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The West Country to Salobrena Spain


Slowlycatchymonkey

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Hoping to kick off in the next 10 days. Having to leave arrangements until the very last minute as commitments mean the date in mind next week could get pushed back but rough ideas are starting to come together and even if there are delays this will be executed soon.

Thinking to catch the ferry from Plymouth (Portsmouth is also an option) to Santander. According to Google the most direct route is then 8hrs 45mins to the Andalucian coast. I’m not in any rush so I’m going to allow 3 days riding for that, meaning we can meander via the most enjoyable roads n soak it up. Taking the Himalayan (awesome friggin bike so that’s a given 😆also the RE Continental… ouch 😂).

Have committed to recording some of it for my boys so I should hopefully have some stuff to post… although as someone who doesn’t even like having their photo taken that’ll be ‘a challenge’ 🤣

There’s definitely more of a winging it feel to this than usual! Don’t want to miss the opportunity to ask for ideas or opinions though so let’s hear ‘em 😊

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2 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

My maths is shocking so ummmm we leave at 15.45 and it’s 20hrs 30mins… so 12.15pm.. ish? 

Around midday then?

It's getting dark earlier here now and I'd recommend you do your run in daylight.

So work your way down and stay overnight somewhere en-route towards Madrid.

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19 minutes ago, Catteeclan said:

Enjoy. Hope you have more luck with food than we did. Seemed to pick days where no one wanted to cook.

Im a coeliac which is such a pain in the arse I wont even start to bore you with it but the upside is I always have food on me. A comprehensive store of calorie dense ambient foods that can also easily be added to at any garage or supermarket so getting fed isnt something I worry about too much 😊

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1 hour ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Im a coeliac 

That's some sort of squid isn't it. You must have terrible trouble getting bike gear to fit.

Put everything you will want on the ferry in one place so you can grab it easily as soon as you have secured your bikes because we weren't allowed back to the bikes after we left port. This meant me paying through the nose for sea sickness tablets and wishing I had my book and more snacks with me.

Having said that I just watched this bloke do a trip to Spain and eventually Tenerife and he was allowed back to his vehicle (UK/France though). Worth watching for places to stay in Spain, they had some good results, especially as it was only a few weeks ago so still current.

 

 

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5 hours ago, yen_powell said:

That's some sort of squid isn't it. You must have terrible trouble getting bike gear to fit.

Put everything you will want on the ferry in one place so you can grab it easily as soon as you have secured your bikes because we weren't allowed back to the bikes after we left port. This meant me paying through the nose for sea sickness tablets and wishing I had my book and more snacks with me.

Having said that I just watched this bloke do a trip to Spain and eventually Tenerife and he was allowed back to his vehicle (UK/France though). Worth watching for places to stay in Spain, they had some good results, especially as it was only a few weeks ago so still current.

 

 

Cheers for that, if someone said oh that’s Rik Mayalls son you’d believe them wouldn’t you, shame he’s not funny 😆 

The clothes aren’t too bad I just have to buy multiple pairs of things but getting a helmet or goggles is a bitch.

squid GIF

 

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27 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Got a date planned yet @Slowlycatchymonkey?

I’ll let you know tomorrow after Mark the Mechanic has finished on the bikes, if it all goes smoothly I’ll be looking at ticket prices and getting it booked up then 👏 

Theres a ferry Sunday and one Wednesday. Sundays pretty much out cos the women I rode to Everest with are meeting up for a curry on Saturday and Id like to see them before I go but if Wednesday is an expensive ticket Ill drop ‘em like a hot rock 😆  

Apart from ordering PCR tests and collecting a few bits n bobs (Amazon firestick tv and a slow cooker 😂) Im wholly unprepared and pretty excited to enter the world of winging it again after the decades of the meticulous research based decisions you are compelled to make when your in charge of a family, patients or a business. Yeefuckingha 💃 

 

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7 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

I’ll let you know tomorrow after Mark the Mechanic has finished on the bikes, if it all goes smoothly I’ll be looking at ticket prices and getting it booked up then 👏 

Theres a ferry Sunday and one Wednesday. Sundays pretty much out cos the women I rode to Everest with are meeting up for a curry on Saturday and Id like to see them before I go but if Wednesday is an expensive ticket Ill drop ‘em like a hot rock 😆  

Apart from ordering PCR tests and collecting a few bits n bobs (Amazon firestick tv and a slow cooker 😂) Im wholly unprepared and pretty excited to enter the world of winging it again after the decades of the meticulous research based decisions you are compelled to make when your in charge of a family, patients or a business. Yeefuckingha 💃 

 

Great!

