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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 12:37 - 22 May 2017 Post subject: Trip to Spain |
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I thought it as good a time as any to begin this thread - it is around 24 hours now until I set off.
The plan:
Day 0 - Getting to the tunnel. A40 out of Gloucestershire through Oxfordshire, and all the way into central London, crossing Westminster bridge, where I will pick up the A2 south of the river, and follow it to the campsite which is near to the tunnel.
Day 1 - South of Bordeaux. Rough route will be via Rouen, Chartres, Tours and Poitiers avoiding Paris, and avoiding toll roads as far as possible.
Day 2 - Merida/ Badajoz area. Crossing the border into Spain first thing, heading via Burgos, Salamanca, Merida. Avoiding Madrid. I plan to stop in Merida and check out some Roman ruins, also I don't think it's feasible to go much further than this in one day.
Day 3 - Costa del Sol - More A-66 to Seville, then out to Ronda and drop onto the coast near Marbella.
I'll then spend a few days with friends before heading back. The return has not been planned much, but I have a first overnight stop with family near Elche, towards Alicante, so it will take the best part of a day to get there. From there as long as my return taken in the viaduct at Millau, I will be happy.
The bike is a 2000 W reg Honda Blackbird, in red, fitted with a pair of new PR2s, 28,000 miles, new oil, new cam chain tensioner, with two spare reg/recs packed in the luggage.
In terms of luggage, I have massive £24 ebay top box fitted onto a pre-existing Givi rack, a pair of Oxford soft panniers, a borrowed rear-seat bag, along with a tent, ground mat, and sleeping bag. I'll try to post some images and give a daily update on here on progress. ____________________ NSR 125 (with L-Plates) > 1994 NTV 650 > 2015 CB650F > 16 VFR800F |
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
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Posted: 12:44 - 22 May 2017 Post subject: Re: Trip to Spain |
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lynnnsr wrote: | with two spare reg/recs packed in the luggage.
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Honda touring kit ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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Tdibs |
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Tdibs Traffic Copper
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
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Dave V4 |
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Dave V4 Nitrous Nuisance
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Posted: 17:20 - 23 May 2017 Post subject: |
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Well it's time for the first day's trip report. Set off as planned, from Cirencester towards the A40. Passed through Burford which was a pretty little place I have not seen before, though less than an hour from home. Then followed the A40, M40 and A40 again almost to its end. Encountered some very light drizzle on the M40, though I might have to stop and break out the waterproofs, but all was good. Rain stopped as I got to the outskirts of London, though I had set off with a fleece under my jacket, I was boiling by the time I had slowed down for the traffic, and so was the bike. I managed OK through Central London, (Marble Arch, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, Elephant and Castle, Old Kent Road) but they do like to get close to one another. Got cut up quite badly twice, once by a van and once by a car, but on each occasion I was able to half-anticipate it so no harm done.
Highlight was an Italian chap on a scooter who pulled up beside me, we had a brief chat where he told about a trip similar to mine he had done in 1992. First time I have had any interaction with another member of the public in London! Anyway it was a short chat, because the lights changed and he applied an Italian riding style off across a busy junction and he was gone.
Anyway, the traffic was mad, I took some gaps filtering, but a lot of the time I behaved as a car, mainly because the bike was made wider with the panniers, and I was not that confident to manoeuvre precisely with it all loaded up.
I found the route out of London on the A2 quite interesting, longer and busier than I had expected, but at one point you reach a large open area of grass, and the smell of the fresh air hits you in stark contrast to the air in London. The A2 before the M2 seems like it is motorway standard, and better than much of the M2 itself.
I then followed the M2 and A2 all the way to the campsite here near Dover, where I have just pitched up to a sea view and an empty campsite. So in terms of driving/riding firsts I have had two today - motorcycling in central London and going on the M2, which I think is the only motorway south of Penrith that I have never used before.
Anyway, off to find the pub in a minute before an early start tomorrow. I'll also try to post some images. ____________________ NSR 125 (with L-Plates) > 1994 NTV 650 > 2015 CB650F > 16 VFR800F |
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Tracer1234 |
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Tracer1234 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 17:28 - 23 May 2017 Post subject: |
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Good work! enjoy the rest of the trip.
More pictures required though. ____________________ Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15 |
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Tracer1234 |
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Tracer1234 World Chat Champion
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Howling Terror |
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Howling Terror Super Spammer
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Tracer1234 |
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Tracer1234 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 18:16 - 23 May 2017 Post subject: |
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Good Work, look forward to more pictures as you go ____________________ Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15 |
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Matt B |
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Matt B World Chat Champion
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Posted: 09:38 - 24 May 2017 Post subject: |
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Those are some massive mileages. 5-600 per day seems like hell on earth. All day just slogging it out on the bike.
