 Tuesday, May 29, 2001
Today we depart Antwerp. Since we were last able to update the web site we have had many adventures. Due to problems at our ISP the site has been in a bit of a mess and we were being denied access to do anything about it. All is well now. We think. If you find ANY discrepancies PLEASE send us e-mail so we can get it fixed.
Check out the what’s new page. We have created several new pages to cover what we have been doing the last week and a half rather than put those items here. This makes it a one step process for us. Don’t know where we will go or what we will do. We do know that we will visit the delta area of the Netherlands today if the weather cooperates. Also, we will visit Brugge, Belgium in the immediate future. Our next scheduled stop is in Lisbon, Portugal for the Internet Riders Europrez EP6 meeting the first week in July. We are thinking that we will follow the French coast and then the north and eastern Spanish coasts to Portugal.
Wednesday, May 30, 2001 Top Of Page
Today we visited the WaterLand Neeltje Jans in the province of Zeeland (Sea Land) located in the south west corner (delta region) of the country near Middleburg, the capital of Zeeland. This lowland area was decimated by a flood in 1953 which led to the creation of the Delta Project. This project created a series of dams, dikes and a 3.2 km storm surge barrier.
For Details see the Netherlands and Zeeland pages.
Thursday, May 31 & Friday, June 1, 2001 Top Of Page
One day of rest and relaxation (R&R) - if working on the web site for most of the day is R&R and then half a day getting Verna’s motor bike serviced and the other half riding to Utrecht. We did manage to get the weeping oil problem for the rear ABS sensor on Verna’s bike repaired under warranty. After we arrived and explored the city center and returned to the hotel the rains came. For a change we had good timing with the rain!
Saturday, June 2, 2001 Top Of Page
We woke to rain, rain and more rain. By the time we had showered and dressed it had abated somewhat so it was out with the brollies and into town we go. Yesterday we took the scenic route. This means that we went way out of our way because we did not know where we were going. Today it was much easier. Had tea, croissants and fresh squeezed orange juice at a small cafe. Then it was wander about town between the rain showers. Had a nice lunch at a place that specializes in soups (broccoli and mushroom) for lunch. Also found some beautiful strawberries at the farmers market. We really have to work hard to not make these narratives become a description of our daily gastronomic activities.
We did manage to find some strong tape and a small knife that we used when we returned to the hotel to do a minor repair on the seat on Verna’s bike. With the seat in the low position it is rubbing on the top front corner of the Jesse bags. Because the fabric on the seat had already worn through we carved out a bit of the plastic seat pan so it would no longer rub against the bags and covered the open space with the tape. We shall see how well this works.
For details of our stay, see the Utrecht page
Today was very special. Through the wonders of the Internet and the Europrez e-mail list we met Ton van Bart his wife Karin, and his children Loes, Lex and Pein. Ton picked us up at our hotel and took us to his home and then we departed on a wonderful tour of the surrounding area. Ton and his family live in the town of Maarssen which is located about 5 km north, north east of Utrecht.
See the Maarssen page for details.
Today was a day like no other (thank goodness). We got up and walked into Utrecht for a spot of breakfast and then returned to the hotel to pack and continue our journey. This all went according to plan until Jim turned on the key to his bike and hit the ignition switch. Silence. Total silence. Complete silence. Can you spell dead battery? We have yet to figure out why but the battery had only enough power to light the lamps on the dash of the bike.
 After two hours on the battery charger the bike fired up and we departed Utrecht for points north and east. Tonight we find ourselves in a delightful hotel in the town of Haselunne, Germany. We are at the Burghotel (courtyard pictured at right) which we think would make a great place for a Europrez meeting.
Today we continued north, heading toward Denmark. Although we rode the autobahn all day, we were treated to some beautiful scenery as we rode along. Northern Germany is very green and relatively flat, with some lazy. rolling hills. This is definitely an agricultural area, with field after field of wheat, now knee-high and light golden green as the seed heads begin to bow with the weight of the maturing seed. Occasionally there is the pasture with cattle or horses. Small wooded areas separate the various farms. As we headed into Denmark, the scenery remained very much the same.
Late afternoon as we approached the Danish border, we turned off to the town of Flensburg to look for a hotel. We stopped at one to ask for a room and were told they were booked. When Verna asked if they had any suggestions for other available hotels, she was told that everyone is town is booked and the best thing to do was head for the Danish border where there are larger hotels. So off we went. At the border, there was only one scruffy-looking hotel at the roadside rest area and we decided against it. A Danish police car pulled up to us and asked our nationality. U.S.? No problem. So we ask if he knows of other hotels along the highway. Sure, about 80 km north! So we headed north. After about 60 km we found a sign indicating a hotel, so we pulled off. We found the hotel a couple of kilometers off the highway in a quiet little town, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was very quiet and had good food, so we were happy.
