2013 Euro Tour - Beginnings of another Experience of a Lifetime

[Runako]

After watching this (http://vimeo.com/49445992#) and following my 1st successful Euro tour (solo) from Cardiff to Barcelona via France, now thinking about next year. Firstly, the advice given on this site was great. Thanks.

Is anyone interested in doing a Euro Tour joint or group trip next year (2013)? I want to start developing my plans so here is as good a place as any. If interested feel free to post suggestions on locations, dates, accommodation, events etc here. I've started with the following criteria:

1. Between May - August 2013, max 2 weeks. I spent just over £1k on Insurance/Legal Cover, Recovery, return ferry to Caen, Petrol, Accommodation, More Petrol :) and shenanigans in Barcelona. Could be done for much less.
2. Anywhere in Europe (France/Spain/Italy first come to mind);
3. Companions welcome, male or female, couple, young, old or in-between. Just anyone who is interested;
4. Prefer not to camp so hostels/B&B's
5. No Motorways unless unavoidable to get to somewhere (Last year I spent a whole 3Euro and that was after taking a wrong turn).

If anyone's interested add your ideas here. I'll start updating with ideas and info as and when so watch this space.

Lets do this thing - EuroTour 2013 begins!

[Tomor]

I would be up for this, I know a few more guys from the GM would do this also

[Runako]

Ah good thinking. I'll post a link in there too. Cheers

[Thunderace]

I'm in, lived in Germany for 3 yrs but never rode as far South as France (apart from Belgium to Calais) so would be well up for this, work permitting of course, the sooner the dates are sorted the better my chances of getting leave.:D

Also Austria has some pretty gnarly roads, just thought I'd mention it!;)

[Runako]

You'll get a gist of it from my vids shortly. Riding through the Loire Valley and into the South of France, Millau, Montpellier and Narbonne was a pleasure. The road quality is far better than here and there is a distinct absence of traffic in the summer. I have heard Austria/Switzerland is a good tour route and would definitely give it a go.

[littleoldman2]

I fancy the Balkans.

[Doinitmyway]

Would love to go back sometime next summer :p

[Runako]

Let me start from the beginning. Here is the route I took on the way to Barcelona, including the route info, petrol stops and rough cost estimate for fuel (I can tell you it was a lot more than this due to the awesomeness of most roads :D)

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/8314478612_2777dcde76_b_zps8bc655cc.jpg

So literally went as straight as possible whilst avoiding the "Peages". I was on fasttrack to Barca and so didn't do any planned scenic routes on the way there. But wow was it lovely :)

[Spank86]

I'd potentially be up for this.

Budget dependent. £1k plus food might stretch me a little.

[Runako]

I'd potentially be up for this. Budget dependent. £1k plus food might stretch me a little.

It'll be a lot cheaper now that I have an idea of what I'm doing. Included breakdown/recovery & extra insurance cover. Ferry alone was £200 to Caen but can be done cheaper. If more than 1 goes then some stuff can be shared like tools, so potential petrol savings ;) (every little helps) & I spent over 100Eu for 1 night in France 65Eu for my first night in Barca having left it late to find decent budget accommodation.

£1k should cover everything for 2 weeks but I didn't eat extravagantly. But Barca can be expensive, as are some of the cities in France. On this trip I'll have more time to go off the beaten track and sample some more rustic food in little cafe's and provincial restaraunts so this again should be a bit cheaper.

Other ents such as Tours and boat trips etc were either very reasonable or very expensive so it would be difficult to set an accurate budget for these things. Really depends on the individual. But there is otherwise more than enough to do and see for free.

The Viaduct spanning Millau is a good example. As its actually part of the motorway network you had to pay something like 6Euro to cross it. So after going there specifically to ride it, i decided not to ... and rode a couple of the other viaducts all around that area for free. Maybe they're not as high up but the view was truly stunning.

[Spank86]

I'm not too worried about entertainment budget, I could happily get by with beer and a good book while you go boating.

If you're not going in the spahish direction the chunnel may be the best way to get to the contitnet, it's certainly the cheapest and I'm sure some of the GM's resident route planners could help with some good roads through our bit that aren't the M25.

How long are you thinking for the trip, one week?

[Runako]

Haha. No, no boating for me, just an example for anyone who was thinking of it. 2 weeks is about right I found. Could do longer but the budget can't. Yes, Chunnel is cheapest if you're that side of town. But it worked out to be only a tenner difference (i.e. considering the extra cost of riding to Dover from Cardiff and back again + the added time it would take after such a long trip didn't thrill me). But, I'm open to any cost saving ideas. The fun to be had is out there after all.

As for destination? I'd like to do more of France and heard there are some amazing parts of Southern Spain. Stilvio Pass has been mentioned and germany etc. So many places to go.

[Spank86]

Well I'm a definite maybe.

It'll depend on when it is because of work and whether I can fund it but I'm certainly interested.

[Runako]

Always wanted to do a Euro Festival. So will probably go for one of these as part of the Tour (Hyperlinked for more info):

Sonar (http://www.sonar.es/es/2013/) - June 13th-15th: Kraftwerk, PSB, Two Door Cinema Club etc.

Benicassim (http://fiberfib.com/index.php/en/) - July 18th-21st: Feat. Killers, Queens of The Stone Age etc;

Bilbao BBK (http://www.bilbaobbklive.com/2013/en/news) - July 11th - 13th: Kings of Leon, Depeche Mode, Green Day etc;

All offer the choice to do 1, 2 or all days & offer camping. So dates are looking like Mid June or Middle/Late July and may extend the trip by a few days if necessary to make the return more relaxing.

