Are you still out there?
No updates on blog for a few weeks.

Nor on his website, I was wondering the same thing.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

Sorry, been a little distracted in Spain!

Here's the latest! (if you would like links to work, you'll need to go to my blog)

SPAIN, JUST SPAIN!…. AND PORTUGAL

Rather than break this bit up into days, I’m going to split it into chunks. As you’ll know from ‘Travel during Covid-19‘, it was always my plan to start my trip in Spain.

This was in part to visit one of my mates who lives on the south coast for a couple of weeks, almost like a little holiday really. You know, before you spend a long time on holiday, you need a little holiday, right?

Anyway, I didn’t start in Spain so I’ll get back to the point.

Soooo, I’m in France, its day 33, I’ve skipped a couple of days as they just involved hanging around in France waiting for border to Spain to open.

Below is right next to the camp site I was at in France. As you can see it wasn’t really a hardship hanging round for a while, it was just an annoyance because I HAD to wait.



Med coast 100m from my camp site in France

Leaving France


Anyway, heading into Spain takes about 15 mins. Its pretty good to be moving again. I’ve had a little look at google maps and there’s a little lake amongst some hills (Terrain setting is great!) an hour or so over the border. It seems as good a place as any to start so that’s where I head.

As I start to get into the mountains, the roads go from good to great. After a little while the lake appears, its stunning…




If you want to look it up, have a look ‘here‘.

It was that good I’m going to head back through on the way out of Spain, I’ll try to take a video as there are a load of sports that would be good to show but aren’t really feasible to pull over and take a pic… There’s a higher chance that I’ll forget and just ride through it with my mouth open again, so don’t hold your breath!

After a wee lake visit its time to start heading down to Paul’s place. He lives in a place called La Alcaidesa, just along from the rock of Gibraltar. It’s a hell of a long way so the plan is to split it into two days riding. As the centre of Spain, during the summer, is slightly hotter than the surface of the Sun, I decide to stick to the Coast road.

Bad for hotels, good for me!

While heading to the coast I pull over to have a look for a camp spot for the night. It then dawns on me that although the borders are now open I cant imagine there’s an influx of tourists just yet… maybe I can get a dirt cheap hotel?! On to booking.com I go, other generic booking websites are available.

I find this hotel for £15, no, thats not a typo…



Obviously it was neater than that before I turned up!

It’s in Alicante, and can be found ‘here‘ (AirBnB link although I booked through Booking .com). They definitely could charge way more. I’ve stayed in a lot of places and this is the best bang for buck I’ve stayed in anywhere! It does have a shared bathroom but it was really nice and for £15 I’m just glad it had one at all!

Leaky bastard of a fork!

After a good nights sleep I get back to the bike and notice fork oil leaking down from the left fork leg…balls.

This gets fixed by the following process…

1. Buy a little bottle of water, bottle must not be corrugated
2. Cut out a little seal mate type bit of plastic
3. Pull down dust seal
4. Push new little tool up past the oil seal, move it round the stanchion and remove
5. Get and eat and ice cream



Problem solved I carry on to Pauls.

Mini holiday No. 1

I wont go into any detail here, visiting a mate doesn’t make for a good round the world trip blog. Basically we had a few s, ate some food and went to the beach… on repeat.



Above is where he lives, not to shabby at all!

Anyone that can spot us in the picture wins a crisp high five…

One thing I did get done while at Paul’s was drop my bike at a Honda dealers in Marbella. The bike has an extended unlimited mileage warranty so unfortunately this means services at the recommended mileage at an approved service centre.

Portugal.

After a week at Pauls, I head of for a short break in Portugal. Myself and Paul have planned to head to Tarifa the following weekend for a windsurf lesson, so I really only have 3 days. I’m OK with this.

The first day is mostly riding from Spain to Portugal, on arrival it seems the Portuguese REALLY like graffiting stuff!



As its a late arrival in Portugal, I find somewhere to sleep for the night. It turns out that the large coast car park I’ve picked is some sort of dogging hot spot. There’s cars coming at all hours of the evening until about 2am. They seemed to stay on the opposite side of the car park to the campers so they were no bother to me, I’m sure they were having fun!

In the morning I pop to the beach for a wash, there’s nothing better than a wild bath to wake you up!



I bet your bathroom doesn’t look that good!

After a wash it’s time to head inland and find some trails to ride. There are a fair few fun dirt tracks to explore in Portugal so I end up spending most of the day just sort of wandering the back roads.