Wednesday, June 6, 2001 Top Of Page
Today we headed off toward Copenhagen. We stopped for lunch at a roadside rest and called a couple of hotels to see if we could get a room. On the third call, we got a room for 3 days. Amazingly, we drove into town and directly to the hotel without any wrong turns and only one stop for a map-check. We were concerned about parking, but as we arrived at the hotel, we found it had a small courtyard where the bikes fit perfectly and the management said we could park there. Very civilized!
Thursday & Friday, June 7 & 8, 2001 Top Of Page
We found a walking tour of the city in the morning and another tour of Rosenburg Castle in the afternoon on Thursday, then another walking tour on Friday morning. For details see Denmark and Copenhagen pages
Saturday, June 9, 2001 Top Of Page
Today we drove over the new bridge between Denmark and Sweden. We tried to get a ferry but there are no ferries now between Copenhagen and Malmo so we were stuck with the bridge. Denmark has been described as a place where there is eight months of winter followed by four months of bad weather (thanks Richard!). It reminded us of the weather in Ireland - if you don’t like what’s happening at the moment, wait five minutes. It will change.
We were lucky and got very little wind and lots of sunshine with puffy white clouds for our crossing and the majority of our trip north to Gothenburg, Sweden. We found a hotel in a small town south of Gothenburg - Molndal. We took a walk about the town center. With the exception of the two food markets, everything was closed. Seems that in Denmark and Sweden it is customary for the stores to close at 1 or 2 PM on Saturday.
Upon our return to the hotel we placed a call to Matz Rosenquist. We met Matz when in Kandel, Germany while attending IEP3. If the weather cooperates we will visit with Matz and his son tomorrow.
Today we drove out to Matz’s place to visit with him and his son Kalle. It was good to see him again and he told us lots of nice places to see and visit the next time we come to Sweden. We could tell Matz was a serious biker when we saw his garage - 3 BMW bikes (an R80GS, and KPN GS and an R1100GS) with the R80 partly dismantled for some repairs. There was no way his car could complete for any space in there!
One the way back to the hotel, we stopped in Gothenburg at the ferry terminal to buy our tickets for tomorrow’s crossing. Not cheap, but it includes a night’s lodging and saves us many miles of driving (not to mention gas).
We spent a lazy morning in the hotel then checked out and headed to Gothenburg to check it out. See the Gothenburg page for additional info.
 We headed to the ferry about 4:30, then waited with the other travelers until boarding time. As there were several motorcyclists crossing, we kicked a few tires as well. Then we all boarded and tied down the bikes. The ferryman directing the bikes put us too close together to center-stand our bikes and when we asked him to help rearrange the bikes, he suddenly didn’t understand any English and just walked off. Luckily the bikers were cooperative and we got it sorted out amongst ourselves with a bit of maneuvering. Our cabin was decent-sized and had a toilet, sink and shower so that was good. We went upstairs to the lounge for a beer, dinner, and several rounds of cribbage as our journey got underway. Above is a shot of the port and bridge as we sailed away.
Tuesday, June 12, 2001 Top Of Page
 This was one of the worst nights we have spent! The ship had a terrible vibration that was constant throughout the voyage. It was something like sleeping on a vibrator bed all night. As a result, we didn’t sleep very well. We packed up, had breakfast, then watched as we approached the port of Kiel, Germany (dodging raindrops as best we could to take the picture at left). Although the group of bikes was near the front and able to disembark early, we (as usual) were the very last vehicles to get off the ship. What’s the rush?
It was raining as we left the ship and the rain continued on and off as we made our way slowly through the traffic jams in town. By the time we stopped for gas we had passed the three Harleys who were the first vehicles off the ferry (who were slowing to a stop along side the autobahn - couldn’t be mechanical problems could it?). At the gas station we met four of the other bikes that rushed off the ferry which had just finished filling up. So we guess being slow off the boat doesn’t put us at too much of a disadvantage.
We put on about 270 miles today which got us south of Hannover and off the autobahn. We stopped for the night at a nice hotel off the beaten track and enjoyed a fresh trout dinner (the trout was swimming in the tank when we arrived). It was delicious, as was the spargelcremsoupe (asparagus cream soup). As long as it is asparagus season, Jim is determined to get his fill of this wonderful soup we first discovered in Wemding, Germany in June of 2000. See the Romantic Road subsection for more into on Wemding.
Wednesday, June 13, 2001 Top Of Page
We slept wonderfully last night, making up for the ferry crossing. And since there were big hot water radiators in the room, we also got caught up on our laundry (the radiators make nice dryers)! Today we headed southwest along the secondary highways, toward Sinzig where we hoped to find Wunderlich, a company that sells specialized motorcycle accessories. We did find the town without too much hassle after our ferry crossing over the Rhein. Once there, we had to ask some locals where the street was. They didn’t know, but the wife of the couple we spoke with went into 2 or 3 shops until she found someone with a map. These people were wonderful! We speak no German and they spoke a little English and really saved the day for us. Wunderlich is actually in a nearby town so off we went and found them at the end of the road (the part in the dirt and gravel). In the lot we got talking to some other cyclists as they were very interested in the Jesse bags on our bikes. As Verna explained about the bags, Jim went in and spent money! We got a couple of kits which will allow us to jump-start the bikes if needed without having to lift the tank to get to the battery (something Jim has wanted since we first saw one on a bike in Orange, France). We also got the oil-cooler protectors to give us some protection from rocks.
