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No1 decided she'd teach No's 2a & 2b to make banana pancakes but they needed to go shopping first. I profited from their absence to bugger off out of it whilst they weren't looking! Weather still very unstable with some big storm cells moving north and east. I rode out east through Chablis but before getting far got a text from Madame Moon saying that Vermenton ( south and west of me) had just been hit by a big thunder and lightening storm and some really heavy rain. I looked over that way, behind me, to this " Oh Poo" said Tigger, and turned and fled north, in an attempt to outrun the front and turn round the north end of it's leading edge thus avoiding the worst of the rain. I had to run a fair way north and east before turning back west and nipping under the very northern edge of the front. this is looking at it from the other side, so looking east once I'd passed under it's northern edge and come out the other side. plenty of lightening ( which I obviously wasn't capable of getting a pic of) and once stopped I could clearly hear the thunder, despite idling engine, helmet and earplugs. Once out the other side, it turned out quite pleasant again and whilst wending our merry way homewards Tigger got to meet Piglets, though I think he found him a bit of a boar...

Pretty sure it’s just one, hence the need for crash bars.

It's a hilltop cafe, his breathing isn't that good with his pig snout so he would probably collapse.

In 1976 I was in the 3rd year at junior School, so about 10 years old. We had to lay our heads on the desk and have an afternoon sleep because of the heat under pain of death by the mad teacher we had that year. I have never been able to sleep to order so that was an hour of boredom whilst all the other bloody kids snoozed. She was an odd'n was Mrs Clifford. Canadian I think, kept going on about General Wolfe.

Really ? have come you're whinging about how poorly you are then ?

I’ll stick to the car for shopping, with the sort of riding I do the milk will end up as butter

They injected me with Covid on Monday......but my Welsh DNA gave it a fucking kicking!

That'd be a bloody close run thing in this house I've had a bike since I was 16 and was a pillion "Biker" behind older mates well before that. I've only had the wife since the age of 27 and the kids since the ages of 31 and 36, so if seniority is a factor...

