12-09-2003 :Spain This morning we were leaving for Spain and wow what great roads. Deciding to take the mountain road south out from Lourdes and up over the Pyrenees (the D918 up to the Pic Du Midi d’Ossau at 2884 metres) the views simply got better and better. As we steadily climbed higher through countless switchbacks we noticed enthusiastic Police waving us on eagerly, they obviously really like big bikes we thought naively. As the mountain road got steeper and tighter we edged carefully by a number of cyclists involved in some type of ‘local event’. A few kilometres more and we’d passed another group of cyclists and yet more cops. Bloody hell we thought these amateurs are keen, not to mention incredibly fit. Still more roadside police waived us on and through, and yet they had now begun to stop other vehicles from continuing. Finally near the summit we met up with the main pack of cyclists, 100 or so guys on really flash bikes. We were staggered how popular amateur cycling was in this region and admired their dedication. Wishing to show our appreciation we began to waive and cheer as we passed them, with most smiling and waiving back.Right at the top of the mountain pass we decided to stop, as there seemed to be quite a large crowd waiting for the cyclist to come through…we enquired politely about the ‘local cycling event’. Our question met with a brief pause and then a smile as we were gently informed that the athletes we had been waiving to were in fact all World class professionals and that we had somehow ridden right through the mountain stage of the ‘Tour de Spain’, one of the largest cycling events in the cycling calendar. The enthusiastic police who had been waiving us on had presumed that we were TV bikes filming the race. We thought that was kind’ a cool…J Lunch over we thought we’d press on, unfortunately a spanner was put in the works as the police by now had sussed that we weren’t TV, just lucky tourists and stopped us from going the way we wanted, pointing for us to go the opposite way! Ah well! Our new route was a beauty. What a great road, once again, and we ended riding up through some very tiny hamlets all of which we said it would be great to live in! However, this road led us back to only 12k away from Lourdes the wrong side of the mountain range! So we had to set off again and time was getting late. Eventually we crossed the Spanish border and within minutes the landscape changed to the dry and earth red tones we remembered from our last visits. We eventually stopped just to the west of the town Jaca. 13-09-2003 The morning felt fresh, as rain overnight had brought cool air. Packing away easily we were soon on the road and determined to be in Estella to meet a good friend, who by pure chance is on a walking holiday in the area. Today was to be a short day as the miles ahead of us were few with the N240 west providing us more opportunity to enjoy our bikes with fast long turns and sweeping bends. Passing the Embalse de Yesa lake by mid morning we made our way south of Pamplona on the smaller local roads and by 2pm we were in the tourist information shop in Estella. Anybody interested in this area, Estella is not the easiest place to find camping or to navigate as the town is little more than one large one-way system with many of the main street and squares now set aside as pedestrian only zones. 6:30 rolled around quite quickly and we set off to make the short ride back into the town centre to meet Lynne at 7pm. 30 mins later we were still riding round now completely flummoxed as to how to meet her at the agreed point. Every alleyway or road was either a dead end or pedestrian area! After 40 mins we were both now getting a little frustrated. With a phone call to Lynne (thank God for mobiles!) Our frustration was quickly forgotten and replace with excitement as one of Lisa’s best friends walked into view. With a restaurant quickly chosen we all sat down to compare travelling stories, memories, and good wine and even better conversation. Outnumbered 2 to 1 I became the butt of more than just a couple of jokes but hell, but that’s half the fun of it! By midnight eyelids were feeling heavy and with hugs and kisses exchanged we all made our way to our beds. It had been great to see Lynne and Lisa had been so excited. 14-09-2003 It was time to do some real riding – so a big push was on the cards with Segovia being the destination for this evening. Our day started on the smaller back roads with more great scenery and fewer and fewer cars. The landscape opened up, the earth became redder and drier and rolling plains dotted with small white buildings covered the land for as far as the eye could see. As the land became flatter the heat increased hour upon hour with the horizon being blurred by the constantly moving mirage of heat. We were now riding in an area known as ‘the frying pan of Spain’! By lunch time the scenery had changed again with bare and barren land exchanged for row upon row of vines. We were in La Rioja - the land of wine. The C115 brought us easily into the town of Soria and filtering through the traffic we emerged on the other side of town on the N122. Petrol stops and food breaks came and went, as did El Burgo de Osma, Pardena and La Salceda. As the evening light drew in we rode the last few miles into Segovia. Riding almost due West, the setting sun provided a red illumination and silhouetted the famous Segovia viaduct. 