We then headed to Adenau, near the Nurburgring, to the BMW dealer. Jim needed some new rain boots we knew they carried, and he wanted to talk to them about some problems he is having with his bike - it seems to be cutting out above 4500 rpm, seemingly from fuel starvation. On the way there, we passed through the Ahr valley which was a delight. The road runs along the Ahr river and the hillsides rise sharply on either side. On the one side, it is all dense woodlands. On the other, it is a patchwork of vineyards. The hills are so steep that in many places they are terraced with massive stone walls. If there is a speck of dirt, there is a grape vine planted in it! As we continued south, the vineyards gave way to campgrounds - hundreds of campers, mostly in trailers, fill the campgrounds that line the river. The summer season has begun!
 We arrived in Adenau in time to talk with the dealer about Jim’s bike. They took it for a test ride and agree there is something seriously wrong, though they are not sure what. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a holiday, but the dealer generously agreed to look at it on Friday. He warned us that he may not be able to finish it until Tuesday, depending on what parts are needed. He recommended an apartment in a private home nearby and called to warn them of our arrival. Good thing, because we speak no German and they speak practically no English. The owner, Mr. Müller, was waiting for us and showed us the apartment and around the place and got us settled. The house is huge and they have rooms to rent upstairs as well as the apartment and some rooms downstairs. The garden and yard is expansive and it is obvious he spends quite a bit of time tending to it. He is a stone sculptor and artisan and has his artwork decorating the yard and house. At left is a picture of the view out the back yard to the surrounding hills. The stone faces at the base of the tree are his work, as is almost everything else in the yard. At right, another part of the garden with our new friend, Bobby the dog. Although Mr. Müller doesn’t speak much English, he was eager to converse with us and came to talk every time he saw us outside. The guest house is actually run by his wife who is eager to please her guests. If you are in the area and are interested in staying here, the guest house can be found at Nurburgerstrasse 22 in the village of Herschbrioch, just 6 km from Adenau. Tel +49 (0)2691-7532, Fax +49 (0)2691-8424.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday, June 14,15 & 16, 2001 Top Of Page
Thursday was a religious holiday so we took the opportunity to rest and relax. Jim used the time to clean his fuel filter, to see if that is the source of the problem. Bingo! The filter was full of tiny black particles, probably from the impeller when the fuel pump died last November. This experience has proved the value of relocating the fuel filter. By design, it is inside the gas tank. This means that the tank must come off the bike and also have all the fuel drained in order to replace the filter. Additionally, there is a gasket that seals the plate the filter is attached to that must be replaced each time it is removed because it expands when exposed to gasoline in order to ensure a tight seal. This would have been a terrible job given the tank has a 41 liter (10 gallon) capacity. The K&N fuel filter Jim installed can be cleaned and reused. The filter BMW supplies can be used replaced, not cleaned.
On Friday we took Jim’s bike to the shop to get the 18,000 mile service and the owner gave us some suggestions for places to see. So first we headed off to Maria Laach and the Benedictine monastery there, then on to Burg Eltz, a lovely old castle hidden in the woods. See The Eifel page for details and pictures.
On the way back from Burg Eltz, we got stopped on a two-lane road by an accident (evidently a vehicle and a bicyclist). We rode up to the front of the line to see that only one lane was blocked by the vehicles, but the police were not letting any one through. Then some bicyclists pass through, so we are tempted. A couple of motorbikes come up with us and begin a conversation. We ask what they think the police will do if we just ride through. “He is German”, he explains, “so he will probably send you back and make you wait an extra 1/2 hour. Oh, and by the way, technically, bikes are not supposed to pass the line of stopped traffic”. As we had just done! OOPS. We watch as several cars and motorcycles coming the other direction turned to go back - this didn’t look promising. Finally a motorcycle policeman came over and we politely asked if we could pass through. The conversation went something like this:
- Policeman: No!
- Jim: But the bicyclists just passed through.
- Policeman: No!
- Jim: But we need to get to the next town. We don’t have a map.
- Policeman: No!
- Jim: But I don’t have a map to direct me another way.
- Policeman: No!
- Jim: So how am I supposed to get back?
- Policeman: The way you came. The road will be closed for 2 hours for a helicopter.
- Jim: This is the way I came.
- Policeman: No!
Oh well, we tried. What works in Ireland and Spain obviously doesn’t work in Germany! So we turned around, headed back the way we came and found another road back. Luckily, we made it back to the shop before they closed (barely).
Saturday was a day of R&R with Jim listening to the sound of more hair falling out.
We bid Nurburg adieu today, in scattered showers that turned into some of the worst downpours we have ever traveled in as we neared Antwerp, Belgium. We called by Carlo Ratzersdorfer’s home to pick up a package that had been delivered to his house a week after we left! Thanks again Carlo for holding on to the stuff. The stuff is the repair kit from Al Jesse for our leaking bags. Based on the work that it will take to implement the fixes he sent, we will probably hold off a while because the temporary fixes Jim made have worked fine and there is no rush to implement this stuff.
