Spain & Portugal - Some of my favourite roads for your review and consideration.

oddjob

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For my nightly accommodation (apart from outward and return ferries), my fundamental preference is wild camping or official designated campsites, or hotels when this wasn't possible or practicable due to fatigue or inclement weather.
However due to the pandemic, it subsequently transpired that many official campsites closed at short notice.

The weather on the whole was absolutely fantastic, with a significant temperature range from -2 to 41 degrees centigrade.

I stayed in some hospitable hotels:
Hotel Rossio, Portalegre, Portugal (A four star @ 80 Euros per night)https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2950496,-7.4298048,3a,21.2y,62.91h,86.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAEaKqvRkVf5xrFRq53qGjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


I was absolutely freezing cold after riding the LE-126 (Alto Fuente de la Cueva) in an absolute blizzard. Because the weather was so dire, it transpired that I stayed in the Hotel Nova Ruta, Trabadelo, León, Spain (a three star @ 40 Euros per night) for four nights. I owner let me park the bike in his personal underground garage.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6473241,-6.8771546,3a,21.2y,264.62h,80.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syrz8JjokqTC5ukfFaoGJIw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192


Hotel Sainz, Riaño, León, Spain (A two star @ 40 Euros per night)
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9761926,-5.0055573,3a,21.2y,264.62h,80.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVvljvyyd-pV9pt-B1MTn5w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


Hotel San Juan, Revilla (near Santander, a three star @ 30 Euros per night)
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4052723,-3.8571041,3a,21.2y,67.51h,102.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWhhoRneIcevZNOMiGurkgQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
 

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Great thread, nice pics

Interesting to see you using Vario panniers, to camp with and they make a good table in the last pics
 

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Excellent. Thank you. Just what the Travel section should be used for. I’ll also copy it across the the Trip Report sib-section, as there are people who go there but not to the Travel section and visa-versa.

If the Dropbox files are going to vanish, I am happy to host them on my account.
 
Great thread, nice pics

Interesting to see you using Vario panniers, to camp with and they make a good table in the last pics

Thank you. To para-phrase Mr Samuel L Jackson; necessity is the mother of all invention. :)

The grapes were harvested from an abandoned vineyard and lasted many days; extremely delicious and refreshing. :D
 

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Spain & Portugal - Some of my favourite roads for your review and consideration.

I discovered that the panniers on my 1600 make excellent fridges. I also discovered that not putting the bags of ice into at least a plastic bag and sealing it up with a knot, results in flooded, double skin, panniers. I am now expert in this. Thankfully, the flood of water in the double skin, did not screw up the central locking.

e07a2c736e820c7c9e4e816d81109b60.jpg
46f67d7bbf9c2627589a00ff1625b075.jpg
 
Excellent. Thank you. Just what the Travel section should be used for. I’ll also copy it across the the Trip Report sib-section, as there are people who go there but not to the Travel section and visa-versa.

If the Dropbox files are going to vanish, I am happy to host them on my account.

Excellent. My fundamental intention is to hopefully provide folks with some light relief and potential inspiration for their subsequent tours. :thumb2

TBH, I was extremely reticent to post this thread because I had doubts and reservations to how it may be broadly perceived. :confused:

a) Inadvertently rubbing salt into wounds because many folk had to cancel their tours; :comfort
b) Although I don't have any dependants, some folk may say; how very selfish for me to have the temerity to venture on an overseas tour in the middle of a pandemic. :(

My "free" Dropbox URL's expire after 7 days; please feel free to copy and retain for the subsequent usage and benefit of all :ukgser. :thumb2
 
You are too reticent. I went away to France on my motorcycle for a month in August of last year. Lucky you with 54 days. Well jel’, as the kids say.

Inspiration and a dose of imagination, is what some bods would benefit from, for sure.

I’ll host the routes over on my Dropbox and share them here.
 
Thank you. To para-phrase Mr Samuel L Jackson; necessity is the mother of all invention. :)

The grapes were harvested from an abandoned vineyard and lasted many days; extremely delicious and refreshing. :D

You thought it was abandoned....You are now a thief, but in the eyes of the Portuguese you are not, as your need was greater, or that is how they see it....That is the wonderful thing about Portugal, they do not see a thief, but someone who is in need and that is how it should be and how I shall see it when someone takes my fruit.....If I need greens and my neighbour has a bountiful supply, then I can take some and the same as....It is a sharing and caring community and we all pitch in together and it is so wonderful to give and for others to take......I love this way of living, it is the future and can sustain many on their travels....:thumb2
There is nothing in Portugal that is abandoned, it all has an owner no matter how remote it may seem to you....
 
