PT in Europe......

[crashe]

Great pic's PT.....

Glad to hear all is going well for you on your OE....

I enjoy reading all your write-ups or your adventures around Europe and the UK.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Beaut pics man, 5 out of 12 pics on their website is something to be proud of, and those sunset/rise pics are stunning!

Godspeed Maarten.

Thanks Zed

[mjvduc]

hi PT,

are you currently in HAMburg??

btw a BMW is a "gummikuh" and not a kau


if you like the snow and something "special" that's a must do thing:

that's in italian, but the pic's are not bad

http://www.elefantentreffen.it/modules/news/

here some infos in english, no we germans are not crazy

http://www.bvdm.de/modules.php?name=...n&file=lang_en

have fun

mjvduc

[Posh Tourer :P]

Ta I might be able to drag myself up from sunny spain to do that, looks like good fun

gummikuh... oops, I just wrote it as I heard it......

Oh and yes, I am just south of Hamburg, but only for another 4 hours.... Then I'm on the train....

[Posh Tourer :P]

Ello ello ello....

Well, I´m currently just south of Valencia / north of Alicante, and the weather is fantastic - 20-odd degrees, 14-15 degrees minimums At the moment we are waiting for a bike shop in Cullera to fit a new chain to my friend´s bike. Anyway, lots of sunshine, and I´m travelling with a guy from Denmark, who I met on the train from Hamburg.

The trip from Calais to Hamburg wasnt *that* notable, apart from most of the second day spent at 90-100mph (150-160-odd kmh) all the way from Cloppenburg through to Hamburg... Autobahns are fantastic.....But only in small doses...

The auto train from Hamburg to Narbonne overnight also wasnt that notable, and I spent most of the time chatting with the 2 other guys in my cabin, one from Barcelona, and one from Hamburg. The guy from Spain spoke Catalan, Spanish and Swedish, and the guy from Hamburg spoke German and Danish, and I spoke English and a few words of German and Spanish....Somehow we understood each other though, so that was ok.....

Anyway, after getting out of France as quickly as possible, we hit some fantastic roads along the coast, on the southern end of the Pyrenees. We stayed the night at a hostel in Roses, on the coast near Cap de Crues. The road the next morning from Sant Feliu de Guixols to Lloret de Mar was absolutely awesome.......

We stayed that night in Barcelona, which has got to be the most fascinating city I have visited yet. The traffic is nuts, but at least they are aware of everyone around them.... There is something about the city though, it has an atmosphere which is fantastic at this time of year - not too hot, still sunny, etc etc.... You ought to try sometime a beer called Sant Michuel (or something similar) - it is 14 percent, like wine, and it tastes fantastic. Get a half pint and drink it with a chocolate dessert - ice cream or something....

After a day spent trying to get away from Barcelona (evil vortex that sucks you back in at every opportunity) and a hangover, the next day (yesterday) we took a scenic route up onto the plateau east of Zaragoza. 1000m up, some of the scenery is similar to the Central Plateau, but there are also ruined churches and little villages dotted around the place. The mountains are stunning, and it is a sight not to be missed.....

Last night we stayed in Valencia, but didnt see much of the city - it is not as spectacular as Barcelona, but still nice. I think I like Spain........

Some pictures will come up soon... I havnt had that much of a chance to take any really good ones, but I have seen some great sights - scenery, sunsets, villages and cities.....

Maarten

[Posh Tourer :P]

Well, we stayed that night at Denia, worth mentioning as it is a great looking little town, and there is a fish market, which I would have been into like a shot if I had been able to use my cooker in the hostal somewhere......

After that was lots of travelling through the higher areas, down towards Granada and Malaga, near where I am now (www.campingelpino.com).....

The Costa del Sol..... would be great, but a lot of it is English......

Anyway, here are some piccies....

There is one in the Sierras somewhere northeast of Jaen, a not very good shot of a typical Spanish road - they vary between this and 80mph corners wide open and flowing..... fantastic!!!

Lastly, the obligatory pic of a sunset - on the Costa del Sol, but by no means the most spectacular I´ve seen - most of the time I´ve been having too much fun to stop and take photos..... This one was at the campsite.... It is what I look out on from my tent...

[Posh Tourer :P]

Oh and another update.....

I´ve managed to fall foul of the same rule twice..... Caught by the Spanish police, and paid fun tax to the tune of 100-odd euros. Ok Firstly fair cop for passing on a no-passing lane (line of cars behind a tractor, good vsibility but round a corner). BUT! Did you know, that on one of these solid white lines (like solid yellow in NZ) you cannot even turn left over one?? Stupid rules, but I suppose, thems the breaks. Both times, the policia were waiting, obviously at a known trouble spot.....

OTOH, speeding doesnt seem to be a great problem ??

[raster]

Great pics, thanks for the updates.

[Posh Tourer :P]

More Spanish driving observations....

If you park somewhere, and it happens not to be legal, put your emergency indicators on. This solves all problems of access and also suddenly makes everything legal. On the other hand, if there is a police car parked illegally, not only can you do the same, but you can also leave your emergency indicators OFF, thus blocking in nearly everyone in the carpark while you do your shopping.

When you are blocked in and want to leave, the correct procedure is to toot your horn until everyone comes running out and someone moves their car. Then, you must toot again as you leave.

If you are on a scooter or a motorbike, none of this applies as you can park anywhere you please and nobody cares...

[Beddhist]

BUT! Did you know, that on one of these solid white lines (like solid yellow in NZ) you cannot even turn left over one?? Stupid rules, but I suppose, thems the breaks.

It is worse: you are not allowed to even drive ON them, i.e. if your mirror is over the line you can get booked. Assume this is the case in most of Europe.

OTOH, speeding doesnt seem to be a great problem ??

Don't bet on it. If the Spaniards book you for speeding expect to pay more than 100€...

When it gets a little warmer don't miss the hinterland of the French Riviera. Bikers' paradise. I know, I've just spent 7 years there... Avoid the coast, however, it is the pits.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Ooer... Well I suppose it makes sense, as long as they apply some discretion....

Re speeding, if the Spaniards book you for speeding, you must have been doing something horrific from what I´ve seen, and you´d probably deserve 100 euros or more...