Our plan was to ride as far as Brugge, Belgium today. As we were about to get on the Auto route Peach spotted a sign for a Campanile Hotel. We have stayed in these a lot in France and have been happy enough with them. We met an American couple in one while in France and they called the Campaniles the Motel 6 of Europe. For those who do not know what a Motel 6 is let’s just say that it is a chain of budget motels in the U.S. When the chain first opened the price for a room for one person for one night was $6.00 U.S., hence the name. Now the Motel 6 is about $50.00 U.S.
Now for a check of some e-mail for the first time in a week and an update to the web site.
Today we drove to Brugge - another high-mileage day :-). We checked into another Campanile hotel, then took the local bus into town. We spent all afternoon walking around Brugge, enjoying the beautiful architecture, the parks and canals and just a bit of shopping. Of course we had to buy some Belgium chocolate (several different kinds) and late in the afternoon stopped for tea and a Belgium waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream - it was wonderful!
Tuesday, June 19, 2001 Top Of Page
Today we awoke to blue skies and sunshine, a pleasant change from the cold, gray weather we have been experiencing. We spent the day visiting Brugge, walking about the back-streets of the city, discovering out of the way places, taking a horse-carriage ride through town, and buying some souvenirs. Taking a break from all this exertion, we enjoyed a huge pot of mussels for lunch as well as another Belgium waffle for our afternoon break. We’ll have to leave Belgium soon before all these chocolates and waffles expand our waistlines! Be sure to check out our new page on Brugge, full of info and pictures.
Wednesday, Jun 20, 2001 Top Of Page
Awoke to blue skies and sunshine. A nice day to ride. We made it as far as Bolbec, France - a wee bit east of Le Harve, France. We think that France has some of the most picturesque scenery in the world. If only the French would put road signs up that are 1) correct or 2) there at all. Well, it wasn’t too bad as we only made three wrong turns. The one thing we will never understand is signs at an intersection that point to the left but really mean that you should go straight ahead! We are also back in the land of the three (or four) course lunch. Jim had a delicious muscle soup, whiting (fish) main course and chocolate mouse for desert at lunch while Verna opted for the Hors d’ Oeuvre bar. Too much food! “It’s good though!”.
Thursday, June 21, 2001 Top Of Page
Today we headed southeast, determined to see the Normandy beaches.
Visit our Normandy page for details.
Today we first visited the museum in Ste. Mere Eglise, where we learned that St. Mere Eglise was the first town taken by the allies on D-Day, and is considered Kilometer 0 for the movement of the allied front. We then headed out to Utah beach for a visit to the museum there. They have done a good job with the displays to give you a view of the massiveness of the operation. But looking at the beach, it is still hard to imagine this smooth stretch of land with water gently lapping at the shore as the place where such a battle was fought and so many lives were lost. We simply hope that it never comes to this again.
So now we head south on our journey across France. We decided to make some time today and it was going well until just north of Avranches when the traffic came to an absolute standstill. So we passed the miles of traffic until we came upon the gendarme who explained to us the road was closed due to a “bomb.” Whether or not the bomb was true, we don’t know - but the road was definitely closed. And the traffic was a nightmare. We followed through the next town and out onto the back roads, passing where we could and not doing too badly until the cars stopped totally in both directions. The road was very narrow and there were large trucks as well. It is now about 4 in the afternoon, the sun is beating down on us and it is getting hot. Then a big Honda leadwing (Goldwing) came through from the other direction, basically forcing his way amongst the cars. Well, if he can do it, so can we! Amazingly, almost everybody pulled aside for us to pass. Nevertheless, it was pretty nerve-wracking and not the way we prefer to travel. So as soon as we found a side road, we took it. We navigated by the GPS until we got to a main highway, then adjusted our course. By this time it is about 5 pm, so we find the next town with a Campanile hotel and head for home, which turns out to Fougeres for the night.
Saturday, June 23, 2001 Top Of Page
Summer fruit season is here! Last night when we went to the market to pick up fruit, bread and cheese for dinner, we also bought some melon, peaches and bananas for breakfast. We find the French breakfasts to be a bit lacking in that they are usually only bread, juice and tea. We really enjoy a soft-boiled egg, but we don’t find many for breakfast in France. But if nothing else, fresh fruit is a must, so we bought our own. It was wonderful and surprisingly the peaches were sweet and flavorful and the melon was juicy and sweet. So the fruit, leftover bread from last night and some tea made in our room made for a great breakfast (and cheaper than the restaurant as well).
