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24 Sep 2013
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My apologies.... The WiFi on the Pont When, and fat fingers on a nexus 7 are to blame.
Hopefully better this time.
Yesterday was my first days riding in Spain, and as intended camped just outside Potes. Fair to say I packed too much as usual, probably half a pannier of 'wotiifs' that you can never do without but never use. I blaming it on the need to cope with the Alps on the return leg, which could be a bit chilly. (It better be, or the electric jacket I'm carrying will be a waste of space, as will the log burning stove... And I'm just kidding about the stove)
What to say about the Picos mountain area? If you've been, you'll know... If you haven't, then do go. I cut through them with all motorways banned on the zumo.
Hardly saw any other bikes, and only a few cars.
I'll try to get some pics up... But it might be an edit when I get home and have a PC to fool with, as my inability to function here on the tablet has been mentioned already :-P
Tonight residing in a hotel, 25 euros..... If the bike is still there tomorrow I will continue....
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25 Sep 2013
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After Potes, I stopped in Salamanca. Th was the 25 euro hotel mentioned before. It wasn't my choice, the zumo was taking me in ever decreasing circles trying to find a campsite and I chanced up the hotel. Once I had wrestled the young lady from her card game, and demonstrated my total stupidity at speaking Spanish, an air conditioning unit came along with a room.
The 'restaurant', which the young lady was at pains to point out was a 'separate business.
Asked for a menu.... Got blank looks in return.. There was no choice. But, a salad to start and omelette with cheese and peppers.. 11 euros.... Including 2  s.... Mustn't grumble, as the boss tells me.
Anyway, the Strom was there, so after lugging all the stuff back from the room to the bike and working up a right old sweat, I couldn't find the sumo. Mucho panico (see the Spanish is improving already ;-) ) Unpack top box....Unpack both panniers... Repack both...look under bed.. In cupboards... Start thinking how you report theft to the Spanish police.. Then find it under my bike jacket... I wonder what the Spanish is for dork...
Hit the road, and did some miles. Have seen some beautiful scenery, brilliant roads, from smooth curvy, sinewy roads, to little more than tracks. Like I say, Garmin... Four those out of the way places.
Spain is such a great country to ride in, great roads, and the people generally have friendly vibe so far, even if we can't understand each other :-)
Tonight I'm in Portugal, although never noticed a border. Zumo took me to a campsite that is having some kind of exposition going on,, so no camping again. This hotel is 13euros... I have asked a few times if that's right.. But I'm told it is. Hopefully no nasty surprises tomorrow.
My helmet is causing me some grief.... That's my BMW flip up helmet. Something is pressing against my cranium, which it appears is not as soft as some people say! Quite localized pain, about an inch above my ears. I'm pressing the polystyrene in,,trying to stop the pressure. Time will tell.
I have seen places today that I would have liked to linger, but couldn't. The route today was partly 'the route of castles' and there were some, although lots were derelict. I can see me going back to explore these places another time,... Time to learn some oif the lingo.
Should reach Gibraltar tomorrow, but with no camping, and little in the way of hotels on the web, it might just get bypassed...
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26 Sep 2013
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So, 13 euros see sounded too good to be true, and it was! It wasn't a massive surprise to see 30 euros. Still a good nigh rest is worth the money. Apart from a fellow guest seeming to be tapping out Morse code on the pipe system for half the night, and what sounded like two drunk women going to bed.. The loudest one being the one that was telling the other one to shhhhhh!
Departed under grey skies and a spit of rain in Portugal. Good roads back to Spain, still avoiding the motorways, and as usual they were pretty much empty. I am loving it here :-)
Took an off road excursion (deliberately).. All went OK. If the Strom can cope in my incompetent hands its doing OK..
