Post by Phil on Dec 22, 2013 17:06:04 GMT
The Plan.
Well there wasn’t really a plan, I booked the return ferry with Irish Ferries www.irishferries.com from Rosslare to Cherbourg / Roscoff , which worked out at £133 for me and the bike, it did include a reserved reclining seat.
To get to Spain quickly I booked one way from St. Nazaire in France to Gijon in Spain with LD Lines ldlines.co.uk/timetables/saint-nazaire-gijon the cost for me and the bike with a 2 berth cabin cost £65, a reserved reclining seat was £47 ( check out how the £ is doing against the € I got a better deal by paying in euro ). On the LD Lines website you can only book one vehicle but if you phone the St. Nazaire office they will sort you out for more vehicles and they speak English.
So my only constraints were the ferry sailings, I studied maps of Spain & Portugal and decided to travel close to the border of these two countries.
I had packed my camping gear and planned to mainly use campsites and only use hotels / B&B’s if the weather was really shite or if I couldn’t find a campsite ( wasn’t sure on the rules in these countries about wild camping ).
Day 1
The journey to Rosslare was a nice leisurely dry run, took the back roads through Tandragee to Newry then onto the motorway / dual carriageway to Rosslare (boring).
Got to Rosslare in good time and had a very reasonably priced Sunday lunch in the café at the Super value supermarket just before the ferry terminal ( a lot cheaper than the ferry restaurant ) and bought some small bottles of water ( supermarket price €0-35, ferry price €2-50 for a 250ml bottle ).
Headed to the ferry terminal to see that there was very long lines to get onto the boat, later found out that the boat was almost full with over 100 bikes.
The bikes are loaded onto an upper car deck which has a steep ramp up to it, the crew will only allow one bike at a time on it, and packed fairly close together, tie down straps & bits of foam are supplied.
Took my small rucksack from the top box which had my airbed, water, flask, coffee sachets, book, portable dvd player & dvd’s, breakfast bars and 6 cans of Guinness, left my helmet in the top box, and made my way up to deck 10, almost the very top of the ship, and found the reserved seat lounge I was in, and immediately blew up the airbed to mark my space on the floor ( top tip ), then went for a wander around.
On this deck there are lockers to leave your stuff in, a medium sized locker was €6 for 24hrs but every time you opened the locker it would cost another €6.
Went to the next deck up, the sun deck, and seen this ship belonging to the Irish Navy tying up opposite, two lifeboats on the Oscar Wilde ferry would have been the same size.
Down in the lower decks where the bars and restaurants are were full of screaming kids so headed back to the reserved seat lounge which was nice and peaceful and did some reading, listen to music and drink my coffee then later on my carryout. Later on I then made my way to the bar for a few more Guinness, when I came back around 1am there was three other people sleeping in the lounge but when I awoke at 7am I had the lounge to myself, I must have been snoring
Day 2
Got up at 7am and went to the café to get some hot water for coffee, they have a water boiler so refilled the flask (free) and went to the forward lounge to make my coffee and have my breakfast bars.
Coming into Cherbourg harbour
It had been a very pleasant crossing, very smooth. The ferry docked in Cherbourg at 11am and there was bit of a wait to get off.
Once off the weather was a bit overcast but dry so far.
I’d decided as I had a bit of time to kill before I got the ferry from St. Nazaire at 2100hrs that evening, to go and visit some of the D Day sites, so made my way along some quiet Normandy back roads.
Visited some German Artillery Battery’s.
A shell from a battleship hit this bunker, went through the wall and killed everyone inside the room.
Then it was to the new memorial at Brecourt Manor, dedicated this year, to the men of Easy Company 101st Airborne (of Band of Brothers fame) this was where they captured the German 88mm artillery guns that was hammering the men on Omaha beach.
Then it was a visit to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach, a very solemn place, I see they have built a new visitors centre since my last visit, but the long line of people trying to get into it because of the tight security put me off standing in line.
The headstones of two of the Niland brothers, it was their story that inspired the film Saving Private Ryan, although there was no rescue party sent to look for the surviving brother because they knew where has was.
The 1st Infantry Division on Omaha beach
Then it was a visit to a place usually overlooked by people who visit the D Day sites, the German cemetery at La Cambe.
21,000 soldiers buried here, not all fanatical Nazis, some forced into military service under threat of them and their families being imprisoned in the German concentration camps.
Here’s a short video I’ve put together, hope you enjoy.
It’s getting a bit late, so after spending some time exploring the lanes of Normandy it was onto the motorway and a quick run to St.Nazaire.