For me, from Cardiff its about 1k miles. Here's a Michelin Map mock up and a link to the site if you wish to plot a route from wherever you are:

Via Michelin ("http://www.viamichelin.co.uk)

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/MaptoBenicassim_zpse1afa47e.jpg

[Runako]

So here's ep. 1 Tour vid from last summer. Turns out most of the footage wasn't the best as I realised I was much happier just riding and not filming, or thinking for that matter (which led to some interesting, unexpected experiences). Fancy that, spending £200 on a camera and finding out you're not that fussed about using it. Anyway, there's enough for maybe 3 or 4 vids and a short story so here goes:

LtA3TlBaEgc

To give a little context, I'd bought the bike for pleasure and hoped to go touring at some point. However, life got in the way and I found myself making excuses time and again - the usual, not enough money; not enough time etc. So I had two weeks booked from ages before and totally forgot about it. I then decided to move because my bike was being vandalised (*******s) and thought I'd use the time off.

With help from a friend, I got the move done and dusted and made the last minute decision to go for it. My only plan was to get to Barcelona in a week and see if I could hop on a Ferry to Mallorca. Everything else was up in the air. Last minute route planning and ticket booking ensued. It works out that its not cheaper to book last minute. I'd purchased Oxford panniers months ago and was eager to use them. I already had my trusty Ox magnetic tank bag. Last but not least, extra insurance, recovery and European Health Card and I was ready.

The plan was to use my phone as a GPS Navigator, Translator (as I spoke no French or Spanish) and Mobile Internet to locate accommodation etc. I had no map, phrase book, minimal cash (surely Europe take Switch Cards?) no accommodation booked. Ok, these aren't exactly best laid plans I admit, and as the saying goes ... things started to go wrong.

So off the Ferry in Caen after a glorious trip, really chilled and eager to get going. But its 7 in the evening (European Time) and I need to find accommodation. No problem, check the phone. "Err ... why can't I get a signal?". No matter what I tried I could not get a 3g signal despite having full reception. So that's the Sat Nav, Internet for locating accommodation and translator out the window.

No problem, improvise! Headed into Caen and really enjoyed the ride. Took my time as I was, after all, riding on the wrong side of the road ;) By the way, its incredibly easy to get used to this as a biker. Although I had visions of making wrong turns at every junction, the only times I had problems was when initially navigating roundabouts. But soon enough this was second nature. If only speaking French was that easy!

Arrived in Caen at about 8 with the sun starting to set. Seemed darker than usual though. Brain frazzled from following numerous roadsigns in French, I stopped at the place I thought most likely to contain an english speaker - yes, the Travelodge. But 10 minutes later during which a conversation of 120 Euro per night took place, and no forthcoming info about hostels, I was back on the road again and just about stating to panic. After all, it seems a lot darker than usual ...

After finding that the City Centre of Caen is great for tourist attractions, and overpriced hotels, I decided to venture to the next town with the logic that hopefully smaller meant less expensive dwellings. Awfully dark out there.

Headed out of the city and unto and unlit A road. "Sh!t, I can't see anything!" My lights weren't working!

How the hell did that happen? They were working fine when I left. I won't bore you with the long version ("Hello, anyone still there?") but it seems en route on the ferry, the spring in the starter button housing had become dislodged and was not closing the circuit to make the lights work. Obviously, I didn't take the manual with me - the bike had been serviced shortly before I left - and at the time I had no clue what was causing the problem.

I made the decision to strip the front fairing to see if a wire had come loose or something ... at 10pm European Time. This of course was unsuccessful and so at 12am European Time I was contemplating two options:

a) Risk arrest or death by driving blind or;
b) Find a lovely little corner somewhere and hunker down for the night. After all it was a quite pleasant evening.

I've replayed these events over a thousand times in my head and there are so many things I could have done differently. But you know what, I wouldn't change anything. That first night reminded me that, even though I can be stupid, I'm also very self sufficient. It gave me the confidence afterwards to just chill out and enjoy the trip. Whatever happened next I knew I could deal with it.

Part 2 coming soon.

[Skybaba]

Now that's a crazy write-up!!! Looking forward to reading the rest......Like It!!!!

:-) :-)

[Doinitmyway]

I was looking at a few options for a euro trip in first week of june. The ferry from Plymouth to Santander for 1 person 1 bike was available for £120. Paid £200 last year. Might give you more time to ride around the excellent roads in Spain - over/across/around the pyrenees to Barcelona??? Then a nice ride home via ? ? ? ?

:smt028

Chris

[Runako]

I was looking at a few options for a euro trip in first week of june. The ferry from Plymouth to Santander for 1 person 1 bike was available for £120. Paid £200 last year. Might give you more time to ride around the excellent roads in Spain - over/across/around the pyrenees to Barcelona??? Then a nice ride home via ? ? ? ?

:smt028

Chris

Yes Chris, thanks. I've been checking and realise it could have been done much cheaper with advanced booking so working out the dates and will book ASAP. I also like the Santander route and it would be different having done France last time so will defintiely consider this.

[Runako]

Now that's a crazy write-up!!! Looking forward to reading the rest......Like It!!!!

:-) :-)

Haha, thanks man. Yeah crazy trip. The camera didn't capture even 5% I don't think. So can't promise footage of wheelies etc or any decent vlogging but will try to put something together for a few minutes of entertainment.

[Spank86]

That all sounds positively bucolic.

