Spain 2011

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This year (2011) we decided to go on a trip to Spain to visit our good friends Bob and Julie who live in Rojales near Alicante. However, we also wanted to have a trip on the new motorbike. So we decided to take the bike onto the Brittany ferry from Portsmouth to Santander and then return via Bilbao. We arrived at Portsmouth and were greeted by 50mph winds and rough seas. Lynne (my missus) doesn't like boat rides at the best of times and this was going to be a full 24 hours until we got back to dry land. Yes she threw up just about all of the way there. We actually set out late due to weather delays so we arrived at Santander around 1930 hrs, which meant it was dark within 30 minutes of us getting on the road. The trip from Santander to Rojales is about 520 miles and so we had booked a hotel in Burgos (about 100 miles south of Santander) in order to break up the journey. Unfortunately, I now had to ride the 100 miles in pitch black conditions. However, rescue was at hand in the guise of a group of UK Postal workers taking a bike trip in Spain. This group of bikers came hammering past us headed South and they lit up the road ahead perfectly. So I tacked on at the back and followed them most of the way to our hotel. Thanks to the Post office for getting us there.

After a restful night in the Hotel Area Serrano we set out at 0900 hrs the next morning for a 420 miles trip south. The first part of the trip was down the A1 road which had road works roughly every few miles. At first we slowed down to obey the road signs but then realised that the locals (including lorries) had no such respect or obligation to follow the law. So to preserve our own lives, we kept going and made good time. We arrived at the end of the A1 just north of Madrid, by 11.00 hrs and stopped for coffee. As we were about to set off, I made the mistake of forgetting I had put the disk-lock on the bike. Yep one foot forward and three feet down, we dropped the bike to the floor and followed it. Fortunately, no harm was done except to our dignity. Then we set off to make our way around the East side of Madrid, finally ending on the A31 headed for Alicante. After 2 more stops we finally arrived at Casa Del Hubber (Bob and Julie's place) however by this time we were so hot and had sweated so much, we could barely get our bike gear off. We wrung out our jackets and put the bike in the garage and settled down for some sun, Sangria and Julie's fantastic cooking.

Casa Del Hubber

Not to mention their brilliant swimming pool, which I used every day

Of course as well as Bob and Julie we also met Kia and Widget as well as Polo and Kilo -

Maltese Puppies - Aaaaah

Here's a rare sight - Lynne fussing 2 dogs and not sneezing

One day we took a walk out in the local area to view the wildlife and get a bit of exercise.

Then we had a trip out to the seaside - well we had to see it now we were there!

Next, we couldn't come to Spain without calling in to see Joan and Gary (Simon's parents) in Bigastro. First we called at their lovely apartment and then we all went out for lunch at a nice little restaurant out of town. It was great seeing them again.

Back at Casa Del Hubber, we relaxed, ate, drank and played guitar (well me and bob did) in between sessions in the pool and the hot-tub. What a life !!.

It finally came time for us to return to the rat-race. Having been cooked on the way down, we decided to set out at 0700 whilst it was still dark and make the most of the cool morning air. However, this time the weather had turned cooler and by the first stop, Lynne wanted to put on more clothing because she was feeling the cold. The cooler air made the return trip much more comfortable and we did a 500 mile shot directly to the Hotel Express Altube in 8 hours. After a pleasant meal and a good night's sleep, we rode the final 34 miles into Bilbao to catch the ferry back home. This time, the weather was calm and warm so we had a pretty good trip back (Lynne only threw up four times in the night).

Thanks to Bob and Julie for a great holiday. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and we look forward to somehow repaying you for your kindness in the future.

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Thanks a Million.

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