15-09-2003 Segovia is a beautiful city standing on a rocky outcrop between the Eresma and Clamores rivers, 1000 metres above sea level. Segovia has been given the nickname of the ‘stone ship’. This is because the profile of the Alcazar castle perched on the rocks resembles a prow of a ship while the Cathedral tower serves as the mast! Lyricism aside, Segovia is one of the richest cities in Spain for monuments as well as historical tradition. The UNESCO acknowledged this in 1985 by declaring it a World Heritage city. With so much history to Segovia to just ride through it would have been a sin – so leaving the bikes and tent behind today we would explore this remarkable city. We walked down to the Plaza del Azoguejo in order to get the best view of the Roman Aqueduct we had seen yesterday on our way in. The structure is incredible! The aqueduct dominates the Plaza at a height of 29 metres, which is 95 feet. This remarkable work of engineering is the largest and best preserved of the Roman Empire and dates from the first century and was used to transport water to almost 15 k away – quite incredibly its huge blocks of granite are joined by an extraordinary opposition of forces without any kind of mortar – and naturally today it’s one of the cities main landmarks. Following the line of the aqueduct we walked up the hill into the old city and browsed the labyrinth of streets and alleyways, now home to hundred of small shops. Well within the old walled centre we finally reached the Plaza Mayor, the heart of the old city and stood amazed at the imposing structure of the main Cathedral – an amazing building in Gothic style with its outline made up of high towers and sharp pinnacles. The heart of the old city found bars and cafes fighting for our attention all offering delicious free tapas with each beer ordered and with this in mind the rest of the afternoon was spent exploring more of the city and frequently stopping for liquid refreshment! As the evening drew on, weary feet made their way back up the hill and with so many tapas enjoyed diner was going to be a quick and light affair. 16-09-2003 Today was an unintentionally long day. Leaving Segovia early and using the main roads we made our way into Portugal with the plan being to stop in the town of Elvas. Arriving at Elvas mid evening and having visited three campsites we were forced to admit defeat as all were closed. Today had been long and very hot and we were by now very keen to stop but would make our way down to the larger town of Evora before nightfall. Arriving in Evora late and more by luck than design we found one of the few remaining still open sites and pitched our tent for the night. Although our route into Portugal had not been particularly eventful it had nonetheless still been exciting. Like many people we had wrongfully presumed that culturally Portugal would not be terribly different to Spain. However, within minutes of passing the border the Portuguese landscape had made its mark and images normally reserved for glossy magazines had made themselves apparent. We watched strong looking young men riding almost arrogantly on the most beautiful of white stallions. Dressed impeccably but casually is black tight trousers, crisp white shirts undone to the navel and large sombreros these young men carried out what we presumed was the evening inspection of their land. Lisa was in her element. 17-09-2003 We were now heading back to Spain as Mondial Assistance had arranged for Lisa’s bike to be looked at by BMW in Seville. Deciding not to go into Seville itself and having consulted one of our camping guides we headed for Dos Hermanos on the south side of Seville. 18-09-2003 We had arranged to be at Todomoto (BMW Seville) by 10 am and had left the campsite with their address tapped into the GPS having given ourselves plenty of time to find them. With pure luck on our side we found them now more than 3 k from our campsite! It was quite a relief not to have had to do battle with the Seville rush hour traffic and for once finding BMW without a single hiccup or wrong turn. The smiling face of Miguel greeted us happily and before long our bikes were being whisked away for mine to be checked and Lisa’s to be serviced and to finally have the remaining bearings replaced. The day was spent milling around, talking to Miguel the Manager and Pepe, the owner. Swapping stories and motorcycle travel anecdotes the day quickly passed and before long our bikes were returned to us all the better for a little attention. Our experience of Todomoto had been a pleasure with all of their staff friendly, incredibly helpful and genuinely interested in our adventure. With some discount being added for good measure we owe Todomoto a large thank you and would recommend them to any BMW rider passing their door. For their details and GPS co-ordinates just visit our BMW friends page. 19-09-2003 Not much to write as we spent today catching up on diary and sneaking power from an unlocked electricity supply on site! 20-09-2003 WOW! - 4 months away already, it’s flown. Late afternoon saw us riding past Jerez and pitching our tent 200 metres from the sea in the town of El Puerto De Santa Maria at the campsite Las Dunas. 21/22-09-2003 It had to be done – with the sun out and the waves crashing it was time to catch a few rays. We’ve had an exhausting two days spent lying on the beach, swimming in blue water and making the 20 yard walk to the bar for liquid refreshment. 