I'm back! ..miss me? no! anyway the Vinnie took me all over the Picos mountains footpeg to footpeg and up and down their fantastic roads. It was my first trip abroad by bike, well now I know how really excellent the Rapide is for this sort of thing! I have a Buell Ulysses which should have been my choice for the trip, but the Vin was a whole lot more fun. I was supposed to be riding with a mixture of 6 other bikes, but the pace in a group was a bit pedestrian for my bike and I met up with them every evening for some wine/beer therapy.
Set out from home to get fuel..came out and there it was in a huge pool of oil -2 miles from home. Tightened up the rocker feed banjo rear cylinder, thought b....r it press on. Next hit a sleeping policeman in Chinnor while looking at said banjo, dang - now my home made carrier is not quite the same. Re-arrange luggage and off into to torrential rain as far Petersfield, nice warm pub for the o/night before the ferry next morning. Bit of a nervous moment when you are among about 200 hundred modern bikes and stopping and starting etc. I'd be a rich man if I got a pound for every guy who said he had sold one for 5 bob! We stayed in Potes - very beautiful -for 2 nights and lots of mountain riding. On to Arenas De Cabrales for 2 nights. Went canyoning from here, no, it does not involve any sexually deviant practices, but really great fun. Last day spent on the beach in Comillas with a gentle offshore breeze blowing and a 3 ft swell perfect for a bit of b/surfing. finally a sad procession of bikes back to the ferry in Santander, not before a heated discussion on phone with loved one on why a mate and myself shouldn't push on to Southern Portugal..not very understanding I felt. Oh and the bent carrier..it went onto the basura heap in Arenas, where I had to swap suitcase for a pair of boots to go canyoning with. Anyone after a nasty pair of hiking boots size 8 drop me a line!
Set out from home to get fuel..came out and there it was in a huge pool of oil -2 miles from home. Tightened up the rocker feed banjo rear cylinder, thought b....r it press on. Next hit a sleeping policeman in Chinnor while looking at said banjo, dang - now my home made carrier is not quite the same. Re-arrange luggage and off into to torrential rain as far Petersfield, nice warm pub for the o/night before the ferry next morning. Bit of a nervous moment when you are among about 200 hundred modern bikes and stopping and starting etc. I'd be a rich man if I got a pound for every guy who said he had sold one for 5 bob! We stayed in Potes - very beautiful -for 2 nights and lots of mountain riding. On to Arenas De Cabrales for 2 nights. Went canyoning from here, no, it does not involve any sexually deviant practices, but really great fun. Last day spent on the beach in Comillas with a gentle offshore breeze blowing and a 3 ft swell perfect for a bit of b/surfing. finally a sad procession of bikes back to the ferry in Santander, not before a heated discussion on phone with loved one on why a mate and myself shouldn't push on to Southern Portugal..not very understanding I felt. Oh and the bent carrier..it went onto the basura heap in Arenas, where I had to swap suitcase for a pair of boots to go canyoning with. Anyone after a nasty pair of hiking boots size 8 drop me a line!