The North, The Center and The South, in the quest for the perfect tour!! No rush to arrive, in the company of Poets, majestic scenery and nostalgia, Together with soul warming food and wine Adventuring into unknown places through ribbons laid down on mountains Over rivers, lakes and dry land End to end country visit, from Seaside to Countryside, Up to dizzying heights of the North and down to the undulating landscape of the South Variety a plenty, real lives being lived, not your typical tourists!! Emotionally I was not in the right place to do this trip, but sometimes not giving in to disillusion turns out the best results! . Lots of anxiety for 3 weeks prior to departure left me frazzled and also the fact I had not ridden the bike for over 3 month didn't help my lack of confidence in myself and my abilities. Plus I hadn´t planned anything like I normally do,which left me in a territory of unknowns and a certain uneasiness. My own lack of planning due to all the said anxiety did make matters worse. But I am not one to give up and have always lived by the moto Audaces Fortuna Juvat. The point was to do a reconnaissance for the moto tours and this would turn out to be one of the most challenging journeys of my life, pushing me over fears, pain and mental blocks, dragging me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to face and beat ( albeit slowly!) the insecurities and worries in my head. I have to thank Pedro for, first taking me to these places/roads where I would have not gone alone, hence pushing me to go further out of what I knew I could do and allowing me to experience/see the most incredible scenery. Second, I have to thank him for his patience and care at the expense of his own amusement and enjoyment plus all the explanations and attempts to teach me to ride better. And without further ado, let's report!! The North We started in Espinho, Pedro´s home town and a place I really quite like. Its a Seaside town just South of Oporto and with gorgeous leafy neighborhoods ideal to take Costa the dog for a stroll before departure. The first day was going to be a long one, with over 7 hours riding and a few breaks for “pic-nicing” and coffee, plus admiring the views. And what views there are around the Douro Valley, called the Gold Valley due to the production of some of the best wines known to men and also how the Autumn Sun makes it seem like molten gold when it hits the vineyards at the end of another season in September and October. This was the first formally demarcated wine region in the World and is now a World Heritage Site, with history that spans over 2000 years and with very friendly and hardworking people, anyone that visits will want to come back many times. The Douro itself is over 900 kms long, starting in Spain and crossing into Portugal through the Douro International Natural Park, that would be the final destination of this 1st day. For you Celtics out there, the name actually comes from Dubro, given by the Celts that inhabited the Northern part of the Peninsula before the Romans. Pedro took us on smaller and smaller roads till we were on single track lanes with passing places, high up on the slopes carved by many centuries of hard working hands to plant more and more vines for more and more wine production, using every single inch conquered from the harsh terrain. The combination of this soil, the dry climate and the exposure of the slopes, makes this terroir impossible to replicate anywhere in the World and the Port Wine is unique to exactly here!! This valley is truly romantic! Narrow winding roads twisting up and down the steep hills always with spectacular views is definitely a point on a bucket list for every nature-loving traveler. We visited one of the most beautiful and romantic of them all, São Leonardo da Galafura! From the top of its 640 meters, the landscape that can be seen here triggers a mixture of reactions: the tranquility of a river that meanders serenely through the valley and the emotion of a superb landscape that we do not seem to know how to fully enjoy. One of Miguel Torga’s favorite places, the poet described the Douro seen from São Leonardo da Galafura as “A geological poem. Absolute beauty ”. Miguel Torga is one of my favourite Portuguese writers and we will encounter him further down our journey in other very remote villages he visited while doing his job as the countryside doctor for the people in those isolated hamlets. A special person he was! Moving on we descended to Pinhão, an important river port in the Douro where wine barrels were loaded on Rabelo Boats destined for Oporto and commerce to the rest of the World. From there we got on the N222, the famous Douro Road you find in all tourist brochures. Because this is no oversold tourist tour., we chose to do the other side of the River for more romantic views and more authenticity and less traffic, plus we rode past all the best Wine Vineyards which was also part of the plan! Now we got on it and climbed up the Douro Vinhateiro, moving away from the River but still climbing between slopes and a changing landscape that would eventually take us to the Douro Natural Park and the The Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley with its Prehistoric Rock-Art Site, is an open-air Paleolithic archaeological site near the border with Spain. In the early 1990s rock engravings were discovered in Vila Nova de Foz Côa during the construction of a dam in the Côa River valley. They include thousands of engraved rock drawings of horses, bovines and other animals, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years B.C. The sites were reviewed by archaeologists and other specialists of UNESCO and other agencies. We didnt see any engravings because we were now past 18.30 and still had to ride a very tiny road Pedro had found and was seriously determined to show me! I will admite right here, right now, when I saw where we were going I was not amused and was a lot keener on going via the main road to get to the hotel faster. So a civilized ding-dong ensued, fueled by my anxiety and tiredness, plus I started the day with an accident, so by then I was *really* digging deep trying to muster all my resources and telling myself, “Who dares wins” ! Pedro was right, it turned out to be my FAVOURiTE road of the trip. Like so many times in life, its small size and unkept state was hiding the most beautiful, peaceful, soul stirring place. Pure Nature all around, without any evidence of the presence of Men other than the small road itself, the feeling of adventure and freedom was right there to be taken with us. I totally fell in love with that place. As for Pedro, in my helmet I thought how content I was he pushed us to go further into a road that looked like the service road of a dam, with overgrown vegetation all around and seemingly abandoned, soon to be reclaimed by Nature and my heart loved him a little bit more! Arrival was past 19.00, making it a 9 hours biking day, and was followed by a bath in a bathtub fit for the Hulk ( boy I needed that relaxing bath! ) and a great diner! 