23-09-2003 Today was a massive treat day as for as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by the beautiful white stallions known as the Austrian Lipizzaner horses. Only one thing could have been better than seeing them in Austria and that was a visit to their original training school in Jerez with a visit to The Real Escuela Andaluza Del Arte Ecuestre. Guess what…that’s what we’re doing!Sometime later…..what a wonderful day! We both left the campsite riding Simon’s bike and were in Jerez only half and hour later. Our first port of call was the tourist office to get times of the exhibition and show. The first show today was at 12 noon so we made our way through the city and 11 am saw us standing at the ticket booth clutching two tickets for the reserved premier seating. Tickets in hand we made our way into the school an area of beautiful and traditional Spanish buildings and a strong smell of horse and leather hung in the air. Finding our seats quickly we sat in the long and immaculate arena and waited as the crowd and the excitement grew. The performance we were going to see was the “Como Bailan los Caballos Andaluces” which is an authentic equestrian ballet staged on typical choreography taken form the reprises of the classical and country dressage. All of this is set to purely Spanish music. The first entry was breathtaking as the rider in white tunic and Spanish riding hat took the arena floor with a most beautiful and elegant horse. We were so close that we could hear clearly the heavy breathing of the horse as it panted around the arena with the rider at ease and apparently easily persuading the horse to do its ‘ballet’. The moves are amazing and as more horses entered they began to zigzag diagonally across the arena going sideways, prancing on their back legs, dong a straight-legged trot (I know there is probably a technical name for all these moves!), all well controlled seemingly effortlessly by their riders. I had initially been concerned that Simon would find the show somewhat tedious as I know he has never been over enamoured by horses and had only been horse riding a couple of times. However, I needn’t have worried. I was delighted that he was as enthusiastic as I was and amazed at the complicated and elegant moves these huge animals were performing. I would recommend that anyone go and see these amazing animals even if they are not ‘into’ horses…. you will still find it immensely impressive. More details can be found by calling 0034 956 318 008 or e-mailing: reserves@realescuela.org or by visiting their website: www.realescuela.org. At the end of the show – which was over 2 hours in length! – I had to call someone else who could enthuse over these beautiful horses and so I called my parents who had seen the show only a few years ago only to find out that the show was a treat from them and that they had already placed the money into our account! Aren’t parents great! 24/25/26/27/28-09-2003 After Thursday being so exciting, today and the last few days have been days of R&R - research and rest! Spending about 4 hours a day in the Internet café we tried to catch up on the research we needed to do prior to North Africa…and there is still such a lot that we need to do – sort out spares, new tyres, research routes and obtain all the up to date information on the borders we will have to cross and check if there are any more countries that are now closed! In the next week luckily we have our friends Moises and Hannah visiting family in Gibraltar and they are bringing out all our African books and maps for us – so research is a must prior to getting these. Unfortunately over the last few days Lisa began to feel very ‘off colour’ and has spent the last 3 days mostly in bed in the tent!! On the up side we do have some great new neighbours. Nick and Ash turned up two nights ago in their range rover discovery and looked very much at home almost immediately. This pair of globetrotters are currently travelling and taking time out whilst deciding where to settle down. Having both grown up in South Africa they now have a base in Bath, what a small world it is. We’ve already swapped stories not to mention learnt a great deal from them both as only a couple of years ago they had organised an expedition and travelled through central Africa by bicycle. Our time with Nick and Ash has been great. Lisa and Ash have got on famously, whilst Nick and I play ‘adventure’ boules, a game invented by us! Much like normal boules you throw the large silver balls towards a small wooden jack, only our version included throws of 30 feet plus, up and down sandy banks, behind trees or just simply with the jack out of sight! Much more fun! Nick seemed to be just a bit too expert at this whole game – we suspect a misspent childhood. With the weather being rather non-descript we’ve also taken the opportunity to take stock of our bikes and equipment in an attempt to get rid of surplus kit and weight. With our kit laid out on the ground there is a strange sense of reassurance we both feel in being able to quantify our lives so simply. There is a strange sense of empowerment in being able to see in one snapshot your belongings and your responsibilities, besides it makes a good photo for the website. 