More remote and "abandoned" areas which I visited near Vale de Telhas, Portugal. :)

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.630375,-7.2419311,3a,75y,207.92h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s-6xS6emJlRt13PzE73Be7g!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D-6xS6emJlRt13PzE73Be7g%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D207.91913%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

The Hobbit house was very quaint, compact and bijou; not many amenities though! :eek:

Once again the grapes were most enjoyable, however the olives weren't yet ripe. ;)
 

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Yes, people from the entire Iberian peninsula are extremely hospitable, especially the Portuguese. :)
I vividly remember the first time I visited the rural hamlet of Dine (pronounced Dina), Northern Portugal; to visit the Neanderthal caves (to visit my close ancestors) and the Lime Kilns. :eek:
The villagers left their allotments to greet me as soon as I arrived and joyfully shared some of their harvest.
The vast majority of the inhabitants are over 80; as with many remote villages, the average age is ever increasing and unfortunately their village will subsequently become abandoned. :tears
I've still kept some of the walnuts as memorable souvenirs.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B054'47.0%22N+6%C2%B055'46.4%22W/@41.913057,-6.9317557,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0xd3a5b2904032711:0xc31b3fb2e721dd!2zRGluZSwgTWHDp8OjcywgUG9ydHVnYWw!3b1!8m2!3d41.9116931!4d-6.9285903!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d41.9130526!4d-6.9295668
 

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You thought it was abandoned....You are now a thief, but in the eyes of the Portuguese you are not, as your need was greater, or that is how they see it....That is the wonderful thing about Portugal, they do not see a thief, but someone who is in need and that is how it should be and how I shall see it when someone takes my fruit.....If I need greens and my neighbour has a bountiful supply, then I can take some and the same as....It is a sharing and caring community and we all pitch in together and it is so wonderful to give and for others to take......I love this way of living, it is the future and can sustain many on their travels....:thumb2
There is nothing in Portugal that is abandoned, it all has an owner no matter how remote it may seem to you....

Rather than let fruit rot on the vine, thank you so very much for your kindness, compassion and consideration.

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/551270-So-thread-trashing?highlight=Thread+trashing

Never done it, childish, insular, shows lack of understanding and quite literally shows one up as being a complete narcissist.
 
A great trip there oddjob with some wonderful memories made.

I’m convinced hospitality is ratcheted up a notch when people see you on a bike - well that’s experience. Or maybe they just think I’m vulnerable, needy and look a little pale. I’m English :D
 
A great trip there oddjob with some wonderful memories made.

I’m convinced hospitality is ratcheted up a notch when people see you on a bike - well that’s experience. Or maybe they just think I’m vulnerable, needy and look a little pale. I’m English :D

Thank you so very much; I agree that riding bikes greatly assists in building rapport. Thankfully it only takes a few days of Iberian sunshine before I resemble the locals. ;)
 
You thought it was abandoned....You are now a thief, but in the eyes of the Portuguese you are not, as your need was greater, or that is how they see it....That is the wonderful thing about Portugal, they do not see a thief, but someone who is in need and that is how it should be and how I shall see it when someone takes my fruit.....If I need greens and my neighbour has a bountiful supply, then I can take some and the same as....It is a sharing and caring community and we all pitch in together and it is so wonderful to give and for others to take......I love this way of living, it is the future and can sustain many on their travels....:thumb2
There is nothing in Portugal that is abandoned, it all has an owner no matter how remote it may seem to you....

Pugnacious critique or acerbic wit? :rolleyes:

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/507645-Thoughts-on-my-recent-trip-tp-North-Spain-and-Portugal

Yep, Portugal is shit and the people even worse, I would not bother with it and instead stick to Spain and the South of France.
Portugal also has the highest road casualty rate in Europe per capita, so you are so correct, it is very dangerous.....I wrote my HD off last year in PT.....With the help of a nice Portuguese lady:D

I would thoroughly discourage any human to visit PT.

Although unseemly to request such assistance, it was extremely fortunate the Portuguese lady was able to provide help and support. :augie
 


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