Spain Off Roading 2010

Crew Alan & Julia, John & Myself
Bikes Yamaha XT350, Beta 400 and a Honda 650 Dominator

Day 1 Wednesday 20th October

I take the newly acquired XT 350 up to John's wait for Alan and Julia to arrive with the trailer, fill up 2 x 20 litre containers of diesel.
Alan arrives with the trailer with his bike on, remove Alan's bike and workout how we are going to squeeze all three on, eventually get the 2 smaller bikes on the sides facing forward and Alan's bike in the middle facing backwards, place a few strategic cushions between the bikes and strap everything down. Then we stow away various containers of diesel, toolboxes and a few bags. We put the rest of our clothes bags in the back of the truck around the dog cage.

Jude and Alan walk the dogs at 5pm and Julia and I go down the house in John’s car to save unhitching the trailer. I take a shower clear up then out to the Black Horse pub for a meal with John, meeting up with Andy, Bridget, Helen, Alan and Myfanwy later. Leave their at 10pm for an early night get to sleep at 10.20pm unfortunately wake at 12:20am, give up on sleep and get up at 1:30am everybody else gets up at 2:30am and we drive up to John's for just before 3am. Then down to Dover arriving at 6:30am, we fill up the truck at Dover plus several more jerry cans of diesel due to the French blockading fuel supplies. Go to pull away and find we have a problem with the trailer brakes which seam to be binding on so we have to back of the turnbuckle tensioner to be able to pull away.

Day 2 Thursday 21st October

We get onto the Dover – Calais ferry at about 8am arriving at Calais at 10.20am local time. We set of under the Sat Nav instructions, there is very little traffic on the road probably due to the French blockading fuel, Alan drives for about four hours then John takes over next is my turn. While everybody else is driving I don't seem to be able to sleep but as soon as I get hold of the steering wheel I cannot keep my eyes open. I drive into the wrong peage so I start to reverse out completely forgetting we have a trailer on the back until everybody start shouting at me fortunately it stayed straight and was just starting the veer when I stopped. We set of again and I am just thinking I will stop at the next services when Alan shouts! Bill! and grabs the steering wheel as I cross the rumble strip we swap drivers.
We pass around the Bordeaux ring-road just as the sun is setting and head up towards the Pyrenees passing through the Somme Port Tunnel into Spain at about midnight.

Day 3 Friday 22nd October

In Spain we take a route down through Jaca, Huesco and Zaragoza, I managed to get some sleep before my next stint at driving we put all our cans of diesel in the truck once we are clear of France head down towards Valencia about 30 km before there we are getting low on fuel when luckily we find a 24-hour fuel station so we then have enough fuel to get to our destination. We stop for a coffee between Yecla and Jamilla then the final run down to Alan and Julia's arriving at about 11am knackered.

We unload the bikes and kit settle in, and relax for the rest of the day. In the evening, we go round to Malc and Annie’s for stew and dumplings and continue far too late in the night drinking.

Day 4 Saturday 23rd of October

Arise not too early in the morning the shutters block daylight out which helps us sleep in. Go for a walk up the rambla with Alan and dogs, have breakfast and go into town for supplies. Have a light lunch, then we get the bikes ready and go out for a bit of rambla riding for a couple of hours eventually coming down a narrow trail and onto the rambla by Dave's place, very enjoyable but I am lacking in confidence. Have a quick beer then shower and shave and more beer. Malc comes round for dinner Annie is watching Merlin and strictly come dancing, meal fish from the Mercado savoury rice and salad, usual story drinking too much and far too late.

Day 5 Sunday 24th of October

Up late again and walk with Alan & dogs, have a breakfast of bacon and eggs then we go down to Mojacar with Malc to a bike show on the seafront Ducati stunt bikes the safety left a bit to be desired they would never get away with it in England just the tape barrier between you and the rider who would thunder up to the audience and spin the bike around 2 ft in front of them absolute control but if he lost it he would do a lot of damage. After the show we go back up to Alan and Julia's for a lazy day finishing up round at Malc and Annie’s for an excellent meal chicken and garlic, potatoes and cauliflower cheese and a sensible early night.