I don't want to hijack your thread but I'll just leave a link here to my write up of my one and only euro trip attempt a couple of years ago.

http://www.triumphrat.net/ride-trip-reports/153940-full-tank-of-gas-half-pack-of-toblerone-its-dark-and-im-wearing.html

[Runako]

That all sounds positively bucolic.

I don't want to hijack your thread but I'll just leave a link here to my write up of my one and only euro trip attempt a couple of years ago.

http://www.triumphrat.net/ride-trip-reports/153940-full-tank-of-gas-half-pack-of-toblerone-its-dark-and-im-wearing.html

Lol, by all means mate you carry on. I'll have a read now.

Edit: OMG Spank, I'm reading your post and you reminded me of Tolouse! I also made the same mistake and went on the twisty, circular roundabout thing into the City. BIG mistake. Was going pretty quickly, or so I thought, until a Bandit came out nowhere and pulled some impressive lean on that roundabout. But I got seriously lost in that city for an hour or so. Traffic was a nightmare.

And I did the 147! :D

[Spank86]

I wasn't going quickly at all, not back then loaded with panniers and no sleep.

Doing the usual British 5-10 mph above traffic rate sensible stuff and bloody hell was I outclassed. Bunch of loonies.


All great fun though, when things go a bit wayward are usually the best bits of a trip.

[Runako]

So here's where I stopped for the night (found a nice spot in the back doorway) ...

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Caenpitstop_zpsd56ac446.jpg

... after failing to sort the lights. Left in the early hours heading South. Didn't know how far I would get but I was determined to press on while the riding was good and my energy was high.

This is where I got to by 10am:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/CaentoTours_zps54aa12aa.jpg


That's 150 miles in about 4hrs of non Peage riding. Glorious fun! Here a quick vid showing how nice a day it was and a brief walkaround Tours.

WxwuxAYRx4Y


To add a little to the story, here's how my day went. Set off at about 5.30, went to my first petrol station where I'm glad to say my card worked. Picked up a Michelin Map of France (very good idea for any tourer - its pretty much all you need, as I would discover) and literally pointed to a place south from where I was and headed off.

In truth I was tired. The nights sleep was not comfortable. Had a few stray dogs sniffing around (probably hoping I was dead or something) so almost slept with one eye open. I had a few snacks so food wasn't an issue and the true benefits of being a man meant never worrying about having a wee. But I was eager to press on as the scarlet sky seemed to take forever to break into true sunshine. I was still thinking about getting caught by the police and heard a lot of stories, so figured I'd wait for it to get a bit lighter.

So off I went eventually and map in hand - or in tank bag - we found what turned out to be some of the most awesome road I'd ever ridden. The fact that I did 150 miles in 4hrs doesn't sound impressive. Maybe so, but I was being particularly cautious and getting used to the signage.

I can tell you that after a couple of hours as I went through the Valley I was at one with the bike. Music in my ears, the road was music to my tires. The Bike thanked me for these smooth long open roads and never missed a beat. In fact, not once during this trip did I have to worry about the bike (More on my abuse later).

A most awesome first day saw me get to Tours just after 10. The roads and riding was simply so good that I continued past each checkpoint and would have gone through Tours were in not such a beautiful small city.

The city itself is worth seeing as a tourist attraction. There is a lot of Art and Architecture; it has many historical features and was important to France's industrial history; yet the overall feeling this place gave was that of a young vibrant but relaxed place with more to offer than appears on its surface. I realised quite quickly, after walking around the city for a day that I would have to come back if I wanted to scratch this surface.

Found a hotel overlooking the main square for 60Euro (ouch, but after a day sleeping rough I figured I deserved it). This turned out to be a bargain as the room could have held a house party. Massive. All the mod con's with tasteful big French furniture, especially the bed in which I promptly fell asleep and slept soundly for six hours before venturing out for some food.

All in all a very good second day. Next Up, heading further south, more awesome roads and Barcelona in 3 and a half days.

[Runako]

I'm now thinking I'll have to extend this years tour to at least 16 days :)

[Runako]

Hijacking my own thread a little. Here's a short trackday vid from the summer featuring in my new SV650 Trackday Video thread here - http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?p=2815000#post2815000:

lKvuaL2NvRA

[Skybaba]

Nice........I hope to do that once day :)

[Runako]

Right, updates planned during the next few weeks:

- More ideas about dates, activities and roads;
- Video / Pics and write up of the Journey to Barcelona and my stay there;
- Booking the time of work so then this trip is set in stone!

By end of March I hope to have decided on the date, booked the ferry and confirm the route. If achievable, I'll book accomodation in advance but its more likely I'll just save some details for whilst I'm out there.

So without further ado ...

[Runako]

Dates - Ferry prices as of today, here are some likely tour dates.

1) 8th / 9th June - 20th / 21st June- Overall 12-14 days. Newhaven to Dieppe - £88 or Portsmouth to Le Havre / Cherbourg approx £105

2) 26th / 27th June - 11th / 12th July - Overall 15 - 17 days. Newhaven to Dieppe - £86 or Portsmouth to Le Havre/Cherbourg - £105

3) 12th / 13th July - 26th / 27th July - Overall 14-16 days. Newhaven to Dieppe - £86 or Portsmouth to Le Havre/ Cherbourg - £105 approx.

Possible main activity

Apart from the riding of course, the following festivals coincide with the dates above:

1) Sonar (Barcelona): 3 day international music and arts festival (day tickets available) - http://www.sonar.es/es/2013. So a liesurely stroll from Le Havre etc to Barcelona by 13th June (5 day from Le Havre)

2) Worldwide Festival (Sete, France): Week long festival (daily tickets available) - http://www.worldwidefestival.com/en/sete/home-sete.html. Nice ride to the South coast by the 1st July (5 day ride from Le Havre).