2 kms away is a viewpoint the bares my family name, Durão. Its full name, Penedo Durão.It's a phenomenal place that shows you two countries, divided by a beautiful flowing river Douro, at the bottom of a 500m high canyon. For 112 kilometres the Douro forms the border between Portugal and Spain. This is an isolated area, dominated by two national parks: the International Douro Natural Park (on the Portuguese side) and the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (on the Zamoran margin). Surrounding the rivers are the schist mountains, covered in all kinds of green. Here and there you’ll find small and amazing roads, making their way to the other side. You’ll notice it’s an isolated area, dominated by nature. It’s the home of various animals, of which you might see the griffon vulture and the golden eagle if you’re lucky. It is a delight to me, making my head considerably bigger, that such a magnificent spot has my name on it!!! A part of me likes to pretend I am a 13th Century Queen commanding the land and kicking the Spanish ass from my high position!!! Anyway, we moved on descending via another tiny road that hugged the mountain while descending at over 10% incline, making it into a mini, mini Stelvio!! And there we joined the N221 and 8 kms of fast flowing corners with great tarmac followed to my great pleasure. Pedro very patiently followed me and gave some tips I tried to follow but failed miserably! On this way we continued, past Barca d´Álva direction South-East with yet more amazing corners and tarmac until we left the N221 and cut into the deep countryside, always close to the border, but staying on the right side of it! Eventually we reached a gorgeous little place, that for some reason made its way into my silly romantic being and asked me to linger, seating under a tree overlooking the medieval bridge and making me dream of Templar Knights out on their Conquests with Lusitano horses for transport instead of motorbikes!! Being on the border with our oldest enemy many scenes of chavelary played out in this and other villages, now reduced to almost nothing in significance and size, but still carrying their history with pride. Saying that, our next stop is neither small or insignificant! The Fortaleza de Almeida is the fortress that stands on the site of a medieval castle that saw many wars between neighbors and that was finally declared Portuguese in 1407. The current fortress was completed in 1641, it is a 12 pointed-star shaped built in a Vaubanesque style, a famous military style developed in the 17th Century by a Frenchman commonly referred to as Vauban , a military engineer generally considered the greatest engineer of his time, and one of the most important in Western military history. It was our second visit to this place. My first visit was declared a “total rubbish” by Pedro that then proceeded to show me round the castle walls and the fortress interior. In fairness I was a lot more educated by the end of this 2nd visit! We had a lovely pic-nic in the garden of Almeida and then a coffee in a sunny terrace to top it off! In Almeida, 2 executive decisions happened: fill up the 2 bikes together to my utter amusement because mine could go 287 kms and the white mamut announced an autonomy of 638 kms!! The other thing that happened was also amusing, Pedro putting on his gigantic waterproof trousers! The skies opened up after the lunch break, heavy and continuous rain fall took me back to some of my trips around northern Europe cannot say I prefer it to nice sunny weather, but somehow it gives me a warm feeling inside! The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2 held on very well even when we got up to 120 kmh on little bit of open road. We meandered down the interior of this region and after a couple of hours the larges mountain in Continental Portugal loomed closer and we started climbing, passing one of my ancestors seat, Sabugal, with its Castle overlooking the menacing neighbors and then the loveliest of villages, Sortelha, with yet another Castle and cute cottages perched on the hills. At this point I was desperate to eat a sandwich with the traditional cheese of this area, made from ewe's milk, curdled with thistle and intensely rich and creamy. It was not to be found anywhere, many places chose to not open and take advantage of the compensation from the Government for staying closed and eventually a kind cafe owner made us a sandwich with the cheese he had bought for himself to take home. Not the real deal, but almost!! With this new fuel ( lets not try to count the calories on found in a cheese with a fat content above 40%...) and feeling ready for the challenge of hitting the top at 1993 m, under the rain and maximum temperature of 5C. By now we had been riding for 7 hours and were about to face switchbacks with cold temperatures and water. Still, we are tough cookies and the bikes were happy. As we reached the top, there was still snow on the side of the road and it was a highlight of the whole trip. Pedro's happy face running for a snow bath! Unfortunately the cloud came over the top and got stuck, the mountain pulling the mist further and further up as if covering it self with a fluffy blanket for the night. For us, the descent was done inside this thick blanket of cloud and there was nothing else to do but to put the hazards on and very steadily go down, down, down until our night stop, Seia. The landscape in Serra da Estrela is almost otherworldly, always imprinting on the visitor a sense of majesty, the realization of our real size and importance. Compared with the rock formations, the Glacier, the vegetation that have been there for millennia, we Humans are like a mere speck in the continuum of time and space. I have been here a few times, Pedro many more because this was his regular weekend trip a few years back, so both of us know it, understand its moods and for sure forgave the harsh conditions presented to us pretty quick. In a couple of hours we were at the hotel, very wet outside but totally dry inside. Hurray for good gear! Such an improvement on days gone by! Dinner was a traditional affair of this region, some of you would struggle! Either with the famous black pudding produced here, the very smoky chouriço, the bird sausage made to look like a chouriço by Jews pretending to be Christians and trying to avoid the inquisition ( one day I will explain….), the ewe's milk cheese with its intense smell or maybe, just maybe, the octopus rice!!! The wine was delicious, from a farm we had passed in the morning and production of a friend of Pedro´s brother, amazing!!! Complementary schnapps to wash down the coffee, to which Pedro made good use of!! Next, The Center of Portugal!!

