worldfamous
|
Alans European tour 2007Alan is a good friend of the Kernow Harley Riders and has sent me this journal of his European adventure, nice one, thanks Alan.
Alan’s European Tour 2007
So what am I doing having a six month holiday given up my job, leaving my house, family and friends? Well after working continually for 30 years, with a maximum of 4 weeks off a year. The need to travel, to have a break and have a change, something I can look back on. (Or just my mid life crises!) I feel now is the time to do it, combined with the fact there are a large number of HD rallies to attend this year. So I have rented out my house and I am setting off for my adventure driving my Transit van carrying my old shovel and towing my caravan.
day(s) 1 SUN
13/05/07 Left Green Pastures campsite in Ower at 11.30 pouring with rain, well it is the 13th what can you expect? Stopped at M25 services for lunch in the caravan, cheep skates! Continued on to the Black Horse Farm caravan park at Folkestone. Very nice site good old caravan club only £12.50 per night, shame the average age is 70! Now downing Bacardi while watching TV, a lovely night now the heavy rain has cleared. (Diesel is 94p and petrol is 91 per litre in England)
2 MON
14/05/07 Left campsite at 8ish to board ferry by 9. Nice crossing managed to down a full English easily! Now the fun begins 250 miles to cover driving through heavy showers dragging all my possessions for the next 5 months. Tomtom worked very well, found campsite no problem deep down in the woods in the middle of know where, not a party animal in site! Satellite disc would not play the game too many trees, Shar will have to miss east enders for a while!
Stayed at De Vlinder-Hoeve, Kring van Dorth, and Near Grossel.
(Diesel is 75p and petrol is £1.03 per litre in Holland) T 260
3 TUE
15/05/07 Woke up to a brighter partially cloudy day, after unloading shoveley we set off to explore the local area. First to the tourist info in Gorssel, who hadn’t heard about the 10,000 bikers that will be invading this quiet area? Then in was off to ride around the lake at Bussloo, what a lovely venue for a rally, deserted now apart from school kids practicing archery and scooting around on bicycles without pedals. We returned via Deventer a larger town the only interesting sight was two ladies of the night doing their day shift!
4 WED
16/05/07 Woke up to heavy rain all morning, went shopping for gazebo then food shopping, ended up taking the end of the supermarket canopy home by mistake! An alloy support had punched my hi top and was left dangling. I quickly removed it and left! Visited the campsite bar for a few grolschs to calm down.
5 THU
17/05/07 A dry day at last! Got train from Deventer to Amsterdam. Wow what a buzzie place, heaving with people. We took the usual cannel cruse very enjoyable! Then it was off for a wonder accidentally coming across the red light district, past the elephant club were they were actually queuing up to get in! After an afternoon taking in the many sites we stopped for a relaxing meal in one of the quieter squares. On the way back to the station we did a bit of red light window shopping and visited an educating sex museum very amusing!
6 FRI
18/05/07 Rode to the famous bridge at Arnham meet Sam the official tour guide a very nice man with a lot of information and a few yarns about the tragic events. We then visited the airborne museum at Oosterbeek very interesting and moving!
7 SAT
19/05/07 Day off to relax at campsite
8 SUN
20/05/07 Visited Harley day at Arnhem 2000 thousand bikes all parked up around the church and market square. Sat on shovely in the sun listening to bands play, watching the sights and burn outs lovely!
9 MON
21/05/07 Caught train back to sin city. Did the tourist coach trip to see traditional windmills, village life, cheese and clog making. Then a boat trip from Marken to Volendam nice!
10 TUE
22/05/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim
11 WED
23/05/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim we are now so relaxed we are comatose’d
Rode to super rally site no queue to get in but only one camp site open and no beer!
12 THU
24/05/07 Today we are awaiting a phone call from the others to say they have arrived! Sitting on the edge of our chairs waiting to “scramble”. Message comes through and we are off to the rally. The place is now heaving with bikers, camp up then off to explore. In the evening there were several bands to watch and beers to drink! Until the early hours.
13 FRI
25/05/07 Played tour guide today by taken 12 bikes and 17 people to Arnham to show them the sites. After a meal in the in the square by the rebuilt church it was back to the site to catch action DC playing and a few more beers.
14 SAT
26/05/07 Playing taxi today in the van, shocked to see the queue of new forest members that had formed at the exit, we now totalled 18 for the short journey to Devetenter station (standing room only). After a nightmare train journey due to engineering works we eventually arrived in Amsterdam. Here everyone seemed to veer off in different directions, believe it or not everyone managed to make it to the pre arranged meeting place, miracle or what. A good time was had by all! Arriving back at the now heaving site, no time to rest straight back to bands and booze!
