Thinking about next year’s tour.

[husoi]

21 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Coincidental that I’m looking at Northern Spain at the moment, close to the border with Portugal, with a view to popping over the border for a day or so to see if it’s worth further investigation.

 

Well.... 

 

If it's worth it????

How dare you sir??? 

 

Of course it is worth a whole weekend at least.

Depending where the entry point is you will have Viana do Castelo near the coast,

The wonderful natural park Peneda Geres about 20 miles east (ACF)

From there you should go to Montalegre and Chaves and further east you will have Braganca.

All very twisted roads well worth a visit.  

Just don't try to do it in a day.

 

[Gerontious]

Ive made a start on planning routes for next June. starting with my plan B. South of France, in case the weather over in Germany looks iffy. South of Paris to the Auvergne. based at Issoire for 3 days. galumphing around the volcanoes of Puy de Dome.

 

 

Before continuing south and likely west into the Grands Causses and Languedoc.  probably onwards from there to the foothills of the Pyrenees and then see how much time I have left to play with.  Im hoping that if I can jig the annual leave it will give me a little over 2 weeks.  Ive only seen the Volcanoes from a distance, ridden through the Grande Causses once heading down to the coast to see the sea. seems a lifetime ago.

 

So hills rather than alpine mountains next year

[S-Westerly]

18 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Coincidental that I’m looking at Northern Spain at the moment, close to the border with Portugal, with a view to popping over the border for a day or so to see if it’s worth further investigation.

 

We were in Galicia this last May and it was brilliant. 

[husoi]

If you're going to North of Spain then Santiago de Compostela and La Coruna is a must.

Fabulous food in Bilbao and San Sebastian.

 

Most importantly. Hope you have a great time regardless where you're going  

[Pie man]

I've been thinking and thinking and thinking. If I can get to Dijon in a day and then spend a couple of days around the Swiss Alps and then leave a couple of days riding home. Then spend a couple of weeks recovering from Monkey butt . If all else fails, Scotland.

[Copycat73]

1 hour ago, Pie man said:

If I can get to Dijon in a day and then spend a couple of days around the Swiss Alps ..................  . If all else fails, Scotland.

sublime to the ridiculous .. 

[Steve_M]

On 06/10/2023 at 11:16, husoi said:

If you're going to North of Spain then Santiago de Compostela and La Coruna is a must.

Fabulous food in Bilbao and San Sebastian.

 

Most importantly. Hope you have a great time regardless where you're going  

We tend to avoid cities, but we did pop into San Sebastián when we were in the area (we’ve stayed at the Agroturismo Maddiola a couple of times. Recommended) and rather liked it. The old town had some interesting buildings.

 

[Gerontious]

Looks like it will actually be France next year. (at least to start with) Ive just discovered that a great uncle of mine is buried in a hospital cemetery after being wounded at the battle of the somme. bit of hidden family history as this happened just before the war of independence. And so he was basically forgotten. 23 years old. signed up in 1914. promoted to corporal and died November 1916.

I had no idea. nor did many of my relatives. He wasn't the only one.. but the others returned. He was my grandfathers brother.

 

Ive always been totally fascinated by, especially WW1 and to find out there is actually a family connection is really quite incredible. seems doubtful to me that any family member has ever visited him. so... off I go.

 

Quite weird too, as when I last went to France, our final night was just a few miles away at Corbie. 88 miles from the tunnel.

 

[curlylegend]

3 hours ago, Gerontious said:

bit of hidden family history as this happened just before the war of independence.

Sorry, a bit confused here, can you elaborate, please ?   Or not, if it's a family thing and none of our business.

[Gerontious]

10 hours ago, curlylegend said:

Sorry, a bit confused here, can you elaborate, please ?   Or not, if it's a family thing and none of our business.

Im Irish by birth. Though in my family I’m the only one born there. My brothers and sisters were all born here. I don’t think of myself as Irish. I was born there and was brought here a month later.

 

206,000 Irishmen served during WW1. But because the Irish war of independence started almost immediately after WW1 ended. It’s became something of a hidden history. Brushed under the carpet and those who died were to an extent forgotten. Those who returned had a very bad time of it. So, it was best not talked about except within the family but often not even that. Saying you fought for king and country wasn’t really the done thing, except in the north. But for the dead. The grief had to be hidden during the early years and then came the second war. No way really could relatives travel to the cemeteries in France and Belgium for many years after and so these men have been forgotten. Speaking to relatives now. None of them knew about this man. But my mother’s sister knew all about him. I rang her and there was a stunned silence when I told her this man’s name and his parents name and where they lived. And then it all came out. My grandfather had talked about him, but not till he was reaching the end of his life. He died in 1980 and was 90 he was a policeman so didn’t sign up, but his younger brother did and never returned. His name was Fred.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Gerontious

[curlylegend]

13 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Im Irish by birth. Though in my family I’m the only one born there. My brothers and sisters were all born here. I don’t think of myself as Irish. I was born there and was brought here a month later.