3) Benicassim (Valencia): 4-5 days festival on the beach (1 day ticket available) - http://benicassimfestival.co.uk. This would mean being in Valencia by the 18th July (5 days ride from Le Havre).

[Doinitmyway]

Lots of things coming together - and coming apart for this years trip!

Time booked off work - Check!
Chunnel bookings made - Check!
Bike booked in for service - Check!
Another Org'er joins in! - Bonus!
Another mate drops out - aww frip :(
Checks £ against EUR - oh ffs and it's still heading south :mad:
Do you dont you sort out a bit now......

Nothing will blunt the eagerness taking over though - really looking forward to going 'back'. You got any firm ideas on places???

Chris

[Runako]

Roads

This map looks good - http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcycle-roads/motorbike-rides-in-france-/france-__804.html

Landing in Le Havre, a good route seems to:

Day 1 - Le Havre - Liseux - Gace - A28 (Alencon) - Le Man - Tours

Certainly doable in one day, there are many routes avoiding peages. This is roughly what I did last year and I didn't pay "Un Euros"! Tours is a cultural and vibrant place with lots to do and see. I promised myself I'd do this part again.

Day 2 - Can be a rest day if Tours is occupying enough, but can push on to A10 (Le Chatellerault) - Chauvigny - E62 (Belac) - Limoge or unto Peyrat Le Chateau. Thats about 280 kilometers of riding.

Day 3 - If Day 2 wasn't a rest day, then Day 3 will be. There looks like some good roads down to Chamberet within the forest which didn't do on the last trip, so an impromptu rideout can be had.

Day 4 (Long Day) - Peyrat / Chamberet - Treignac - Mandaille St Julien and get over to St-Flour. Then join the E11 for the ride to Millau. I don't know how easy it will be to get from Chamberet to St Flour but the ride down to Millau is stunning. Definately some great roads and you can always pay the toll for the viaduct if you want to say you did this famous road.

However, there are many other viaducts around and, again, the roads are amazing. This will be a long ride so may have to be re-thought but it is acheivable - 315km.

Day 5 - Depending on what activity/festival is chosen the route can then be Millau - Montpellier - Sete (143km) or Millau - Barcelona via Perpignan and Girona (400km).

The Barcelona ride would be another long one but not as involving. But then once in Barca, I reckon 2-4 days of the city would be a good period to stay as there is so so much to do and see. This route is timely for Sonar but maybe a re-think for a more direct alternative to Valencia (Benicassim) due to the extra mileage.

Then, Journey back along the Spanish border or through the Loire Valley. The choice is the rider's/group. But 4-5 days at a liesurely pace could easily be allowed to get back to Le Havre etc.

If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to chip in.

[Runako]

Lots of things coming together - and coming apart for this years trip!

Time booked off work - Check!
Chunnel bookings made - Check!
Bike booked in for service - Check!
Another Org'er joins in! - Bonus!
Another mate drops out - aww frip :(
Checks £ against EUR - oh ffs and it's still heading south :mad:
Do you dont you sort out a bit now......

Nothing will blunt the eagerness taking over though - really looking forward to going 'back'. You got any firm ideas on places???

Chris

The route down isn't fixed in stone but from the ride back I think this would be a good route to start as it gets progressively more involving as you travel down South. Nothing for the route back yet, but there's loads of time.

Haha, I know what you mean about best laid plans. Its always tricky what to put the money in so far in advance - do I, don't I book the Ferry now? And risk seeing a better price in a month (or vice versa). When do I get the new tyres that I'll (inevitably) need before the trip? etc etc

I'll keep an eye on your thread as its always good to get some good tips from other doing the same sort of thing.

[Runako]

That's it!

Ticket is now booked, from Portsmouth to Le Havre on the 13th July. Return on the 27th July. So this trip is happening :D

Itinerary and videos to follow.

[Runako]

So here's a brief video of the sights and sounds of Barcelona:

u8TUBSajcbQ

This is the route I took:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/TourstoBarca_zpsc3ac1841-1.jpg

The Loire valley is rich in beauty, nature and culture. From Tours, to Poitiers to Limoges, the surroundings were filled with heritage and history. The vast open spaces and great grand trees, encouraged a serenity with the surroundings that truly took you away from it all.

From the numerous vineyards and farms to the decadent Chateaus, the serendipitous tourist's "mana" so to speak. I really should have lingered here, got off the beaten track and explored. But, alas, intimidated by my lack of French language skills and in the determination to get to Barcelona for my 'A' Team style Mallorca mission, I went against instinct and pressed on ...

... I nearly didn't get there.

Reaching the border was fascinating. I would never have imagined such a stark difference could be experienced by crossing an imaginary line between two countries. Yet on approaching the mountain border there was an instant change from the calm greens and blues of the surrounding landscape to the yellows and reds of the gaudy shop fronts and colourful market traders all enticing you to stop for some food, or drink, or just to purchase some of their trinkets.

It was such an odd experience in so many ways, almost surreal. There I was on a black SV650 in full leathers under an increasingly hot sun and suddenly gone from no traffic to bumper to bumper stuff, whilst the border sellers and traders literally stop you in your tracks. We were not yet in Spain but this was adequate preparation for what was to come.