As I’m restricted for time (restricted by myself but still), I start to make my way back to Spain. On Google maps I find a nature park on the Spanish coast and decide to head to one of the car parks along its coastal edge.

Back to Spain.


On arrival the only thing that can detract from the beauty of the area is the huge amount of rubbish left by other campers. It’s almost like they can’t figure out that people will be banned from camping if it carries on. Luckily, being on a bike I find a spot that hasn’t been too trashed.



As the sun was setting I decide to head out onto the cliffs by my camp spot and take some pictures. I do the same in the morning, I’ll put some of my favourites of these below.





Following the above photos, I start to make my way back across the south coast of Spain again. Staying off the highway and in the national parks means riding through pine forests. Annoyingly Spain even do Pine forests better than we do!



Tarifa.

So myself and Paul arrive in Tarifa. From the first time we walk through the little gateway from the new town to the old we’re sold. Its awesome! The place is full of little bars, cafes and restaurants. It also lacks the usual pretentious feel of most action sports destinations (kite surfing and windsurfing Mecca).

While in Tarifa we decide to sample the local sports. We book on for a windsurf lesson. Turns out its a lot of fun, obviously I didn’t take my camera into the water so here’s a picture from lunch after!



The next day we head out to see what the mountain biking is like in the area. I shipped my bike to Paul before setting off so he brought it with him in his van.

We completely balls up the climb up and end up doing a 2 hour hike with the bikes to get to the top.



This should give you an idea of the terrain we were dealing with.



Always satisfying getting to the top of a big hill!
Once at the top we descend the Buddha trail, its as savage as the climb up but makes the climb worth while.

Seville

After Tarifa we decide to head to Seville for a visit. Its supposed to be a beautiful city. The first thing you notice though isn’t the beauty, its that its bastard hot!

When we get there and start exploring, we wonder why the city is so deserted. Shortly after we realise that it’s because nobody else is stupid enough to be walking around a city for hours in over 40 degrees.

Still, it allowed for some awesome pictures!









I guess Covid-19 might have also played a big part in us pretty much having a city to ourselves!

Back to Pauls

After all this, we head back to Pauls.

Once back i take advantage of the track pump he has and fit a new tyre to the bike. I’ve heard good things about the Mitas e-07, apparently they last an age…we shall see!



Unfortunately the front I’ve ordered doesn’t turn up, this means I have to sort one on route. The one I find is in place called Jean so that is now the first stop once leaving Pauls.

I have planned to meet my Girlfriend in Barcelona in a few days time. Its her Birthday so were having a long weekend somewhere neither of us have been before.

I set off from Paul’s to the Tyre shop in Jean, I plan to spend a couple of days after the fitting on the Trans Euro Trail getting to Barcelona.

I’m an idiot!

I arrive at the tyre shop, I go to find my wallet…it’s not there. At the last petrol station I have filled up, put my wallet on my pannier while having a drink and then forgotten about it and ridden off. What a tool!

I spend an hour or so using Google translate and getting my mate Paul to speak Spanish to the shop owners to explain the situation. They agree to get on with the tyre fitting while I figure out how to pay.

While I’m waiting, in 43 degree heat for the tyre shop to re-open. They close at 14:00 and don’t open again until 17:00…gotta love Spain! I get an email through my website…you know, this one you’re reading. Its from a Police Officer named Guille Pedre, he’s had my wallet handed into him and its ready to be collected. He’s sent a picture, its even got the money in it! What a legend!

This means a 2 hour ride in the opposite direction, a small price to pay!

Once the tyre is fitted a mate suggests I pay in installments using Google pay on my phone. It works!

Outside the tyre place i get chatting to a chap called Jose, he’s bike mad and telling me that he has to get up and be riding by 06:00 otherwise the heat is too much! Lovely guy but what a lunatic! I can see why though, the heat during the day is unreal!

I’m still an idiot!

So, I read the address for the police station and pop it in the SatNav. When I arrive it looks nothing like the street on google maps. It turns out that if you make a slight typo in the town name it takes you to exactly the same street name in a town about 50km north… I know what you’re thinking, surely you could tell you’re heading in the wrong direction, Mike?! Clearly I couldn’t, not a bloody clue!

Soooo, I’ve missed the opening hours for the Police station, time to camp for the night. I find little spot of grass and set the tent up. It doesn’t get below 30 degrees all night so its not the best nights sleep.

