These
are the entries in our day to day diary from our 2002 motorcycle holiday,
travelling through France and along the Pyrenees in Spain. It’s
definitely worth taking a notepad and keeping up the entries, possibly
by the pool, as it’s surprising how much you forget and you could
always use it to jot down other campsites as you learn about them.Day 1 Wet, Wet & Sleep
We started out for Portsmouth at 12:00 a journey of 280 miles in damp conditions. As usual (and its quickly becoming a tradition) as soon as we hit the motorway, the heavens opened. It was so bad that waves could be seen in front of the lorry wheels as they converted the standing water into mist and poor visibility. At Birmingham services we pulled in for a brew and found that we had all joined the ‘black hand’ club. We re-fuelled and put on the plastic gloves they always have at the side of the pumps, and set off again in the rain. As the weather maps had forecast the rain cleared after Birmingham and we made good time to Portsmouth where we dined at Tesco’s café and had a pint at the perfectly placed pub on the edge of the ferry terminal car park. We boarded the ferry and went to our club class lounge to take advantage of the sofa’s, free shortbread, tea, shortbread, coffee, shortbread, orange and of course shortbread. Slept fitfully but well worth trying club class.
We started out for Portsmouth at 12:00 a journey of 280 miles in damp conditions. As usual (and its quickly becoming a tradition) as soon as we hit the motorway, the heavens opened. It was so bad that waves could be seen in front of the lorry wheels as they converted the standing water into mist and poor visibility. At Birmingham services we pulled in for a brew and found that we had all joined the ‘black hand’ club. We re-fuelled and put on the plastic gloves they always have at the side of the pumps, and set off again in the rain. As the weather maps had forecast the rain cleared after Birmingham and we made good time to Portsmouth where we dined at Tesco’s café and had a pint at the perfectly placed pub on the edge of the ferry terminal car park. We boarded the ferry and went to our club class lounge to take advantage of the sofa’s, free shortbread, tea, shortbread, coffee, shortbread, orange and of course shortbread. Slept fitfully but well worth trying club class.
Day 2 Ride, Ride & Leak
We left Le Havre after a fitful sleep and a free breakfast of orange juice, tea and of course shortbread. We travelled along the E5 heading towards Paris looking for a café and fuel stop we had used two years ago. We began to get worried as Alex was beginning to run on fumes after not filling up since Oxford, until Chelle spotted the sign just as we began to overtake two lorries. We hit the brakes and relaxed. Had our first French breakfast of the trip with proper coffee that you could stand your spoon up in and refilled the bikes. Travelled along the N154 from Louviers to Orleans (waving merrily to the roadside prostitutes). Decided to take the toll road after seeing the weather catching us up. Travelled well cruising at 95mph until after Salbris when Alex cracked open the throttle and his base gasket started to leak oil. Pulled into a service station and phoned the dealer who had supposedly fixed this problem? It was interesting watching the locals make a mental note of such terms as ‘I’ll rip your head off’ (polite version). We altered our travel plans to reach a BMW dealer in Bourges who decided to tighten the head after it had cooled for a couple of hours. Decided to B&B in Bourges and went in search of the tourist office only to find we had stopped here in 2000. Had a pizza for tea and found a good Scottish bar blasting out rock and blues for the night.
We left Le Havre after a fitful sleep and a free breakfast of orange juice, tea and of course shortbread. We travelled along the E5 heading towards Paris looking for a café and fuel stop we had used two years ago. We began to get worried as Alex was beginning to run on fumes after not filling up since Oxford, until Chelle spotted the sign just as we began to overtake two lorries. We hit the brakes and relaxed. Had our first French breakfast of the trip with proper coffee that you could stand your spoon up in and refilled the bikes. Travelled along the N154 from Louviers to Orleans (waving merrily to the roadside prostitutes). Decided to take the toll road after seeing the weather catching us up. Travelled well cruising at 95mph until after Salbris when Alex cracked open the throttle and his base gasket started to leak oil. Pulled into a service station and phoned the dealer who had supposedly fixed this problem? It was interesting watching the locals make a mental note of such terms as ‘I’ll rip your head off’ (polite version). We altered our travel plans to reach a BMW dealer in Bourges who decided to tighten the head after it had cooled for a couple of hours. Decided to B&B in Bourges and went in search of the tourist office only to find we had stopped here in 2000. Had a pizza for tea and found a good Scottish bar blasting out rock and blues for the night.