The privilege of a bike meant being waved through without a search. Great! That was easy :) On entering the gates of Spain two things were instantly noticeable - Traffic and Prostitutes. It turns out that this mountain pass was the HGV highway to Girona ala Barcelona which made for a frustrating afternoons riding after the glorious tranquillity of the Loire Valley.

Not to mention, all these truckers required some 'sustainance' eagerly supplied by the variously conditioned (from not too bad to very bad) ladies of the day who brazenly showed a bit of skin to anything that moved. There were a lot of Parked HGV's here with curtains closed. And the hard faced border police no more than 10 yards away were not bothered in the slightest. Maybe this is the way they do things in Spain. I didn't know prostitution was legal here? Surreal. But this was to become a regular feature of my commute to Barcelona.

Border passed, I refocused on planning my route to Barcelona. But time was moving too quickly and the same could not be said for the traffic!

Not fancying another night spent out in the wildnerness, especially surrounded by dodgy individuals and, frankly, more dodgy prostitutes, I pressed the SV into eager action and some "risques" overtaking ensued. But the roads of Spain, at least this part, were nothing like the pleasures of France and truly worked my budget suspension and budget skills. "Close call" became my middle name as I finally made it to Girona.

It was now six in the evening and the panic started to set in. How long will it take me to get to Barcelona in this traffic? There are no streetlights on these Spanish roads, will I be stranded in the middle of nowhere without lights? I tried to stop in a town, but rode right through as it had the feel of that town in the Movie From Dusk Till Dawn. But now I was truly cacking myself. No idea how far from Barcelona. But I must be close! The suns started to set and I started to replay images of huddling next to my bike to keep warm.

And then ... like a sign from god [insert revered deity or appropriate Atheist phrase here e.g. "... ask luck would have it"] we turned a corner and there was the sea! Oh the beautiful sea, how I loved thee then :)

I figured, at the worst I could sleep on a beach somewhere, but that thought instantly went when I realised a few things: The roads had suddenly become a lot better; there was a resort, campsite or hotel literally every mile down the coast and I remembered that the European evenings are longer down South so the sun sets late.

So with a relaxed and euphoric state of mind I leisurely pressed on to Barcelona and ignored the cornucopia of available accommodation.

This nearly came back to bite me in the ass as I realised the closer I got to Barcelona the more expensive it would be. Nevertheless I was determined to say I'd reached Barcelona! ... We'll in any case I got as far as Badalona before the sun set down on me.

Long story short, I found an accommodating hotel with the bike friendly owner doing me a favour and giving me private parking which would have otherwise cost E15 per night! That night, I slept like a Baby.

I was finally in Barcelona :D

[Runako]

Barcelona Teaser Pics:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1228_zpsf1db6046.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1219_zps79da7273.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1197_zpsbd891e5e.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1172_zps61e01e31.jpg

[Runako]

Bacelona Barcelona! I'll keep this post short and sweet. I actually do have some video footage which needs to be edited down and hopefully will come soon, but here are my impressions of this city.

First impressions

Don't ride or drive in Barcelona. There's little point. The roads are dominated by traffic and mopeds. In fact the mopeds were the most dangerous as everyone rides like a lunatic. Its like London but warmer and with better looking chicks on bikes.

And that brings me to the MASSIVE plus of Barcelona. I have simply never seen so many women riding bikes and scooters. And they were hot! But! They never wore any protective gear other than a helmet and sunscreen. It wouldn't be unusual to see a girl ride past you in a Bikini or a beautiful young woman dressed up for a club or a late dinner in high heels! What an eye opener.

The traffic system is a nightmare for travelling motorists. There are so many one way networks and diverting junctions that a sat nav will get you easily lost unless its completely up to date and reliable. Of course I used a road map which was next to useless as you can plot a reasonable route which does not account for the myriad "no right turn / no left turn" signs that you suddenly encounter. Not the best way to see Barcelona but I'm sure I did a couple of loops around the city centre.

Public transport also seemed a better way to travel and is apparently cost effective. The city is "generally" clean and safe etc etc etc ... this is as much as I'll say about the boring stuff.

Good and Bad Mistake

Here's where doing your research can save you time and money. A friend insisted prior to my trip that I get a Hostel Card and use hostels. Now, I can rough it with the next guy but I didn't fancy a hostel with all my gear and staying with a bunch of strangers that I didn't know or trust, in a foreign country with a language I don't speak (More on these things later).

So I ignored this advice and considered camping or hotelling in Barcelona. As mentioned in previous posts I made no plan for Barcelona beforehand, made no booking for accommodation and, other than a few places to see, had no clear directions of where I wanted to go/stay.

First night was spent in a hotel in Badalona on the sea front. Due to the debacle with my lights not working and my late arrival in Barcelona I bit the bullet and paid more than I wanted to after a couple of frustrating hours trying to find a place to stay with parking. Of course this was almost impossible in the city centre during the height of the holiday season!

But I eventually found the place mentioned, and the manager was extremely helpful in giving me a reduced rate, free parking in their secured car park and free use of the wifi. The room itself was small but had air conditioning and a shower. It was clean and most importantly, the bed was good cause as I soon as I touched that sucker I was gone in 2 minutes - knackered!

It turned out to be a great night's sleep, only disappointing in the fact that I'd had images of going out that first night for a walk around the city and to sample the cosmopolitan food and lifestyle on offer. Next morning, I used the wifi to plan where I would stay.