I get to check off real human skulls, you;re next, butt please dont take that literally....

Don't do it like me: I load beer, wine and canned goods, which are very heavy, all on one sidecase. I then load fruit, vegetables and bread, which is very light, all on the other sidecase. I then get surprised when I get home and the bike tries to topple onto me while maneuvering inside my own garage It didn't fall down, though, but did catch me by surprise

Here's another take on the Pan America: https://www.autoweek.com/drives/a36390685/harley-davidson-pan-america-adventure-motorcycle/

My weighing scales will beg to differ

I watched it when it started with William Hartnell! We all had toy Daleks back then!

have been since 76

This is the max I´ve carried from the Supermarket on both panniers, not including the fan

Odd, the seating position on a cruiser looks like the position one takes for a cervical examination.

I don't have a road legal car at the moment in my place, it's up north in my parent's, but the GS has plenty of storage with both sidecases.

Pete, less literal please!!

Better not, you wouldn´t survive all of them falling over you!!

I would love it if I was to stop for a refreshment at my favourite hilltop cafe to find a bunch of motorcycles parked with just women there hanging out. Frustratingly, it just doesn't happen ...

my wife's paternal grandmother is steadfastly refusing to be vaccinated ( 92 and in a nursing home) because her youngest son nearly died due to the polio vaccin back in the 50's so she won't countenance any vaccins.

I just use the usb on my stereo.

First, man and woman are very different which should be celebrated Second, being equal does not mean being the same, sometimes it's tricky to navigate that and respect equally Third, its human nature to form tribes, to stick with those that think the same and are the same at some level. Forth, a human only stops fearing another ( feeling insecure or threatened) when they learn about the other, tolerence comes from knowledge, we cannot love what we dont know Fifth, the way to for the divide to end and women not to feel threatened by the ass holes of the world is to ride together, learn about and from eachother to build mutual confidence and trust I have the very best friend in the world in the shape of a lady that rides a bike like me and we have ridden together many miles in absolute joy. On a bike course at the Ring ended up with 2 other ladies and was very nice. Man and woman learn differently and it worked great like that, organically ee ended up together but had started in different groups . Its very sad to learn how many girls still feel bullied out of things in life. We must never stay silent when we witness such behaviours from ass holes, being it racism, sexism, religionist, whatever. I surely dont and will always call it out. Having a day for one and a day for another is devisive, to me, but each to their own.

Anything after Tom Baker was slightly downhill. Between then and Sylvester McCoy was okayish, that bloke killed it. I did hear it had started again, but that is probably just a rumour.

He was more than 50% Chinese, his real name was Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin. America had something called the Chinese Exclusion Act which was to stop immigration of Chinese labourers. Although the act was repealed in the 30s, other blocks stopped large scale immigration till the mid 60s.

what a beautiful country!! and, oh my! those roads!!!!

Well I can’t be arsed with most of it either, the sooner a woman on a bike is not a novelty item and is just another person on a bike the better as far as I’m concerned so I get your sentiment. But if you want to know why women will attend women only events and not mixed ones its cos they are in the minority and some twattish men will do and say things to put them down, why they are crap and why Johnny big bollocks is better. Some of its just meant as humour but crikey even that you can get pretty tired of “Bitches on the back, are you sure you can handle that bike love, does your husband know your riding his bike, women just aren’t as good riders as men, mopeds are better fit for women... and heaven forbid you make a mistake.. You and I might be able to brush it off but it knocks the confidence of some repeatedly hearing messages that some men think they’re crap for no other reason than they don’t have a dick so they’d rather ride a bike with only other women for that reason. That and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating being female. “it’s not fair” to have a womens ride day cos men don’t isn’t valid to me. Men and women are different, equality is about equality of opportunity not denial of those differences. Personally I don’t mind riding with men, I like them, the vast majority of them would much rather help you out than put you down, but I’ve also ridden with women only and it was a surprising experience, really good so chilled out and friendly, try it Sophia you might like it.

Each to their own... I tend to feel both sisterhood and brotherhood. gender, sexual orientation,, religious choice, eating habits, cultural background, heck, even if you dislike garlic or ride a Harley, none of that matters to me, so I dont see why it is fair there is a women riding day and not a men riding day... Just ride and have fun. Including alone, that's how I choose to celebrate the 1st of May.