Day 3 Miles, Miles, Heat
The weather had caught us again so we left Bourges on the E11 and headed south for the sun. After 90 miles my bike suddenly lost power and the engine died whilst climbing a hill. Managed to cruise to the side of the road and restart the bike. We put it down to low fuel and the hill together thinking my fuel consumption was high due to the head wind (later found that I had lost the use of an electronic fuel reserve). Continued south and after the mountains at Clermont Ferrand the weather was noticeably warmer. At Milleu we finally found the sun, we stocked up with food (shortbread supplies were low) then travelled to the motocamp at Lunas. The campsite looked good and was also very friendly. Found a shady spot and set up our camp.
The weather had caught us again so we left Bourges on the E11 and headed south for the sun. After 90 miles my bike suddenly lost power and the engine died whilst climbing a hill. Managed to cruise to the side of the road and restart the bike. We put it down to low fuel and the hill together thinking my fuel consumption was high due to the head wind (later found that I had lost the use of an electronic fuel reserve). Continued south and after the mountains at Clermont Ferrand the weather was noticeably warmer. At Milleu we finally found the sun, we stocked up with food (shortbread supplies were low) then travelled to the motocamp at Lunas. The campsite looked good and was also very friendly. Found a shady spot and set up our camp.
We woke up after a noisy night, with the bar playing rock and brass band music? Till about 4am. The sun was still blue and the sun very hot so we decided to spend the day by the pool. Met a Zimbabwean / Dutch bike rider who was well travelled and slept in a hammock covered with a tarp sheet. Had a good night in the bar talking to Vincent and dancing to entertain the other patrons.
Day 5 Ride, Ride, Thunder
Went on a ride to Nimes along a very good twisty road through Ganges. Had a picnic by the river and then into Nimes. Not impressed with Nimes (very hot and crowded. The ride back along the peage to Montpellier was chaos with crazy antics by both lorries and cars. We by-passed Montpellier and jumped off at jn23 and followed the D2 to Clermont L’Herault. The road we had intended to use was closed so we went through Bedarieux and came into Lunas from the opposite direction. This was a good road being empty with good tarmac, which was just as well as the weather had caught up to us again. Spent the night in the bar watching the lightning and talking to Vincent and two Scottish couples.
Went on a ride to Nimes along a very good twisty road through Ganges. Had a picnic by the river and then into Nimes. Not impressed with Nimes (very hot and crowded. The ride back along the peage to Montpellier was chaos with crazy antics by both lorries and cars. We by-passed Montpellier and jumped off at jn23 and followed the D2 to Clermont L’Herault. The road we had intended to use was closed so we went through Bedarieux and came into Lunas from the opposite direction. This was a good road being empty with good tarmac, which was just as well as the weather had caught up to us again. Spent the night in the bar watching the lightning and talking to Vincent and two Scottish couples.
Vincent and the two very hung over Scottish couples left for the Spanish site, but the weather looked crap so we decided to have a lazy day by the pool. It was overcast with sun spells most of the day. Watched a designer saddle tramp try to fix his thermarest (never let a cat sleep on a air bed) by burning holes init with a cigarette? Then filling them with Alex’s glue. Had a late ride to Bescano, which we had passed the day before for an ice cream then a quiet? Night in the bar listening to rock, blues and Belgium brass bands?
Decided to head for Spain and sun along a scenic route. Left Lunas under cloudy skies and rode through Bescano, Mazamet where we put on our waterproofs due to low black clouds. Travelled along very good roads and ate dinner at a supermarche on the outskirts of Carcassonne. Got lost in Carcassonne and missed the castle, finally picked up the ‘biz route’ and headed towards Perpignon. The weather was now hot and sunny. Started to hit a lot of tourist traffic at Quillan which slowed us down filtering until we turned off at Axat. This road was empty and nice and twisty but narrow through gorges as we headed to Mont-Louis then on towards Bourg-Madame where we found the traffic again. We had chicken and chips at a truck stop just over the Spanish border and suitably refreshed set off again along the very twisty and scenic N152 over the Collado de Toses (1800). Met some free range cows hiding round a bend and eventually got stuck behind a slow moving truck and lost a lot of time. At Ribes de Freser the road was more open and faster as we sped to Vic, but it was looking as if we would not make the campsite before dark. Hit a newish road not marked on my map (N35) and flew towards Girona and into Angles. It was now dark and we couldn’t find the small sign to the CMC campsite, eventually had to stop at each side road and using a torch found it. The Scottish couples hadn’t arrived but Vincent had and it turned out that we were the first English people to arrive here. It was late so the ladies insisted we slept in the bunkrooms for one night. We had been on the bikes for eleven hours and covered 290 twisty miles so we didn’t argue. Spent a couple of hours drinking with a Dutch couple before heading to bed.