The next morning i wake up early and get to the police station as it opens to get my wallet. Its all there, I’m back on track!

Well, not quite, I now have 630km to travel and Char arrives tomorrow. There is not a cat in hell’s chance I’m getting 630km of an off road trail done in a day and a half so its a motorway slog for me. This is punishment for being a double idiot!

Barcelona

I wont tell you about the trip to Barcelona, it was long and not at all fun, lets leave it there!

I get to Barcelona and check into the Hotel, as its Chars birthday treat we are staying somewhere nice. We have booked into the Novotel in the city. It ticks all the boxes for us.

Once checked in, the kit is abandoned in the room and my bike dropped of in the underground parking I head off to the airport to meet Char.

We have a hire car for the 4 days as it makes life a little easier than traveling around on the bike.

For the 4 days we wander around Barcelona. We head out to the hills for views over the city, walk around La Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter and drive to beaches both north and south. I’ll add some pictures of our travels below:











Our 4 days draw to a close all too quickly and before we know it Char is back on a plane.

Time to leave Spain

Its a shame to be leaving Spain. It is now by far my favourite country, it’s got everything!

As I leave Barcelona the heavens open, its a new type of rain, its rain but without the spaces between the drops!



It definitely warrants pulling over and putting my rain hood on! Rain hood on I carry on, amazingly everything except my gloves holds the water out!

I decide to head out the same way I came in, past the reservoir pictured in the last blog post, which can be found ‘here‘. This time I camp on the banks.



And hide as the thunder storm returns!



If you want to know how bad the storm got, you’ll need to head to my Instagram ‘here‘ and view my story highlights of Spain with the sound on!

The next morning I take a bath in the reservoir, pack up and leave Spain through Andorra.

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FRANCE AND ITALY


Its been a busy couple of weeks, so make yourself comfy, you’re in for a long read!

If you’ve missed any previous posts, you can catch up here: (if you want to, it’s not mandatory!)

Chapter 1: Wild camping (and week 1)

Chapter 2: Traveling through Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands (week 2)

Chapter 3: Amsterdam, Luxembourg and sneaking into France

Chapter 4: Motorcycle touring in France (+ Andorra)

Chapter 5: Spain, just Spain!…And Portugal

So we pick up our story on Day 56…

Day 56

As you’ll know from your background reading of chapter 5 above, day 56 starts in Spain. From here I’m heading into Andorra. I know the title of this sections is France and Italy…bear with, I’m getting there!

Time to head to Andorra la Vella with the aim of taking the same road as last time. I covered this in a previous blog post so we shall fast forward to El Pas de la Casa. El Pas de la Casa is the closest town to France just in side the Andorran border. It’s Bastille day. This means that half the population of South West France have headed to Andorra to stock up on cut price cigarettes and Alcohol. Its rammed!

Best to move on quickly and leave them to them to it.

Leaving through the Pyrenees never fails to deliver some awesome views!



My plan, or as close to a plan as I’ve concocted is to head along the south coast to Monaco. Because i want to make some progress down the coast I leave it late to find a place to sleep for the night. In the end I stay in probably the least picturesque place I’ve stayed to date.

I didn’t take a picture, I’m pretty sure i cant paint an ample picture without though. Imagine a carpark just off a motorway slip road (a good start ey!). Then, if you will, add in 25 camper vans spread out around said car park. Imagine a surrounding of dry scrub land. In the corner of this little oasis is a little bit of dead grass. In the dusk I pitch my tent on this little stink pad. I get in and go straight to sleep, pointless spending time soaking in my surroundings.

Day 57

When I wake up to pack my tent, I spot some little treats around. About 3 feet from where my tent as pitched was several piles of used toilet paper. I imagine they were accompanied with little piles of poo underneath, I just didn’t investigate to confirm my suspicions. Still, at least I hadn’t slept on the potential poo, that would have been shit…

So I’m now packed up and leaving this splendid spot, on the way out I dispose of what rubbish I’ve accumulated in the bins. Ah yes, I forgot to mention the local bins that are also in the car park.

The aim of today is to get to Lac de Sainte-Croix. Its a good stop off on the way to Monaco.

I’ve set the sat nav to adventurous routing and allowed it to navigate un-paved roads, which is exactly what it does! At one point I’m pointing down very steep hill made entirely of pool ball sized rocks. I have zero grip and ABS seems to not want my wheels to lock, so down the hill I go and come to a stop lying on my side. No harm done, pick the bike up and crack on.