Another warm day ahead of us as dawn broke with blue skies and a few fluffy white clouds that soon departed. We headed south through Rennes and Nantes along the major highways to make some time (plus the fact that this is the same route we traveled last fall coming down from Cherbourg - but the weather is a lot nicer now!). Just south of La Rochelle, the highway becomes a toll road so we switched to the secondary N137. We stopped for lunch at a pleasant roadside restaurant just after we picked up the N137. We found the place had a bar for snacks as well as 2 restaurants - one for quick service set menu and the other a full restaurant. We chose the quick service which turned out to be a good bet - the meal was 55 franks (just under $8 US) and included an appetizer buffet, a choice of 4 entrees (Jim was brave and chose the beef - not something we do very often with the current BSE scare), and a dessert buffet. Wine was also included but we declined as we still had many miles to put on this afternoon (but the waitresses always think we are strange when we don’t take it). A very good meal for the money and it was much quicker than the normal lunch meals.
Last week we bought a Platypus bag to try and Verna has been using it every day to try it out. Today with the heat, it was absolutely necessary. The Platypus is a plastic bag that fits inside the front pocket of the Aerostich jacket. It has a tube that hangs out with just enough to get the mouthpiece inside the helmet. It really is nice to keep hydrated throughout the day rather than trying to gulp down as much as you can at a stop. The couple of stops we did make allowed Jim to get a few gulps as well. But in this warm weather, he is going to have to get his own! So yes, Matz and Carlo, you were right, they are necessary!
We stopped early, about 3:30 after 200+ miles. Not a long day, but not too bad. Tonight we are trying a Kyriad hotel, another chain of hotels in France, similar to the Campanile and about the same price range. The particular one we are in isn’t that impressive, but it may not be representative of the chain. Maybe we’ll give another one a try later in our journey that will change our minds.
As we packed our bikes this morning, a couple of British gentlemen came by to check out what we were about. In talking with them, we find they are traveling around the world in a much different fashion - sailing in a 72-foot yacht! They started in England, sailed to Boston, then down the coast of the Americas to Rio, down and around to New Zealand, around Cape Horn to France, and in a few days will be heading back to England. 34,000 miles so far in a race with (I think) 12 other boats. What a way to go. Should have asked him what the name of his boat was!
We hit the road amidst partly cloudy skies, but promising to be a warm day. Drove down through Bordeaux where the acres of vineyards were lush and green, and the wineries announce their chateau with 20’ high wine bottles.
See the Bordeaux page for more information.
South of Bordeaux, the countryside turned to woodlands of tall pines, alternating with fields of wild ferns and irrigated corn fields. The road here is fairly flat and straight, but pleasant enough with the surroundings. As we near Bayonne, we begin seeing more and more camping trailers, heading for their campgrounds. At Bayonne, the highway becomes a toll road, so we, along with all the trailers, stay on the non-toll roads. As such, Bayonne was a mess! The road through the city narrowed to one lane and the trailers were stopped for miles. As it was warm and we weren’t making any progress, we hit the center of the road and passed as best we could. Luckily, the French are very good about pulling over to let us by (generally) so we made some good progress, nerve-wracking as it was.
We pulled into St. Jean-De-Luz about 4 pm and took the first turn that announced a hotel, just to get out of the traffic. This led us to the Maria Christina, a nice 2-star hotel in a quiet neighborhood. There is absolutely no parking available, but the proprietor was kind enough to allow us to park on the sidewalk, right by the front door and just under our room. We quickly changed into shorts and short-sleeved shirts then headed for town. The beach was absolutely packed with people which was why there was no parking. We enjoyed the lively town very much (see our St. Jean-De-Luz page for pictures and details).
Another warm one today as we head toward Spain. We head toward the Spanish border where we turned inland toward Pamplona. This road (N121) is not a major highway, so we didn’t expect a lot of truck traffic, but were quite disappointed when we came upon one after the other of these big guys with 50’ trailers. Other than that, the road is quite nice as it follows the river Bidasoa for the first 40 km. Then it begins to climb over the pass and we pass through 2 tunnels which are quite cool, providing a great relief to the mounting heat. By the time we reach Pamplona it is about 12:30 in the afternoon and 37 degrees celcius. We don’t have a place to stay, so we head for the tourist information office, clearly marked on our map. We find the place, but the office is no longer there (although the signs are still there - welcome to Spain!). We park the bikes, take off our riding gear and go in search of the office on foot. Some helpful shopkeepers direct us to the new location and we find a detailed map and list of hotels. After a couple of misses, we find one with a room (which, by the way, was just around the corner from the old information office!). Unusual for Europe, Pamplona doesn’t seem to allow motorbikes parking on the sidewalks, so we park in the public lot below the Plaza de Toros. For more info and pictures on our stay there, see our Pamplona page.
Tuesday & Wednesday, June 26 & 27, 2001 Top Of Page
We left Pamplona around noon as the heat was beginning to build. Not as bad as yesterday because it was overcast all morning and it took a while for the sun to burn the high clouds off. We headed north toward Bilbao. Not a long ride today and the heat never materialized (thank goodness). When we arrived in Bilbao it was overcast and cool.
