9th - 10th April
We arrived back into Barcelona around 7.30 am local time, to a balmy 7 degrees, welcome to Europe. A couple of different bus rides, and we were walking up the road to Mariona and Slavi's house. Mariona had gone to work, but Slavi was there with his mother, it was good to see him again, and meet Bennetta. After sorting out some floorspace to sleep under the house for a couple of days, and went to check on the bikes, both started at the first touch of the button, happy with that. A short ride to get some groceries fount my front brake partly seized, have to fix that. We had pork for tea that night, first time for months. The parcel we sent from India still had not arrived, Slavi chased it up, and we put a value on it, signed a declaration of its contents, and had to wait to see what duty they were going to charge us. It was in Madrid, and would hopefully be sent on and arrive Monday. The following day was spent working on the bikes, changing oil, fixing brakes, checking things over. We then found out the parcel didn't get sent, it would be opened in Madrid and the duty calculated, then we either accept that and pay the costs, or it gets sent back to India! Nothing is ever easy, is it. Either way, it would be a week until we saw it. Mariona and Slavi are having family visiting them over the weekend, so we need to find somewhere else to stay for a while, will have to try and work something out.
We arrived back into Barcelona around 7.30 am local time, to a balmy 7 degrees, welcome to Europe. A couple of different bus rides, and we were walking up the road to Mariona and Slavi's house. Mariona had gone to work, but Slavi was there with his mother, it was good to see him again, and meet Bennetta. After sorting out some floorspace to sleep under the house for a couple of days, and went to check on the bikes, both started at the first touch of the button, happy with that. A short ride to get some groceries fount my front brake partly seized, have to fix that. We had pork for tea that night, first time for months. The parcel we sent from India still had not arrived, Slavi chased it up, and we put a value on it, signed a declaration of its contents, and had to wait to see what duty they were going to charge us. It was in Madrid, and would hopefully be sent on and arrive Monday. The following day was spent working on the bikes, changing oil, fixing brakes, checking things over. We then found out the parcel didn't get sent, it would be opened in Madrid and the duty calculated, then we either accept that and pay the costs, or it gets sent back to India! Nothing is ever easy, is it. Either way, it would be a week until we saw it. Mariona and Slavi are having family visiting them over the weekend, so we need to find somewhere else to stay for a while, will have to try and work something out.
Spanish church at 0 deg latitude
11th
Lyn and I decided to ride to Madrid and sort out the parcel ourselves, I had never been there, and we had to find somewhere else to stay anyway, so we might as well see some more of Spain at the same time. As our maps were in the parcel in Madrid, it was GPS only, scary! We stopped at Montblanc for lunch, and then this little church and lookout on the 0 deg meridian with Greenwich. It was bloody cold riding, so we started looking for hotels, all either full or over our budget. Eventually we found one at Alcorisa.
Lyn and I decided to ride to Madrid and sort out the parcel ourselves, I had never been there, and we had to find somewhere else to stay anyway, so we might as well see some more of Spain at the same time. As our maps were in the parcel in Madrid, it was GPS only, scary! We stopped at Montblanc for lunch, and then this little church and lookout on the 0 deg meridian with Greenwich. It was bloody cold riding, so we started looking for hotels, all either full or over our budget. Eventually we found one at Alcorisa.
Worlds oldest restaurant, Madrid
12th-14th April
Rode into Madrid, and booked a couple of nights in the Ibis budget hotel. The priority was the parcel, and we tracked it down and picked it up without having to pay any duty. It had been opened and checked but all looked to be there. We had booked to go on a walking tour, but got lost finding the place, so missed it and went the next day. Worth doing, you pick up a lot with someone who knows the history of the area, things like the worlds oldest restaurant, which has been open since 1725, and is in the Guiness book of records. The
Rode into Madrid, and booked a couple of nights in the Ibis budget hotel. The priority was the parcel, and we tracked it down and picked it up without having to pay any duty. It had been opened and checked but all looked to be there. We had booked to go on a walking tour, but got lost finding the place, so missed it and went the next day. Worth doing, you pick up a lot with someone who knows the history of the area, things like the worlds oldest restaurant, which has been open since 1725, and is in the Guiness book of records. The
The king on the horse
restaurant still uses the same wood fired oven! This statue of the king at the time, (can't remember his name, but he didn't like the face they gave him, so he got them to do it again and make him more handsome), was known as the stinking statue, because it had a small hole under the horses tail from where the cast bronze was poured, that would let in small birds, but they couldn't get out, and died inside it. No-one knew what was happening for years, and by then it reeked a bit. We also did a "Tapas tour", which explained the origin of tapas. Apparently all the kings workers would hit the pubs at lunch time, but didn't have enough time to eat, so would go back to work with empty stomachs, but heaps of wine in them, so productivity dropped a bit. The king got this sussed out, and passed a law that the publicans had to serve some free food with any grog bought, so the workers got a feed as well, and the king got some work done in the afternoons. A win win, except for the publicans, who probably put their prices up for the grog..... We went to see a flamenco dancing show one night, the dancers legs must ache at the end of the night! It's a bit like river dance with dudes singing spanish opera in the background....
