Monte Gordo (21st May to 3rd June 2005)

Harley Owners Group are having a party and I am going.  I ride with Jono and it is our annual pilgrimage with heaped spoonfuls of Father/Son bonding!  I know Paul and Chris Abbott love Spain and ride there a lot.  I have only ridden the top part and along the North East coast down as far as Casteleon but this time the plan is to do a full circuit.  The following map shows the outward leg, obviously we have a run from South Shields to Plymouth to catch the ferry

As you can see the route enters Portugal in the top NE Corner then runs a twisty southerly route that hopefully will be a joy to ride.

For the run home we intend to visit Gibraltar then take central Northerly route through Madrid.  We have booked into five Paradors which will be a new experience for us.  We have heard good reports of these B&B's with a twist!

Saturday 21st May 2005.

We are on our way!  Just checked into the Corner Hotel, Taunton and planned a leisurely ride across Dartmoor to be at the ferry for 2pm.  Surprisingly Barry and I stayed here in 2003 for Hoggin the Bridge.  We got the last two rooms and even then Jono and I have to share a double bed; should be interesting.

Sunday 22 May.

Leisurely start to the day with full English breakfast.  Riding South West from Taunton we used the M5, then after Exeter took a track and onto Dartmoor.  It was bleak and as the French Prisoner's Prison at Princeton came into view it's remoteness was only matched by how bleak and forlorn it looked - not a place to be incarcerated!  I could not recognise anywhere in Plymouth even though I had spent two years there as a Merchant Navy Cadet.  Formalities were soon over and we were aboard Brittany Ferries flag ship Pont Aven, a wonderful ferry and looking just how a flag ship should.  Her massive gas turbines speed us across a choppy English Channel and into the Bay of Biscay - true to form I ate nothing and took to me bed - nothing changes there then.  Just before I retreated to my cabin there was enough time to see that a few fellow H.O.G. members were aboard and making the Run 'n' Sun to Monte Gordo.

Monday 23rd May

Soon off the ferry and wending our way to Benavente.  We rode through the Picos de Europa which is spectacular.  Taking secondary roads the 189 miles took all day but the most pleasant biking day you could wish for.  We had lunch in a typical village where the boss sorted me and Jono out with the local fayre which was most satisfying:

and onto our first Parador arriving at 8pm:

The facilities were perfect, here is the dining room:

Friday 27th May and I bet you are wondering where I have been, well......  When I started the bike on Wednesday morning oil gushed from the filter soft 'O' Ring joint, I tried to nip it up by hand (they are spun on only hand tight) but when I did the gasket kinked and made it worse, so a call to RAC and within 45 minutes we were in a Nissan flatbed truck heading for the workshops' Filter re-seated, oil tight and topped up I decided the bike was in need of some expert attention so headed for the main dealer in Madrid.

Finding it was the first problem.  Even with Garmin 2610 working well it was tough!  Keeping an eye on the route instructions, watching that Barry was still on my tail and worst of all avoiding the Kamikaze drivers of Madrid - but get there we did.  The workshop was in a back alley and the mechanic Tony was help full but not very positive or motivated to get us up and running.  We arrived about an hour before siesta; so it was soon down tools, not that any had been picked up, and off 'till 4:30pm.  We had lunch and decided that an unscheduled overnight in Madrid was the answer.

I had a long standing friend in Madrid and arranged to meet Clive who showed us his new home town.  Quite a change from his Waldridge Fell (they eat their bairns up there) youth to be a sophisticated Madrid resident.  He showed us the integrated rapid transport system and how to use it and the centre of town.  We had a drink in the Bar in the Major Square. of which there is one in each Spanish town, where all the paraphernalia of bull fighting was on display and finally a great restaurant for the best steak I had eaten outside USA.