Day 6 Monday 25th of October

Up late and a breakfast of fruit (custard apple) nice, its market day in Hercuel Overa so we go down there and have a wander around there buy some fruit and vegetables and some lovely olives, on the way back to the car we have a small beer in the bullfighter bar before going back to Alan and Julia's Then we get the bikes out and go for a good 3hr ride there are endless tracks you can follow must be hundreds of miles going all over the place. As long as you have a reasonable sense of direction you can just follow your nose and then point it in the right direction to go home. When we get back home, have a quick beer then shower and shave and the usual routine of something to eat and too much to drink before bed.

Day 7 Tuesday 26th of October

We have a lazy day today almost finished reading Mike Hailwood biography, then early afternoon we go down Almeria to the Bricomart a huge DIY store Alan is looking to buy a boiler for his shower the price for these is so good that John and I decide to buy a smaller version John for his kitchen and I for work get back to Alan & Julia's at about seven o'clock and cook lamb in Lemon and thyme a few drinks and then a reasonably early night.

Day 8 Wednesday 27th of October

After breakfast Malc John and I go out for a good ride around, Malc leading the way we go through a small village and the trail drops over a rise the other side is deeply rutted Malc hits it straight on the centre were not rutted I come over and drop straight into the middle of the rut just about managed to hang onto it and stay upright with then head back home. Have a bit of a laze around reading then look at the requirements for Alan's boiler shops are shut till 5 PM so go out for a bit of a ride around again come back and shower and clean up. Then we go down to Hercuel to the Ferretier to sort out plumbing fittings and get my glasses repaired back to Alan and Julia's for a meal of aubergines and minced beef feeling weary after a couple beers so another early night.

Day 9 Thursday 28th of October

After breakfast finish off the plumbing for Alan's boiler and have a lazy day reading pop out for a bit of shopping the usual evening meal and far too many beers and a very late-night.

Day 10 Friday 29th of October

After breakfast we go for a bit of a ride around for the morning then go out shopping to get the bits for the evening meal Mediterranean Chicken and Chorizo Malc and Annie coming to eat, Malc is in the mood for a drink, Annie leaves early Malc gets a bit pissed and falls over when he leaves the house.  Alan and Julia take him home and put him on the sofa.

Day 11 Saturday 30th of October

Today is a lazy day we go to the car boot sale at Albox. Then a bit of a tour around in the car to Taberno then go to the La Rancha for steak lunch after that we do a bit of shopping before going back to Alan and Julia's have a light evening meal seeing as how we overindulged at lunchtime then round off the night with a couple of beers in the new bar in Santa Maria de Nieva back the Alan Julia's for a couple more beers before bed at 12:30 AM the clocks go back tonight.

Day 12 Sunday 31st of October

After breakfast, we ride out for most of the day heading out past Taberno and Albox riding over the tricky bits in the rambla Honda only to come to a dead end. We turn around and ride back down the rambla until we meet the road. Then we head back along the road a bit towards Taberno stopping for a drink in the Travellers rest (English run). We get back towards Alan and Julia's, Alan decides to ride up the little gully by Malc's.  I am amazed he even thought about this as he gets near the 3-foot wall he comes unstuck and is pinned to the ground by his bike, unfortunately for him he has landed on a prickly pear bush we parked our bikes and help him out from underneath the bike. We get back home and Alan rushes in dropping his trousers and shouting the Julia to come and remove the spikes from his arse. We shower and clean up have a small snack at about five o'clock and then round to Malc and Annie’s a bit later for a meal with Julia from along the rambla. Have a reasonably early night.

Day 13 Monday 1st of November

Today John and I have a big tour around for most of the day heading up towards Veloz Rubio then just follow our noses,

Eventually get onto a very long rambla, which goes all the way down to Puerto Lombreras, we stop there for a cup of coffee at which point I find that I have lost my wallet. John will have to pay he puts his hand in the jacket pocket and pulls out a wallet just like mine, we then remember that John had put my jacket on first thing in the morning by mistake (we have the same jackets). We only realise this when I cannot zip up what I thought was my Jacket because it is way too tight. Panic over, after the coffee we find our way back via many dead-end gullies eventually picking up with the minor road which leads to the Hercuel Overa to Veloz Rubio road. From here, we drop onto the trail Camino de Puertecico that is a nice trail down with lots of variety from rock & narrow to wide-open rambla eventually arriving back at Alan & Julia’s. Shower etc then eat and sit in reading an early night 10.30pm in bed.

