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So having made up my mind (and paid for the ferry), I'm mooring at Santander, capital city of Cantabria (the Cantabrians will not be impressed if you say Asturias... I have a friend of many years who is Cántabro and I tease him, pretending to forget and call him "Asturiano" and even after more than ten years I'm not quite sure he can take the joke), on 11/04... that's the 4th of November for you 'Mericans and the 11th of April for the rest of us, at 18:15h. Sunset is officially at 20.59h leaving me roughly 2 and a half hours of sunlight, which is what Google says I need to get to where I'm thinking of staying the night: Boca de Huérgano. This, is all Wikipedia has to say about Boca Huergano (do I hear duelling banjo and guitar?):

 

Boca de Huérgano (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈboka ðe ˈwerɣano], Leonese language: Boca de Güérganu) is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2010 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 531 inhabitants.

 

So I will wheelie off the ferry with the following route on my GPS (Satnav for you poms).

 

K1yczcD.jpg

 

First bit is highway, in Oz where I learnt my English we say highway (motorway or freeway for you foreigners)... and the last bit is what they call a National road... it's maybe a byway for the USAranians, it's a highway but there is no large median strip between the two different directions of traffic, often has two lanes per direction and higher top speeds (than country roads, but less than highways or tollways) and in good nick... but I get off that ASAP and take what they call Provincial Roads... backroads basically... might be two way, may not have markings, can have tractors lying in wait, cows and other obstacles. There is a pass I come into off the backroad which may or may not still be having roadworks done... cross fingers. With squiggles like this I just have to try (Mr Squiggle, the man from the moon, eat your heart out; sorry Aussie reference)...

 

J4fhppd.jpg

 

Here's an idea of the classification of roads in Spain (with pictures for non-Spanish speakers and Timmy). Yes, Km/h!!

 

2sajhz0.jpg

 

My main POI on the trip is to see (and ride) the Picos de Europa so the next day I will do something like this loop between breakfast and morning tea (almuerzo)...

 

pnjOAyj.jpg

 

That will take me through places that look like this:

 

Qx56M0J.jpg

 

Probably will go past Oseja de Sajambre up to Soto de Sajambre and then back to the loop.

 

q8QdEnJ.jpg

 

Then I have the rest of that day, probably another 8 hours of daylight which is how long Google says it take in a straightish line... and all the next day to make it to Murcia, my home again after 2 years working abroad in a land where the sky constantly falls on your head and they drive on the side of the road which is not right, it's left.

 

I realize now that my timeframe has been limited by circumstances differing to earlier... now I'm leaving later and also have a due date (14/04 not too late in the PM) which I previously didn't have... that I could essentially get back that same day  (12/04) if going East of Madrid where there are plenty of curvey options, instead of going west down the Portuguese border and across to Murcia along the Betic ranges... I could get home that same day (more pain than fun) or take it easier and enjoy it over 2 days, which I do prefer. As such I may very well take the entire 12th just to make incursions into the Picos de Europa from different angles and try and see the most of it... so here's a tanget I could easily add onto the above loop...

 

JcmDaeN.jpg

 

In as much as from there to my Endpoint Destination ...As the crow flies-ish it looks like this... I am awaiting well known local info on the least straight line for the journey over 2-3 days to the East of Madrid... as I said, probably won't do the Portuguese border route. It's the green patches... national parks and mountains... that's where the good motorcycling stuff is.

 

8DqQPiA.jpg

 

Wish me luck.

 

 

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Good luck! And post photos.

 

Your detailed descriptions and routes have infected me with a strong case of wanderlust.! Time to make some plans. Something like...

 

 

IMG_0455.JPG

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Just now, St. Stephen said:

Good luck! And post photos.

 

 

Thanks... wish my SLR had wireless smart options... I'll be taking the odd photo with that (a relatively old Digital Canon EOS 400D w/ Canon 28-80mm and Sigma 70-300mm lenses) but won't be taking a laptop so no pics other than those from a smartphone with a 13 megapixel camera, which in theory shouldn't be too shabby, until I am settled back in Spain. Funny I used to take much better pics with my old 'analogue' film reel SLR...

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Just now, Dutchy said:

 

This Canon 400D uses a CF card... not SD... and I can't find a wifi-enabled CF that isn't just a networking card for a computer... it's the memory card so it needs to have a shedload of memory for pics and the capability to link say... the camera to my mobile (remember I'm not taking the laptop, it's not that critical that I upload pics to forums and social media to have my laptop vibrated to bits... poor thing is a Toshiba from 2002... still does eveything perfectly... but the wireless on/off switch is starting to fail... gonna have to open her up and either hotwire it on all the time or some mod like that). Anyway, now we're getting off topic. I'll just do the pics when I get home to Murcia and offer some instamatic snaps from the mobile from the hotel(s).

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SO seeing as I'm thinking of using 12/04 to explore the Picos de Europa in more depth and spend two nights at the hotel in Boca Huergano... the loop I posted earlier is getting 'hornier' with several tangents... a good 5 and a half hours' worth of mountain passes and moto-curvature, not including degustations, ablutions and "repostajes de gasolina".


Ii4P010.jpg

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  • Auspanglish changed the title to Spain North-South

OK so I have figured out, MC buddies' local knowledge pending, the curviest yet most direct route possible down to Murcia from the Picos, but to the east of Madrid instead of down the Portuguese border.

 

Something like this... (the last couple of images are links to the routes on a mapping site you can save for your GPS).