Drinking wine from the goatskin bag
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Pouring still cider to give it bubbles
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Riding through the ski area
15th-16th
We left Madrid late, Lyn's winter gloves had been pinched off her bike, (forgot about them when we left the bikes), so summer gloves with liners it was. Only about an hour out of Madrid we climbed up into the mountains, started to get very cold, and then got some light rain. We didn't know there was a ski area so close to Madrid. We continued on to Valladoid, and decided to stay another day as it was still cold, raining, and the wifi was good, so did some more blog, and replaced Lyn's gloves.
We left Madrid late, Lyn's winter gloves had been pinched off her bike, (forgot about them when we left the bikes), so summer gloves with liners it was. Only about an hour out of Madrid we climbed up into the mountains, started to get very cold, and then got some light rain. We didn't know there was a ski area so close to Madrid. We continued on to Valladoid, and decided to stay another day as it was still cold, raining, and the wifi was good, so did some more blog, and replaced Lyn's gloves.
Through the mountains on the way to Potes
17th
Lyn had put her boots in to be resoled, (with an extra foot on the bottom as she is too short for the bike) so picked them up on the way out of town and headed for Palencia. Still light rain and cold, and boring highway riding up to Herrera de Pisuerga, then veer left to Potes, what a fantastic road! Up over the snow covered mountains, down the other side, then through the gorge to Unquera. One of the best roads we have done for a long time, would have been better in good weather, but
Lyn had put her boots in to be resoled, (with an extra foot on the bottom as she is too short for the bike) so picked them up on the way out of town and headed for Palencia. Still light rain and cold, and boring highway riding up to Herrera de Pisuerga, then veer left to Potes, what a fantastic road! Up over the snow covered mountains, down the other side, then through the gorge to Unquera. One of the best roads we have done for a long time, would have been better in good weather, but
still superb riding. We followed the coast eastwards, and found a good pension at Comillas for the night, thirty euro, but warm and comfortable, with a huge lock up garage for the bikes, out of sight and the weather. A walk around town, a couple of wines, and a shared meal topped off a good day.
18th
Wet, wet, wet. It didn't start out like that, but thats how it ended up. From Comillas we headed east towards Santander on the coast road, just a little light rain now and then to keep us on our toes, but still cold riding. Through Laredo, (very scenic), and on to Getxo. Then the rain started with a vengeance. We had planned to ride through some really good bike roads, but it was getting colder, pissing down rain, with no visibility, so we took the more direct route to Pamplona, arriving around 5.00pm. Riding up to the old town, there was another traveller on a KTM in front of us, so we had a chat with him. "JP" is from Germany, and we ended up having dinner with him, and staying in the same hotel, turned out to be a great night.
18th
Wet, wet, wet. It didn't start out like that, but thats how it ended up. From Comillas we headed east towards Santander on the coast road, just a little light rain now and then to keep us on our toes, but still cold riding. Through Laredo, (very scenic), and on to Getxo. Then the rain started with a vengeance. We had planned to ride through some really good bike roads, but it was getting colder, pissing down rain, with no visibility, so we took the more direct route to Pamplona, arriving around 5.00pm. Riding up to the old town, there was another traveller on a KTM in front of us, so we had a chat with him. "JP" is from Germany, and we ended up having dinner with him, and staying in the same hotel, turned out to be a great night.
Road with a view
19th
Breakfast with JP, then he went west, and we were heading east with the blue sky, which we were keen to make the most of. Through Jaca, and the really blue Lake de Yesa, then some great twisties towards Vielha. The rain started again just before we reached the 5km long tunnel before Vielha, and when we emerged 8 km from the town it was pissing down again, it could have held off for another half an hour..... A lot of hotels had shut for the season, but we found one with bike parking, so that was us for the night.
Breakfast with JP, then he went west, and we were heading east with the blue sky, which we were keen to make the most of. Through Jaca, and the really blue Lake de Yesa, then some great twisties towards Vielha. The rain started again just before we reached the 5km long tunnel before Vielha, and when we emerged 8 km from the town it was pissing down again, it could have held off for another half an hour..... A lot of hotels had shut for the season, but we found one with bike parking, so that was us for the night.
