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Tour of Spain: Write up + Pics

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Nath
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PostPosted: 18:56 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Tour of Spain: Write up + Pics Reply with quote

This is my write-up of the tour of Spain that I undertook during the first 3 weeks of September this year. I did this trip on my own on a 1988 Bros400.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/europe-map.gif


I set off from Nottingham at midnight to catch the 5am ferry in Dover, travelling on motorways for the whole distance. The ferry crossing itself was quick and uneventful, but I did have an interesting conversation with a very well travelled British biker who was heading off to explore the Rhineland. After picking up some useful tips on continental motorcycle touring I said farewell and alighted onto French soil.

This first day saw 12hours of non-stop motorcycling as I made slow progress down through France to the town of Brive-la-Gaillarde (near Limoges) where I had a place in the youth hostel already booked. The only real disaster came when I dropped the bike attempting to stick it on the mainstand to check the oil level, smashing one of the footrests. However I managed to locate a Honda dealer in Rouen who by an amazing stroke of luck had a footrest in stock for the NTV650, which is exactly the same as on the Bros. It cost me 33Euros, however I was hardly about to quibble over something so essential. I also took the opportunity whilst stopped to change out of my leather trousers, as I was finding them slightly uncomfortable in the 35degree heat - I never wore them again during the trip, and if I was heading over to Europe again I would not bother taking them.

The total distance from Nottingham to Brive was surprisingly only 1200km, or 750miles. The next day I was feeling pretty tired and only managed 450km down to Lourdes near the Spanish border. Whilst I did not make into Spain in 2 days, this did set me up to spend a whole day enjoying the mountain roads of the Pyrenees with tons of time. I should mention that on this second day I got fined by the French police for overtaking on a road exiting a town. They were operating a speed trap, but presumably were unable to get a good reading of me - Either way I'd already banned quibbling so I accepted the 22Euro fine without complaint.

My first taste of the mountains came on the stunningly picturesque Col de Aubisque(alt: 1709m). An enjoyable assent was followed by the stunning pass that is cut into the slope of the mountainside, with a steep drop on one side and impressive peaks rising up on the other. Compared to some of the other mountain roads there was a little bit of traffic on the pass, including quite a few bikers. Despite this I wouldn't really call it a biker's road as the surface was quite broken up... Stunning scenery though and definitely worth the visit.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/aubisque-2.jpg
The line running across the picture, just above the Bros, is the road.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/aubisque-1.jpg
The peaks loom beautifully in the background.

After the descent I got a little lost during which time my speedo cable snapped Rolling Eyes In hindsight I actually think that may have been a good thing, as on the many twisty roads I was to encounter on my trip, not worrying about what speed I was doing(too fast or too slow) let me enjoy the riding more. I chose the Port de Larrau pass(alt: 1585m) to cross the frontier, as the Lonely Planet guide to Spain described it as "majestically bleak". This description couldn't have been more accurate, as the only detail more apparent than its beauty, was the total lack of people. I encountered a handful of cars on the 25km pass, and only two motorcyclists(a friendly Swiss couple who were stopped at the summit). This road was one of the most memorable of my trip, and definitely worth a visit due to the ridiculously steep and twisty assent on the French side and fantastic open road along the side of the mountain with stunning panoramas constantly tempting you to take your eyes off the road. The Spanish side had been recently resurfaced and was more sane than the single-track twistiness of the French climb, though for me this meant it wasn't quite as enjoyable(would probably have pleased any kneedown fans though).

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/larrau-2.jpg
To get an idea of the scale you should know that there is actually a car on the road, roughly in the middle of the picture; It's so tiny you cannot really see it in this small version of the photo. I would guess that the section of road you see going from the left of the photo and disappearing on the right is actually about 3 or 4km long.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/larrau-1.jpg
The landscape is just incredible... Everything is on such a large scale.

The road I took after the descent turned out to be another manic twisty one, and also had been resurfaced - 40km of non-stop sharp corners and bends, and almost completely deserted of traffic(and surprisingly motorbikes too). Once I reached the bigger roads I headed up North to San Sebastian, only to find the youth hostel full. After a long time wasted looking for cheap accommodation, I rode West along the coast before pulling into a small Pension as the last light of day was fading.