I’ve set myself a little rule while riding solo, if the bike feels like its going down, I get clear and let it happen. I can replace the bike or parts, a broken leg would be immeasurably more shit.

I need to remember to stop and take pictures with a dropped bike, always good for a laugh!

Anyhow, I didn’t, so here’s one of it upright when the road became a normal farm track again.



From this point I can see the lake, Its not long until the views improve!



From here I found a car park for a lake beach that the police didn’t seem to mind you camping in, so that’s what I did.

Day 58

Time to head to Monaco.

As I’m leaving the lake, its very apparent I’m in the foothills of the French Alps, the first 20 miles takes me about an hour as I keep stopping to look at the view or take a picture.



Not a bad view at all!

The rest of the ride there is fairly uneventful with the exception of the manic traffic the closer to Monaco I get.

When you get into Monaco, the massive excess is hard to avoid. Any car with a Monaco plate is worth more than my old house and don’t get me started on the boats!



Big floating piles of money, surely they wouldn’t miss one of the little ones?

There are a lot of people with a lot of money! Fair play! As I am not one of them, after a couple of hours of wandering round I head back to the bike and head out.

As I’m on the way out of Monte Carlo a BMW GS 1200 rolls along side at a traffic light, a German accent starts speaking to me asking me where I’m going.

This conversation lasts for about the next 4 or 5 traffic lights. Time to meet:

Harry & Jens



This picture was taken at the end of the tour but if I hadn’t have said, who’d have known!

So eventually the explain they are heading on a route they have been told about which takes in 21 mountain summits in the Alps and would I like to join. 21 Alpine summits, Italy can wait!

All I have to do now is keep up with two bikes with a minimum of 5 times the power for 700km, easy! In fact, in the case of the KTM 1290 Adventure R, 8 times the power!

The rest of Day 58, 59 and 60

Off we go…

The next 3 days are a fairly fast paced Alpine exploration. Much to the surprise of the guys I’m able to keep up. I only keep that pace for the first two days, day three I back off, the bike has to last a long time and I have to use every one of my 24bhp all the time to keep pace (Harry definitely could have gone faster!). It was well worth delaying Italy, the roads are fantastic and I wouldn’t have thought to do this particular route if I hadn’t met Harry and Jens.



Carrying a load of extra fuel as they’d heard there was a lack of fuel stations….there wasn’t but better safe than sorry!



Harry on the left, Jens on the right…and my bike

On the second day of the mini tour, we get to the bottom of the highest pass on the route. At the bottom of the hill we find Harry talking to a group of supermoto riders (he talks to everyone!). They turn out to be an awesome group of lads who seem to only ever use one wheel at a time. Made me really want a supermoto!



Super friendly bunch with some amazing bikes.



The obligatory sticker exchange…

When the guys left to head up the way we came, Harry couldn’t resist chasing them up the hill so myself and Jens waited at the bottom while he went to play!

If either Harry of Jens read this, I’d like to thank them for their generosity, for the entire time (3 nights!) they refused to let me pay for accommodation. If I protested too much they’d revert to speaking German until accommodation as booked and then tell me in English that it was sorted and we should just get going! They even paid for food for the entire time, except the last night where i managed to persuade them to let me pay. What a pair of legends!

Day 61

I part company with Harry and Jens and decide to head to a lake close to the Italian border. I want to have a crack at a bit of astro-photography and this looks like a good spot which should have limited light pollution.

I have a quick chat on Instagram with a mate (Sam) who gives me a few tips on the subject. Here are the results:



Lac Mont-Cenis

Day 62

I chalk it up as a success head on into the Alps a little further. To find a camp spot I just head into the mountains on dirt tracks and camp where the road runs out. It tuns out I only have videos of this so lets pretend it didn’t happen and move on!

Day 63

Day 63 is making up for time spent riding round the Alps for 3 days, I make a b-line for Pisa. No other reason than I’ve heard about it. It seems they have a wonky tower that I should go Look at.

When I arrive I head into town to have a look around. Now, I will try and describe Pisa in my usual eloquent, articulate style so as to not offend anyone that may read this who calls Pisa home…

Pisa, is a dirty shit-pit of a town that wouldn’t be on anyone’s travel list if it wasn’t for a dodgy bit of engineering some years ago. I think I nailed that.

As I’m in a city I have booked a hostel for the night. I head back with the aim of getting up early to take a few pics.

