Northern Spain - end of May 2016

[Norfolk UK]

Recently paid a deposit with the same M/C tour Co. I went to Europe with last year.

Northern Spain at the end of May 2016: -

I reckon this tour has been designed specifically for couples (nothing about keys !!) as it stays in only 3 hotels over the entire 10 days. This means luggage that wives would normally need can be left in the hotels mostly and if meantime, they want to do something else, that's their affair !

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Waiting for a good day to get SWMBO out for a longer trip as pillion (maybe 50/60 miles). She has never journeyed more than 30 mins on the back of the bike and falls asleep in the car before we even get to the end of our road !

Got a long weekend in the Peak district planned end of this month as a shakedown. 150 miles to get there, plus some scenic M/C roads.

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Did some preparation on the bike today for getting away to the Peak District tomorrow: -

Bought last year from a forum member, I fitted a Givi 45Ltr top box to help take all the extras my wife will want for the trip to Spain.

Also fitted a rear hugger bought around the same time. Should keep any muck off my wife's feet and legs !

Ian

[mcnets]

Enjoy it Ian.

If you need something during your stay in Spain, don't hesitate to contact me.

[Norfolk UK]

Thanks Joan.

Because this holiday is based in only a couple of hotels, most trips will be circular through the local mountains and back to the hotel. Burgos will be our most southerly base but would love to make it to Catalonia on another trip.

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Trip to the 'Peaks' was a success. Weather was dry and sunny mostly, if a little cool at 10C. Satnav wanted to go M11, A14, M1 but I chose A47, A17 and A52 just because I didn't want to fall asleep ! Did the 150 miles there with one stop for coffee and bike was flawless two up with luggage. Weekend proved we had packed the right amount, but a little redistribution was required before returning as I had mistakenly put some heavier items in the top box initially. Surprised at what a difference this made.

Trip out on Sat. across Peak roads both bendy and straight, for a visit to Chatsworth House. Parked beside an R1200GS which had gone by the time we were ready to leave, to be replaced by a Ducati and something under a cover ! Picture of bike with house behind just to prove we were there.

Had a meal Sat. evening with best friend from school days and his wife who live local but we had not seen for several years.

Trip home was same route with detour to Sleaford for coffee at cousin's. That stop was welcome if only because the temp. was hovering around 8C. It gradually dropped as we crossed into Norfolk with 6C in a mini hail-storm then a small shower, just before arriving home after a total 365 miles.

Checked average May temps for northern Spain and should be high teens if not actually 20C - Thank goodness!

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Bad news received on Monday. E-mail from tour company said the Plymouth to Santander ferry had developed a fault that required dry dock and all sailings had been cancelled for the next two weeks. Tour co. had tried to find alternative routes etc. but it didn't work out and they have had no choice but to cancel the trip !

Now the holiday insurance paperwork starts instead of the holiday.


Ian

[mcnets]

It's a pity Ian.

[nicko]

yeah - I gather its back in service on 26th.


Sorry to hear you were unable to sort out an alternative.


Just got back from a similar trip - I had all my Spanish hotels pre-booked and found out on 9th May that my boat from Portsmouth on the 10th was cancelled. I decided to ride down. Left early on the 10th on the boat to Calais and arrived at my first hotel in the Picos about three hours earlier than if I'd been on the Santander crossing after one overnight stop in Angouleme. My expected mileage went from about 200 riding miles to 963 to get there.

Found out towards the end of my two weeks away that the boat was still out of action and was offered a return from Bilbao a day later than planned but that would have meant missing another day of work; so instead of having a lie in on Monday for a 50-odd miles ride to Santander and a 1515 sailing, we got up early and hit the motorways again. 989 miles home with one overnight in the Loire valley area. Found out after arriving in France on the return journey that their fuel supplies are being disrupted by some sort of industrial action, but luckily apart from some queues at filling stations and restrictions on the amount you could purchase (20 litres so not a problem on the F8) petrol was not a problem although no diesel in a few places. Got home yesterday evening and now trying to drum up some enthusiasm at work.

This was planned as a relatively low mileage trip with a relaxed start and end to it, but my total was 3448 miles in the end. Luckily I have a very understanding passenger.

No idea if Brittany Ferries compensation package will cover all the extra cost of fuel and tolls plus two additional hotel bills, but I didn't want to miss out on my holiday and the ticket refund alone is worth a fair bit.





nicko

[Norfolk UK]

Hi Nicko

Glad you sorted an alternative and made your trip. Bet it was all worth it !

Our M/C tour Co. had tried to arrange alternative sailing Plymouth to Roscoff. Though we had booked this holiday specifically for the shorter days/single base, we were up for the longer miles that riding down through Brittany would have involved. Unfortunately some others on the tour weren't, then they lost the Roscoff option so it was all cancelled.

Will maybe book by ourselves in future (or with own small group) and can probably be more flexible if things go wrong.

You must do a write up with pics of your trip (when you have recovered from work !).