The next day, after setting off along a disappointing "coast road" which was actually mostly inland, I spotted a twisty looking road on my map heading off inland, which I then spectacularly failed to find. However I somehow ended up on a really small twisty road that wasn't on my map that hugged the coast really closely. Plenty of hairpin bends and fantastic views were enjoyed until it veered off inland and I ended up back on the main road to Bilboa. My plan was to stop there and get a new speedo cable, but I was foiled by all the shops closing at lunch time due to it being a Saturday Rolling Eyes I pushed on to Santander on a very hard to find coast road which turned out to be full of bikers. Eventually I came across a large lay-by where there were several dozen bikes stopped and people chatting. For some reason I decided not to stop, which I now really regret as it would have been great to sample a Spanish bike meet Sad Santander taught me once again that cities are not the best places to find accommodation when on a motorbike, and once again I ended up pulling into a small roadside restaurant/hotel very late in one of many cutting it fine experiences Neutral

The next day I took to the main roads to make quick progress getting to Salamanca where my friend who was also in Spain was stopped. Getting to my destination early was a nice change and gave me tons of time for the obligatory 'riding around totally lost' and yet I still checked into the youth hostel nice and early. Despite it being a Sunday the bars were open till 2/3ish, and the clubs till 6am, and so a good night was had taking full advantage of not having to get on the motorbike in the morning. I stopped in Salamanca for a further 2 nights to rest as my hands were a little painful and I was generally knackered. I managed to find a Honda shop, but they didn't have an appropriate speedo-cable and I couldn't wait for them to order one for me. Since I'd already done a considerable distance off the clock, I resigned myself to accepting I wasn't likely to get a replacement cable in Spain.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/salamanca-1.jpg
Salamanca was full of beautiful architecture...

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/salamanca-2.jpg
...such as this Cathedral.

My next port of call was Lisbon in Portugal, mainly so I could boast to having taken the bike as far west as possible. I didn't think very much of the Portuguese roads, though this may have been because I was heading towards Lisbon(which is where everybody else was seemingly going as well). After eventually finding the youth hostel which turned out to be full, I decided to cut my losses and ride on South through the night. Not fancying tackling the Portuguese roads in the dark I took to the Autopista(toll motorway) which allowed me to make easy progress, albeit at a price(16Euros!). Weighing up my options I decided I'd push on to the South of Spain and watch the Sun rise in Cadiz. This seemed like a good plan until I encountered loads of HGVs on the road from Seville to Cadiz which slowed me down so that it started getting light with Cadiz still 60km away - However it was clouded over so I wasn't really missing anything. I elected to go to the smaller town of Puerto de Santa Maria instead as it was slightly closer, and from which you could see Cadiz on the other side of the bay. By the time I found the sea the cloud had cleared and the morning sun was now visible. Before leaving Lisbon I’d gone to a pizza takeaway, and due to the 2for1 offer they had I was able to enjoy a breakfast of cold pizza whilst taking in the Sea air Thumbs Up

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/cadiz-1.jpg
Enjoying the morning sun in Puerto de Santa Maria.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/cadiz-2.jpg
Cadiz is just visible in the background. This was the first time on my trip that I actually set foot on a beach.

I spent the first half of the day exploring some small out-of-the-way towns in which seemingly half the population owned mopeds, but apparently not helmets. I couldn't help but join in and spent an enjoyable few hours riding around these little towns that most tourists would probably never see. One in particular could almost have been in a 3rd world country with tiny little single lane cobbled roads and ancient 2 stroke mopeds being ridden 2up everywhere - And yet whilst you could then turn a corner to end up on a more European style highstreet complete with Vodafone and Citroen stores... Bizarre Thinking I then headed down to Gibraltar where I joined the local bikers and mopeds in riding straight past the large border-queue in which all the cars were stopped. All the vehicles in Gibraltar have 'GBZ' number plates, and so I felt rather smug riding around on a 'GB' plated motorcycle when there were no other British cars or bikes to be seen. This was one of the highpoints of my trip, as it really felt like I'd achieved something riding all that way on my own, plus seeing the blue Mediterranean and enjoying the 40degree heat meant there was no mistaking how far South I’d come.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/gibralta-1.jpg
Climbing up to the top of 'the rock' rewards you with a view of Africa in the distance!

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/gibralta-2.jpg
The rock of Gibraltar.

After crossing back into Spain I sped up the Autovia to Malaga, where I decided to stay put for a few days to rest. I got a bit of a tan on the beach, and on another day took the motorbike inland to the mountains to enjoy the twisty roads without all my luggage on the back. However as well as losing a load of weight and bulk, it kind of felt like I'd lost part of my identity as a 'travelling biker'. The road I took back to Malaga from Ronda was really twisty and had stunning views, and so on a Saturday evening it was no surprise that there were tons of bikers there enjoying it. I stopped to take a photo of this fantastic road, but instead found myself in a conversation with a Spanish biker riding a gs500 who had also stopped to admire the views, and I then rode off forgetting that I’d stopped to take a photograph Doh!