 We headed immediately for the Guggenheim Museum and found the side hack from the United Kingdom with trailer pictured at right. The owner (Dominic) is pictured behind the trailer, a 1950’s design. He told us that he had restored the trailer. To us, it looked as if all the aluminum was new as was the marine plywood floor inside. The bike is a Goldwing which he told us has all the power he needs to pull the weight. The trailer also has surge brakes which should help tremendously.
After a brief view of Bilbao we headed west and spent the next two days in Castro-Urdiales. For information about Bilbao, the Guggenheim and Castro-Urdiales see the Bilbao page.
Thursday & Friday, June 28 & 29, 2001 Top Of Page
We left Castro-Urdiales with bright blue skies and headed west, with a reservation in the little town of Barro for the night. Most of the ride (mileage-wise) was on the autovia, so it passed rather quickly. However, the engineers who planned the autovia through this area wisely left the road to follow the terrain with ups and downs and sweeping curves, rather than the usual flat and straight roads we often find on the autorvias. Very refreshing. It got a bit hectic near Santander, and later the air quality through Torrelavega was quite bad. But other than that, it was a pleasant ride through the green terrain, with forests on the hill tops and red-roofed houses dotting the fertile valleys. A ways west of Torrelavega, the road reverted to 2 lanes and we slowed our progress quite a lot. This section of the road took us almost as long to drive as the autovia section which was twice as long.
Just as we passed the last of the traffic and the road opened up to 4 lanes again, we saw our turnoff for Llanes. We headed through the bustling seaside town of Llanes, then quickly found ourselves in the country. We passed through a couple of small villages, then turned toward Barro. We passed right through it (there were 3 buildings) before we knew it, and soon found ourselves in the next little burg about the same size where we turned around. This time through Barro, we took the turn (the only turn) to the playa. This put us a one-lane road with bushes growing 5’ tall on either side (are we in Ireland?). After about a kilometer, the area opened up to fields and we could see a hotel. “That’s where we are staying” announces Jim. As we approach, we find that it wasn’t our hotel, but ours was across the street. About this time Verna identifies the rocky dirt lot on the hill as the parking lot for the hotel with our resevation. Meanwhile, Jim is looking longingly at the smooth paved lot of “his” hotel. We pull into “his” hotel so he can check the prices. They are a bit less than the hotel with our reservation, so we have found a new home for the night. We called and canceled our reservation and were set. After settling in our room, we decide to stay for 2 nights.
 There was a lovely, small cove beach just a 2 minute walk from the hotel, so walked on the beach and Verna took a swim. The water was a bit chilly at first, but was a great temperature for swimming. The water was clear and blue, with small waves breaking on the shore. While the beach itself was a beautiful white sand, the surrounding shoreline was solid rock. Later when we walked along the road, we found the coast to be a series of these small inlets with white sandy beaches, surrounded by rocks. Quite a lovely area. Lots of camping areas. We received the picture at left in an email from Fernando Fernandez, the Manager of the Miracielos Hotel several days after our departure and thought it did a much better job of showing the area than our explanations ever could. We also learned from Fernando that they have a web page (link above).
The other thing we noticed was that most of the visitors were Spanish. We met a few British folks from the camping parks, but all the hotel guests were Spanish. This was a nice change for us as we now felt we were really back in Spain. The other thing that made us feel “back in Spain” were the prices. Very reasonable, both for the hotel and the food. The hotel had a good restaurant so we didn’t need to go far to feed our faces. The best part, however, was the dining area on the verandah with a view out to the pastoral setting. We spent our last evening on the verandah, drinking sangria and playing cribbage. What a tough life! At right the picture shows Verna with our bikes parked under the verandah where we enjoyed our sangria (that wall of glass opens to let in the fresh sea breezes).
The weather was clear and warm the day we arrived and a bit cooler the next morning. The cooler temperatures didn’t seem to phase the beach-goers. They were out in force for the entire day. Being Friday, more and more people arrived by the hour so by evening, the beach was really bustling (though never really got crowded). By 8, the clouds were moving in and it cooled down appreciably.
Saturday, June 30, 2001 Top Of Page
The hotel is now full, so it is time we hit the road. The skies are overcast and gray, so there will be some disappointed visitors who hoped to enjoy the sea, sun, and sand for their weekend (2 out of 3 isn’t bad). We start out on the autovia, but after 50 or so kilometers, we are back to 2 lanes as we see road crews working on the newer sections of the autovia. Eucalyptus trees, forests of eucalyptus trees cover thousands of acres across this north coast. As we pass into the narrower sections of road, the pungent spell of eucalyptus oil permeates the air.
From Villaviciosa to Gijon, the road is an absolute delight! There wasn’t much traffic, so we were able to enjoy the twisty-turny road through the hills. The scenery is beautiful all around and occasionally we slow a bit to enjoy a panoramic vista. Hopefully they will continue to maintain this road even after the autovia is completed. All the way along the Costa Verde, the road dips in and out of the hills and occasionally provides a glimpse of the ocean. Somewhere along the way we stopped for lunch at the first roadside restaurant we saw that had trucks pared at it (a sign of a good bet for lunch). Yes, we definitely are back in Spain: the price of food is reasonable and the men’s toilets are filthy (the women’s seem to fare better). Anyway, we had the menu (I think that was our only choice) and had sufficient first course for 4 people, followed by a pile of patatas fritas and 5 pork chops. Wine or water is included, as is bread and dessert. We were stuffed and didn’t come close to cleaning our plates. All this for about $5 US each.