 

206,000 Irishmen served during WW1. But because the Irish war of independence started almost immediately after WW1 ended. It’s became something of a hidden history. Brushed under the carpet and those who died were to an extent forgotten. Those who returned had a very bad time of it. So, it was best not talked about except within the family but often not even that. Saying you fought for king and country wasn’t really the done thing, except in the north. But for the dead. The grief had to be hidden during the early years and then came the second war. No way really could relatives travel to the cemeteries in France and Belgium for many years after and so these men have been forgotten. Speaking to relatives now. None of them knew about this man. But my mother’s sister knew all about him. I rang her and there was a stunned silence when I told her this man’s name and his parents name and where they lived. And then it all came out. My grandfather had talked about him, but not till he was reaching the end of his life. He died in 1980 and was 90 he was a policeman so didn’t sign up, but his younger brother did and never returned. His name was Fred.

Now I get it.  Thanks for that. In America some people are offended if you refer to The American War of Independence rather than The American Revolutionary War. 

I don't think this is the place to talk politics but I do recognise the huge losses to families everywhere caused by wars. They were all somebody's son or brother or husband or father.

[Pie man]

Next year will be an Iron Butt Tour. Day 1 will be a Big Ass Ride to Langres then 4 Days camping around the Swiss/French Alps, weather dependant

[Gerontious]

It’s always weather dependent. Main reason I always have a plan B ready to roll. I’ve too often seen people who pre-book everything and then do nothing but complain that it’s raining or there’s low cloud and they can’t see a thing - or both and they’re stuck. Or choose to be stuck.

 

Saw that a lot this year. The horror of spending the best part of £1000 on a ferry and then a week of summer storms and trying to ignore the fact that the bad weather is only where you are.

 

only exception for us is the yearly week in the Eifel, where we have been lucky year after year and have never lost a day to rain. Rain going. Sometimes. Rain returning, maybe. But never once a full day of rain there, bad enough to force a day off.

 

lately the biggest problem seems to be heatstroke!!

[Pie man]

Next year I will be taking my tent, however; after the 633 mile ride, the first nights accommodation will be a Hotel, then decide where to go from there. 

[Steve_M]

1 hour ago, Gerontious said:

It’s always weather dependent. Main reason I always have a plan B ready to roll. I’ve too often seen people who pre-book everything and then do nothing but complain that it’s raining or there’s low cloud and they can’t see a thing - or both and they’re stuck. Or choose to be stuck.

 

Saw that a lot this year. The horror of spending the best part of £1000 on a ferry and then a week of summer storms and trying to ignore the fact that the bad weather is only where you are.

 

lately the biggest problem seems to be heatstroke!!

Just the reason we tend to determine the following day’s route each evening then book the hotels as we go along. It does make for some strange tour routes - 2022 in particular.

 

This year saw us in the champagne region briefly in temperatures well into the 30’s C. Even when we reached the French Alps it was very sauna like. 

[Gerontious]

On 03/11/2023 at 21:36, Steve_M said:

Just the reason we tend to determine the following day’s route each evening then book the hotels as we go along. It does make for some strange tour routes - 2022 in particular.

 

This year saw us in the champagne region briefly in temperatures well into the 30’s C. Even when we reached the French Alps it was very sauna like. 

We tend to stop at Eperney on the way back, from wherever. there is an epic kebab place in the town centre and there used to be a truly wonderful bar with the unlikely name of the blue fish. memories of @bonio weilding a very pointy knife while chopping up a rather large sausage. why have crisps to make you thirsty when you can have sausage!! sadly the bar is no more.

[Steve_M]

On 05/11/2023 at 16:59, Gerontious said:

We tend to stop at Eperney on the way back, from wherever. there is an epic kebab place in the town centre and there used to be a truly wonderful bar with the unlikely name of the blue fish. memories of @bonio weilding a very pointy knife while chopping up a rather large sausage. why have crisps to make you thirsty when you can have sausage!! sadly the bar is no more.