Great roads, great weather, but I screwed up by letting the satnav take me too far into Seville before I realized motorways would have been better. An hour or so wasted there, and almost as long wasted on garmin 'fictitious' hotels meant a late hotel find somewhere in.... umm .. Spain. It will tell me where I am on the receipt in their morning :-)
Had to buy a USB charging look lease today to charge the drift camera. Chinese supermarket where the seemed to sell everything, and talk any language, excerpt English.. Getting used to this now though :-)
Would write more but knackered, as and the 3 s are not helping me
Really want to camp tomorrow for a couple of nights. There's a rawness in my draws, needs a rest ;-)
Pete
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26 Sep 2013
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Locations of camp sites
I'm not clear why you have struggled, a bit, to find campsites - maybe the time of year, with some of them being closed after the end of the season?
Anyway, you might find this website useful for your trusty Zumo:-
ARCHIESCAMPINGS
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27 Sep 2013
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Thanks for that. Its saved for future use. I guess the routes I'm taking are off the beaten track. Garmins standard offerings were few and far between. But, I'm not fussed. I like camping but will take whatever. The next 2 nights I'm in a bungalow (Shed) on a campsite on the southern most tip of Spain. From the campsite beach I can see Gibraltar, the straits, and Africa. I'm told you can see the lights from Africa at night, and I'll go and look later. Might even be a sunset soon.
I stood earlier, and looked out to sea and found myself thinking about my Grandad and ALL his comrades who could not have known what a beautiful country they sailed around to get here. The saying of what they gave so we could live better lives hits home now. We are so lucky to be able to travel on a whim like this, without let or hindrance.
There's a pill box built into the foreshore here. I have no idea what the Spaniards response to belligerent shipping spotted during the war as it headed for the straits. Takes a pot shot? Look the other way?
The roads today have been awesome. Off the beaten track (re-enabled blocking motoreways and toll roads..)
I have gone through national parks, and whole expanses of rural idyll. The bike has hardly been upright all day, The roads vary from racetrack standard to 'a bit feckin' bumpy, to say the least. In the park area, some had given up clinging with tarmac fingertips to the side of the hills and slid away to oblivion (or just 10 feet sometimes, but it's hard not to get poetic).
No attempt is made to rebuild usually, they just cut into the hillside and add another curve. :-)
I was thinking, you wouldn't want to ride a sports bike on the bumpier bits, as you'd end up with an internal seat..
but then I went past 3 of them... Just like that :-)
They had stopped for refreshment actually, and secretly I hoped they weren't going my way to ruin my riding god ego, which was taking on ridiculous proportions.
While stopped for lunch, I made user of Google earth, to suss out tonights stop. Also peeked at tomorrows weather. Possible thunderstorms. Gadzooks!! This has no affect on my choosing a she'd over the tent. The bloody great big ants wandering about didn't either :-)
Bits of me need a rest anyway, so I'll chill here for tomorrow, and head northeast on Sunday
I thought today, that I should include some facts about HMS Usurper ( P56) too.. So, Ill add one a day.
She was built in Barrow, which is not unusual (or wasn't then). So far, she is the only vessel to have the name Usurper.
By the way.. It's a nice shed.. All mod cons.
Pete
Last edited by boxer750; 13 Oct 2013 at 22:51.
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28 Sep 2013
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It rained last night, absolutely threw it down. I had cause to venture out to get some silence at 3 am from the drunks in the camping field and had to walk through puddles and puddles. Of course.... You then think, 'did I put the side stand puck down...' The ground was rock hard when I parked but may not be when waterlogged. And did I put the little rubber shield over the garmin cradle electrics? As it was, all was well. Me worrying about nothing as usual ..
With no alarms set, I slept till 11am. Just lazed about on the beach, watching the kitesurfers....looks like fun, but also a bit like flyfishing for sharks...
With time to think, I realise I have some miles to do in the next few days... Might need some motorway to keep on schedule, not that its mega critical...
Today's Usurper fact. She was adopted by Stroud during the war, during 'warship week'.
Last edited by boxer750; 11 Oct 2013 at 22:07.