The plan in Barcelona was to get the ferry to Mallorca with the bike and possibly catch up with some friends. It was a long shot because I had no idea where to find the ferry or how much it would cost, but I figured it must have been cheaper than booking from the UK where the price was about £160 return with the bike for a few days. In the meantime, I had to find somewhere to lay-up until I got to Magaluf.

I went for camping sites and found one which seemed reasonably close to Barcelona (it wasn't). I arrived early and the signs looked good. The setting was beautiful with manicured tropical type trees lining traffic less roads which on either side had numerous cafe's and shops which were patronised by locals who appeared incredible relaxed. Yes, Locals!

It appears I'd stumbled unto an area outside the city where the locals come to play, away from the hustle and bustle non-stop activity in Barcelona. The beach, which was within sight of the main roads/cafe's etc was spectacularly beautiful. I just wanted to jump straight in. But, to find this place first.

So here was the mistake. Here's the place I found:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Barcelona%20Pics/Estrella_zps94d19d5f.jpg

The campsite was reasonable enough, but camping was going to be 20 Euro a night including the bike and, as I had no tent, I would have had to purchase one from the shop on site for a further 30 Euro. I didn't fancy spending 50 Euro for one night when I wasn't sure if I would use the tent again as I had no designs to lug one around for the rest of my travels so opted for the cabin accommodation @ 30 euro a night.

For this I expected some civility - not the Ritz, but something more comfortable than a tent. Well, all I can say is What A Joke. This was a portacabin type thing with walls seemingly as thin as sheet plastic which would sway if you blew on it. The bed - well, mattress on a plank - was ridiculous. It wasn't clean and there were of course no pillows. That was extra you see (unbeknown to me at the time). But I considered that I wouldn't be spending much time in the room, with the beach on my doorstep and the promise of my first proper night in Barcelona.

So onwards to the beach! Nudist beach?! Oh yes, fellow orgers. Everything was indeed all hanging out! I had my camera with me and would like to say I took some pictures/footage. But at risk of being arrested for voyeurism I decided it was best to leave the camera off. Needless to say I looked very out of place with camera in hand and fully clothed (beach wear). Beach (credit to Obslord):

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Barcelona%20Pics/TresEstrelles_zpsf345f6b0.jpg

I gather this is were the locals and Spanish come to get away from it all. The only interruptions to the tranquillity were the lapping waves and the occasional 20 ton pieces of metal flying quite closely overhead. Again, would have liked to have taken footage or photo's but camera stayed off for the reasons above.

Of course I had a long walk down the beach and must confess to making "eye contact" with a few gorgeous (half) naked ladies. The men, I wasn't really so fond of (ewww). After a while of feeling like I was cramping everyone style as I wasn't quite prepared to go starkers, I decided to have a wander back to the camp and try out the bar.

What a f*cking desolate place that was! It turns out my campsite was akin to a family/retirement home. In the bar were about 8-10 people, none of whom were under 60. This gves a good idea:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Barcelona%20Pics/Estrella-LaPlaza_zps6c0c5b21.jpg

Around the compound was the same with the other inhabitants being parents and young children. Not exactly the 18-30 I had in mind then! Anyway, the next day I would hopefully be heading to Magaluf so got drunk and had an early night.

Mallorca

Didn't get there.

[Runako]

Barcelona

Okay okay, I'll explain (clearly I've decided this isn't going to be a short post).

Eventually found my way to the right Ferry port only to find that they didn't open until 12 because, silly me, nothing important in Spain is open until late in the day!

Waited patiently for some time in the queue, roasting my nuts off in my full leathers (which was no doubt providing great comedy value to other customers) only to discover that the cheapest crossing to Mallorca was in fact 180 Euro return! Not exactly cheaper then.

For 3 days in Magaluf, where I would also have to find accommodation, parking and food and then proceed to get smashed for 72 hrs with a bunch of football lads, I made the not terribly regretful decision to give it a miss and spend the cash in Barcelona instead. Yes, gutted about not seeing my mates but I knew they would soldier on without me. In the meantime, I had unfinished business and Barcelona wasn't exactly a bad second prize. Onwards and upwards then!

After that sh!t camping experience, I thought I'd actually start paying attention to the advice I was given and find a hostel. It couldn't be any worse than the camping accommodation and tbh I was desperate to be around younger people of a similar age. So the nightmare of navigating around Barcelona on a bike continued. To be fair, it was much better this time around not being in a rush to find somewhere to stay and simply enjoying the fantastic, varied architecture and pure vibrance of the city.

I found Equity Point @ Passeig de Gràcia:

Akb4z8mEMYo

Ahhh, what to say? Lesson learned is the first thing. Anyone travelling to Barcelona could do a lot worse than stay in one of these facilities. For a start they are utterly modern, with free wifi, Rooftop terrace bar playing reggae music, massive communal lounge with large screen TV's and self catering cooking facilities (including free use of Fridge Freezers etc), clean rooms and bathrooms/toilettes, great staff and best of all a great location, all for a reasonable price.

View from the Roof Terrace:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1191_zpsc76086d1.jpg

one more

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1189_zpscefe46cd.jpg

[Runako]

Barcelona continued ...

It was the best decision I had and would make all trip. Buy a Hostel card for 10 Euro's or something and you can use it in any hostel which is part of the backpackers network, giving you a saving of about 5 Euro per night. I Paid 22 Euro per night in a 6 bunk room (I think) which was never fully occupied so for most of my four days it had maybe 4 people in there. So a total saving of about 20 Euro (10 minus the cost of the card) over 4 days.