I formed a plan of heading back to the Pyrenees to spend a few days enjoying the roads there, and so left Malaga to push on to Alicante which was another Mediterranean city. The next day I headed off to Zaragoza in the North, but had time to ride through part of Valencia, which was an absolutely massive city. Once into the North of Aragon I picked a few Monestries and Castles to visit, which was also a good way to sample some small remote roads; I spent an enjoyable day riding with no pressure to reach a set destination, and it was also a relief to not be travelling massive distances. Aragon was a very beautiful part of Spain, and also very desolate with only a handful of larger towns in a huge area of land.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/aragon-2.jpg
A fantastic rambling old castle, commanding the plains of Huesca and visible from several miles away.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/aragon-1.jpg
A fairly typical minor road in the Pyrenean foothills.

I also attempted a few more mountain passes, but 2 weeks after I'd first encountered the Pyrenees it was starting to get a little cooler on the high mountains, and also very cloudy.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/st.martin.jpg
The view from the summit of the Col de la Pierre St Martin(alt: 1760m), during a rare break in the cloud. Riding mountain passes when they're clouded over isn't really much fun as you miss out on the spectacular views, get really cold, and can't ride that fast.

After stopping in the picture-perfect village of Alquezar to spend a day "Canyoning" (a kind of sport that involves following canyons downstream by swimming/diving/sliding-down-waterfalls, definitely recommended!) I headed East into Catalunya. It was here that I had one of the best days riding of the whole trip... I must have done about 200miles of twisties that day! The scenery there was just stunning, and the minor roads just incredible - And like everywhere else I went in Spain, they were also almost deserted of traffic Thumbs Up

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/catalunya-1.jpg
A fantastic backdrop of jagged peaks. This road was a really good single-tracker that last for something like 60km.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/catalunya-2.jpg
This was probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to, and completely unspoilt by traffic or tourism!

Every high must be followed by a low however, and that evening I got caught out by the fact that there was nowhere near as many places to stay in that part of Catalunya compared to neighbouring Aragon. I somehow ended up riding in the dark along a mountain pass that was completely clouded over, only able to see the ground a meter or two in front of the bike and averaging probably 10mph Rolling Eyes. Basically lost and also starting to shit myself a bit I eventually saw through the myst a sign telling me I'd crossed into France! Once I’d descended from the mountain I founded myself in a pleasant enough French town and luckily checked into a still-open hotel, at 10pm Shocked

The next day saw me push on through France leaving the Pyrenees behind to try and reach Nice to spend a day or two relaxing on the beach. However I’d forgotten how ridiculously slow the French main roads are, and I also had unbelievable strong winds to contend with near the coast, but eventually made it to the pleasant coastal city of Toulon(near Marseille). The next day turned out even slower with loads of traffic, and the coastal road going through constant small towns. By the time I reached Cannes it was clear that the weather was not really appropriate for going on the beach, so I decided to cut my losses and headed up North on the interestingly titled 'Route Napoleon'. I believe that it would have been a very enjoyable road had it not been raining, and there were many bikers there braving the weather to ride the twisty mountainous way. This was the only day in 3weeks of motorcycling that I ended up getting a little wet, so I cannot complain too much. Unfortunately the useless Conti rear tyre on the Bros did not give me any confidence, especially as it was now almost bald, so I made very poor progress before calling it a day in the town of Digne-les-Bains.

It was at this point that I realised that I’d lost track of what day it was, and now had only 2 days to ride all the way back up to Calais to get my ferry. The following day I pushed on seeking out some faster roads to try and make it as close to Paris as possible so that I could spend a few hours sightseeing on my final day. I succeeded in this task ending up in Orleans, but only by riding till very late and again finding myself searching for a hotel in the dark Rolling Eyes The next day I was in no rush and made it into Paris at midday giving me about 5 hours to have a look around before setting off to catch my 11pm ferry.