15 SUN
27/05/07 After a rainy start things improved to allow us to look around the lovely location and to photograph all the goings on! Followed by watching two excellent tribute bands, to the Doors and Led Zeppelin, the evening was rounded off by a DJ.
16 MON
28/05/07 After breakfast we packed up said our goodbyes and returned to the caravan to re group ready for the next journey, feeling glad not having to ride 400 miles home! We have enjoyed staying at this quite well kept site, and were surprised when the owner who rides a triumph sprint told us he only gets 2 or three English people staying there every year.
17 TUE
29/05/07 The journey to Bosbad Hoeven campsite the venue for the Benelux HOG rally went well, and by 3 o’clock we were all set up ready to explore. Another lovely wooded campsite (so still no sat TV) with good facilities for kids (and HOGies) plus a large water park.
18 WED
30/05/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim
19 THU
31/05/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim
20 FRI
01/06/07 Rode to Willemstrad a lovely stare shaped fortified town surrounded by a moat, with a harbour over locking the main sea channel. Then back to the rally site to register, meet Ian and Justine from the new forest and a few familiar faces from Bridgewater. Nothing really happened until 11 when a lively band got everyone up dancing.
21 SAT
02/06/07 We joined the ride out to the Texas Hoeven pub where an attempted at the world record for riding bikes through a pub was being attempted (809 in total). Off to a bad start a marshal at the first junction then nothing at the next roundabout, whilst deciding which way to go I realised I was now Road Captain to 400 and I had no idea where I was supposed to be heading! After setting off the correct way some of the locals told me to turn around, there was then total confusion for 5 minutes to the real Road Captains arrived! On reaching the pub we had to wait an hour to ride through the pub as the bikes had to go through one at a time cheered on by a large crowd. With all the stopping and starting Ian’s starter gear on his road king that had been fitted just before leaving home came lose and horrible grinding noises were heard! We later discovered the bike had been recovered by the local dealer and repaired, all within 2 hours whilst Ian and Justine were provided with a beer! WHAT SERVICE! The day was rounded off by a very unusual fire display; they were playing steel drums surrounded by fire! Then by two soul bands.
22 SUN
03/06/07 Off on ride out to Breda city centre all went smoothly today! Nice country side, people waiting along the route to greet us, stopped by the church and soon every café in this pretty town was full of bikers. Stopped off at the HD dealership on the way back for a nose but very expensive! A small group of us meet up at the lake side bar for a quiet farewell drink then early to bed to prepare for the next big journey.
23 MON
04/06/07 A trouble free run down to Brussels airport to drop Sharman off on my own now for 2 weeks. A beautiful day driving down lovely country roads shame I’m not riding! Staying off the toll roads I end up stopping at a lovely but basic campsite off the N77 at Arcis-sur-Aube.
24 TUE
05/06/07 I carried on like yesterday keeping off the toll roads, another nice drive through lovely countryside except ending up going through centre of Clermont-Ferrand. Stopped over night at camping municipal Du Mas at Issoire.
25 WED
06/06/07 What an amazing roller coaster drive today! The A75 motorway runs through alpine type scenery with steep cliffs and rocks. The Transit struggled up the hills of over 1100M in altitude One stage I was down in second gear! First I was driving into fog or was it low cloud? Then came the heavy rain, quite scary on the steep sharp bends! Next came the Millua viaduct wow! 2.5 k long and 270m above the river. I thought by the time I get to the coast and spot the med it would be lovely weather, but instead as I reached the beach at Sete there was only thunder, lightning and heavy rain! But at least I had made it this far with no problems! The evening turned out nice and I finally got sky TV working.
26 THU
07/06/07 Took a ride to the Cap de Adge a town with a large posh marina a real tourist magnet. Browsed the designer shops, I have never seen so many restaurant in a small town most completely empty! Not my thing but it dose have lovely beaches.
27 FRI
08/06/07 A lovely ride to Carcassonne castle today. The hill fortress that dates back to the 6 century BC although mostly built in the 13 century, an amazing well preserved medieval city.
28 SAT
09/06/07 Day off to relax at campsite, beach and swim.
(Diesel is 82p and petrol is 87p per litre in France)
29 SUN
10/06/07 Drove to Santa Susanna on the Costa Brava. Camped at Bon Repos right on the beach fantastic.