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29 Sep 2013
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Woke up nice and early, tidied the shed, and started sweating as soon as the bike gear went on. Was unbelievably muggy, and just as soon as I was ready it started to rain. Just little spots n spits. Decided to head off anyway, without the lining in the jacket, or the leggings on. Wrong move! Before I knew it I was headed up the curves with nowhere to stop, and it hoofed it down. Roads felt a bit slippery, guess no heavy rain recently, but finally found somewhere to pull OK her where 2 Spanish police, 2 cats, and 2 tourists, watched me curse as I unpacked the aforementioned waterproof items, and headed onwards. Original route was to close to all the coastal areas and realise I really was making no real progress.
Decided to hit the motorways, both free and toll ones. Even their motorways have plenty of curves.
It appears that drunk drivers are obviously BAD, drunk road designers are good :-)
Pressing on again, I pushed to make one more town. I'm trying to recall the name of the place where I saw a modern hotel, but elected to carry on as it shared the plot with shops such as toysRus. Within a few clicks I was to regret it. On one of the few very long straight road, I discovered why the are is teeming with wind turbines. As the biked bucked about in the gusting cross wind I did consider maybe toysRus are not so bad after all.
I have been in worse crosswinds before, but on a K100RS, which seemed to handle it better.
Or maybe I was younger and braver.....
Then, just ayer the road turned, so I was getting a tailwind, the hue black storm clouds appeared. For a while it seemed I could reach the garmin hotel just as it started to rain. The first drips hit me as the garmin reported 1km to the hotel. The place was a ghost Town, with no sign off the hotel. I sat in the rain for a second before heading back to the round about I'd left the main road from.the garmin was inciting on a different route now, no doubt through all sorts of backstreets etc. This is why she is sometimes called 'the bitch in the box'..
Any way... Found another one, although it appears to be some kind of health farm. Hundreds of fat old Spaniards wandering about. Did have a laugh with the young lass at check in, as i caused a huge queue while we unsuccessfully tried to understand one another. But eventually got a room for 39 euros, including dinner, breakfast and a bottle of wine. In fact 2 bottle of wine, but can't drink both and ride tomorrow, and nowhere to carry it ..
Looked at weather forecasts for where I expect to be on each day, and wished I hadn't :-(
Usurper fact... During early workup trials she had a pop at a German sub off Norway, but missed. She only managed to sink one ship before she was lost, and that was a French one. The Vichy French, that is.....
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30 Sep 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boxer750
My apologies.... The WiFi on the Pont When, and fat fingers on a nexus 7 are to blame.
Hopefully better this time.
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You're doing well with the Nexus 7.
Damned if I could be bothered to type so much on such a keying system!!
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Dave
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4 Oct 2013
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Was doing well
Can someone tell me why it won't load up
I get a message says 'token expired, use back button and reload window' I do that and lose everything I spent ages tapping in. Going to bed grumpy lol
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4 Oct 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boxer750
Was doing well
Can someone tell me why it won't load up
I get a message says 'token expired, use back button and reload window' I do that and lose everything I spent ages tapping in. Going to bed grumpy lol
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Damn, I should have kept my mouth shut!
I've no idea what that message means but maybe your internet connection at that time was weak??
I know you can't save data to a stick, or similar, but can you save to the "cloud" (my knowledge ends at this point  )
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Dave
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4 Oct 2013
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Monday, the second one of my trip
I had my breakfast with the couple of hundred or so old Spaniards, I imagine its not too dissimilar to bike week at butlins ;-)
For a health resort they sure had more unhealthy options than healthy. I bought the bike down from the car park to load right outside the front door.. This was good spectator for the collected people outside the front door of course. What an infernal racket ensued with the mob jabbering away in Spanish like machine guns. The only one who actually approached me was a pretty good Walter Matteau look alike, but muck grumpier looking.. Very quickly I worked out the gist of his gestures to be 'You ... Gringo, is gonna get wet' with a knowing saggy face pointed to the heavens. I nonchalantly smiled, and did the shoulder shrug as if I didn't care.. (Hiding the fact I really don't like getting wet when riding) To add to the illusion, or delusion... I left the liner out of the jacket, and the leggings in the top box.