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/spain_pics/triomphe.jpg
The Bros by the Arc de Triomphe. The picture doesn't show very much traffic, but in reality there was tons of it - Don't even think of braving the manic traffic around the Arc unless your horn is in good working order Very Happy

In typical fashion I ended up getting really lost leaving Paris, wasting several hours and leaving me a hard race ahead in order to catch my boat. That said, riding on the motorway network surrounding the French capital in rush-hour traffic was pretty fun, and I did allot of miles of very fast filtering along with the tons of Parisian bikers who were doing the same. After filling up with petrol and planning my route, I started off on the main roads to Calais before eventually getting sick of the constant towns and low speed limits and so took to a toll motorway for only the second time on my trip. Had I got straight on the motorway after leaving Paris I would have made it to Calais in time, but as it was I was going to have to ride flat out all the way if I was to stand a chance of making it; the toll motorway wasn't even very expensive anyway. In the end it wasn't to be and I ran out of petrol effectively sealing my fate. A helpful French family gave me a lift to the next service station where I got a lift back down the motorway with some Dutch gypsy priests Confused

After wasting an hour chatting to some British bikers back at the service station, I did the last 100km to Calais, and so ended my European adventure. Thumbs up to Seafrance who let me on the next ferry at no extra cost Thumbs Up

______________________________________



This trip was a fantastic experience, and I will hopefully be enjoying many more in the years to come. I don't think it would be bigheaded of me to say that this was quite a major undertaking for a 19yr old who'd only previously been abroad as a child. Especially considering I did the 4000mile trip on a near 20yr old, 400cc, clapped out Jap Commuter bike, and that I have only been on the roads for one year. Come on, I did 1200km in one day on a Bros400 - That's fucking hardcore! Twisted Evil

There were of course times on the trip that I wasn't having so much fun, such as difficulties in finding places to stay(I can't believe I didn't learn from my early experiences, and instead kept repeating the same mistakes throughout the trip) and of course a hell of allot of time spent lost in cities. I didn't really mention this above, but nearly everywhere I went I ended up getting lost - Probably not to do with being abroad, but just normal for me. But most of the trip was great fun, and I think I’ve learned allot about motorcycling from it, as well as having enjoyed the kind of unbelievably twisty roads and inspiring scenery that you just don't get in England.

My advice to anyone thinking about doing something similar? Just get out there and do it! It doesn't matter if you don't think you're experienced enough, or if you have the wrong kind of bike or whatever, just go and do it because you'll really enjoy yourself Thumbs Up
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Groove
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PostPosted: 20:31 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice write up there, looks like you enjoyed it Smile Thumbs Up

gd read and some nice pictures

Clapping
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Shaun
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PostPosted: 20:41 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impressive, not sure I'd have the bollocks to do something like that on my own, let alone on a bros 400! Thumbs Up
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riichy
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PostPosted: 21:27 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice one fella. dont think my zxr400 would last for that long.... Rolling Eyes


nice anyway Thumbs Up
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fast_tzr
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PostPosted: 21:54 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

bollocks mate you missed out the best part of Spain, Barcelona!
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Vespa
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PostPosted: 23:22 - 07 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

Last edited by Vespa on 19:04 - 31 Oct 2005; edited 1 time in total
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Bendy
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PostPosted: 10:54 - 08 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent read. Thumbs Up
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Andy C
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PostPosted: 11:22 - 08 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

pritty good, i couldnt do that sort of trip on my own!
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Spiral
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PostPosted: 14:22 - 08 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent read nath and some great pics Thumbs Up , would have rated it awesome if i could.
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Johnny GSX-R
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PostPosted: 15:44 - 08 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

FANTASTIC and very wel done... top man!
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18aprilia
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PostPosted: 22:47 - 08 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

pics look good. as for the reading... another time i feel. Thumbs Up
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shellshock
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PostPosted: 18:37 - 09 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done Nath, bet your confidence has really improved Thumbs Up

Something I'd love to do one day, but I wouldn't have the b*llocks to do it on my own.

Beautiful pictures, I'm quite jealous Razz
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CoronaBoner
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PostPosted: 20:22 - 09 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow just read all that, good on ya!! if ya plan another trip give us a shout!! Im terrible on finding places etc and think you done really well. Im 20 and would not have the balls to do that even now on my own!!

nice one Cool Thumbs Up
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kev19
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PostPosted: 21:10 - 09 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

omg i really cant believe you done that trip on your own. I would get so home sick i would turn back. But nice one mate sounded like you had a good time.

Can u speak french at all? or could the policeman speak english when he pulled you for overtaking cant remember what for you said.

Great pictures when i get fully legal and money wise sorted i will go on trips but stay in england Very Happy.

