Back again on a tow truck, why and how.

Well first let me start the day at Alberfurie, on return from Morocco the Triumph fired up and we headed off towards Granada via the Costa de Sol or the Spainish Riveria.

Stretching along the coast was one continuous mass of hotels. restaurante, holiday features and holiday apartments. We kept on the E-5 Autovia until a necvessary recalibration of the GPS as while we wanted to see how the rich & famous mingled with the everyday Spanish tourist so we had morning tea at McDonald's.

However our lunchtime stop was at a neachside town or city as we wwere able to ride to the beach and park for free. We are still assuming all moto's are parked free in Spain.

We left and in the heavy traffic became seperated so I stopped at the entrance to Torrex our next GPS point and waited and still waiting decised to look at my phone. Yes a message from Greg saying see you in Granada at our apartment.My GPS is designed to show any SMS messages on the screen but refuses to do other then display incoming phone calls or to mak eoutgoing calls via iys Bluetooth technology. So i moved towards Granada and decided to stop some 20kms out and refuel rather then finding a station in the city. Refuelled I hit the starter button an some 90mins later the Triumph was loaded yet again on the back of a tow truck who happened to come off the Autovia for fuel. Some 40mins after lhat we arrive at JMoto the official Triumph dealer for Granada.

They were unable to fit it in that day so I caught a taxi to our apartments in the old city,this proved a bonus, as Greg had a terrible time with residents only access, one way streets and those slippery cobblestone streets. I had left overs for dinner and settled doown for a quick sleep as it was already late after we walked down to the heart of the old city then climbed those same streets competiting with scooters, taxi's and the regular bus service all striving to make hast on narrow (my taxi had to fold his mirrors in) streets litere with tourists.

Next morning while awaiting any upate to its either three days to get parts, modify parts off a different model and be ready around 8pm that night so I walked the old city again to grab some daylight photo's and then a taxi ride back to JMoto before siesta time at 2pm. I duly arrived only to be told go away until 7.30pm so I did a walking tour of the new city. The Triumph dealership is located in a very run down graffitti covered part of the city with most commercial premises closed but the building supporting the owners by hundreds of apartments on the upper floors.

the inner areas of the new city were more pleasant with sidwalk cafes and opened (well after siseta time 2-5pm) so I did see a few interesting shops and was able to study in great detail and photograph the public transport service from modern trams with artificial grass between the tracks to the much older scratched red City buses.

Returning to the dealership I observed their Chinese copies of Harley Davidson abit running 125cc motors! The newer 502 Benelli were also there for viewing in the flesh along with their fellow chinese scooters.

Finally the bike was ready having had a new rectifer fitted and a bundle of burnt out wires and a wiring plug replaced. Hopefully that has been the cause of my previous numerous breakdowns and as a bonus he cracked frame has also now been welded.

I had earlier decide to ride onto the pre booked accommodation at Alicante despite it being after 8pm a 1380 snow covered mountain range and 370kms of distance to cover.

Three hours and 11 minutes later I had arrived in Alicante after only the one stop at 206kms for refuelling. It was however a pleasant LH indicator ride as darkness soon stopped any siteseeing and the good road surface allowed a continual cruising speed around 125-135. Most of the traffic at that time was commercial trucks who alway are a pleasure to mix with as they allow MC's easy passing. Perhaps I had better explain LH indicator ride. Here in Europe if a line of traffic wishes to pass slower traffic the first person to put on their LH indicator (remembering they drive on the right and overtake on the left) has right of way so a high speed MC with it's LH indicator on has a smooth passage. I had rugged up to 5 layers as Greg had SMS's me about the mountain pass and cold weather also. Arrivial in Alicante went well until the GPS showd me the wrong roundabout and not seeing the hotel I parked the bike but upon return from my walk around and seeking directions I was trapped in a downhill park on a loose gravel surface created by construction work. A quick solution just ride up onto the footpath scatter those few drunks who should be at home as it was now past midnight and ride down to the next street onto the roadway and the finial 2kms to the Maya Hotel.

A late start saw me walk uo to the local mega mall for a late lunch and then tonight we took the tram into the city centre for diner,