I wasn't expecting too much of the days ride to be honest, but within a few miles, the smiles were back. Curve after curve laid out before me like an invitation to misbehave. And it would have been rude not to. It only lasted an hour or so, but even the motorway (free) that followed had curves like Marilyn Monroe. I may have gone past a camera at one point without slowing down, but only time will tell.
I used the motorway even when the buggers started charging for it, as I just wanted to get to France. The motorways were now, noisier, busier and far more unpleasant in the race for the border. As soon as I entered France, I bailed from the motorway before having to go through another toll booth, but the scoundrels had another one hidden there!
Went round a bit till I escaped, and elected to camp, as it was a nice evening, and one was close by on the zumo. Found it OK, but immediately decided against it The whole site (by a river), was swarming with midges. I am already blotchy all over, like I have bubonic plague, and the itching drives me nuts.
So, instead, I let the zumo, take me to a hotel that just did not exist, them a closed one, a one so bad even I wouldn't stay there, then finally it found one. It looked a bit grand at first, and the price on the door backed this up. I was about to start the search again, when a Frenchman leapt out, imploring me to stay... 'Ze moto, 'e will be safe here, look' and pointing towards a Yamaha super ten, parked in full view. I resisted pointing out that it couldn't be totally safe just code it was on French soil.
So, into the hotel, to do a possible deal on price. The lady with an out of control cleavage tried to seduce me into paying the posted price by flashing her shirt potatoes, but I was having none of it, and my look of haughty disdain led to dinner and breakfast being thrown in.
And amazingly dinner and breakfast were excellent. The smoky smelling room was not so excellent. But this IS France.
Last edited by boxer750; 5 Oct 2013 at 21:17.
Reason: getting my days mixed up ;-)
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5 Oct 2013
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Tuesday was going to be a motorway blat until I got on that the east to west route across from France to the bay of Genoa. Looking at the map made me realise how far I'd come. Once off the Autoroute's the zumo took me to some VERY rural places. Good weather, good roads. What could go wrong? I was pondering this as I ran along on fumes... The zumo having taken me to a petrol station that was no more... Quickly putting in the next fuel station it was a carrefour one, so that must be there. So, I rode softly, squeezing every drop out. Cross the junction, down the hill into town gridlock. No way through, horns were a blaring, temperatures a flaring. Looking on the zumo screen, there was another route into the town a click or soup the main road. So, I went for it. Turned down the next road, and they had dug it up and closed it. How happy was I? Again it seemed true zumo knew another route in, so I followed it,only to end up at the same 'Route Barre' place. I must have looked a sorry sight as I sat there wonder in if an early stoop was the answer when I spied a young mademoiselle walking up the barred route towards me. Mustering my linguistic skills, I tried 'do you speak English, but I got not only a pitiful smile and a 'non', but a not so young madam leapt out the car behind me, do defend the young lass from such unwelcome attentions. Tired out to be her mother, who also didnt speak English, but was game for a laugh :-) After Potes of both of us explaining we could not understand each other, and having now caused a bit of a jam, she indicated I should follow her and the daughter. Before anyone gets excited, it was just to another fuel station that a wasn't on Garmin. What a wonderful thing to do. I'm sure they saved me running out.
So, I rechecked the map. And then I realized I was going to die...... Or Die to be more precise. Once I saw it on the map I couldn't resist it, just had to go there, so I could crack the joke. And it worked out just right . A municipal campsite had nothing but RVs and didn't appeal.
A hotel was input, but due to some festival traffic couldn't get to it, and therefore neither could I. I found another, with a garage, set menu again for a reasonable price. I should have said, the whole area ohas grqt roads, again, fast and flowing, surfaces, challenging at times.
I ate, drank and crashed in my bed. And chuckled that I would crack the 'knew I was going to die joke :-) '
Last edited by boxer750; 5 Oct 2013 at 21:18.