Day 64



Wonky tower



wonky tower with the sun



Pisa river

As a side note, if you want to get a picture of the wonky old tower without 500 people taking pictures pretending to hold it up, id recommend getting there at dawn!

I did ask the guards at the tower of Pisa if I could send my drone up. They seemed very unimpressed that I’d asked and their machine guns were telling me it was time to go!

Breakfast at the hostel is consumed and its back on the road, this time to Rome!

I have booked two nights in Rome in a hostel again, I’m not sure they’d be a fan of me pitching my tent and having a wash in the Trevi fountain.

To break with tradition of constant dawn photo shoots I head out at about 22:30. I figure that Rome will look good lit up at night. Make your own mind up:



Castel Sant’Angelo



The Colosseum…obviously



Trevi fountain

So far I’m a big fan of Rome, its quite the City.

Day 65

decide that I’m going to look at the Vatican City today. When in Rome and all that…

Its about 11km round trip and its 40 degrees…I clearly haven’t learnt from Seville! Walking is my chosen form of transport. If only I had a motorbike to use!

I had a quick look about, saw where his popeyness addresses the masses and made my way back. I didn’t get any pictures that do it justice but I’m sure you know what it looks like anyway!

Day 66

Time to head back north, I like the idea of heading to Sicily but I don’t think time allows without there being a lot of very big road days over the next week.

San Marino is the destination. When I get there, it’s just a town on a hill…maybe I’m missing something.

Either way the heavens open when I arrive, biblical style. My waterproofs do not hold, I reach ‘**** it’ and I book the closest hostel. Down to Rimini I go.

It turns out that Rimini is a town famous for 18 year old’s going to party. It was nice that the hostel had a bar that was at least open with a bit of music on. Not a bad place to spend an evening while my kit dried in the room.

Day 67

While packing up I meet a German chap called Bart. It seems a lot of Germans love a bit of motorcycle touring! Here he is, go check out his story here.



Bart!

Soooo, the plan is, head north, spend a couple of days in Venice, do the tourist thing…etc. etc.

About 20 miles from Venice I decide that I’m sick of cities and hostels, my boat is well and truly about to sink and these places are not offering any buoyancy.

Out comes google maps, there has to be somewhere to wild camp. I find a river north of Venice which looks good.

When I get there I’m able to park right on the bank. Access the river for washing and drinking water. Boat is afloat again!



What a place!



Camp is set and I’m a happy camper again

Day 68

I’m being a little more brief now as I’m aware this is a big post and I’m sure half of you will be asleep by now!

In the morning I head to Lake Como on a mates recommendation.

When I arrive I can see why its been recommended. The place is beautiful. The only problem is that since I’ve been traveling I don’t really check the calendar. Most of the time I don’t know or even care what day it is. Today is Sunday. It’s amazing weather and I think every Italian is at Lake Como. Its manic!

After slowly riding round the majority of the lake in near stationary traffic I look for a spot to stop. There’s a little river/canal that looks promising.



Camping spot near lake Como
Turned out nice again!

Day 69

I decide that my little trip into Italy will come to an end and head back to the French side of the mountains. I have got a bit of a taste for night photography so I’m going to scratch that itch again.

I find a little reservoir on the map and plot a course.

The route takes me back past Lac Mont-Cenis where I took the night shots above. When I get there I remember looking at a map last time i was there and seeing a little track that went up into the mountains. I’m not in a rush so I go check it out.

Its quite a long track, but when at the end I’m at 2,300 meters and the views are pretty impressive.



Apologies for being in the way!

I decide this is going to be my spot for the night!

While setting up camp, I start talking to a French chap called Emmanuel, he invites me for a with him and his family. You wont catch me turning down a , that’s for sure!

They spend a couple of weeks each year driving around in their 4×4 with their 3 kids on board wild camping, what legends!

Before leaving them to their dinner and to be able to speak in their won language, Emmanuel offers me some GPX files of some great tracks hes been following. I’ll be sure to be taking those once I leave Morzine!



During the night I crack the camera out again.



Silhouetted biker staring at stars



The obligatory lit tent shot.

Day 70

After a night of pictures it’s an early morning. I decide to head to Morzine for a bit of battery charging. Its the cheapest place to stay in the area.

And that is where I write this.

The next update will be a little way off as I will be here for a little over a week riding mountain bikes. I’m not sure that will make for a great travel blog so I will exclude that and resume when I’m back on the road.

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fantastic places to visit lots of trail to travel , keep going .