Enjoy ____________________ stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people. |
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Polarbear |
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Polarbear Super Spammer
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noobRider World Chat Champion
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image riot |
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image riot Renault 5 Driver
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Tracer1234 |
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Tracer1234 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 23:46 - 24 May 2017 Post subject: |
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^^ I doubt i am the only one feeling unsatisfied with that post lol.
Pictures are needed. ____________________ Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15 |
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Lupo |
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Lupo Trackday Trickster
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Posted: 20:52 - 25 May 2017 Post subject: |
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As others said lots of miles in one day. From Sevilla you have Granada that is worthy to check out, Alhambra (book tickets in advance), Albaicín district is awesome, and Granada is renown for tapas, so go around the bars ordering beer/wine and getting some free tapas with your drink, avoid the usual town centre touristy places of course.
I am from Elche, worth having a walk around the Basilica, Palacio de Altamira and the Archaeological museum but do not expect too much, I am biased, but the food is really good. Then maybe popping down to Santa Pola, a coastal town to Los Curros next to the Port for chopitos (tiny fried cuttlefish). Alicante is really close too, and the port and Barrio (old part of the city) are great for going out.
Valencia is worth having a stroll too, specially the Central market of Valencia and all the Calatrava stuff. ____________________ A por ellos, que son pocos y cobardes. |
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
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Posted: 22:11 - 25 May 2017 Post subject: |
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@ you lot and small mileages, we ran out weed so went from Spain to Amsterdam and it took about 26 hours of driving.
The N240 & N260 in Northern Spain from Yesa to Roses is an awesome road but you've kind of gone a bit past that area now. |
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
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Posted: 22:27 - 25 May 2017 Post subject: |
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lynnnsr wrote: | but i am sure you'll agree today's report is better than yesterday's! |
Where is it? I can't find it
Nathan0834 wrote: | Pictures are needed. |
____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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lynnnsr |
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lynnnsr Nova Slayer
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Posted: 19:04 - 27 May 2017 Post subject: Day 2 (Spain) Trip report |
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This was Thursday. Started out early from the campsite, and before most of the Bassin D'arcachon had woken up. I was too stressed the night before to appreciate the natural beauty of this area, but it is quite unlike the rest of France. It reminded me a lot of mid-Florida, very flat with forestry and agriculture on either side. Found my way through a ew towns to the A63. I passed through a town called Biscarosse, which was very nice. I stopped at a 24 Leclerc to fill up, and on exit nearly hit a van as I turned to go to the left of a central reserve, sharp reminder of tiredness and to take ages at junctions thinking them out step by step. That is always when you forget when abroad, quiet areas like car parks where there's not much traffic about.
Got to the A63 just as the sun was getting up in the sky and found that it was completely free-flowing. On I went, bound for Spain. About the second toll booth, as I was getting my gloves off and sorting out the ticket a Polish lorry pulled in behind me with his horn on, the driver jumps out and informs me that my top box is open! I pulled in to check and luckily nothing had fallen out, but I was certain it had been locked so that gained one of the spare luggage straps I had with me for such eventualities.
Breakfast was half a sandwich and water from what was probably the last services in France, not the best but the queue for the proper breakfast was long and chaotic. Before very long a fantastic view of the Pyrenees came into sight - it got closer and closer and very suddenly France ended and Spain began. Second fuel stop was not far into Spain, and I rode along some of the most fantastic road ever. Not necessarily classically good biking roads, but fantastically engineered bridges and and tunnels, through a very difficult terrain. At one point I was on a viaduct that must have been several hundred feet in the air, yet still within the gorge, and then passed under road bridge built above the one that I was on, and a lot this happened within about half a mile between two tunnels!
This continued until my next fuel stop around Burgos. Things flattened, and straightened, out considerably from that point, and the traffic calmed down. At times I was the only vehicle in sight in either direction. And at this point the citrus/pine type smell of Southern European holidays started to hit me, reminding me of just how far south I had come. So much nothing, and half of what there was appeared to have been abandoned for some time. It was around this point that I began to get a sense of the size of the country. My next signposted destination was Valladolid, and this section seemed to take a long time to get along without much variation.
Day 2 part 2 to follow.... ____________________ NSR 125 (with L-Plates) > 1994 NTV 650 > 2015 CB650F > 16 VFR800F |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 6 years, 336 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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