The Sun was out the next day, day 4, and we were going to enter a region that is very familiar to me. Although I am a gypsy, due to my Father's career, always moving around, Alentejo is where I have deeper roots. I worked in this area for a few years before emigrating to the UK, so I am, one could say, home and I love everything about it! A recreation of when my brother used to trow me in this very river!! Although this area it is relatively flat and a hill of 300 meters is considered to be a mountain, there is a big variation between towns and villages, that have their onw, very distinctive character. In one of them there is a church on top of said 300 meters of dizzy heights (!) with nice views all around and because Pedro didn´t know it, of course we had to go up there!! Coming down was all off road and another achievement for me ( really not an off road fan ) and my bike with the Pirelli shoes!! I was very proud of both of us! Next stop was Estremoz, one of the “white cities” of Alenttejo, world famous for the marble extracted here and now also famous for some of the best wine produced in POrtugal. House of many kings and queens of Portugal, especially King Dinis and Holy Queen Isabel, Estremoz has a substantial heritage. Both in terms of culture and archaeology, which we can see in the many monuments spread across the city. Pedro went to the castle to collect Castle points, seeing that this day involved a lot of Castle visits!! And what a beautiful castle it is, the impressive Tower of the Three Crowns stands out. It is considered one of the most beautiful donjons in Portugal, made of marble, it is 28 metres high (92 ft). But this was not just a beautiful Castle, since its creation in the 12th Century it served as a base for troops fighting the neighbours to keep our independence. It's a recurring theme, right?! Bloody neighbours!!! Absolute sacrilege!! I put my bike inside the church entrance... I am very keen on history, as you might have gathered, and wanted to see some of the Megalitic monumets still around in this region so we went to see a dolman. Pedro was unaware of what a dolman was and totaly missed all my jokes about dolmens! To get to it turned out to be 2 kms of serious off road,( Pedro disagrees) so I went pillion to see it. Its unkept, left to its own devises, and not cared for. In some ways its a good thing its "free" to be itself and one doesnt have to pay a ticket to see it! We were on our way to the Alqueva, the biggest artificial lake in Europe created by a new dam in the river Guadiana, designed to tackle the chronic drought problems in a region that could see 3 years without any rain fall. It has had an enormous impact on the environment, flooding vast areas of land and causing the displacement of 2 entire villages, but in fairness now there is water to irrigate thousands of hectares of farmland and no shortage of water supply in the homes. The lake that now exists is full of leisure activity, surrounded by beautiful hotels and great restaurants, serviced by incredibly good roads that link towns and villages that have been historically left behind in the past. A very special thing to do in the Alqueva is star gazing. There is virtually no light pollution, it is incredibly peaceful and with mild temperatures the majority of the time, spending a few hours laying on our backs looking at the sky is for sure a cool thing to do! After some deliberation, it was decided to spend the night in another medieval castle, perched on top of one of the rare elevations in this flat land, famous for being small and cute, but also fierce in its long history. Yes, you guessed it, used to help keep the spanish at bay and long before that, in the Wars of Reconquest from the Moors while under the management of the Knights of the Temple. In the name of the King, of course!! Our accomodation for the night was the cute little stone house with the gorgeous terrace that was asking for a sunset drinking session! We proceeded to find the Castle Wine Shop, an exhausting stroll of 100 meters, and returned with a bottle of wine and some local cheese to enjoy one of the most memorable evenings of the trip. After that we did another exhausting stroll of 50 meters to the restaurant where great food was had, finished off with one of my favourite desserts, a very light affair of lots of eggs and sugar, encharcada!! We left the Castle with great determination, aiming for ALgarve, but first we needed breakfast by the lake! 30 minutes later there we were eating a toast at the new Marina, in no big rush to move on, which was indicating our bodies and spirits were asking for a rest day after so much riding, so much beauty, so much emotion. But before we left, we signed the guest book and Pedro expressed his artistic side!! And so it was that when we stopped to visit a potential place to stay with the moto tours, the feeling of wanting to linger got stronger and stronger, we looked at each other thinking the same thought and Pedro asked for a room. Luckily, seeing it was a Friday and its a popular place, they had one. We had never been there, but in a funny way we knew already we would love this place. We both have enjoyed many bottles of wine produced there and it is a place that feels like home to me, the farm, the farmhouse, the land, the views, all are similar to places where I have spent a large part of my life. I was hit from the start with waves of nostalgia and they kept coming until the following day. After settling in, we enjoyed a light lunch while chatting to the owner, an architect