All the way through the region of Asturias, we have been seeing these rather strange (to us) buildings. They are usually square, about 12’x12’, made of wood, but setting on top of 4 pillars (one at each corner. The pillars were either wood or stone, tapering toward the top. Then between the pillar and the building is a round stone, about 3’ in diameter. Based on the raised nature and the round stones at the corners, we guess these were built to keep animals out (large and small). But we are really not sure of their purpose.
After Foz, we took the local road to the playa, hoping to find another hotel like we had last night. No such luck. We appear to be in a area that supports camping (we weren’t ready for that) but not hotel guests. There were a few hostels, but we have been spoiled by the 3-star hotels we have been finding. Finally, in the town of Burela, we found a nice hotel and managed to get the last room there. The room was a suite with a separate “living room” with 2 couches and a small table. It really is nice to have more than one room to walk into and we are enjoying the extra space. We took a walk through town, but it doesn’t appear to have a lot to offer visitors. There is a large man-made port which appeared to serve the larger, industrial customers. We are only about 40 kilometers from the northernmost point in Spain, so that will be our first stop tomorrow.
 Today was a very pleasant day traveling in overcast skies on great motorcycle roads. One of the objectives for today’s ride was to visit the northern most point in Spain. Verna is pictured at left with the bikes at Punta de la Estaca de Bares. It is hard to see but there is a light house between Verna and Jim’s bike on her right (the left of the picture).
 This area was really different from the surrounding flora and fauna. The entire coastal area is covered with forests of eucalyptus tress. On this point there were no trees at all. We haven’t been able to confirm our suspicions but we think that the eucalyptus trees are not native to the area. The picture at right shows a bit of the rugged coast line in this area and helps explain why it continues to be lightly populated today. The bit of rock going into the ocean is actually the northern-most point of land, but we saw no way to get the bikes out there easily (yes, we are whimps!).
What is not shown is all the gorse bushes in the area. For a brief moment we thought we were back in Ireland - amidst the gorse, bracken and heather, as well as the wind blowing 30+ MPH, it is very reminiscent of Ireland.
From here we turned south and had a leisurely ride through some beautiful country. It was all lovely until we left the coast and headed inland toward Santiago de Compostela. As we left the coast the overcast disappeared and the temperature went up immediately - to about 37+ degrees C (about 95 degrees F). Not our kind of temperatures! We stopped for lunch in a small town along one of the numerous rivers in this part of Spain.
Here in Galicia, we find lots of slate roofs. These are a bit different from what we see in other parts of Europe where the slate shingles are all cut to the same size and overlapped in rows. Here, they appear to be random shapes and sizes, with the smaller ones at the top and the larger ones at the bottom. The patterned effect is very pleasing. Some also seem to have large rocks cemented in place along the sides and lower edges (perhaps to keep the wind from blowing them off?).
The other unique architectural find here are buildings on pillars again - but this time they are smaller and rectangular (most seem to be about 5’x10’). They are usually made of stone, though we have seen several of wood. They also are vented on the sides. We guessed that these might be used to store food stuff, but weren’t sure what. A little research proved us right - they were used to store grain, and the size was an indication of the owner’s wealth. They are called horreos. And we found that the big square ones we saw in Asturias were the same thing, but in a different style.
We reached Santiago shortly after 3:00 in the afternoon but decided that neither of us were in the mood to navigate a large unknown city in the heat. So, what to do? Head for the coast naturally. By 5:00 we were in Cambados, about 45 kilometers southwest of Santiago. We found a nice hotel, checked in and headed immediately for the pool. It was cooler in Cambados but just barely - about 30 degrees C. We decided that we liked it here while we were sipping our jarra (pitcher) of sangria. Good stuff this. We decided that we would stay another day.
Today we had a nice breakfast at the hotel and then found the local Estastion de Autobus and discovered that we could take a bus into Santiago for about U.S.$3.00 each. So we explored Cambados in the morning and caught the 1:00 PM bus to Santiago. See the Santiago de Compostela page for information about our adventures.
A rather short day. We headed south along the C550 (coast road) and did fine until we came to Vigo. It seems that the local strategy is to get everyone to use the new Autopista (toll road) and as a result, signs for the C550 in the town of Vigo are few and far between. Vigo is a fairly large town and this made navigation a lot of fun. Especially with the town being built on the side of a hill. It made for some interesting trips up and down streets that seemed to go nowhere. After about an hour of driving we managed to find ourselves on the southwest side of town and back on the C550. We managed to avoid the Autopista once again.
