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This might be a little repetitive, but if you like vineyard pictures this a good one. Around 9AM left home, 20 minutes later I take the small road along the northern bank of the Douro river, the N108, moving inland away from Porto. It's a nice 20º and I'm glad I brought a long sleeve t-shirt as a mid layer. First stop, to make a phone call, the river mist is starting to clear A few meters ahead I realize there was a much nicer place to take the same picture, so I stop again feeling a little foolish to do so This isn't amazing scenery yet, but what is so great is that it is a nice road to ride, and this place must be about 20km from the center of Porto, which is Portugal's second biggest city. No chance of enjoying the road like this on a weekend, though, as it's full of bikes and cars coming here to meet for a coffee, and that takes away from having the road to yourself. Further inland, in Baião, we start to reach the Douro wine region: Mesão Frio, and there is nothing but vines all over the place. The Douro is the first demarcated wine region in the world, they´ve been making wine here since before the Romans arrived. Around 10km to Régua, maybe, the main town in this area. Didn't take any pictures of Régua, but you're not missing much, it's a nice enough place but not really photogenic from this side of the river. After, between Régua and Pinhão, my goal for lunch, if you take the nacional road on the south bank it'll take you 20 minutes but I decide to take the really small roads on the northern bank even though I have to move a little away from the river. It was a nice choice as those were my favourite roads of the day, really enjoyed my bike there. The Chapel of São Leonardo da Bafaruda, nice and small, surrounded by trees and cool shade in a place that is unbelievably hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Hence the nice grapes. It's got some view behind it: This is a nice enough place, deserving of bringing lunch from home just for a picnic. Maybe an idea for the autumn with some chorizo and cheese. Made my way to Pinhão, amazingly fun roads, very narrow but with good tarmac, although with enough dusty and gravelly corners to make it interesting. Went past a few of the vineyards from the best wine makers, extremely well maintained and pretty. Apart from producing wine they use the farms as luxury restaurants and hotels so they should keep them looking pristine. No pictures of any of that, this detour took a little longer than expected and I was hungry When I get to Pinhão it's getting warm enough, at around 30º. I'm proper hungry and hot, and I forgot my mask so as I'm rolling into town wondering if I'll find a nice place to sit on some shade, I take the first chance I get: Daily specials were perch or mutton stew, given my effort to slim down and how hot it was, I went for the grilled perch with some fresh salad instead of potatoes, not the most amazing fish as daily specials are usually made to a budget, but it was grilled to perfection and juicy, and suited the ride perfectly. I couldn't say no to their polite offer of some cold white wine, but instead of a small jar I asked for just a glass. After eating, I lingered for a while, enjoying a second small glass because after riding through one of the world's best wine regions, it would be just rude not to. Try to take a picture of the eagle that had just catch a fish, and failed miserably, you get the scenery though. Riding back I am feeling sorry for having brought my gore tex jacket. It's not a proper warm jacket but only good up to around 25º. This is the first time I use it in warm weather so now I know. My summer jacket is 300km away at home. On the way back I stop at a hotel I stayed once before, but that time in a cold February drive with Maria, and wished I had brought a change of clothes and shorts as what I really felt like was checking into somewhere with a swimming pool and stay there. On the way back I returned by the south bank of the river. This is meant to be Portugal's best driving and riding road, but I fail to see why. Also, I start getting a LOT of polen alergies, sneezing horribly, congested sinus, the works. Having no mask I choose not to be a twat and avoid going to a pharmacy and freak everyone out by sneezing uncontrollably with no mask ? , but there are no pictures of the return ride either. Getting home, after a shower I start writing this and fall asleep on the sofa, to be waken by a call from my mate David who has already gotten some nice steaks for the grill and asking if I'll take long, so I am quick to get there and only return home by 3AM ? It was a nice day.

Spanish govt restrictions say that you have to be riding for a specific reason. Therefore I was going to the bike dealer in Baza and somehow took a wrong turning! We've all done it! Amazingly I ended up at the site of the former Caniles railway station which first opened in 1894. It was located next to the former “Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes” sugar factory which shut down in 1973. The line itself finally closed in 1984, but the former station buildings have since been restored, and the railway tracks have now been replaced by country walks.