that has a passion for historical buildings and has restored the house and outbuildings with ancient materials and techniques, respecting the traditional buildings to the core. All the small details are proof of how much care has been invested in this place. The pool had already “talked” to Pedro and he could not resist a dip in the water. Afterwards, it transpired he was carefully engineering a way to throw me in the pool, fully clothed and all!!! Somehow I managed to outsmart him and spoiled his plans. Before diner we had a stroll around the vineyards. Dinner was so, so good and the whole experience there was a great appetizer for when the moto tours are up and running!! Breakfast came with the special orange cake that my maternal grandmother used to make and that hit of nostalgia brought tears with it. Impossible not to, when after 25 years the flavour of a Grandmother's love comes back to remind you how special she was. As luck would have it, the lady that makes the cake was there and the recipe I would not be able to get any other way, is now in my cookbook and I will make it many times! The first go was already a success!! Life and its endless box of surprises. New day, Algarve on the horizon we set off refreshed and looking forward to the roads we did together in 2020 through the southern most picks of Portugal. It was going to be another long day on the saddle, but the temperature was very pleasant and from now on we would be in Pedro´s favourite territory, where he encounters inner peace while pushing the GS and the knobbles to the absolute limit! Here we find pieces of motorcycling heaven, roads that stretch in front of us weaving themselves up hills full of wildflowers, mini pine trees and lushness typical of Spring. This year it has rained a lot and this normally dry area is particularly beautiful at the moment. https://youtu.be/szpRQhyR5Ok Mid afternoon we join the N2, the longest road in Portugal at 738 kms, from Chaves to Faro, that is experiencing at the moment a huge interest and everyone and their grandma wants to ride, cycle, drive this road!! Its the Portuguese Lands End-John O´Groats equivalent and for the most part is an interesting road, with some very boring bits, but as luck would have it, the best part are the 55 kms from where we joined it till Faro, where we were going to stay the next 2 days. Pedro went ahead enjoying his bike at a pace I could not keep up with and I enjoyed myself immensely at a pace I could handle with a very painful left arm due to the accident on the first day and far too much counter-steering on the tight corners and hairpins. In fairness this painful situation forced me to ride the bike in a different way and has helped me a lot to gel with it better, by shifting my bum more and using the upper body instead of counter-steering. Pedro says I look like Marc Marquez leaning on the bike ( only very slow!) and if that's the case, how can I be anything else but happy!!! We arrived in a very sunny Faro and did the usual, shower, eat and drink an aperitif and go out for dinner! What a life!! The last day was dedicated to finishing the route for the moto tours. We continued via the little ribbon roads all the way to the main road that links the 2 mountains and that I particularly love. I was able to push a little, negotiating the very poor road surface and trying to avoid the crack on the tarmac that last year launched me in the air while leaning at 120 kms/H… Managed to do that and It was very nice!! We had our mandatory pic-nic under 3 beautiful trees on the way to the top of the highest point in Algarve, Foia, at 980 meters. At the top we found a couple on a GS1250 with a little doggy in a backpack and was super sweet to see! Apparently the doggy loves to go on the bike and it's a happy family! From the top the view is quite spectacular, on the foreground the Algarve race track and further on the land ends and the Ocean shines in blue notes. Beyond is Morocco, but we cannot see it normally. The end of the trip was planned for Sagres, Cape of Saint Vincent, the most south-westerly point in Europe. Sagres means sacred and for 3 millennia this was the end of the World as Man knew it. The Cape for all the mediterean people was the frontier for the mare incognitum, the unknown sea, beyond which monsters would come out of the Sea to swallow the boats and enchanting mermaids would take the sailors soul to the bottom of the Ocean. There are many reasons why this is a truly special place… from the sacred spiritual significance of seating where the Earth ends, to the 50 meter straight cliff overhanging the sea, the fact it was the school of Henry the Navigator and where all the Portuguese Discoveries were planned and was decided how Vasco da Gama would go to India or simply how amazing it is to seat and feel the wind and the smell of the Atlantic breaking on the rocks below. It is a must for anyone that likes maritime history to come here, so much of it has been written here throughout the centuries its mind blowing. There are 3 points to visit, the Fortress where the Navigator's school was based, the lighthouse and Ponta da Atlaia, where we went and it was a very fitting place to end a motorbike trip full of adventure through one of the smallest countries in Europe but with so much variety, history and culture easily available for anyone to experience. This is, believe it or not, a summarized version of the week!!! True fact! So many more stories to tell… Who knows, if you are keen and me or Pedro find the time, we can tell you more!! THE END!!

