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Wonderful Wales

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It's late September - my favourite time of year to set out on a trip to Europe.  And so it is that a plan we hatched last Christmas should now be well underway.  But with the Coronavirus Pandemic still in full swing across the globe we have to take whatever we can get; and so it is that the 15 days riding to and in the southern Alps of France has had to become a trip around the British Isles !   We simply can't get to France at the moment, without unnecessary exposure to infection, or punitive quarantine requirements.  In fact, to accomplish the original trip we had planned, would require 6 weeks - 14 days quarantine in France, and another 14 days on our return.  And that's not a choice either of us can make. So with about a fortnight to go, we conjure up a new objective, to ride to some more of the stunning areas in the mainland UK.  We start our plan with Wales, then the Lake District, up through the lowlands of Scotland to the Isle of Skye, a few days in the Western High
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Barcelona Part 2 (Barcelona to Taunton)

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Day 8 - La Floresta to Espot Wait - whatever happened to days 5, 6 and 7?  Well, this is a (vaguely) motorcycling related blog, and days 5 to 7 were non-riding days, where we played tourists along with our lovely wives, Angela and Sharon.  No complaints, very enjoyable days they were too.  We visited the Bari Gothique, went mad in Mercado De La Boqueria, visited Parc Guell, Casa Vicens, Sagrada Familia and a whole day at the magnificent Monestir de Montserrat.  We also were present when the rioting in central Barcelona started.... watch  this if you want to know what that was all about! So here we are, it's now Tuesday morning.  Jez & I will get underway on the bikes, whilst the signorina's take in more Gaudi and some last-minute shopping before heading for the airport for a late evening departure home.  We unchain the bikes, and carry out inspection.  Petrol? Check Oil?  Check Water?  Yes - in the panniers and not the air-cooled engine! Damage?  Non Electrics?  Check Rub
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Barcelona Part 1 (Plymouth to Barcelona)

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This trip represents the culmination of an idea that was born at a barbeque two summer's ago;  Scott, myself and Jez standing around the bonfire, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and plotting tours of Europe - despite the fact that only one of us had a bike at the time! And a Harley Davidson 883 Iron isn't really suited to long distance touring....   Within  a month, Scott had bought a 2017 BMW R1200 GS Triple Black, and within 2 months Jez had found his steed, a 2007 R1200 GSA.  When I completed the trio with Gretchen at Christmas, we were all set to do something the following summer. A house move for Jez meant that the original plan was pared back to the previously recorded Ireland trip with Scott.  The following summer, due to pract ical necessity we were down to Jez & myself for the long-delayed continental trip.  Planning was tricky, because the wives wanted in on the adventure, but without the riding!  So we settled on a plan of taking the ferry to Northern Spain, ri
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