Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
N260
I went to bed with my right knee twice the size of my left knee last night, and on recollection the handle bars whacked my knee as the bike fell. I woke this morning unable to put any weight on my right leg, which made stairs hard work. After breakfast we made a start just before mid day, intending to ride a route we'd been recommended. After an hour of riding around the narrow traffic filled but very clean streets of Andorra trying to find the start of the route the sat nav was put away and we headed out of Andorra to Catalunya, and the N260. After a coke and some water at a cafe on the road (Coke is the same in any language, water can take some time to order!) we hit the N260 to Sort, from Adrall. As we turned off the road at adrall my sat nav (working again, don't know why, don't trust it any more) said 'continue 28 miles', luckily the Neuofen had kicked in by now and I could use my rear brake. I followed Rod to sort, using him to save me having to read the road. No chance for anyone to fall asleep here, 28 miles of twisties, some with sheer drops of the side of the mountain. We stopped in Sort for a coffee and a few minutes later Jason arrived. On the way back we stopped several times at the various view points along the road to take photos.
Back at the hotel we viewed footage of the camera mounted on the front of Jason's bike, which had some good footage, while mine, which I'd not had time to mount and had clipped to my pocket had 30 minutes of looking at my fuel tank and sat nav.
We ate in a bar a couple of doors along from the hotel, and all elected to have an early night. I think I'm going to need a couple of weeks on a beech somewhere to recover from this holiday!
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Back at the hotel we viewed footage of the camera mounted on the front of Jason's bike, which had some good footage, while mine, which I'd not had time to mount and had clipped to my pocket had 30 minutes of looking at my fuel tank and sat nav.
We ate in a bar a couple of doors along from the hotel, and all elected to have an early night. I think I'm going to need a couple of weeks on a beech somewhere to recover from this holiday!
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A glass of Coke and a bottle of water before we tackle the N260 from Adrall to Sort in Catalunya
Andorra or bust (Andorra and bust!)
The day stared off with a €3.9O toll to go over the Millau viaduct, and an ETA for Andorra of just before 3 in the afternoon.
Before we crossed we went to the viewing area, were as the youngest and fittest I walked up the hill from the car park to the viewing area and take pictures.
We rode across the viaduct and soon turned off onto some nice twistie roads with medieval hill top towns to view as we were riding.
Not long after leaving the viaduct the clouds came down around us, making much more than 35mph impossible and seriously hampering progress, and meaning another stop to fit clear visors. As soon as we were sorted and could see again the weather cleared up!
We stopped in a small town called mashhfder for lunch, as Rod was falling asleep again. Lunch was served by a very young girl, where Jason caused confusion by ordering breakfast tea (but not Earl Grey) which they'd never heard of anyway.
Once back on the road it was soon time to stop for photos of the scenery, followed by some really good twisties. I turned my heated grips on (south of France in July??) to dry my soaked summer gloves out and warm my girlie hands.
As we were running again and soon in need of fuel, the sat nav taking us down some very small narrow road to a closed petrol station, so we hit a main road and found another petrol station in the wrong direction. We were disoriented by this time and decided to head for Foix and from there to Andorra. We had a great ride from here, only to be out done by a local in a 20 year old 5 series BMW diesel, who must've been taking mind altering drugs, overtaking on blind hairpin bends, and frequently carving up other drivers as he tried to get out of the way of oncoming drivers. We kept up with his pace but without the death wish overtakes. The ride into Andorra was great with great views and twistie mountain roads.
Then we came Ertz... While waiting at a set of traffic lights Jason managed to drop his bike, nearly skittling Rod in the process. Being the Gent I am I got of my bike to help him, making a school boy error and forgetting to leave my bike in gear as it was facing down hill, meaning it rolled of it's side stand and mine to was lying on it's side on the road, luckily the luggage took the brunt of the fall, a broken left front indicator and minor scuff on the alternator cover the only other damage to the bike. I've also sustained damaged to my right knee, not sure if it was hit by the falling bike or if I stained it picking the bike up, but don't think I'll be running anywhere for a while!
We arrived at out hotel just before 9 O'clock. Spectacular view up to the mountains are in all directions, some still with snow on them.
We dined at the restaurant next to the hotel, Restaurant 360 degrees a three course meal and small beer for €11.50, and a free cocktail on payment of the bill, which we drank on the freezing cold patio next to the river.
Off to bed now, hoping I can still walk in the morning!
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Sunday, 25 July 2010
We woke just after 8am, and were soon on the road by just after 11...
We set off along some narrow county lanes at a fine pace, with harvested fields and fields of sunflowers. After an hour of this we decided that we were just using up time getting no where and headed for the old national roads, and do it with maps the old fashioned way. We entered Montlucon in the sat nav to get us there as we were in the middle of no where so we could pick up the old N144 to Clermont Ferrand and head to Millau on the old N9. We rode for a while until Rod started feeling tired and stopped to as we were low on fuel and needed to ask the sat nav where fuel was in a south easterly direction.
Recharged and refuled we found some great twisties on the old N144 where I got my boots on the floor on several occasions, just a practice for things to come in the next few days.
After this and thinking we were miles ahead of Jason who had got of the ferry at Caen at 7:00 we decided to stop for a MacDonald's to make him jealous. This was a bad move neither of us was really hungry and as soon as we started off again Rod started falling asleep, pulling out to pass cars and not accelerating. We pulled over for a break and once rested headed for the neared bar for coke/coffee and water. Now refreshed we headed out the A75 motorway, the best bit of motorway I've ever ridden, fast flowing bends that went on for miles.
Looking forward to having a few beers before Jason made it to the hotel we stopped for fuel about 20 miles from Millau, where Jason who had over taken us jumped out on us from behind the petrol pumps.
We finally made it to the hotel just before 20:00...
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