We used to ride a lot of old railway tracks in the Valleys, the authorities have done their best to stop you getting onto them now

I love small train stations like those, it's a good thing they're restored. Here, there was a movement a while ago to renovate old train stations and make them nicer to use instead of just replacing the buildings with soulless modern affairs. Great idea it was, too. Some, not in use anymore, were even converted to restaurants and guesthouses, which I guess is great unless you're sleeping and a freight train passes at 3AM ? I thought of taking a few pictures of stuff like that yesterday, as the train tracks along the Douro are the most picturesque in Portugal, but couldn't be bothered ?

Those puddles aint no big deal, hold my beer!

oh come on... cats are fair game... I used to know someone who even had some recipes...

This cornhole chit is proving what a bunch of cunts the govt types are.

In the early 70's in Britain there was miles of old former railway tracks right across the UK, and I used to follow them on my little Honda XL. Some of the stations were still standing as well. Then they converted them into bloody nature walks so access for the likes of us was gone. Seems they did the same in Spain.

ok, I'll try and answer seriously: I don't for one instant believe that visas will be needed for schengen residents to enter the uk ( mostly cos the shengen area would reciprocate in kind, but also because it wasn't that way previous to the borders opening in '92. The Uk never signed or ratified the schengen agreement of 1985 but still didn't need visas there is no reason for that to change) It will be neccessary however to have a valid passport whereas previously a national identity card was sufficient, this is already in place. The insurance question will deend on brexit negotiations and agreements, there is no real need for this to change, it's just that the uk will have to negotiate with each individual country rather than being able to use a blanket "EU" agreement. but obviously one of the many details that we will need to ;ook into before comitting. Free mobile roaming... umm... I am old enough, so you certainly bloody welll are! to remember a time before mobile phones existed and I certainly don't need one, if the cost is prohibitive then we'll manage without. as for why they want to do a uk trip, the reasons are various; There is a certain fascination within the french psyche with Britain, and all things British. we are reputed to be a little odd, quirky, individualist, not to say bizarre and god forbid, gentlemanly! these are obviously stereotypes but the idea is there. This particular group find themselves with the possibility of exploring a foreign land in the company of a native, who will help them, or so they believe, avoid any "faux pas" or communication problems, who is used to riding on the wrong side of the road and all the other anomalies that make us "so British". the French are, on the whole not a very adventurous people, and don't need to be as they have beaches and mountains galore in their own country and if they feel the urge to go abroard then french polynesia or Mayotte enable them to get exoctic whilst remaing at home within their own administrative framework. Posibly more importantly thir language is not universal, where ours is. The pyrenees belong to them, as do the alps, the jura, the massif centrale etc etc and have already been done forwards, backwards and inside out. They have no interest whatsoever in going into Germany ( forgiven yes, but not forgotten...) other than to have a go on the autobahn. I have singularly failed to spark any interest in a run to the nurburgring for example. dunno if that makes sense

Pretty much mate, it’s about ten mins to the beach from our house

Wouldn't get me anywhere near there.

I thought that he looked like trump.

You silly man, you're forgetting that I live here, what could be more attractive

Never liked Meatloaf much, but enjoyed his acting. Never heard of the other band.

When i drove TT's in the late 1980's in Canada i drove by a dive bar and guess who was the headliner...lol For some reason it made me chuckle, i dint stop.

Turns my stomach?