30 MON
11/06/07 Rode along the coast road to Llaret de Mar and Tossa de mar. Then on to Sant Feliu de Guixols one of the best biking roads in Europe 25 miles of bends with fantastic views.
31 TUE
12/06/07 Day off to relax at campsite, beach and swim.
(Diesel is 70p and petrol is 78 per litre in Spain)
32 WED
13/06/07 Visited the hill fortress at Tossa de Mar.
33 THU
14/06/07 Packed up and drove to Murcia, camped at camping La Paz 8 miles past town, starting to get very hot!
34 FRI
15/06/07 Drove to camping Los Jarales in Fuengirola Costa Del Sol through the Sierra Nevada mountains very steep hills another roller coaster ride but nice scenery. Meet friendly British people who live and work here, plugged sky box into next doors 1.6m sat dish so all TV channels again.
35 SAT
16/06/07 Rode to Marbella then up into the mountains to Mijas a lovely little mountain town and then my first cruise along the sea front in Fuengirola
36 SUN
17/06/07 Day off to relax at campsite then BBQ with Danny and Andrea who live on the site.
37 MON
18/06/07 Picked Shar up from Maliga airport. Went for a walk along the beach, discovered a lovely restaurant over looking the sea. Decided to return that evening, very nice meal even saw dolphins swimming by not far off shore.
38 TUE
19/06/07 Decided to revisit Mijas today for a better look. A very quaint place with horse drawn carriages and donkey rides, decided to give the donkeys a break!
39 WED
20/06/07 Ronda is our destination today, a village way up in the mountains, and I mean way! Lovely scenery if you are brave enough to look down the sheer drops. Another pretty interesting place.
40 THU
21/06/07 HOG Rally begins today, Made a phone call to track the others down, meet up in there hotel in Fuegirola place is now full of Harleys. The rally site has a large outside stage and a row of themed buildings with restaurants of different nationality’s and about 6 Spanish HD dealers, we get offered coffee and cakes at HOG hospitality then free drinks curtsey of the magic group in the posh chill out area with the rest of NF crowd. We then watched the bands to the small hours.
41 FRI
22/06/07 Lazy day today by the time we reached the old hill fort for the custom bike show it had finished, on to the rally site to catch Craig Jones stunt show and watch the bands the best being never the bride.
42 SAT
23/06/07 Lined up for the parade with the other 7000 Harleys, spent an hour doing a lap of the town ending up with very hot engines, but the folks from the town and seafront seamed to enjoy it. Walked to the seafront for a paddle and a meal at an English restaurant then back to watch a Bon Jovi tribute band and finally an old favourite Roy Wood.
43 SUN
24/06/07 Time to pack up and rest again for the next adventure. A last meal at the beach restaurant,( no dolphins to be seen this time) to round of the week.
44 MON
25/06/07 Took Shar to Maliga airport then drove back up the coast to Freds house in Denia mostly motorway apart from an interesting part between Maliga and Almeria were the new road is still under construction, very tight and bendy. Very hot with the temp in the cab up to 45 degrees.
45 TUE
26/06/07 Staying with Fred was John and Cecile who had just got married so we are all now on honeymoon! The morning started with thunder, lightning and heavy rain. After riding the coast road to see the sights, I found we had been joined by NF member Richard Sloman and his friend Geoff. We all went out for steaks and beer like you do, then watched the news of bad floods in England!
46 WED
27/06/07 The second wet day today Richard and Geoff leave hoping for dryer weather the other side of the hills and I took everyone into town in the van. By evening we were back to the usual sun.
47 THU
28/06/07 I start with scout around Javea for my next campsite. My guide Fred took me to a bike shop in Benissa but it was closed. So on to Calpe what a sight on impressive huge rock protruding from the sea which looks unreal. Then along the coast to a lovely beach town called Moraira.
48 FRI
29/06/07 Me and Fred took a ride into the mountains the high light was a peak that overlooks most of the Coasta Blanca, Benidorm, Javea, Denia and on a cleer day Ibiza. Later it was out for a Chinese.
49 SAT
30/06/07 We all went out for a ride ending up at Moraia beach. On the way back I left shovely at my new campsite in Javea and Fred played taxi to take me back to Denia were I packed up and moved the caravan to camping Javea. That evening me and Fred enjoyed a bar crawl in Denia, the high street and the harbour district was the liveliest we have seen it. Stayed at Freds house.
50 SUN
01/07/07 After breakfast we said our goodbyes, they were heading for wet England and I am still on holiday for another 10 weeks maybe! After getting setup I found out that a band called rock of ages was playing a local English bar perfect, just like sun night at the Red Shoot but warmer.