 

wmIpYzUh.jpg

UKGqNtIl.jpg

ltaWwyYl.jpg

 

 

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I haven't ridden in Spain in many years.  The most memorable was when I discovered just how big the country was whilst trying to get to Jerez for the GP.  Failed.  I always seem to have unsuccessful but interesting riding experiences in Spain.  Maybe that's why I identify with Alonso Quixano...

 

Enjoy your trip.  (And watch out for those windmills!)

 

Ciao,

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23 hours ago, JZH said:

I haven't ridden in Spain in many years.  The most memorable was when I discovered just how big the country was whilst trying to get to Jerez for the GP.  Failed.  I always seem to have unsuccessful but interesting riding experiences in Spain.  Maybe that's why I identify with Alonso Quixano...

 

Enjoy your trip.  (And watch out for those windmills!)

 

Ciao,

 

Thanks Sancho!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

In the few days leading up to D Day, storms came in suddenly from somewhere.

 

Between Oxfordshire and Cantabria.

 

c5c4f083b971c3d3b14017f0bdd4a9b0.jpgf17fc058d8b052b27c27d67f3a81396c.jpg97809a801a931694f40e8d93f9d51b14.jpg49bfe5acea8beec84d15c45e0811904a.jpg07fc34d1942fdbcc5f5164cf06ec0fdb.jpgc4ba1aff4ca83e94208dfbd1bc0688dd.jpg

 

Spain, it was a sunny morning but the days leading up to then and from that afternoon on, snow, blizzards, torrential rain, even a mini tornado, would rip across the Iberian peninsula:

 

c85420729462c45f208b8ca3554e5dda.jpg7d90ef0f424d5aae84545baa54e2bddb.jpg26f9449f9dd16ac4453027d6955583da.jpg00f075dfb299a763fe6c4db0b907b9e1.jpgccc8f8755174a2e37a0afef2ddff2745.jpg13dca21aeb4c2e2f6a03b73054395708.jpg61120040cb40f9973d24e6bf21d6cc2f.jpgf7b8f855d74138374b08dec9591d6b6b.jpg0cbb746887821b6b91a9641e8b9b0aa1.jpgaf32c2f246370a37e4b2092297ad1b77.jpg9463cbdcd811279166fb0b51ea341555.jpgacc66571f0f45bd38ee3113bfa95bac6.jpgb8a6844b456d5dd2604e28bf22fe439c.jpgcdf6d0055c947e81519367764b6a706c.jpg33f189fdc65e1ded1b775353ae3d8300.jpg9bcd9daba1ddc1371da83aa257ad044e.jpg

 

 

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Stunning!

...and even more stunning...

 

Then, having already made arrangements to leave the bike in safe harbour at a mate's place on the north coast and train it south in time for an important appointment Sunday last, my guard down, I stopped to take that third last photo, had a brain fart, slipped on some mud and fell over, the rear footpeg striking my right inner ankle, the 215kg fracturing the posterior tibial maleolus.

 

61b77dee3982546084bc730fe2c7acc0.jpg

 

 

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Bugger, I was just getting into that.

 

I assume that yr ok (other than the buggered ankle). Do you need any assistance.....not that I can help from here?

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17 hours ago, Auspanglish said:

...and even more stunning...

Then, having already made arrangements to leave the bike in safe harbour at a mate's place on the north coast and train it south in time for an important appointment Sunday last, my guard down, I stopped to take that third last photo, had a brain fart, slipped on some mud and fell over, the rear footpegs striking my right inner ankle, the 215kg fracturing the posterior tibial maleolus.
 
61b77dee3982546084bc730fe2c7acc0.jpg

Enviado desde mi m2 note mediante Tapatalk
 

During your recovery therapy, if you need hot or cold packs, they make gel-filled pads that can be cooled, frozen, or microwaved for heat. Walmart sell them here in the colonies.

Heal fast.

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I hope your not in too much pain and you heal fully and quickly!

I just found this thread and was enjoying your descriptions and pictures... if it is any solace, the third from the last picture is a great picture! I was admiring the picture before I scrolled down to the ending... I did not see that twist coming.

 

Get well soon!

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Thanks for well wishes guys.

 

I'm fine apart from the fracture, which isn't too painful if doing as told (resting, foot up). Apparently I was lucky within my misfortune in that often both maleolae break (tibial and fibulal) and that there was no displacement of any bones or rupture of any cartilage or luxation of any joint, so should be a relatively short convalescence with few complications... so long as the bone knits. Two months max hopefully.

 

The bike suffered minimal damage. Mirror flung off its stem, was already needing replacement anyway. Right indicator busted. Front fairing stay is surely ever so slightly bent to the left so will need rectifying, but I was to be disassembling that anyway to swap out the headlight lenses to go from left to right sided deviation of the beam in order to register the bike in Spain, so just have to have the stay straightened while I'm at it.

 

The bike does fall over with minimum damage compared to the VFRs I owned.

 

So, that's life with premature senile uncoordinated moments!

 

 

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8 hours ago, Auspanglish said:

 

So, that's life with premature senile uncoordinated moments!

 

 

I know what you're talking about and can sympathise. There is a little to much of that going around.

 

You'll be up and around before you can say VFRD. Just don't try to say it too fast. :)

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry for the injury! Hope it heal fast, at least faster than my wrist is healing after the surgery I had 31/1/18 (January 31st 2018)

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Missed this post you daft bugger!!!

 

Hope that by now, things are on the UP!!! :wheel:

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