Lockers provided, all linen and towels sorted. Clearly this company knew down to a tee what travellers wanted and needed. And, it was full of like minded young people! What a relief. It was truly a great experience as most of the travellers came from all over the world including Canadians (great fun), Americans (good laugh), Coloradians (they get their own category because they are frickin awesome and up for anything), ze Germans (with whom I sang many a football song), the Aussies (hardened "Party Hard" travellers), the French (there is a funny story involving the French later) and of course the Spanish.

Parking was an issue in that officially there was none. But as the saying goes "when in Spain ...", I chose to follow my fellow Moto bretherin and parked wherever there was space (conveniently, right in front of the hotel). Security chain on and there the bike sat for 4 days in all its fly murdering glory!

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/IMAG1170_zps47445c91.jpg

From then on, I became a proper tourist. Another friend of mine who lived in Barcelona also gave me a list of things to do. Needless to say it is almost impossible to do anything but scratch the surface in 4 days. All I will say is you cannot be bored in this city.

I'd deliberately planned this trip to coincide with the European Football Championship and I especially wanted to see the atmosphere in Barcelona when Spain was playing. These are not my pictures but here's an idea of the general atmosphere:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Barcelona%20Pics/BarcelonaCelebration_zps19743278.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r620/RonnieM2002/Barcelona%20Pics/SpanishCelebration_zps0725707f.jpg

I leave you with that for now, but the story just gets better from here on out ...

[Skybaba]

Nice write up man.

[littleoldman2]

Nice write up man.

+1 he's got me looking at tickets for this years Barcelona motogp.

[Runako]

Didn't quite get around to finishing this blog and some of the pics have been moved (sorry). But I have a new plan :D

My new trip begins tomorrow! I'll try to update at the end of each day* in this format - 1 Photo or video, A very brief description of the ride or the surroundings, and a short final assessment of the day behind and the day ahead.

Wish me luck!

* Internet access permitting.

[Skybaba]

Dude.......2 Weeks.......are you serious??? Now I'm so jealous.

Did anyone else from the org team up on this?
Chris (Doinitmyway) and I did a tour last month......I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great to have a travel companion.
I also enjoyed the days I did on my own.
Either way, I was on a bike riding on some amazing roads!

Enjoy and please keep posting!

[bikeramy]

Wow nice one Ronnie :D looking good !!!!

[Runako]

This thread is a complete fail. Not because nothing happened (very far from it). But because I was too crushed to update.

One day I will tell the true full story of what happened in France, in this year July 2013, but right now all I will say is my bike never made never made it back to the UK ...

[Geodude]

I wondered why there was no end of each day update, doesnt sound good fella.

[Skybaba]

This thread is a complete fail. Not because nothing happened (very far from it). But because I was too crushed to update.

One day I will tell the true full story of what happened in France, in this year July 2013, but right now all I will say is my bike never made never made it back to the UK ...

Oooops.......sorry to hear that man! Hope you're good mate?

[Runako]

Yeah I'm good. Wondering if I should start my story with 'The Fire and Rescue', 'Sleeping Rough In Limoges', 'The Puncture', 'How To Spend 100Euro in 5 Minutes (ala Barcelona)' or 'The Delayed Eurostar & Victoria Coach Station'.

I even have video, which I still can't bring myself to watch, but promise I'll eventually post it up without any sympathetic editing so you can all judge for yourselves.

[Skybaba]

OK mate, I'll stay tuned.

[Doinitmyway]

Sorry to hear it didn't go as planned. As long as you have all your extremities intact and attached, it can all be tried again in the future, count yourself that lucky mate.

I'm taking it you have sent the script/video to Tarentino for another upcoming blockbuster :takeabow:

Chin up, GWS and all that

Chris

[Runako]

So, here's the last part - the bit that prematurely ended my journey back:

Had two days to get to Caen in the North to catch my return ferry. I was riding along the D12 just outside the French Town of Rodez, located here - http://goo.gl/maps/AOCeJ.

After stopping for Petrol, I continued along the D12 towards Rodez but I didn't intend to stop there. The traffic on the road was very light and I believed the speed limit was 90kph. A few Kilometres outside Rodez I was stopped by a Gendarme. I was informed that I had exceeded the speed limit and would need to pay an on the spot fine.

Eventually it was explained to me that the fine I must pay was Eu750. :smt088 :smt022 I asked the officer to explain why and he stated that his colleague witnessed me travelling at 154kph (95mph), more than 50kph over the speed limit.

I objected and stated that I was not travelling at this speed, but admitted that as the road conditions were good and there was no traffic I was travelling between 100 - 110kph. However, the officer did not accept this.

I explained that I was at the end of my holiday and so did not have 750Eu in the bank to pay the fine. I offered to make a part payment at that time and make arrangements to pay the balance although I made it clear that I intended to dispute the fine, but this was refused.

The officer asked to see my license and I handed over my photocard. He then informed me that he would be seizing my license and as a result I would not be able to ride the bike whilst in France in any circumstance until the length of my ban was determined. #-o

I was in a state of shock but eventually gathered my thoughts and asked for evidence of the speed. When it became clear I wouldn't/couldn't pay the fine, they decided to complete the official paperwork and I was told to make a brief statement. I had to ask for them to explain the form so that I was not admitting to something to which I didn't agree.

I made a statement and signed the form. It stated that an officer recorded me at a speed of 146kph! I was also shown no evidence of achieving this speed and I was later told they didn't need to provide any evidence and that if the officer says I was going at this speed, then this what the judge will accept.