Day 14 Tuesday 2nd November

After breakfast we drive down to Hercuel Overa to go to the Bank & Chemist then do a bit of food shopping & get some fuel for the bikes, back to the ranch and mooch about for a bit, I decide to go out for a ride on my own for an hour had to come back as I had forgotten to put fuel in and was worried about running out I make it back ok.
When I get back put the bike away there is nobody around so I wander round to Malc’s to find a mass tree lopping programme going on should be useful for the bonfire on the 5th Nov. When that is all done we pop up to a neighbours about a mile up the road with the trailer and load up  a big pile of bamboo and nasty cactus plants for the bonfire then unload it at Malc’s after that the beers come out !Oh Dear! Far too early.
Back to Alan & Julia’s for a shower etc then more beer with a Pork & Chorizo casserole with rice, more beer but do stay off the wine a late night.

Day 15 Wednesday 3rd November

Alan and Julia have announced they are having a day on the beach with the dogs (they want to be together). John and I set of on the bikes somehow I manage to stall mine down by Malc’s; I cannot start it again so have to tow it back to Alan's. We take of the seat and tank; check the sparkplug, which does not look to good. We try a new plug which is no good either put back the old spark plug and the spark looks good, check the fuel that seems okay then try to fire it up and away it goes go out for a general ride around just follow our noses trails go on forever in any and every direction. We get back to Alan's for afternoon tea and the remnants of last nights casserole then I read for an hour with my eyes shut.
We pop out again for another circuit down the rambla to St Christina across La Hoya and back up the next rambla. We then ride up and across the top heading back towards Alan's place.  John is in front of me as usual, as he comes off some rough stuff back onto the rambla he careers into the side bank of the rambla, his foot is being battered along the sidewall, and this sends him careering back into the rough stuff and into a big hole where he ends up in a heap. As I arrive there is just picking himself up and wincing with the pain in his foot we get the bike out of the ditch and John nurses his way home. Put the bikes in the garage, I think that might be the end the Johns riding for this holiday. Despite everyone saying John should go to the hospital to get it checked out he does not want to go say’s it will be all right.
Alan & Julia are expected back at about 7pm and we are to prepare dinner, Malc and Annie are coming round, we have lamb shanks for all and duck breast for Alan (Celliacs). After eating, we have the usual night of drinking and merriment before bed.

Day 16 Thursday 4th November

Today we have a day out in Mojaca and Carbonara where we have lunch we then drive back home and pick up Malc to take it down to his car which is the garage being repaired. We have a quick beer at the new bar in Santa Maria de Nieva then back to Alan’s and lounge around reading before the meal, after the meal Alan decides to attack a whiskey bottle and start singing! Oh dear!

Day 17 Friday 5th November

Today we have a lazy morning reading before building a bonfire round at Malc and Annie’s for a bonfire party tonight bangers, burgers, salad etc. Sneak off for an early night at about 11:30 PM.

Day 18 Saturday 6th of November

Another lazy morning reading (Angela's Ashes) finished that then go out on the bikes for a couple of hours with Alan on John's bike as John is laid up. We get ourselves into some real scary places. I have a couple of get off’s at one point we come down a real steep bank of a very loose soil slipping and sliding everywhere get back to Alan's place shower and spruce up before going into Heurcal Overa for a meal back home for an early night.

Day 19 Sunday 7th November

Pack up day today, do a bit of repair work on some water damage on Alan’s back wall against the road and plant some shrubs to try and avoid it happening again. I have a short ride out before rapping up my bike kit and getting the bikes onto the trailer ready for an early start non-stop back to Dover in the morning.

Day 20 Monday/Tuesday 8/9th November

Set of at about 5.00am pretty much sort of motorway all the way up over the Pyrenees through some quite heavy snow up through France via a little skirmish for an hour on minor lanes, bloody Twat Nav arriving at Calais about 8.00am and onto the ferry to Dover and on to home sweet home.