51 MON
02/07/07 Spent the day exploring the beach, shops and bars in Javea a lovely seaside town, popular tourist area with English people. But very quite for this time of year.
52 TUE
03/07/07 I decided to explore Calpe further today, first a walk along the beach, then a swim. Whilst floating on my back I looked up at the massive rock, which is now a nature reserve that can be climbed. Why not it is only 500 m high and the temp is only 36 degrees, a dumb idea but fantastic views. Visited HD dealer to find out about any rides going on, but no luck.
53 WED
04/07/07 Day off to relax at campsite, beach I could only look at the impressive 25m swimming pool dying for a swim but I was having problems with my right ear and was using ear drops!
54 THU
05/07/07 Spent the day at Javea mainly at the beach.
55 FRI
06/07/07 Decided to revisit Coll De Rates the high peak (625m) with the fantastic views I visited with Fred. Today I carried on to El Castell DE Guadalest and visited the remains of a hill top fortress. Theirs not much left but there are great views over the reservoir. I followed the road down to the sea at Benidorm, a famous high rise heaving tourist city. Despite having lovely sandy beaches I was just thinking this is not my type of place until I found a biker bar right on the sea front called Heartbreak Hotel, with a rock duet playing.
56 SAT
07/07/07 Returned to Benidorm for some more life, after watching two bands at HBH, three dirty looking bikers pulled up, my type of people. I got talking to them and found out they were returning from a hard ride through the mountains. Introducing themselves as Armin from Germany, and Sandra and Ab from the Netherlands. After a few beers together and a game of being told to move the bikes from the front of the bar by the police then putting then back as soon as thy had gone! I was invited to carry on drinking and talking at Ab house in La Nucia. By the small hours I had found out despite living in paradise they still faced the same problems in life, money, work, tax, kids, bike troubles and police hassle.
57 SUN
08/07/07 Spent the morning helping my new friends repair their bikes, two modified Suzukis and a chopped Honda. I then found an English bar on the seafront to watch the F1 GP, followed by a swim in the sea and a sunbathe lent against a palm tree listening to a rock band play in the HBH paradise! After saying goodbye to my biker friends I rode back to the van with the sun setting, a red sky behind the mountains and still 28 degrees!
58 MON
09/07/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim and pack up.
59 TUE
10/07/07 Drove to La Manga a famous thin strip islands 14 miles long that help to form a large salt water lagoon. Basically a leisure and tourist area, that reminds me of the Florida Keys.
60 WED
11/07/07 I explored the strip and was spoilt for choose of great beaches. Later I found an Irish bar right on the beach and stopped for a Guinness and a curry, very English!
61 THU
12/07/07 I tried the beach at the end of the campsite today, but returned to the far superior beach on the strip. That evening I rode along the strip again but failed to find any decent night life, the main activity seemed to be eating and shopping.
62 FRI
13/07/07 Rode over to see two long standing Harley rider cub members, Julie and Jack who have been living in Spain for over 5 years now. After spending many holidays touring Europe they could not wait to retire early to move to Spain! And they still seam to be enjoying every day. Although their dream of living the Spanish way is being constantly eroded by the large number of new holiday developments and the increasing amount of undesirable English people. Jack cooked a lovely meal and we talked to the early hours, well mostly Jack!
63 SAT
14/07/07 It was great to talk about life in Spain, bikes and bikers but by 3 in the afternoon I had to say my goodbyes because I still wanted to have a nose around Puerto de Mazarron a growing fishing village with many small coves and an old gun emplacement at Cabo Tinoso. Built in 1905 right on the end of the head land only reached by a steep narrow winding maintain road with warning signs not to enter left by the military, the two 11 inch guns were made in England and some how positioned on the coastal hill. All the fortifications were made to look just like a rocky hill side.
64 SUN
15/07/07 Day off to relax at the campsite, beach and pack up ready for the next adventure.
65 MON
16/07/07 I had the Monday morning blues to day when I went to move the van and found the new windscreen that was fitted just before leaving England had a 3 inch crack in it! Packed up and drove to pick up the road to Granada, the hilly one that I had already travelled on, this time I carried on to Savilla. After 30 mins searching I found the campsite only to find it shut and padlocked! I had no choice but to carry on towards Huelva now there not much along this road let alone a campsite so by 8 o’clock I decided to camp up in services. Still not a bad run 370 miles today the crack in the windscreen had only grown by an inch.