But, before we could ride the Trail, we had to traverse across Colorado by way of mountain roads. Rob had casually mentioned riding the same road several years prior with his son. So, of course i said "you lead", which he did. I did not know, however, how freaked out about it he was and which he later told me. It never occurred to me that he was already on edge joining up with a group of people, some he didnt know and some he only knew online. And, now he was being asked to lead the group! To us, it really didnt matter if it went wrong, or if it went right. It just had to go. We survived Rob's leadership, with only a couple of instances of people getting lost. But, that's normal for us. I need to stop down here and kind of explain who all is in this group. Especially since i cant figure out why in the hell they let me ride with them. So, first you have Jim. Jim had to have been borne on a GS as he rides it like its a small dirt bike. Then, you have Chad and Larry. They are no slouches either, especially considering they both come from the Harley world and havent been on GSs for that long. Chad, well he is a Marine and is just nuts. No fear (no brains?). Larry is a giant of a man, who can flat foot the tallest GSA and get it out of pretty much anywhere. Stephen Gregory, besides being a pro photographer and videographer, has taken to offroad like he was born into it. Several Rawhyde training classes and riding with Chad for a few years have brought his skill level way up! Blair and Ben were on the US BMW Trophy team that competed in Canada a few years back. Part of the Killer B's. So, you know them boys can ride! I've already told you that Gary (Bip) can ride, given his history on dirt bikes. His first trip on my GS to Colorado and once he "started riding it like a dirt bike" never looked back. Chris is the pro-rider, having competed for years in England. I still recall first meeting him at March Moto Madness in Tennessee and after riding the hills with Jim, came back with the assessment "that boy can ride". Yep, Jim is bonafide. (He wont admit it). Rob, well Rob owns probably 100 bikes. Has raced offroad, in dirt and sand, and has 100 million miles to his credit. But, the best thing i can say about these boys is that they will wait for me to catch up, everytime. ? Yep, i'm proud to carry their boots. Back to the RR. Thanks for the indulgence..... We make it to Moab, and our trailer B&B and get some rest for the next day's marathon. It gets warm in Moab, so we set out early to try and beat the heat. You ride the WRT in a loop, choosing to enter near Moab, or at the entrance to Canyonlands, some 25 miles north of Moab. You would think that smart people would ride it from north to south, so that they would finish close to their B&B and large supplies of water and beer. We aint smart. This is the second time for Jim and I on the WRT and both times we've done it the "wrong" way. Oh, well. This is partly due to a couple of climbs that, at least the first time on the trail, seemed to be pretty hard if you came from the north. Ben (the Cap'n), Rob and Chris Chris and Gary You dont see Chris smile in his online pics much. Unless he is riding. Stands to reason. We are about an hour into the ride and had already gotten separated. Maybe due to lack of directions that when you get to the fork in the road, go left, not right. However, when you get to this particular fork, the right is an incredible set of switchbacks called Schafer Switchbacks. And, you know, you just have to go see. Up on Shafer (on the left). To the bottom right, you see the correct road that makes up the White Rim Trail. These hills were all created by the two rivers eroding them away over time. Above us in this picture is a large mesa, known as Canyonlands. A few miles into the ride and we pull over for water, catch up, etc. The drop to the bottom right is probably about 600 feet. From where they are standing, they dont know they are on an outcropping ? Sometimes the only shade is that of your trusty steed. Here Chris is enjoying the girth of Flames. Several more miles of sand, silt, gravel, boulders, a nice long and steep climb and we find the shade of a bathroom. Aint many trees out here. These pics show you how tough WRT is. Those are some fine riders sitting there looking hagard. Except for the Capn. He is the youngster and appears to be in better shape. We make it off Hog's Back and down to a wide spot in the road. It is here that we find a group of Boy Scouts with shade, sandwiches and ICE CREAM!!! So nice in 100 degree weather! 135 miles, one river of 3 feet deep sand, another series of switchbacks and we are back in Moab, looking for liquids! Oh, there might have been some muddy spots, too I think we finally tuckered the little feller out

Welcome Rod, glad you managed to find us ? Sorry it took me 3 years to reply to you. ?

Still riding the big kwaker and touring all over when allowed, should have been in Spain this week with it but hey ho maybe september?

There is one section on this road where you come around a corner, vertical rock going up on one side, and flat area to the other. Except, the direction we have ridden this, as soon as you start the corner, the radius decreases drastically, and you face a gap in the rocks along the outside edge of the road, giving you a view of about an 800 foot drop! If you arent paying attention, you will be playing superman instantly.

I havn't got a clue Pete.