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

We have now arranged to pick up on this trip again and going mid October this year

Booked with a deposit earlier in the year and have just paid the balance. Different tour company so sailing from Portsmouth then 5 nights in 1 hotel just over 1/2 hour from Santander. Got details of some of the other riders in the group and there will be another F8ST. We will be stopping for a couple of nights in Winchester for some more sightseeing on the way back too

Ian

[Banus]

Ian - I see you like your Euro touring - good man

A group of us are doing this trip over 8 days in September. I haven't got a satnav system at the moment but are thinking of investing as there are quite a few options that suit the F800 and I quite like the mounting bracket that fits over the four handlebar mounting bolts / bracket. If you have any images of your 'set up' I'd be interested in seeing them. Have a great / safe trip.

[Norfolk UK]

That looks like a good run and should be a little warmer (and possibly drier !) than Oct.

I have a TomTom with a 7" screen bought for the car, so purchased a waterproof cover from e-bay like this one: - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GPS-Sat-N...wAAOSwCmRbFrlR

I can operate the screen through the cover with gloves on. It clamps to the handle bar and can be adjusted so still visible no matter what angle the sun. The TomTom doesn't have bluetooth so doesn't work with my intercom, but having a large screen it's easy to see where I need to go with just a glance. I switch the voice commands off but still hear the 'Exceeding speed limit' warning !

A friend has the TomTom Rider which does have bluetooth connectivity and also a 'Curvy roads' setting which he would happily recommend.

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Bike checked over, bags all packed. Leaving for Portsmouth in the morning to catch the ferry to Santander. Will try to post a few pics as we go along.

Ian

[Norfolk UK]

Tuesday morning, ready to leave for Portsmouth and the ferry to Santander, (hope the picture loads).

[Banus]

Have a great trip and stay safe and show us few choice pics.

Out of interest how many on the tour?

Re my trip (see #No12 above). This was postponed due to some of the guys having health / family issues so we've rescheduled and are going from 18th - 26th Oct. Ferry from Portsmouth at 23:00 hrs on the 18th and back from Bilbao on the 25th.

[Norfolk UK]

Hi all,

I have been putting off my reply until the problems with uploading photos was resolved. Unfortunately, though I have seen other posts with photos, I still cannot get mine onto the forum (I don't use another website which I can upload from).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mx...-WQG_D6bYW_MHc

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1y2...vbK57cK3rZvmZP

We left on the Tues. for the 200 mile run on the motorway from Norwich to Portsmouth, getting there with a couple of hours to spare. This was followed by a smooth 24Hr sailing across the channel and into the Bay of Biscay. Found out there were 42 other riders on the trip (sounds a lot but this was a supported, not a guided, tour). Our hotel, for the duration, was 40 mins west of Santander where we arrived on the Wed. evening.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=10X...MWl9tGmk9Ax7Gg

Thu. saw my wife and I head off for a 150 mile route which took us up through some very rural mountains as high as 6,000 ft (the highest I have ever been - not in a airyplane !). We met up with some others at a chairlift which could have taken us higher but wasn't running due to high winds (didn't seem to affect the GT).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1e0...pD8D2N6SefIrj2

Fri. We had a 75 mile blat along the motorway to Bilbao where we spent the day, before a similar 75 mile return. Motorway riding is not my idea of a M/C holiday but Bilbao was actually worth the visit.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hE...msXcnyzUvGLA4t

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IA...Fk5OY1Cbp0N2AG

Sat. A different direction into the mountains and found an even higher, more rural route. We had lunch in a cafe in the middle of nowhere where there were enough tables for roughly 20 - 30 people and it was full.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SO...8m1iK6MbKAhgym

Sun. Rained most of the day (as forecast) so majority of us 'Fair Weather' types, spent the time in the hotel. A few did venture out and respect to them. My wife and I had a walk into the local village once the rain stopped.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Fr...78WZB7Pv2xmtHI
(Lady in right of above pic was riding a '17' F8GT - "Best bike I have ever had")

Mon. 40 min. morning ride to Santander then parked the bike among others on a wide pavement (something good across europe which the UK should adopt). A wander around here with lunch before riding around the one-way system trying to find the entrance for the ferry port. We were told that if we had come from the other direction it would have been easy ! Another 24Hr flat-calm sailing back to Portsmouth saw us arriving in Winchester on Tue. afternoon.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BB...k00S0JYE7_cAJl

Wed. Wandered around Winchester. Couldn't visit the cathedral as it was closed for university graduation ceremonies.

Thu. 200 mile ride home on the motorway for a total trip of just short of 1,000 miles. Sorted ourselves out before I had to get ready for my next trip home to Scotland to visit my mum on another 900 mile round trip.

Ian
P.S. Meant to add; my wife enjoyed this first 'long' trip enough to say "Lets do it again next year - but without the 24Hr ferry" (she gets travel sick). So Dover/Calais it will probably be to France/Germany etc in 2019

[Norfolk UK]

Links to some pictures from the trip added into the post above.

Ian