This evening finds us in Baiona, Spain in a nice hotel along the beach. The fog rolled in this afternoon and the temperature has dropped considerably. The weather is quite changeable along the Atlantic coast of Spain. The are is named La Costa de Muerte (The Coast of Death) due to the number of sea fairing accidents with ships going onto the rocks as Captains were caught unaware of the changeable weather. This has changed in a large part due to technology like GPS’s which provide accurate current information for the sailors as to their position and the position of the land. We too found our GPS indispensable today or we would still be in Vigo!
Tomorrow we will probably cross the boarder into Portugal. Due to limited telephone numbers for us to access the web in Portugal updates will probably cease for the next week or two. Plus, we are in the midst of a billing dispute with our ISP. It seems that they want to bill us for phone calls made from Canada, the U.S., and the UK. Places we have not been since September of last year. Go figure. Looks like our account has been compromised and they are now threatening to curtail our service as of this coming Friday. Stay tuned for further adventures.
Wednesday & Thursday, July 4 & 5, 2001 Top Of Page
As we headed south from Baiona, we found the sparcely-populated coastline we thought we encounter in this area. It certainly was heavily populated prior to this area. From Baiona down to the town of Goian where we caught the ferry to cross the river to Portugal, the road hugged the coast, with steep hills on our left and the rocky coast on the right. It was a beautiful ride with only a few small villages along the route. A small local ferry transported us across the Minho river to Portugal for only 500 pesetas for both bikes (about U.S. $2.50).
Once in Portugal, the road conditions deteriorated, as did the number of road signs. Without the GPSs, we would have had a hard time figuring out where to go. There were a few signs with town names on them, but none with any highway numbers We continued our strategy of staying on the coast to keep cool and once again were successful. The traffic wasn’t bad until we got several miles from Porto when it came to a standstill. We inched along all the way into town, many times sitting through several cycles of the stop lights before we could progress forward. The main problem seemed to be the fact that the roads were torn up for construction and we were routed along narrow, cobbled streets. And just to make matters worse, cars were parked in traffic lanes, blocking what access there was. What a mess! Although it wasn’t all that hot, the bikes nearly overheated riding in these conditions. Lots of steep hills at very low speed when we were moving at all. Road signs were lacking, so it took us a bit of trial and error to find the bridge to Vila Nova, just across the river.
We found a hotel with a parking garage and by the time we got up to our room, it was pouring rain! We were really glad we had missed that while riding on the cobbled streets, which were covered with a thin layer of dirt which would now be a slippery mud. But we were concerned that once again, while visiting Porto, it would rain the whole time. Not to fear, as 20 minutes later it quit raining and we went for a quick walk before the next shower We could see the storm clouds coming in, but it doesn’t appear to be a long-lasting storm. (Wrong - it rained all the next day!).
While unloading the bikes in the basement garage at the hotel we met three local lads who were working on a project at the hotel. They were using some space in the garage to prep equipment that they were working on. One of them had his Honda 550 parked there. He was very interested in our bikes. He spoke no English. We speak no Portuguese. Needless to say communication was not real easy but we did manage to understand each other and our Spanish helped us tremendously. But, Spanish is NOT Portuguese!
On Thursday we did a bit more touring of Porto to add to that which we had done in March when we visited with Verna’s parents. Did a bit of port tasting in the afternoon. See the Porto page for details.
 As we were preparing to leave the hotel today we encountered the same guys in the garage of the hotel. The fellow with the Honda, Jose Carlos Henriques, is pictured at left on Verna’s bike. We’d like to think that we have another convert to world travel by motorcycle.
We left the hotel and headed east for the Duro valley where they grow all of the grapes used to make port wine. This was a short mileage day in that we only covered 60 some odd miles. The interesting part is that the roads were in such terrible condition that it took us four hours with only one 15 minute break to do this. For more than half of the ride we were on roads that were more holes, dirt and sand, and rocks than pavement. Good preparation for us for things that we know we will be facing in the future. We were a bit surprised to find this level of deterioration in a country that has qualified to be part of the European Economic Union and participate in the issuance and use of the Euro starting next year.
 As can be seen in the picture at right, the views of the Duro river and the terraced hills where the grapes for port are grown makes for a spectacular view. While the road was in very bad condition, the views made up for it. The area pictured is really the start of the three sections of the Duro Valley where the grapes for port are grown.
When were entered a different provence the condition of the road changed dramatically. It appears that it is up to the local government to maintain the roads and one provence has elected to let their roads deteriorate to and unbelievable state of disrepair. We were happy that we were able to take advantage of the bad weather for this part of the trip. Normally temperatures in this area are between 35 and 40 C. Today was about 25. Lovely.
Saturday & Sunday, July 7 and 8, 2001 Top Of Page
We arrived at the Hotel do Caramulo in Caramulo, Portugal for the Europrez VI meeting yesterday evening. We came early because we wanted to spend three days in one place without having to pack up and move on!
This ends this segment of our journey. See the EPVI page in the Motorcycle Events Section for details of that event. We are not sure where we will go from here. We are commitment free from now until the first of September when we will be returning to Dublin, Ireland to visit with friends. Stay tuned for further adventures.
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