66 TUE
17/07/07 Awoke to the sound of lorry engines warming up, so an early start. Had a good run down into Portugal and found camping Olhao easily and by 1 o’clock I was all set up ready to go to the local beach. By the time I got back to the campsite it was filling up with bikers. Whilst having an evening meal I meet a couple on a royal star, two HRCGB members from Scotland and Clive from Weymouth whose rear wheel on his rocket 3 had broken after hitting a pot hole in France, the bike was returned home but he carried on using the bus just to get to his first Faro.
67 WED
18/07/07 Relaxed at campsite and swam. By the evening most of the BSH trip, run to the sun (or running from the rain as it had been nick named this year) had arrived so a lively evening in the bar followed!
68 THU
19/07/07 Queued up for an hour to get in to the Moto Club Faro’s 26th rally, plenty of space this year I found a place under a tree with the BSH lot. After returning to the campsite for a swim and shower, it was back to the rally site to watch a dodge Kiss tribute band and the Pat Savage band, whom were excellent as were there acoustic warm up guitarist!
69 FRI
20/07/07 Stopped at the HD dealer in Ohlao to buy some oil but left quickly when the wanted £17.15 for a litre of oil proving HD dealers rip you of even in a relative cheep place to live! That night’s bands were not my type of bands so I spent the night in the oasis bar watching a rather good Portuguese all girl rock band.
70 SAT
21/07/07 Rode across the causeway to Faro beach 3 miles of lovely sand, with numbers of people swelled by bikers from the rally. Back to the rally to see the custom bike show, Miss Faro show, prize giving for the bike show and a free dinner. I meet a guy by the BSH truck whose drive gear for his BSA A10 oil pump had sheared and was hoping to find a welder working on a Sunday! Back to the stage to watch old gravel voice Joe Cocker, who was very good despite being nearly 70!
71 SUN
22/07/07 Packed tent up and returned to the stage to find out if I had won the trip to Daytona or a Kawasaki but no luck! After a free lunch returned to the campsite for another lively night.
72 MON
23/07/07 I headed north today with the BSH crowd for a ride up the N2 through the mountains to see the real Portugal. After S Bras de Alportel we had 30 miles of bends with beautiful views another great biking road! The road straightened out Past Almodovar all the way to Odivelas were we rode over a dam and camped by the reservoir lovely another boozy evening!
73 TUE
24/07/07 Packed up said goodbye and rode towards the west coast, this area is very quite and sparsely populated. Stopped at Arrifana near Aljezur, a beautiful bay with a small fishing port, a haven for surfers. After a laze on the beach I decided to return on the motorway, stopping of at Armacao De Pera near Abufeira to check out my next campsite.
74 WED
25/07/07 Day off to relax at campsite and swim. Meet Clive for a few beers and to listen to the Portuguese music, not my favourite!
75 THU
26/07/07 Up early to drop Clive off at the airport, I am he only British biker left on the site know. Carried on to Quarteira a lovely seaside town with a great beach but very crowded! Just a mile away there is Vilamoura with its nice marina, stopped for an excellent English breakfast in a restaurant for only £3.20. On another 6 miles to Loule to visit its castle, stopped at Milreu Ruins the roman remains of a grand Patrician,s villa, my tour finished with a view point called Carro de S Miguel were you can see for 30 miles in all directions breathtaking!
76 FRI
27/0707 I decided to visit Tavira today, first stop was a camera obscura built into the towns old water tower which gives a 360 degree view of the town. Then a wonder through the town to take a look at its castle, bridges, fishing port and churches. On the way home I stopped off at the beach at Fuseta, and was surprised to find it was cloudy! After walking along the beach I realised it was clouds of smoke, a large area of the nature reserve was on fire. I paddled to the old lifeboat station and from its steps watched as fire crews and a helicopter fort to stop the fire reaching the town.
77 SAT
28/07/07 I have heard a lot about Monte Gordo, they have held HOG rally’s there so I took a ride along the N125 to visit it. It turned out to be a very touristy seaside town but with a fantastic beach with lovely sand as far as you can sea in both directions! Then I rode along the coast to the river that separates Portugal from Spain and then up to Castro Marim to visit its castle but by time I got there it was closing in five minutes so a very quick look around! I took the A22 motorway back to Olhao it was 7 o’clock in the evening, 40 degrees, at 70 MPH, I was boiling and had trouble breathing!
78 SUN
29/07/07 I returned to Faro today to take a boat trip across the Ria Formosa Natural Park to visit Llha Deserta the most southerly point in Portugal. A lovely relaxing two and a half hour trip.
|