Weather was a bit odd on sunday, 10/10ths cloud cover with a warm wind from the south and an odd light so the pics might look a bit strange. Having spent all day saturday in the car traveling from here to Louhans, to Perouges, to Lyon and back here again my back was aching so I decided on a short ride, close to home allowing me to pull the plug and retreat if I got any pain or if the bizarre weather turned to sht. I rode south along the river to Bailly and visited the cooperative wine cellar there there are about 4 hectares underground (50 ish metres underground) where they make Cremant de Bourgogne, a local fizzy wine. This has remained open as it is, naturally, considered by the French as a "neccessary commerce". I started here because there are 3 of these underground systems along the east bank of the river between Auxerre and Cravant. Originally stone mines at the turn of the last century, this is the only one that is still safe to visit. Used today as a cooperative wine producer and seller, it was used as a munitions depot by the Germans during the occupation, the other two cave systems further along the valley were used as an aircraft repair facility by the Luftwaffe and were the target of a number of allied bombing raids. The acces is not easy and the airfield is the other side of the river, so they set up a cableway from the cave entrance, across the river and down to the valley floor. The remains of the site are still visible IF you know where to look, and I have seen at the local mayors office, photographs of a focke wulf fighter being hauled up the cableway from the runway to the underground workshop in the cliff face. the entrance/ Exit South along the river again, through Vincellottes and Vincelles onto the winding back road along the eastern bank between the cliff and the river you come across this first last time I came up here you could go in the pill box, and obviously many of the local "youfs" had done so over the years. The entrance is now sealed with a steel door and it has been transformed into a bat breeding site The other side of the pill box looks out over a 15 or 20 metre drop across the valley . A hundred metres further along is the first of the underground workshop entrances. the sign on the door says that there are "Pieges a feu" ( explosive traps) and alarms to discourage intruders. on the opposite side of the road are the vestiges of the winding tower for the cableway again looking out over the river below, but you cant see that due to the vegetation. another 100 or so metres along is the 2nd, smaller, entrance photo taken AFTER tigger had decided to have a wee nap I even had the presence of mind to think of you lot and take a pic befor picking it up! In the time it took me to pick it up 2 cars had stopped to see if I was ok or needed help, which was reassuring. On south again, past another pill box and then, as the cliff peters out somewhat, the remains of the soldiers and techniciens barracks from there I dropped down to the village of Cravant, crossed the river and headed back north along the main road to Vincelles, cut east across the railway and back towards the same place but the other side of the river and on the valley floor. The airfield is now a model aircraft club airfield from this position, if I turn northwards a little you can see the workshop entrances in the cliff face over the river ( just left of centre in the pic below) there are no traces left of the cableway gear down here, though I have heard that some are still visible down by the river. further along a dirt track from the airfield, about level with the far end of the runway is another, I presume, barracks or possibly workshop? they obviously had to dismantle wings and suchlike before moving a plane up the cables to the cliff workshop, and re assemble them again before flight. I rode straight in and took a pic looking back east straight across the valley to the cliff entrances. zoomed... I took a short vid of this place but have no idea how to post it so I'll have to work on that.