Kev.
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loply
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PostPosted: 18:12 - 10 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

For that trip alone I think you qualify for the Hardcore Motherfucker award for Motorcycling.

Did you say a 1988 Bros 400? I hope you took a suicide note with you up those mountains!

Great to see you made it, looked like fun. Wish I was there.
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fergie34
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PostPosted: 22:29 - 10 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

excellent mate well done you get my vote for rider of the year Smile Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up
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killa
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PostPosted: 10:19 - 11 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fucking A Nath!

Hardcore ballsy biker for sure, I’ve been riding longer than yourself and I can safely say that shits on what I’ve don’t on a bike.
Fair play mate……

Killa Thumbs Up
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Nath
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PostPosted: 11:22 - 11 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the kind words all.

I didn't go to Barcelona(or Madrid and Valencia either) as to really see a city of that size you would have to spend at least a few days there. Riding around a country the size of Spain on a motorbike leaves you too many places to visit with too little time - I opted to spend most of the trip on the bike rather than living it up in the cities.

Vespa, I don't quite understand... I've never heard of Alhambra before Confused

I did start to feel tired and ready to go home at the end of the trip, but I suspect that was due to having a harsh few days riding... I would have loved to have spent more time out there, as it was actually quite relaxing not having to do anything other ride my motorcycle.

The French policeman who stopped me spoke a little English, though not enough to attempt politeness("You must pay me, 22 Euros").

The bike didn't suffer any problems other than a slight oil leak coming from the filter. I think taking an older cheaper bike is actually quite a good idea - If i'd have had a bad crash, or if the engine had blown up, I could have left the bike in Spain and got a flight back home. It wouldn't have bothered me that much as I could easily save up the money to replace the Bros.

One of the few things I regret about this trip is that I didn't take enough pictures. Most of the pictures I did take were repetitive/boring/just plain crap Sad A few more are posted below, but that's the last of the vaguely interestings ones.
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spitfire
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PostPosted: 14:20 - 11 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

top post ! Thumbs Up Dont think I would have done that at the age of 19 !

Myself and a mate are thinking of doing something similar next year, not sure which bike I will use yet though
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Nath
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PostPosted: 00:22 - 12 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

knew I'd forgot something.

CoronaBoner wrote:
if ya plan another trip give us a shout!!

See this thread in the Outings+Excursions board. I shall be bumping that up a few times between now and next July to see if I can persuade anyone to join me(assuming I'm able to go myself), as I think it will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I also have something else in mind for that trip that is pushing the boundries of sanity, that I shan't reveal till I have a better idea of whether it's possible Twisted Evil
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chris___
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PostPosted: 10:06 - 12 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome mate Thumbs Up I enjoyed reading that, im planning my trip for next year at the moment and thats really made me realise that its possible.
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nsr_rk_boy
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 12 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

quality write up top marks, i am riding 2 alicante in march 2 see my mum/dad 4 a couple of weeks, dont know if i'm lookin forward 2 it now.........
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EuropeanNC30R...
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PostPosted: 14:27 - 17 Oct 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impressive stuff, well done! The photos look great. Piss-poor luck it rained on the N85, that's my favourite bit of France, doh!

I'm kinda tempted to head down that way and pop into Morocco next summer, hmmmn...
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natv4
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PostPosted: 02:39 - 19 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well Done lad!

Great read, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I certainly didn't manage anything on that scale at your age, don't think I would have done it on my own back then either.

Well done! I get lost in big cities too. I think its all part of the fun though, I don't think I'd like Sat Nav (except when you have to be somewhere on time), getting lost and finding strange places by chance are all part of the adventure. I know what you mean about last minute accomodation too. Too many times I did the same (turn up at a hotel in the middle of nowhere at 10pm or later). I will one day learn to find hotels at 6pm, when not desperate and tired.

Awesome pictures by the way, your photography skills outstip mine. Though however good, I find that nothing beats standing there, other people will never understand how it feels till they do it.

Good luck on your future expeditions, keep us posted.
Regards,


Nat.
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Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
Bike: Blue Honda VFR800fi (*NEW*) Mileage: 22k Countries visited: GB/F/D/CZ/PL/E/I/B/A/HR/H/Rus/E/MA
West Europe...2004, East Europe...2005, Russia/France...2006, Morocco...2007
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Steve H
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Joined: 18 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: 11:54 - 19 Nov 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brilliant Clapping
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The BCF Top TEN - 2010, 2009, 2008, The Original.
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