A very smooth ferry crossing with a good sleep. The Ferry was full of bikers and trikes going to the moto piston rally at Faro Portugal. Although they looked threatening(wearing colours, tattoos and badges) we all have a shared passion for motorbikes and chatted to some at brekky. Even got my photo taken with a club mascot when they heard my name they just had to.
Aiming for stress free travel only went to car deck when finally called - after all why wait for over an hour in a hot car deck with full motorcycle gear on!
Once on the road north to Bilbao felt good again to ride such great Spanish roads(thank goodness for that past Euro funding).
Joy was short lived though as roadworks caused huge traffic jam so my Perth filtering experience came in handy. Saw a fuel station so topped up and searched off route for a coffee. Gosh again this part of Spain is hurting nothing open lots of closed shops and part built buildings. A long detour took me over some nice twisties and really starting to feel the grip of my new michelin anakee Tyres - I was smiling inside and shouting yeah this us what we are talking about. Bike feels good balanced and a great popping exhaust note on deceleration.
Found a trad Spanish cafe long black got me fired up for the next motorway stint. Almost open roads so little traffic and as promised by an Irish biker on the ferry real nice road. Will cut short the next part! let me just say learning to understand my new sat nav. As part of the learning experience rode in circles for a while going through the same road toll near to Bilbao. The last time through one familiar road toll used my card as drove in the card only toll by mistake. Well tried to get my gloves on after paying and the barrier came down! Yeah right should be easy ask the man in the manned booth, not that easy, guy tried to help took my receipt and negotiated. Turned engine off - waiting, waiting and waiting. Meanwhile several cars and camper vans had come in behind me!!! Surely it just can't be that hard ... Ok what seemed like 10-15 minutes later. Starting to get well warm under the collar (did I tell you leathers in 27 degrees are very hot when not moving...).
Guy came over and explained in broken English he had to call his supervisor. Got going and lesson learnt don't put your gloves on. Next destination on my route notes ... Moving quickly now (70-80 mph) and felt good to be making progress... Bloody sat nav kept wanting to take me off the freeway ... Ignored but will be trading in this one for a MC specific one.
Well finally after some more fun and games this time in Pamplona(little geographically embarrassed...) and onto the road to my planned destination Jaca. Again good progress although after some 7 hours in the saddle getting quite fatigued...
Being on your own with no real timetable has some advantages - again the sat nav tried to take me off the motorway. This time I found out it was a real reason - however unlike earlier today ignored it's protests to do a U turn and lucked in big time. Near Yesa on the N240 the motorway was not completed so we were guided along side a lake on a nice twisty road. After a few KM where I showed a car who was boss, I came across a camp site beside a lake. Bar cafe, wi fi... This was a find indeed so booked in for 13 Euros (10 quid) icy cool large beer for three Euros, it would just be rude not to stay! Did I mention we are on the shadows of the Pyrenees where I will be tomorrow and they serve trad Spanish tapas...