Hope the weather holds out for you......mid 20's here now so ideal conditions.

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7 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Great!

Hope the weather holds out for you......mid 20's here now so ideal conditions.

Spain currently looks dandy from top to bottom, the weather temp here has dropped but not horribly and theres rain forecast so Ill have to find my waterproofs. Fortunately on a good day the Ferry port is only 1hr 40mins from here 👍

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14 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Spain currently looks dandy from top to bottom, the weather temp here has dropped but not horribly and theres rain forecast so Ill have to find my waterproofs. Fortunately on a good day the Ferry port is only 1hr 40mins from here 👍

The UK part will be the worst bit!

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The Gods wondered how this person didn’t get the message, they wondered how they could send a disastrous flight experience down to earth and the little people still refused to understand so they sent Zeus who threatened thunder and lightning until the shipping forecast creaked with warnings of doom and everyone ran away 😱 

Yep they cancelled the ferry due to forecast gale force winds 👿

Heyho at least the inner tube I ordered will turn up in time now 😆

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Afternoon guys n gals

Quick update cos its on my mind Ive not updated you mingers losers 😂 proper write up later. 

Made it to Santander yesterday afternoon to lovely sunshine. Stripped off everything possible to discover dimbo here didnt think about altitude.. ffffreezing🥶

On our way to Valdepeñas now and sod the scenic route, the fastest route to the warmth is in order 😂

Stopped for a coffee to warm my hands (my first coffee for years, it smells so nice and tastes so gross!) cos they dont serve tea, honestly wot weirdos!

The roads are clear n smooth, couldnt be happier… cud b warmer tho 😂

93B5F1F2-D008-4209-A320-CD36363DCC61.thumb.jpeg.0e44b2baf660e688850328553a110c84.jpeg

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21 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Afternoon guys n gals

Quick update cos its on my mind Ive not updated you mingers losers 😂 proper write up later. 

Made it to Santander yesterday afternoon to lovely sunshine. Stripped off everything possible to discover dimbo here didnt think about altitude.. ffffreezing🥶

On our way to Valdepeñas now and sod the scenic route, the fastest route to the warmth is in order 😂

Stopped for a coffee to warm my hands (my first coffee for years, it smells so nice and tastes so gross!) cos they dont serve tea, honestly wot weirdos!

The roads are clear n smooth, couldnt be happier… cud b warmer tho 😂

93B5F1F2-D008-4209-A320-CD36363DCC61.thumb.jpeg.0e44b2baf660e688850328553a110c84.jpeg

Crossing was ok then ?

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57 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Afternoon guys n gals

Quick update cos its on my mind Ive not updated you mingers losers 😂 proper write up later. 

Made it to Santander yesterday afternoon to lovely sunshine. Stripped off everything possible to discover dimbo here didnt think about altitude.. ffffreezing🥶

On our way to Valdepeñas now and sod the scenic route, the fastest route to the warmth is in order 😂

Stopped for a coffee to warm my hands (my first coffee for years, it smells so nice and tastes so gross!) cos they dont serve tea, honestly wot weirdos!

The roads are clear n smooth, couldnt be happier… cud b warmer tho 😂

93B5F1F2-D008-4209-A320-CD36363DCC61.thumb.jpeg.0e44b2baf660e688850328553a110c84.jpeg

Excellent Caroline! 

Now you see that Spain isn't all tropical weather and T shirts......it gets bloody cold.

But the further south you get the warmer it is.

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1 hour ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Afternoon guys n gals

Quick update cos its on my mind Ive not updated you mingers losers 😂 proper write up later. 

Made it to Santander yesterday afternoon to lovely sunshine. Stripped off everything possible to discover dimbo here didnt think about altitude.. ffffreezing🥶

On our way to Valdepeñas now and sod the scenic route, the fastest route to the warmth is in order 😂

Stopped for a coffee to warm my hands (my first coffee for years, it smells so nice and tastes so gross!) cos they dont serve tea, honestly wot weirdos!

The roads are clear n smooth, couldnt be happier… cud b warmer tho 😂

93B5F1F2-D008-4209-A320-CD36363DCC61.thumb.jpeg.0e44b2baf660e688850328553a110c84.jpeg

Excellent that you got across OK. Any border issues?

Yeah, just because the sun is shining doesn't mean that it's warm. 😂😂😂

Hopefully your run down south will go well. The bikes are running OK? I bet you'll be glad of having the bikes when you get there. 

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3 hours ago, XTreme said:

She can't wait to get up here and meet me!

Understandable really! 

Caroline says that she's washing her hair that day, sorry. 😉😂😂

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