When you get to the LD Lines terminal you need to park in the car park and take all your documents into the booking office to get your boarding card and then make your way on your bike to the kiosk.
Bikes are loaded last so that they are first off.
You make your way to the reception onboard to get the key for your cabin.
This is a freight ferry that takes passengers, don’t expect entertainment etc, it has a very small shop, small bar / café, there isn’t a great selection of food in the café but it’s reasonable.
Met the South Paris Harley Owners Chapter on board, some nice shiny bikes.
The French have always impressed me with their bridge building skills.
Day 3
The ship was a bit bouncy on this crossing ( don’t think this ferry has any stabilisers ) but it docked on time 1200hrs, again the sky over Gijon was overcast but very warm, took the motorway for a short distance out of Gijon then onto the N630 through the mountains towards Leon, nice twisty almost traffic free road, with some signs of the Basque population carrying out some civil disobedience, marks on the roads where barricades had been set alight, over the austerity cuts.
As I carried on higher into the mountains it was starting to get a bit wet but the roads were brilliant.
As the road descends from the high mountains the temperature starts to rise and the roads start to get straighter.
Along this road, south of Leon, it was straight for as far as you could see with miles of corn fields either side, and very little traffic, so I decide to stop for a drink of water, within minutes of me stopping a traffic police car stopped beside me, he gets out and starts rabbiting on at me so I shrug my shoulders and act stupid, he looks at the number plate on the bike, then starts tugging at his hi vis vest, quick as a flash I reach into the top box and pull my hi vis vest out, he tells me to put it on and to move the bike off the road.
I carry on along some random roads and finally finish up in the town of Avila.
I check the satnav to find a campsite for the night but there isn’t one, so I make my way to the ancient city walls and come across a lovely little 2 * hotel called Puerta de la Santa, so it’s out with the phrase book and I book a room for the night, €35 for B&B, then it was a bit of mime & pointing to get somewhere secure to park the bike ( no English spoken here ) then the owner takes me outside, pulls a remote from his pocket and a gate opens down into his small underground car park which is for family use. Great.
The hotel looked to have been recently built, everything was spotless, it was better fitted out than some hotels twice the price I have stayed in and it was located beside the ancient walled city, lovely spot.
So get settled in, have a shower and then decide to have something to eat in the hotel café, remember no English spoken here so this should be fun, I sit at a table and order a beer, the waitress brings me a menu and tries to explain in Spanish what’s on offer, she gets a blank look from me, so I get the phrase book out and check out the menu reader, it was absolutely no help, so when all else fails it was eeny meeny miney mo, I pointed to something on the menu, she gave me a strange look and went away to the kitchen, 15 minutes later she appears with a plate of lettuce topped off with some thinly sliced pieces of smoked raw fish and some bits of bread, oh dear, luckily I had some food in my pannier on the bike so I’ll not starve.
So after that marvellous meal I have a walk around the ancient city, what impresses me most, is that the medieval town was alive with people and businesses, unlike some of the French medieval cities like Carcassonne and Mont San Michele which are just tourist traps filled with cafes and tacky gift shops.
The old with the modern.
The hills in the distance is were I think I’ll head to tomorrow.
The hotel at night.
Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel was a curious mix, you could have 1 cup of coffee, 1 croissant, 1 slice of fruit cake, 1 yoghurt. Suppose don’t expect much more for the price.
I left Avila in brilliant sunshine and it’s starting to get warm, heading towards these hills
Headed along the N502 from Avila through the Sierra de Gredos and enjoyed this road so much I turned around and went along it again to the AV941 towards Bejar, super roads.
After Bejar, I took a narrow road which was a bit rough heading towards the monastery of La Pena Francia, as it was getting a bit hot I decided to have a little snooze under a tree.
One thing I noticed about Spain is that they have plenty of castles.
So it was onwards and upwards towards the monastery and the road improved greatly.
The views along the road were beautiful and also at he top.
This structure was a sun dial and also a means of harvesting rain water.
The monastery buildings.
And this carbuncle on the landscape is a radio mast.
Here’s a wee video of the trip up to the monastery.
As it was starting to get a bit late I checked on the satnav for a nearby campsite and found one in Cuidad Rodrigo, so headed down the mountain again and made my way to the town, when I got there it was yet another lovely walled medieval town and the campsite was just across the river from the old town.
The campsite was small but it had a small bar / shop and was shaded from the sun by trees, I picked a spot to put the tent up, the gravy was pumping out of me putting the tent up, when a couple in the camper next to me offered a cold beer, lovely.
Turned out they were a retired English couple and they toured Spain and Portugal most of the year.
So it was out with the cooker to make some food.