I then had to relinquish the key to the bike and make my way from Rodez back to Cardiff. This was extremely difficult and distressing as I had little money left for accommodation or travel and I also had to take several bags of luggage which were being carried on the bike. A further two days and over 350Eu later, I finally arrived in Cardiff.

I researched the law and found that I was entitled to a an appeal but would have to make an application within 14 days and attend a hearing, and was yet to receive paperwork as promised from the Gendarme. I sent a further detailed statement informing them of my intention to appeal the fine and requesting the paperwork and return of my license.

My license was eventually returned 10 days later and I was informed by the Gendarme that I was banned for 4 months. I've never received any official paperwork apart from an initial copy of the speeding notice and my statement.

A friend offered to retrieve the bike so I arranged to pay the fine and also paid for his travel expenses, as the cost of pursuing an appeal would exceed the cost of getting my friend to recover it when considering the cost of me returning to France, getting legal representation, accommodation, attending a hearing and then transporting the bike back to the UK which was likely to be in excess of £1,500.

This is a basic account of what happened but I believe the French police exploited the situation.

The speed trap location was set in a place where there was minimal traffic on a long stretch of clear road on a bright sunny day. No emphasis on safety here. I was never given any evidence of a recorded speed. Whilst I was there I witnessed up to 15 people being stopped. The French nationals were given a ticket or let off. The foreign drivers had to pay cash on the spot and were sent on their way.

I believe I was the only one who didn't (couldn't) pay the fine and as such I believe the Police then had to make it an "official" stop. The Police were incredulous of the fact that I could not pay and repeatedly challenged me on this saying "You must be able to pay. You’re on holiday". This statement and the fact that they insisted on cash convinced me that this was not a legitimate charge. I also later understood that I was accused of doing 146kph as this is just over the 50+kph over the 90kph speed and allowed them to charge me the maximum fine of 750Eu.

I believe that had I initially paid the fine, I would have been allowed to continue and no official ticket recorded. I was totally helpless in the circumstances and there was very little I could do to prevent the bike and my license being seized as I had no support in France and no means of seeking legal advice, nor was any assistance offered in this regard.

I'd read a lot of guidance about the rules of driving in France but it seems that what happened to me was the start of a new initiative by the French Gendarmerie as a result of new powers they were given but had not implemented until then. I saw this article from the BBC the week after I got back, which explains things a little bit - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23619783.

This part of the article was of interest:

Lt Benjamin Dupain runs the operation. "They have to pay on the spot. If they don't have any money on them and they are on their own, they will be driven to the nearest cashpoint machine. If they really have no money at all, then an on-duty judge will be called to decide what to do. But that can mean waiting around for up to three days and the car will not be allowed to move" he says.


In my case, no Judge was called and I was not given this option at the time.

Be very careful my friends. The French police aren't what they used to be.

[Runako]

Here's what happened on Day "0":

Clutch cable was fraying so didn't want it to break whilst in France. Went to my local suzuki dealer and they had none in stock so got a GSXR one as i had the front end anyway and the extra length would stop the fraying from happening again.

Left myself 7hrs to fit. For some reason no matter what I did I couldn't fit it properly. I checked online but no one had seemingly fittted this to the SV and the locknut mechanism is slightly different design.

Missed my 1st Ferry! Massive frustration. Once I reseigned myself to the fact I took a break and came back to it. Sorted it in 5 minutes! Wtf? Won't explain it because I doubt anyone is a) Stupid enough to make the same mistake b) not leave yourself with enough time or a backup plan if things go wrong.

Booked Ferry 2 for the next morning and went to sleep. Woke up, dressed, packed stuff on the bike and with 2hrs to get to Portsmouth Harbour I went to set off.

Bike started - good. Put it in gear - good. Go! ... er, no. Long story short, I'd altered the clutch screw which modulates the biting point in my attempt to fix the cable problems. So the clutch wouldn't engage. Off bike, unpack bags, on paddock stand, take of clutch cover ... 25 mins later I'm ready to go. So I now have 1:35hrs to get to PH and I have to stopp for petrol!

How I did not get stopped I do not know but I admit this is the fastest I've evr been on the bike on the road (but not reckless) over such a long period, as I was determined to get that ferry if I could. Little did I know what Karma had in store for me, and the irony of what happened at the end was not lost on me.

I got to Portsmouth in 1.30mins ... and missed the ferry by 5 mins! The ticket office took pity on me though and re-booked me for free on the next one leaving in 10 minutes (but this one was the slow Ferry). So I was last on board. Phew! I needed the rest anyway and the rest of the journey was without further issue. Except that when i got off the Ferry in France I noticed the bike looked different.

Eventually I worked out that the clutch cover had disappeared. Presumably I hadn't put it back on securely enough and it somehow rattled loose. It could have been a lot worse had it become entangled in the chain or slipped under the rear tyre whilst at speed. The good news is I prefer the look without a Clutch cover anyway :D

Next instalment ... What to do when your ignition burns out abroad!

[Paul the 6th]

I'm not a fan of the french at the best of times.... that's just utterly shiit. :( on the bright side it'll make a great story for years to come and hopefully encourage people to visit germany, spain, italy, austria. benelux instead.

[Runako]

Well, ever the Glutten for punishment, Euro Trip Part 3 begins next week! This time with fellow Orgers and some trailbiking included:

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=205663

I'll be wearing the headcam and making a concerted effort to take notes, so we can all relive the Ups and down's of the journey. It's gonna be epic :-D

[Specialone]

I'll have my cam too :)

[Runako]

I'll have my cam too :)

Good stuff! It'll be great to trip from different perspectives. Should make a cracking story :-)