I had a little meander around central France for my first excursion abroad solo. My good lady had been despatched to India as part of her job so I took myself off on the bike with no plan, just my passport, some clothes and a credit card. Yes, yes, I know, I should have taken documents but it was a spur of the moment decision and, naively, I hadn’t done any research. 
 

 

As I was on my own I tended to stop in towns and have a little walk around the area. I spent one evening meandering around Epernay. It’s a somewhat distant memory now  but I seem to recall finding an interesting place with a  shabby chic appeal. 

[bonio]

3 hours ago, Steve_M said:

As I was on my own I tended to stop in towns and have a little walk around the area. I spent one evening meandering around Epernay. It’s a somewhat distant memory now  but I seem to recall finding an interesting place with a  shabby chic appeal. 

You're a more generous, warm-hearted soul than me. But at least its better than the industrial vineyard apocalypse (aka Champagne) just to the north.

[S-Westerly]

Troyes at least the old part isn't bad, nor is Rheims for that matter. Epernay is a bit meh but I've eaten well there.

[Gerontious]

13 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Troyes at least the old part isn't bad, nor is Rheims for that matter. Epernay is a bit meh but I've eaten well there.

 

Ive never seen it in daylight. first time staying there was just for the sake of convenience. there is a very good municipal campsite there which is a fairly pleasant walk to the the town centre. we found the Blue Fish as a lubricant to make it all the more smiley. then the kebab place. and the walk back to the campsite. A McDonalds next door to the site made for an easier start with a coffee and bite to eat for breakfast, then its a nice run over to the A26 for the dash back to the Tunnel. I think its probably the largest town Ive ever stayed at. I don't bother with towns normally and do my utmost to avoid cities. but this is our penultimate stop so it hardly matters.

[Steve_M]

It appears that a decision has been made. The tour will be initially heading west from Santander, then eastwards across the north of Spain, joining dots. We’ll avoid the Potes triangle and the N260 as much as possible as we’ve done those twice now..

 

The return to Santander will be via the Route Des Cols de Pyrenees, taking time out to visit a uni friend of my good lady who lives not too far from Pau.

 

Ferry to be booked in the next few weeks once we have house sitters* arranged.

 

* offspring use our place as a cheap holiday location. 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Steve_M

[S-Westerly]

8 hours ago, Steve_M said:

It appears that a decision has been made. The tour will be initially heading west from Santander, then eastwards across the north of Spain, joining dots. We’ll avoid the Potes triangle and the N260 as much as possible as we’ve done those twice now..

 

The return to Santander will be via the Route Des Cols de Pyrenees, taking time out to visit a uni friend of my good lady who lives not too far from Pau.

 

Ferry to be booked in the next few weeks once we have house sitters* arranged.

 

* offspring use our place as a cheap holiday location. 

Looks really really good.

[Gerontious]

Just be sure you’re sitting down when you start looking at the ferry costs. Some of the prices I’ve seen quoted lately for Santander and Bilbao have been staggering.

 

I’ve seen mention though that some people have found it cheaper to cross to Ireland and travel south to Rosslare and catch the ferry from there.

[Ian Frog]

2 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Just be sure you’re sitting down when you start looking at the ferry costs. Some of the prices I’ve seen quoted lately for Santander and Bilbao have been staggering.

 

I’ve seen mention though that some people have found it cheaper to cross to Ireland and travel south to Rosslare and catch the ferry from there.

Thanks for that @Gerontious I will investigate as every time I look at Brittany Ferries prices I get palpitations of the wallet and I want to go back to Northern Spain as soon as I can.

As a bonus a couple of days in Ireland would be a good craic anyway.

Cheers

Ian

[Steve_M]

5 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Just be sure you’re sitting down when you start looking at the ferry costs. Some of the prices I’ve seen quoted lately for Santander and Bilbao have been staggering.

 

I’ve seen mention though that some people have found it cheaper to cross to Ireland and travel south to Rosslare and catch the ferry from there.

I’ve already looked. I did a comparison between the ferry to Santander vs ferry to St Malo and ride down. The ferry edges it on cost and you don’t have the awful trudge down through France. 
 

I must admit I hadn’t considered the Ireland Route which might work for us given that we’re only 2 1/2 hours from Cairnryan. 
 

Edit. The Rosslare to Bilbao ferry and return for early / mid September is coming in at €830. I haven’t looked at the prices crossing from Cairnryan to Ireland but I suspect that aggregates to take the cost to be around the same as the Portsmouth to Santander crossing. 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Steve_M