Reason: uploading in small chunk so I dont lose anything
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5 Oct 2013
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Wednesday....
I did go to Die, but it didn't do it for me :-)
Today I was traversing mountains left to right, starting in France, crossing into Italy, at which point, because some jokers kept on about wanting more pics, I removed my Panasonic camera from its case and put it in my pocket for easy, snappy access. I then rode off leaving the case on one of my panniers, and now it gone...
Did get lots of pics too, but these will wait. Its hard enough just typing it up. The roads and the weather deteriorated markedly at the Italian border. The weather because of the mountains, the roads cos they were covered in overbanding, and animal shit. I never saw an animal up there (unlike in Spain, where I thankfully cruised a bend in the Picks mountains to find a Spanish version of Daisy just standing there, unimpressed by us all.)
My theory for Italy is that these poor creatures are in abbatoir trucks and know their fate, and are trying to share it with us... It all seems to be on the entry or exit of the hairpins.
But homicidal they may be, they are nothing compared to your average Italian driver. Their govt could slash spending on road signs and road painting, because not one takes the slightest notice. Check mirror as often as you like they will catch you unawares at some point, and stick to your tail like a limpet mine. It really is a free for all, and the scooters are by far the worst.
But I found a hotel a hundred yards from the sea. Technically in the bay of Genoa, but not as far round as my lack of planning intended :-)
Tally glad I stopped there. A sea view, AC in the room, although the girl on reception obviously thought I was abnormal to need it in October. Actually had to ask for the controller and you get given the TV remote on checking in too. Still needed batteries though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxer750
Wednesday....
I did go to Die, but it didn't do it for me :-)
Today I was traversing mountains left to right, starting in France, crossing into Italy, at which point, because some jokers kept on about wanting more pics, I removed my Panasonic camera from its case and put it in my pocket for easy, snappy access. I then rode off leaving the case on one of my panniers, and now it gone...
Did get lots of pics too, but these will wait. Its hard enough just typing it up. The roads and the weather deteriorated markedly at the Italian border. The weather because of the mountains, the roads cos they were covered in overbanding, and animal shit. I never saw an animal up there (unlike in Spain, where I thankfully cruised a bend in the Picks mountains to find a Spanish version of Daisy just standing there, unimpressed by us all.)
My theory for Italy is that these poor creatures are in abbatoir trucks and know their fate, and are trying to share it with us... It all seems to be on the entry or exit of the hairpins.
But homicidal they may be, they are nothing compared to your average Italian driver. Their govt could slash spending on road signs and road painting, because not one takes the slightest notice. Check mirror as often as you like they will catch you unawares at some point, and stick to your tail like a limpet mine. It really is a free for all, and the scooters are by far the worst.
But I found a hotel a hundred yards from the sea. Technically in the bay of Genoa, but not as far round as my lack of planning intended :-)
Glad I stopped there. A sea view, AC in the room, although the girl on reception obviously thought I was abnormal to need it in October. Actually had to ask for the controller and you get given the TV remote on checking in too. Still needed batteries though.
Decided to stay 2 days, and what a treat that was. Loved the place, even if you can't go more than 20 steps without tripping over a super scooter or whatever they are called. Walked to one end of the bay and watched the sunset, added poignancy, by the thought as I scanned the horizon from left to right at some point my eyes passed over where Usurper and her crew lay, and I assume at depth as she's never been found
I didn't break down sobbing or the like, but did get that tightness of the throat, that moistness in the eye we all get when thinking about those that have died for us, or at least I hope we all do. And I guess there was a noticeable feeling of being linked to my grandfather that I'd not felt before.
I had a small stainless steel disc that I had scratched on 'HMS USURPER 1943' on one side, and 'Len Jackson' on the other side. I hurled it into the sea past some rocks where the only urchins likely to discover it are sea urchins. Shame it can't be placed more accurately at the moment, but it's in the bay.
Managed to get some R and R too, wandering about the town and beach. Only shame was that the tourist season is definitely over, things were shutting down big time.
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