Catching up on the previous days.

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Catch up time………





It was nearly a week ago that i was sitting in a Hotel in Cantabria in a small place called Murgo and watching the F1 on the TV with the raisin pouring down.



I am now at the other end of spain..almost in France and the weather is sun and 29 degrees at the moment.



A lot has happened in this week and I shall try to put it down in a form which will make sense.



Monday the 10 June was the day that Andy ,Rob, Brendan and Martin arrived in santander on the ferry from the UK. I made my way to the ferry on a grey and misty monday morning and was there in good time to meet them. The Harbour and ferry arrival area has been changed over the last two years and of course I was waiting at one end and they went out the other……Sods law!



After an exchange of Text messages we did finally meet up and after the hellos had been exchanged…we were off…..! The first stop was petrol and then leaving Santander by Solare we headed on up to Ramales de Victoria. Brendan and my self had shot on ahead with the instructions to find a place to have lunch .On arriving it all looked dead so we parked up our bikes and went into the first bar we saw. our inquiry …lunch ….was met with smiles and we were ushered through to a very empty dining room by a very motherly spanish woman with no english but a very friendly manner.

Lunch was traditional and homemade…fantastic. soup with black pudding "Morcilla" is maybe not trad english fare but got the thumbs up from all at the table. we finished up the meal with pudding and coffee and were ready for the road again.



Our destination that first evening was Victoria where we planned to camp. The last part of the journey was a blast down the Motorway and a quick dash through the city.

The campsite was easily found and we were able to get a place to put up the tents without any problem. the owner was friendly and very helpful and did everything to make us feel welcome.

facilities were good without being one of those Butlins style camps and we would all stay again if passing through Victoria.



we had not planned to be cooking the first night….or any other night for that matter. After stretching the legs and unpacking and putting the tents up we headed into Victoria with a Taxi. Martin thought he was going to drive but an evil look from the taxi driver put paid to that.



Victoria was modern and old and we all liked the feel of the place. We headed into the old part of town and ended up in Calle Cucherillo which is the the main eating and drinking street. Monday evenings are not known for highlife and party but we got a very solid round of " Bocadillos " in and several beers before heading back to the campsite . the weather was fine and a quick cuppa to round off the night and then it was off to bed…….My tent looked a bit wonky but inside it was ok !



Our first night camping in spain passed ok and come daylight heads were popping out of the tents and greeting the new day. We had a slow start to the day and a quick brew up , I slipped off for a double espresso to get the motor started and then we were on the way.



Breakfast was in a motorway caff between Victoria and Pamplona where we ordered Bacon and cheese Bocadillos,orange juice and coffee. We were pleasantly surprised with the size and quality of the Bocadillos and we were indeed set up for the day.



Our stops were determined by our petrol needs and checks on satnavs. Everyone was carrying satnavs but were a little bit hampered by the fact that the bluetooth headsets ordered had not arrived.



That left me at the head of the convoy most of the time with my trusty Galaxy S4 and a SYGIC nav program running. A super combination and most of the time worked perfectly but NEVER ever trust your nav system 100 % because maps get old and roadworks change or in our case the floods from previous days can make a big difference in going left or right……or not !!



Our destination for the tuesday night was the Hotel Aragon a few Kms before arriving in Jaca. This was the hotel that I stayed in the previous year and loved it.



The last 30 Kms before the hotel I was two up with Martin who needed a rest from the Harley Davidson of Andy. Lovely to drive but leave a bit to be desired when it comes to long distance pillion comfort. Martin and myself arrived first and the big cold beers did not take long to arrive.



About a half hour later the others arrived after a small detour to visit a spectacular hilltop town, I was reluctant to take the Goldwing two up on mediaeval twisty roads and decided for the cold beer option….Typical some would say !



We were not the only group too stay the night, we met up with Trevor and Ian who were many times there. They tend to use the Hotel as a base and do day tours around the area before heading back for the night.



The Aroganese fireplace is a real highlight and the evening meal is cooked over this open fire….I had the lamb chops and was very satisfied .The rooms are ok and the shower works correctly.



We had loud Heavy metal music at full volume from a room several doors up early evening but it all fitted in with the atmosphere and did not disturb anybody.



Breakfast was maybe not exactly what a group of English bikers expect after a late night. I think the basket with donuts of different types being placed on the table first thing sort set the tone. A second basket with toasted bread rolls and different jams and a plate of rather chewy ham rescued the meal somewhat but improvement is needed. A few eggs and maybe different cereals should be possible.

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