And a very tasty dinner it was too.
Met another English couple on motorbikes who were staying on the site and swapped information on places to go.
After dinner I went for a walk around the old town, a lovely place.
A bit of history.
Ciudad Rodrigo is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population of about 14,000. It is the seat of a judicial district as well.
The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank of the River Águeda, has been occupied since the Neolithic Age. Known also as Mirobriga by those who wish to associate the city with an ancient Celtic village in the outskirts of the modern city.
A key border fortress, it was the site of a 10-day siege by the Duke of Wellington and its capture from the French opened up the invasion of Spain in 1812.
Day 5
Up early and left Cuidad Rodrigo, again heading into the mountains, nice and cool when travelling along on the bike.
Heading south along the Spain / Portugal border, the roads are almost free of traffic away from the towns.
As I descend out of the mountains the temperature rises and it is getting very hot.
Navigating through some of the villages can be bit of a challenge, very narrow cobbled streets, not helped by parked cars blocking the street and having to turn a heavy bike around to find another way through a very narrow maze of lanes and alleyways, which are not marked on the mapping in the satnav.
Again the scenery is outstanding and the roads are first class.
Now into Portugal.
The roads are not just as good as Spain but still very good condition.
Riding along I see more castles and ancient walled towns and I can confirm that Portugal seems to have a very healthy Red Kite population, loads of them flying around.
Riding along the N256 from Spain towards Evora in Portugal I see on the hill in the distance another walled town so decide to have a look.
The Bull Ring, judging by the smell it seems to be still in use.
None of that auld health and safety nonsense here, no sign of any hand rails.
This must be one of the most scenic places to be buried.
I checked the satnav to find a campsite and see that there is one 30km away in Evora and make my way to it.
When I get to Evora I see it is yet another ancient walled town and find the campsite is about 3km away from the centre.
The campsite is a large site with a pool, bar and shop, and the only grass on the site is around the pool, so I decide to stay 2 nights here.
I decide on a spot to pitch my tent, the sun is still beating down and the gravy is pumping out of me as I’m putting up the tent, again a retired couple, Dutch this time, offered me a cold beer and chatted with me as I put the tent up.
I’m glad I carry 6” nails instead of normal tent pegs, the ground was as hard as concrete.
Then it was out with the cooker to make this evenings dinner then retire to the bar for a few beers.
Well there wasn’t really a plan, I booked the return ferry with Irish Ferries www.irishferries.com from Rosslare to Cherbourg / Roscoff , which worked out at £133 for me and the bike, it did include a reserved reclining seat.
To get to Spain quickly I booked one way from St. Nazaire in France to Gijon in Spain with LD Lines ldlines.co.uk/timetables/saint-nazaire-gijon the cost for me and the bike with a 2 berth cabin cost £65, a reserved reclining seat was £47 ( check out how the £ is doing against the € I got a better deal by paying in euro ). On the LD Lines website you can only book one vehicle but if you phone the St. Nazaire office they will sort you out for more vehicles and they speak English.
So my only constraints were the ferry sailings, I studied maps of Spain & Portugal and decided to travel close to the border of these two countries.
I had packed my camping gear and planned to mainly use campsites and only use hotels / B&B’s if the weather was really shite or if I couldn’t find a campsite ( wasn’t sure on the rules in these countries about wild camping ).
Day 1
The journey to Rosslare was a nice leisurely dry run, took the back roads through Tandragee to Newry then onto the motorway / dual carriageway to Rosslare (boring).
Got to Rosslare in good time and had a very reasonably priced Sunday lunch in the café at the Super value supermarket just before the ferry terminal ( a lot cheaper than the ferry restaurant ) and bought some small bottles of water ( supermarket price €0-35, ferry price €2-50 for a 250ml bottle ).
Headed to the ferry terminal to see that there was very long lines to get onto the boat, later found out that the boat was almost full with over 100 bikes.
The bikes are loaded onto an upper car deck which has a steep ramp up to it, the crew will only allow one bike at a time on it, and packed fairly close together, tie down straps & bits of foam are supplied.
Took my small rucksack from the top box which had my airbed, water, flask, coffee sachets, book, portable dvd player & dvd’s, breakfast bars and 6 cans of Guinness, left my helmet in the top box, and made my way up to deck 10, almost the very top of the ship, and found the reserved seat lounge I was in, and immediately blew up the airbed to mark my space on the floor ( top tip ), then went for a wander around.
On this deck there are lockers to leave your stuff in, a medium sized locker was €6 for 24hrs but every time you opened the locker it would cost another €6.
