? and after all, it was an Aygo and the exhaust is the biggest component on the car. So Mr. Avis wanted to know .. Did I want to be recovered?

To which I replied, "If I wanted to sit in the back of a dirty, noisy truck, stinking of diesel, all the way to Glasgow, then I would have just worn a skirt and stuck my thumb out on the motorway slip road. Unless of course, this is part of the Avis experience, you know, rent a car and experience a whole lot more - like a recovery.
No I rented a car over two days so I could drive home at my leisure.. Half-wit!"

Mr. Avis phoned me back half an hour later and said there would be a car waiting for me at Easliegh Airport.

I spoke to Johnny Towtruck, who said "Eastliegh is only about 8 miles down the road and I could actually drive the car there"

To which I replied, "do you get more if you recover it?"

"Er...YEAH!" says he..

So I said after the way Mr. Avis had f'cked me about ... recover it, Please"

20 mins later... it takes a lot to hitch one of these cars up you know, (I even considered offering to put the Aygo in my pocket, but I thought, why confuse the issue)... We arrived at Southampton - Eastliegh Airport where I took delivery of a shiney new Ford Fiesta - a surprisingly adequate car.

Then....... I went home.
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Eurotrip 2009
Sportugal 2010