We spent Saturday night in the Hotel Madrid. It's mainly famous for being the place where Franco spent the night before leaving the Canaries for Mainland Spain. I don't think it can have changed a lot since then. It may have been swept, but not much redecoration has been undertaken. It has photographs of history all over the walls. Engels, Garbo, Loren... Even the music was.... They were playing Sargeant Pepper in the bar. The hallway leading to our room was full of immense and very healthy plants. Open to the outside via a balcony it had a fountain which even [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in Puerto de Mogan was quite a relief after travelling through parts of Maspolomas and Playa del Ingles. We guessed wrong on the bus connection from San Bartolome, we should have changed in Playa del Ingles but soon found a connection with the help of a taxi driver. We failed to get on the first bus, a mass of our continental cousins from Germany crammed their way onto the bus, but got onto one half an hour later. Puerto de Mogan is quite a pretty little place, but the weather remained cold and looking like it might get wet. Finding [View Full Entry]

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We went out for the day, a trip further into the mountains, to Tajeda. It was stunning. The mountain road, the views, the volcanic landscape. We had lunch in Tajeda, the best food so far, really good. On the way back we got a good view of the summit of Pico Del Teide rising above the clouds. During the day the temperatures are struggling to get close to 20C, but in the sunshine it is still easy to get burnt. After dark, with the north wind, the temperature drops like a stone, so another evening on Gran Canaria back in the [View Full Entry]

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After a day trip to Las Palmas, nothing much to mention about, fun in a city way and pleasantly warm, the next morning we set off for San Bartolome, The bus ride through mountains was really spectacular with some amazing views down to the coast, crazy hairpin bends, ravines, and sheer drops, San Bartolome is located at the top of a valley affording some stunning views. Slowly as the afternoon wore on the cloud descended, by early evening covering the town in a light mist and a few drops of rain. With this rather unwanted weather the temperature fell to what [View Full Entry]

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we arrived in Gran Canaria without any problems and, failing to find public transport to Aguimes, we took a taxi. It is not all that far. This is a very pretty town with some very strange statues. There is naked woman playing the cello who has a tape recorder inside her so she can broadcasr music (which doesn't all have cello in it), there is a donkey and a camel (the camel is right beh9nd our hotel room) and a dancing couple where he is dressed as a woman and he is dressed as a man. There is poetry on many [View Full Entry]

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We headed out from home at 18:00 Friday. The M4 was totally blocked. We left at Reading and headed up the A4, making Marlborough at around 9:15. We were later told that shortly after we got off the M4 the police closed it. Having missed dinner at the Sun Inn we headed out for Italian food. I had a stinking cold. Back in the room, discovered I had bought the recharger for the Eee but not the bit that adapts it for use with UK plugs. Today, after an excellent breakfast, we headed for Savernake Forest which is truly spectacular. We [View Full Entry]

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The trip from Foca to Ayvalic was mainly uneventful. Most of it on a very good, modern highway. We didn't find a wireless connection in Ayvalic although, to be honest, we didn't look too hard. Ayvalic is serious relaxation. Well, apart from the traffic which is terrifying. We finally found a place to park the car then a hotel where no English was spoken (very good for my Turkish and my confidence in using it). After settling in we walked to the causeway to Ali Bey Island then back which made most of the taxi and dolmus drivers think we were [View Full Entry]

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We are in Foca as I write although we have had problems establishing wireless connections here. The drive from Mordogan was pleasant then Industrial then we missed the turning and it got a bit scary, then we found our way back and after more industrial and roadworks it got OK. The side road from the motorway is pretty. We have both taken a liking to Foca - this is ancient Phocea... It has a working fishing fleet including trawlers and several schools. It is a 'real' place and not a resort. It is also pretty and very friendly. (Oooh the 'you [View Full Entry]

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After breakfast we made ur way slowly by foot and public transport to the airport for a very hassle free flight to Izmir. Drama ensued as the hire car firm told us that the agent had cancelled our booking due to a problem with our payment (for which I have a receipt) but we could have a car if we paid the directly. I phoned the agent and within ten minutes the misunderstanding between the agent and the hire firm was cleared up. Took a bit longer to get the car and I will need to watch my credit card transactions [View Full Entry]

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We took a trip out to the Istanbul Harley Dealership. It was OK. They had no dealer shirts my size, a pity, they were expecting new stock to arrive soon . Got some goodies anyway, a HOG Istanbul pin badge and the HD Turkey guide including maps and stuff, this book will be great for we we enter Turkey on the Harley next summer. I also found this. http://www.grandrun.fr These guys are doing 12 day supported rides in some amazing places. One ride starting in Trazbon, Turkey, doing the silk road to Baku on the Caspian shore, and back, a little [View Full Entry]

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