Went to the next deck up, the sun deck, and seen this ship belonging to the Irish Navy tying up opposite, two lifeboats on the Oscar Wilde ferry would have been the same size.
Down in the lower decks where the bars and restaurants are were full of screaming kids so headed back to the reserved seat lounge which was nice and peaceful and did some reading, listen to music and drink my coffee then later on my carryout. Later on I then made my way to the bar for a few more Guinness, when I came back around 1am there was three other people sleeping in the lounge but when I awoke at 7am I had the lounge to myself, I must have been snoring
Day 2
Got up at 7am and went to the café to get some hot water for coffee, they have a water boiler so refilled the flask (free) and went to the forward lounge to make my coffee and have my breakfast bars.
Coming into Cherbourg harbour
It had been a very pleasant crossing, very smooth. The ferry docked in Cherbourg at 11am and there was bit of a wait to get off.
Once off the weather was a bit overcast but dry so far.
I’d decided as I had a bit of time to kill before I got the ferry from St. Nazaire at 2100hrs that evening, to go and visit some of the D Day sites, so made my way along some quiet Normandy back roads.
Visited some German Artillery Battery’s.
A shell from a battleship hit this bunker, went through the wall and killed everyone inside the room.
Then it was to the new memorial at Brecourt Manor, dedicated this year, to the men of Easy Company 101st Airborne (of Band of Brothers fame) this was where they captured the German 88mm artillery guns that was hammering the men on Omaha beach.
Then it was a visit to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach, a very solemn place, I see they have built a new visitors centre since my last visit, but the long line of people trying to get into it because of the tight security put me off standing in line.
The headstones of two of the Niland brothers, it was their story that inspired the film Saving Private Ryan, although there was no rescue party sent to look for the surviving brother because they knew where has was.
The 1st Infantry Division on Omaha beach
Then it was a visit to a place usually overlooked by people who visit the D Day sites, the German cemetery at La Cambe.
21,000 soldiers buried here, not all fanatical Nazis, some forced into military service under threat of them and their families being imprisoned in the German concentration camps.
Here’s a short video I’ve put together, hope you enjoy.
It’s getting a bit late, so after spending some time exploring the lanes of Normandy it was onto the motorway and a quick run to St.Nazaire.
When you get to the LD Lines terminal you need to park in the car park and take all your documents into the booking office to get your boarding card and then make your way on your bike to the kiosk.
Bikes are loaded last so that they are first off.
You make your way to the reception onboard to get the key for your cabin.
This is a freight ferry that takes passengers, don’t expect entertainment etc, it has a very small shop, small bar / café, there isn’t a great selection of food in the café but it’s reasonable.
Met the South Paris Harley Owners Chapter on board, some nice shiny bikes.
The French have always impressed me with their bridge building skills.
Day 3
The ship was a bit bouncy on this crossing ( don’t think this ferry has any stabilisers ) but it docked on time 1200hrs, again the sky over Gijon was overcast but very warm, took the motorway for a short distance out of Gijon then onto the N630 through the mountains towards Leon, nice twisty almost traffic free road, with some signs of the Basque population carrying out some civil disobedience, marks on the roads where barricades had been set alight, over the austerity cuts.
As I carried on higher into the mountains it was starting to get a bit wet but the roads were brilliant.
As the road descends from the high mountains the temperature starts to rise and the roads start to get straighter.
Along this road, south of Leon, it was straight for as far as you could see with miles of corn fields either side, and very little traffic, so I decide to stop for a drink of water, within minutes of me stopping a traffic police car stopped beside me, he gets out and starts rabbiting on at me so I shrug my shoulders and act stupid, he looks at the number plate on the bike, then starts tugging at his hi vis vest, quick as a flash I reach into the top box and pull my hi vis vest out, he tells me to put it on and to move the bike off the road.
I carry on along some random roads and finally finish up in the town of Avila.
I check the satnav to find a campsite for the night but there isn’t one, so I make my way to the ancient city walls and come across a lovely little 2 * hotel called Puerta de la Santa, so it’s out with the phrase book and I book a room for the night, €35 for B&B, then it was a bit of mime & pointing to get somewhere secure to park the bike ( no English spoken here ) then the owner takes me outside, pulls a remote from his pocket and a gate opens down into his small underground car park which is for family use. Great.
The hotel looked to have been recently built, everything was spotless, it was better fitted out than some hotels twice the price I have stayed in and it was located beside the ancient walled city, lovely spot.