maybe we should start a club together!!

Thanks!! Exercising a favourite sport from childhood, running on top of very high castle walls to the terror of my Grandmother and all the ladies and great amusement of my Dad that always wanted a daughter that did everything but what was expected from a little girl!! As you can see, here there are no signs stating the obvious ( or the not obvious either...) and if you want to fall off a castle wall, you can without any health and safety interference.

We did have a couple of episodes of actual verbal tourettes but fortunately none on motorcycling

Some of the roads in this section surprised me, more fun than I thought, sadly the weather was a bit crap. I did like the little blast on the Speed Triple, though, feels tiny compared to the normal sized bike I ride.

This is a great region to ride a motorcycle, if you stick to the smaller roads in my opinion. All the food was tasty, the views were pretty, Penedo Durão has one of my two favourite scenic views in Portugal, the other is on the third installment of Sofia's report. I have nothing more to add to this.

That's finished reading the second part. Now to read part one, hope you make it to the beginning. I think you should write the history of the tower and chapel.

Not yet!! Soon

They weren’t bad surprisingly, about £20 more than the boots I was about to buy elsewhere but these have Vibram soles which is a big plus for me as it means I can get them re-soled at my local cobbler down the line.

Mawsley seconds before posting the above...

Bloody great thing's cracked the floor.

so, probably should go in Second Weekend in May thread, but i did mention checking out the new Harley Pan America here. Couldnt wait any longer, as the local dealer got two on Thursday. Friday, took a long lunch to go drool over new bikes (even if they are HDs) The first one in was a black Special Edition (includes ride modes, center stand, and other things i forget for now). That bike had a deposit, but the dealer never got an answer from the deposit holder, so as of yesterday (Saturday) it was available to anyone. Salesman took me and my buddy in the shop and showed us their demo, the orange and white one. In pics, those colors never looked appealing. In person, everything changes. The front doesnt looks a wonky and the orange is a great color! Went back yesterday (saturday) and got a quick pavement only ride on the demo. Very impressive effort, considering this being a entirely new genre for HD (ignoring Buell for the moment). They should be proud of their efforts. Motor is good and i'm looking forward to riding it again in two weeks, in sport mode. Initial thoughts: Cracking up on the HD labeled Anakee Adventure tires. Like that the wheels are same size as on the GS, so tire options are plenty. Engine noise is throaty and pleasing. Lots of buttons on the handgrips, will take a while to learn them all. Fonts on digital display are a little small, but you can use of the buttons to scroll thru the info, with is showing in the center of the display with each push. Quality seems really good. Handle bars remind me of a KTM - narrow than a GS. It feels lighter than a GS, especially when sitting on it and rocking it back and forth. Suspension felt soft, but i wasnt allowed to mess with many settings. I'm sure the Sport setting is nice and firm. The auto-lowering suspension was interesting and a great feature for height challenged. Dealer staff seem out of their element in trying to sell it. (Understandable, and not a complaint). We spent more time educating the salesman about why some features are on it. HD will use Revit gear, which looks really good. This is another point where the salesman was lost. During training on the bikes, gear and accessories, he was shocked about the price of the adventure gear. He is used to selling $200 -$300 jackets, and whatever assless chaps go for. I assured him that us Power Rangers generally dont have a problem spending $1500 to $2000 on good, safe riding gear (pants and jackets). overall, i would say the Pan America is 90% of a GS. That could change after the factory ride in two weeks.

I asked her this: "Did you get much resistance from family and friends when you said you that were going to attempt that journey? Cos something like that was unheard of......particularly for a young woman on her own! Not to mention the Bantam factor! The only thing it had in it's favour was it was very light to push!" She replied: "A BSA Bantam was recommended by the police motorbike mechanics in Chichester Police station, 1967 and CMW in Chichester had one, 2nd hand. So I bought it, never having ridden a bike before; sat once pillion and was petrified! I got the bike to enter a travel competition in a national newspaper, whether I can find it amongst my papers which I have just salvaged from storage I don't know, and my eldest sister and my Mother's best friend suggested I entered the Adventure category, since I was very experienced at hitch hiking. But that I realised would not be permitted, so the next best thing, and what I could afford was a motorbike, and to take it to Russia, who were just opening up to tourists, but not individuals on a motorbike it would seem. Everyone said I would have to have a KGB officer riding pillion so they knew where I was!! The Russians refused me a visa, on the grounds that the distances were too great, and I threw their letter on the kitchen floor, unfortunately infront of a witness, a school friend, and said: I'll show those bloody reds what distances are, I'll go to India!! And everyone, me included, decided I'd make it to Venice and be back in time for Christmas. I made it to Paris, I was in floods of tears and wanted to go home, but there is such a thing as ... PRIDE! so I continued, and continued, and continued. Watch this space and wait for the possibility of a book. My Father had died so I only had my Mother to contend with when I said I was off to India. Oh no you are not! Oh yes I am! I then very petulantly stated I would sell the bike, make a loss, blame her and I would hitch hike to India. At which she picked up a cloth and said: Right, darling, which part of the bike can I polish up for you! And thus began the saga. A Bantam was recommended as being light enough to be picked up and put into a truck by two people, as I found in Australia. and it was the original meccano set, so even I could look after it"

Twat i have just the book for you to read

I don't suppose......?? No.....probably not!

You don’t need to worry your pretty head about it Buck you’re not as hairy as some and that Harley of yours will have you blending in nicely.

Stay off the road May 1st then.