29-09-2003 With Lisa still feeling a little fragile we decided that we must move closer to Algeciras and also Hannah and Moises had already arrived in Gibraltar and were spending a few days with their family prior to us meeting them. Taking the Atlantic coastal route down the N 430 we passed stretches of wild untouched coastline, white beaches and fishing villages – we arrived in Tarifa at a very reasonable hour and set up camp. 30-09-2003 to 05-10-2003  Initially our time in Tarifa passed very slowly. The weather has taken a real turn for the worse, with sheets of rain pounding our canvas!! The initial novelty of rain was quickly washed away as everything hangs damp and festering and mud becomes a problem. The cooler climate has also dampened spirits in the campsite and it’s at times like these without the ‘glossy sheen of atmosphere’ when living under canvas can suddenly seem less appealing and a little more like hard work. We have spent the last few days in Tarifa once again going to the Internet café, doing research and staring to re-read the sections in the Chris Scott books and frightening ourselves half to death… do we really want to go into Africa? – it all sounds so dangerous!! During this time we were so looking forward to seeing Hannah and Moises who have already been in Gibraltar for a few days. They have lots of stuff for us – maps, books, and tent parts! Our spirits were lifted on Thursday as we rode the bikes into Gibraltar to be met by Moises and Hannah excitedly waving at the border crossing. Following our friends to a large Citroen dealership run by Moises’ cousin it was not long before our bikes were parked, helmets removed and proper hellos could be made. It was now time to catch up and a full cooked English breakfast at the Clipper seemed like the right thing to do. Our waitress came to the table and happily asked in a Northern twang “Right luvs wot can I get fur yers”. With the atmosphere, decoration and menu, we were instantly transported back to the UK and were quite comforted realising that very suddenly language barriers and making ourselves understood weren’t going to play a part in this meal. Runny fried eggs, crisp fried bread, fatty and frazzled strips of bacon accompanied singed tomatoes and a healthy dollop of baked beans. At this moment we were confronted with a meal ‘fit for a King’ and the enjoyment we had in savouring familiar tastes I think surprised us both. Conversation between myself (Simon) and Moises took off at their usual pace with bizarre conversational tangents the norm. With Moises being one of my oldest friends I don’t get away with much. Real English tea served in oversize mugs washed down the remnants; the rain outside just didn’t seem to matter. Our High street walk took us past a plethora of shops, selling everything from cheap booze to state of the art electronics, ended in the square and gave us the first opportunity to look up at The Rock in the company of our friends. With the rain still beating we headed to one of the many bars and enjoyed another hour of conversation with a bottle of South African Shiraz. With our own private tour of Gib well under way we headed off to meet Moises’s family. Maps, books and tent had all been looked after and sitting in their lounge it was like Christmas come early. To our amazement and delight the new flysheet we had expected to receive from Hilleberg the tent maker turned out to be a completely new tent, pegs, poles and all. The weather was beginning to pick up outside so a photo opportunity was on the cards, the glorious view of the Gib harbour and Moroccan mountains in the back provided the perfect backdrop. It was dark before we said goodbye to Moises and Hannah and after promising to ride safely for the thousandth time we finally set off heading for the hills and the relentless rain. Our return to the tent was an anti-climax after such a good day with friends. Disappointment turned to dismay as we realized our tent was sitting in 3” inches of water. The next hour was spent getting absolutely soaked as we tried desperately to bail out the front awning, which was swimming. Everything was soaked in the front porch of the tent as we’d left the tank bags on the floor – they were just like basins! As the rain got harder we frantically dug trenches in an attempt to get the water to drain. Lisa battled. She couldn’t see. The rain was so hard it was covering her glasses. When she took them off it was even worse! Finally and after digging the Spanish version of the Panama Canal the water finally began to subside. By now we were both drenched and past caring. It was an uncomfortable night without much sleep.Bleary eyed from a restless night the next day passed slowly and uneventfully. 06-10-2003 We had promised to see Moises and Hannah today prior to their departure tomorrow night. With the rain for company we set off for Gibraltar. An hour later saw us warm and dry in Moises’s hire car hammering down the motorway singing (badly) songs from the 80’s and heading for Puerto Banus for a little shopping, sightseeing and maybe a little celebrity spotting. After browsing the massive shopping mall we had worked up an appetite. Following my conversation with Jacqui (back in the UK) a week earlier and her deliberately enticing description of TGI Friday’s fantastic Jack Daniel Barbeque Ribs…well the TGI’s Restaurant near the harbour, simply had to be done. “Would you like to see some menus” our waitress asked chirpily but unconvincingly. “Nope”, I quickly replied, “Jack Daniel Ribs, please”. My mind had already been