So get settled in, have a shower and then decide to have something to eat in the hotel café, remember no English spoken here so this should be fun, I sit at a table and order a beer, the waitress brings me a menu and tries to explain in Spanish what’s on offer, she gets a blank look from me, so I get the phrase book out and check out the menu reader, it was absolutely no help, so when all else fails it was eeny meeny miney mo, I pointed to something on the menu, she gave me a strange look and went away to the kitchen, 15 minutes later she appears with a plate of lettuce topped off with some thinly sliced pieces of smoked raw fish and some bits of bread, oh dear, luckily I had some food in my pannier on the bike so I’ll not starve.
So after that marvellous meal I have a walk around the ancient city, what impresses me most, is that the medieval town was alive with people and businesses, unlike some of the French medieval cities like Carcassonne and Mont San Michele which are just tourist traps filled with cafes and tacky gift shops.
The old with the modern.
The hills in the distance is were I think I’ll head to tomorrow.
The hotel at night.
Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel was a curious mix, you could have 1 cup of coffee, 1 croissant, 1 slice of fruit cake, 1 yoghurt. Suppose don’t expect much more for the price.
I left Avila in brilliant sunshine and it’s starting to get warm, heading towards these hills
Headed along the N502 from Avila through the Sierra de Gredos and enjoyed this road so much I turned around and went along it again to the AV941 towards Bejar, super roads.
After Bejar, I took a narrow road which was a bit rough heading towards the monastery of La Pena Francia, as it was getting a bit hot I decided to have a little snooze under a tree.
One thing I noticed about Spain is that they have plenty of castles.
So it was onwards and upwards towards the monastery and the road improved greatly.
The views along the road were beautiful and also at he top.
This structure was a sun dial and also a means of harvesting rain water.
The monastery buildings.
And this carbuncle on the landscape is a radio mast.
Here’s a wee video of the trip up to the monastery.
As it was starting to get a bit late I checked on the satnav for a nearby campsite and found one in Cuidad Rodrigo, so headed down the mountain again and made my way to the town, when I got there it was yet another lovely walled medieval town and the campsite was just across the river from the old town.
The campsite was small but it had a small bar / shop and was shaded from the sun by trees, I picked a spot to put the tent up, the gravy was pumping out of me putting the tent up, when a couple in the camper next to me offered a cold beer, lovely.
Turned out they were a retired English couple and they toured Spain and Portugal most of the year.
So it was out with the cooker to make some food.
And a very tasty dinner it was too.
Met another English couple on motorbikes who were staying on the site and swapped information on places to go.
After dinner I went for a walk around the old town, a lovely place.
A bit of history.
Ciudad Rodrigo is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population of about 14,000. It is the seat of a judicial district as well.
The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank of the River Águeda, has been occupied since the Neolithic Age. Known also as Mirobriga by those who wish to associate the city with an ancient Celtic village in the outskirts of the modern city.
A key border fortress, it was the site of a 10-day siege by the Duke of Wellington and its capture from the French opened up the invasion of Spain in 1812.
Day 5
Up early and left Cuidad Rodrigo, again heading into the mountains, nice and cool when travelling along on the bike.
Heading south along the Spain / Portugal border, the roads are almost free of traffic away from the towns.
As I descend out of the mountains the temperature rises and it is getting very hot.
Navigating through some of the villages can be bit of a challenge, very narrow cobbled streets, not helped by parked cars blocking the street and having to turn a heavy bike around to find another way through a very narrow maze of lanes and alleyways, which are not marked on the mapping in the satnav.
Again the scenery is outstanding and the roads are first class.
Now into Portugal.
The roads are not just as good as Spain but still very good condition.
Riding along I see more castles and ancient walled towns and I can confirm that Portugal seems to have a very healthy Red Kite population, loads of them flying around.
Riding along the N256 from Spain towards Evora in Portugal I see on the hill in the distance another walled town so decide to have a look.
The Bull Ring, judging by the smell it seems to be still in use.
None of that auld health and safety nonsense here, no sign of any hand rails.
This must be one of the most scenic places to be buried.
I checked the satnav to find a campsite and see that there is one 30km away in Evora and make my way to it.
When I get to Evora I see it is yet another ancient walled town and find the campsite is about 3km away from the centre.
The campsite is a large site with a pool, bar and shop, and the only grass on the site is around the pool, so I decide to stay 2 nights here.
I decide on a spot to pitch my tent, the sun is still beating down and the gravy is pumping out of me as I’m putting up the tent, again a retired couple, Dutch this time, offered me a cold beer and chatted with me as I put the tent up.
I’m glad I carry 6” nails instead of normal tent pegs, the ground was as hard as concrete.
Then it was out with the cooker to make this evenings dinner then retire to the bar for a few beers.