Had a Danish breakfast after a good night in a proper bed and set up the tents. The weather was a bit cloudy so we went for a ride into Gourdon and had a look around the medieval town and impressive cathedral. Had pizza and lasagne at a busy street café. As we headed back the clouds opened and we sheltered in a Supermarche before continuing to a damp camp.
Sat by the pool in the morning but it went cloudy so we went for a ride through Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar and out along a excellent very twisty and scenic road along the coast to Pomplonas. Here we stopped for lunch and a look around before heading to Palfratta for an ice cream and look around the town. On the way back to the campsite it got dark and wet as we travelled along busy, wet roads. Spent the night talking to Vincent outside his hammock till late.
It rained most of the night and morning until the sun finally came out so we went for a ride with Vincent to Lloret de Mar to watch the beautiful people and count the Burger bars and English breakfast signs. Sat at a beach side bar watching the posers and admiring the enormous cocktails while the ladies went shopping. As usual the heavens opened and emptied the beach. Rode back to the site in the rain and spent the night watching it from the bar. Heard that Barcelona had 10cm of hailstone at the time that we got wet so we were lucky.
Went to the supermarket to get dinner, tea and drinks and because the sun was finally shining decided to chill our all day by the pool and join the red body club. Thermarest repairman was back and spent an hour still trying to repair his cig burned airbed.
Day
12 Miles, Sun, OctopusAs usual the sun was blazing as we left the campsite after saying farewell to Vincent. Travelled on the C25 to Vic and then followed the new C25 towards Berga because we couldn’t find the road to Balserey. At Berga we followed an excellent empty and twisty toad through Solsona. Stopped at Belaguer for food and ended up eating tapas at a bar. Headed to Lleda and followed the N240 through Barbastro and Huesca after deciding to find a campsite whose address was at the CMC. Made very fast progress along good roads with only the occasional line of 3 or 4 cars to work through and the odd fast Merc going past us. Arrived at Anzanigo at 7ish along the roughest road we had seen (C125 to Jaca). Entered Anzanigo village, which was straight out of the ‘league of gentleman’ and was redirected back out and onto the site. Emilio gave us a warm welcome and we found that they did a bikers special of dinner, breakfast and camping or bunk bed for €10. There was biker memorabilia all over the bar and a sort of biker statue in the field. That night we dined on a set meal of calamari salad and pork in a gravy sauce, followed by a choice of deserts (melon, ice cream, flan or fruit) and talked to a Spanish couple before watching shooting stars outside our tents.
Started the day with a ride to Jaca for supplies and dinner after a breakfast of croissants and cakes at the campsite. We followed the same bumpy but scenic road until it finished at Jaca. Had a walk round this touristy town before riding back along a better surfaced road through the same mountainous scenery and spent the afternoon by the pool. This time dinner was a tuna salad followed by meatballs with the same choice of deserts. There were more bikers this night, most were Spanish and we started talking to a group of French riders who had come from the Toca de Rapose in Portugal. Had a late night talking about push starting Ducatis, music and roads to ride in France.
Set out from the campsite after breakfast in the clear sunshine of another hot day. Travelled towards Pamplona on the N240 a reasonably clear road at about 95mph, at one point a 600cc scooter overtook us!!!! In a group of BMW riding Italians. Travelled along the N111 to Estella and then the empty and scenic C132 to Vitoria. Arrived at Vitoria in the rush hour with the temperature at 40c. Found the tourist office and set out on foot to find a pension for the night. Ended up at the same place we had used a couple of years ago. This time the bikes spent the night in an underground bat-cave. Couldn’t find any restaurants and ended up eating Big Macs and Italian ice cream while watching a spectacular lightening show behind the cathedral.
Had breakfast in a little coffee bar and packed the bikes for the ride to the ferry using the toll road this time for speed. Watched the low cloud rolling over the mountains at Puerto de Altude (636m) and sped into Bilbao ferry port to be accused of being late while being 40 minutes early. After having the bikes strapped down we then played hunt the cabin key holder. After a quick change and flash, we went in search of food, entered a pop quiz and watched a film as the ship went through a swell and rocked from side to side. Slept well in a comfortable bed.
Slept well even though the boat was pitching in a swell. Went in search of shortbread but the crew had been alerted and it was hidden. Had a restful day until the ship docked at 18:30. Started on the ride home in lovely sunshine and ran out of fuel luckily within ½ mile of a station, managed to push and ride the bike to the station. Rest of the ride was uneventful up to Knutsford where we hit a 20mile traffic jam that took 90 minutes to work through. Finally arrived home for a nice ‘cuppa’ after just 2500 miles.