made. Lisa, Moises and Hannah followed suit. The waitress probably thought “sad English Bastards”. We didn’t care!Part of really enjoying any travel is being able to appreciate people, and circumstance. During no part of our preparation for our ‘Global journey’ did we envision sitting in a TGI’s restaurant in Puerto Banus tucking into deliciously crunchy deep fried onion rings and savouring perfectly cooked baby back ribs smothered in mouth watering Jack Daniels sauce (bloody hell I should start writing menus J. If anyone from TGI’s would like to sponsor us, bank details can be provided). Needless to say we devoured the lot and enjoyed every single mouthful. With stomachs obscenely full, we paid the bill and headed for the shops. Time fly’s when your having fun and all to soon it was time to make our way back to Gib, but not before spotting Leum Gallagher’s Ex, in her Saab leaving our car park. We couldn’t decide if she qualified as a celeb? 07-10-2003 Today’s start did not look promising. Tarifa was soggy and wet and it looked like it was going to rain, again! Seconds after hanging up the damp remains from the other nights deluge, guess what..yep, rain! Aaggh. We went back inside and planed to sulk until the day got brighter. It worked! 30 minutes later the sun was shinning and at last we could begin to dry out. As the day went on the sun did its thing and slowly things returned to normal and began to take their usual shape. Mid afternoon saw the campsite and its inmates slowly returning to life. Tom and Jack, two Auzzies guys made their introductions, followed by Szander (we call him ‘Buffy’) Mike and Frans, the mad Dutch windsurfing guys. It wasn’t long before the English contingent of the site had joined in for good measure. Enter Rose, Rose’s brother, Joe, Lee (especially dodgy lad from ‘Uuup Norf who took retirement at the age of 32) and lastly but least Frank and Emma, who’ve already been on the road for 3 months. Having been confined to quarters for longer than 24-hours, the sun and warm evening were as good enough cause for a party as anything else. By 1:30am things were warming up. We’d already had our first complaint from a perturbed German neighbour and had been asked to “keep things down”, by the local security guard. With this we all moved base and set up camp on the beach. Theirs something very special about the atmosphere you get when relative strangers find themselves all in good company, without pretence, bare foot on the beach, enjoying conversation and wine, whilst waves crash in the background, unseen in the darkness. By 3am and with the promise of good weather it was time to head back to the tent. What a great way to end a day that started with so little promise. 08-10-2003 The party, which started last night, simply got moved to today. Greeting like old school friends our newly formed group moved to the beach. The wind was strong and the sun was beating and anybody with a sail or a kite was enjoying the water. Joe had offered to let me use his board and sail; it was to good an opportunity to pass up. Not long after I strapped into the harness and tentatively took to the water. Contrary to the expression ‘like riding a bike’, it was hard work. It had been fifteen years since I had been on a board. The extra weight I’m carrying didn’t help. My first few runs were disappointing. I used to be better than this, I thought to myself. Finally, when I began to relax did things suddenly start to come back? Locked into the harness lines, feet planted into the neoprene foot straps, the sail pulling my arms out of their sockets and with the board skimming the water at speed, I realised how much I’d missed this and the sensation that only windsurfing can give…what a buzz!!!. Thanks Joe!!!Lee’s huge mobile home was the venue for this evening’s entertainment. Puling his TV to the large side window of the van and pointing it outwards it was then hooked up to the mobile DVD player. A stroke of genius. With the lot of us seated comfortably around the window (outside) and with wine in hand, we settled down to ‘The Bourne Identity’. Tomorrow’s showing…’SPIDERMAN’. 09-10-2003 A relaxing day –we BBQ’d in the evening, with belly pork and fresh prawns followed by Spidey! This is getting very comfortable? 10-10-2003 Having done a little investigation into preventative Malaria tablets we rode into Gibraltar on a mission with Lee on my bike for company. Our high spirits were soon dulled when we learnt the price of our chosen drug £200!! A hasty call to Caroline confirmed that compared to normal prices this was a bargain. Back to reality with a bump.With our budget in tatters we headed for the Clipper and for £4.95 enjoyed a huge plate of Steak and ale pie with vegetable and mash X 3. Who said comfort eating doesn’t work – yummy yum! 11-10-2003 The rains returned with a vengeance. With not much else to do whilst we wait for spare bike parts to arrive from the UK, we’re sat in Lee’s van and writing this diary – this evenings events have taken a predictable knock. 12-10-2003 Well, I’m still here writing this diary and sorting out the new web page in between food breaks. If the rain holds off we’re planning a beach party for tonight as Rose and several others are leaving tomorrow. I’ll give you the gossip tomorrow. Talk to you soon.    ok the first part is over click here to go to the second part of the Spain section         click on the pics for bigger images