So next morning Jono and I decided to check out the Stadium Bernabeu, we used the Metro as instructed by Clive and arrived at 10:30 as the tours of this famous shrine to football excellence opened.  What a tour, Jono was well impressed, we both had dreams of Sunderland playing on this hallowed turf.  The tour took us to all the main attractions of the stadium and once complete I bought Jono a replica kit with his hero Figo emblazoned on the back.  Check out of the hotel and on to see what Tony had found out about the bike.  It was terminal!  He thought to ride it any further would cause serious damage as the base problem appeared to be the oil pump.  I am not convinced about the diagnosis but agreed it was the end of the road for my Glide and Monte Gordo.  The might of the RAC swung into action but even their efficient sorting of my problem could not circumvent the historic Spanish Siesta!

So from 1pm to 4:30pm Jono and I sat on the pavement cafe out side the Harley Dealer waiting for our lift to the next form of transport in the form of a Fiat Uno!  Barry headed out of town South West and the plan was for Jono and I to catch him up in Badajoz.  I negotiated an upgrade on the car and Jono and I were finally on the road again at 6pm with 400km to do to catch Barry.  So it was the E90 and make progress.  The upgraded Megane (Shake 'dat Arse) was awesome and we ate up those kilometres.  Through communication our RV was changed to Merida.  The first hotel was full - oh no there was a convention in town - the kind receptionist phoned her competitors but drew a blank.  Then a spark of inspiration offered a deal on two suites!  Jacuzzi's an all!  We were set.  Unbelievable room, unbelievable facilities and all at the same price as the shoe box in the centre of Madrid we were forced to stay in!  Result.

Fed watered and in bed for midnight - even I was getting into this relaxed Mediterranean way.  On wards to Monte Gordo.

Monte Gordo was great.  I did not take any photos!  Not sure why but suspect I was sulking because I did not have a bike.  We saw many styles of Harley and listened to four bands.  I found the latest must have item for my Glide an MP3 player that fits onto the handlebar controls and plugs right into the Glides sound system.  I met many old friends and had a complete chill out time.  Luckily for Geordie Chapter H.O.G. I met Steve from Sherwood Chapter, he had attended the Heart 'n' Soul and had a Geordie friend so I press ganged him into the Chapter Parade of flags - Steve did us proud and we now have another banner to adorn our dealership.

Soon it was on the road again, Barry decided to stick to the plan and take in the sites of Gibraltar, Jono and I decide to mosey on over to Jaen and get into our third Parador.  It could not be in a more spectacular location.  Built in 1962 in complete sympathy with the Castilla it is now part of.  Arriving just in time we did the castilla tour, mostly in Spanish but we got the gist.Here is the Parador looking back from the Castilla.  Hopefully Barry will join us both very soon.

When he did we ate in the scrumptious restaurant for the second night.  Next from Jaen was the Parador in Segovia where a spectacular aqua duct awaited to greet us.

An excellent Parador once more, but we decided to take the car into town so we could find the local delicacy of whole Suckling pig!  It was brilliant, even the little porkers curly tail had been roasted.  We had time in the morning to check out Segovia and see the cathedral and Alcazar, which is a fairy tale castle.  Late morning drive North to our last Parador in the National Forest north of the Picos de Europa to Cervera de Pisuerga, this is the view over the reservoir from the Paradors balcony.  Once again a brilliant location and to add to our pleasure a Vintage Vehicle Club were using this Parador for their overnight stop.  It was chosen again from previous forays to Spain so it must be good.  Because of all the extra people we decided to take the car into town and find a restaurant - and guess what their speciality was - veal steaks the size of a dustbin lid, mmmmm!

For some reason I awoke early on our last day in Spain even with only 78 miles to Santander we did not have to leave early so I inspected all the vintage cars and took a morning walk and a drive around the reservoir.  Because we had some time we visited the Harley Dealer in Santander; it is a small but perfectly formed dealership and well worth a visit.  Onto the ferry and home wood bound.  New car in Plymouth and home for tea.  Brilliant trip even considering the unscheduled change of vehicle; lessons to be learnt:  You must have good vehicle cover whilst abroad so a mishap does not turn into a tragedy.  The RAC system worked very well, bike is not back yet but so far the service has been exemplary.

Go on dust of that HOG and do some miles sur la continent, you know it makes sense,

Later

Dave