One of the highlight's of the ABC of motorcycle trips is a semi annual visit to one of the well known and historic racing tracks around Europe to watch a live round of the MotoGP.

In 2013 it was Assen and this year Jerez (the J is pronounced H in Spanish).

This track is the second longest serving continuous home of MotoGP after Assen so it is like completing a step in a jigsaw puzzle.

It also served as a opportunity to both, the first time, to ride in Spain and also to ride the same bike I had taken to Assen so not an opportunity to be missed.

It did mean a long ride from VB in Northern France to a very southerly part of Spain.

The accommodation had been booked well in advance by Kerrie, a Beach Chalet, for initially 6 people but now reduced to three until we offered a Canadian friend Tom a room to help all parties out.

Arriving in Rota about 40kms from the track as I refueled Tom Tom advised "No Find", the bowser attendant said he had never heard of the place as did a customer. So armed with the phone number of the owner contact was made and the owner kindly offered to come and guide me rather then issue directions. Duly he arrived and took me to the house as Greg & Kerrie were ahead of me and at the track.

Next morning we all headed off and efficiently directed,by parking attendants, to a massive motorcycle park where thousands of bikes were already parked n a very orderly manner.

We changed into our walking out gear, mine shorts and a T Shirt with our heavy riding gear chained to the bike which in turn was covered. Covering is not common but we do it to keep prying eyes at bay and also protection is gained from adverse weather elements. It also makes find the bike much easier at the day's end.

We decided not to use our tribunal or grandstand seating as it was too far away and also didnt offer the views we found in general admission seating.

So we joined the thousands sitting on one of the many hillsides and also armed with suncreen & a umbrella from 2013's trip I settled down to watch practise and qualifying.

Experience has also taught me to bring my own water frozen the previous night along with snacks,earplugs and of course the phone for locational findings in the complex.

Food Food Food unlike many of the past events this one had a mulitude of variety and a strong Natioal influence. There was also lots of seating at the food outlets, especially which is also unusual, many were located before you entered the track. A whole selection of merchandise from the different riders was also located outside the entrance gates.

At the end of the day we waited some time and then had a drink but still hundred's of bikes all were eager to leave via the one set of double gates. However with traffic Police on duty at every point for kilometers from the track it worked efficiently and before too long we had arrived at our rental accommodation.

On the Sunday, race day, we made our ways seperately to the track and with almost military precision we all located each other on what must have been close,to 100000 crowd.,

We watched the Moto3,Moto2,MotoGP & The Rookies Cup. The results are available from Mr Google for those interested.

I always enjoy watching the up & coming riders such as The Rookies Cup and the equivalent classes at BSB,and as you can see from the title photo this year was won at Jerez by a Spaniard so the very few remaining spectators were delighted by the young riders win.

On leaving from Jerez we had toll booths to pass through and here planning and considerations were evident as we approached big signage said Moto's 7.30Euro so you knew the toll. However many of the automatic booths were manned or actually womaned. You might be asking what,why what;s he on about now.

Well as per the title of this trip's blog it is also serving the wider motorcycle community as such those who ride motorcycles will realise the immense difficulties of a gloved hand trying to locate change or that much needed traveller cash card and place it into the little card reader slot and then retrieve it and safely put it away along with the receipt while trying hard not to hold up the long lines behind you.

So the Spanish Autovia people had manual staff who took your card or cash processed it then offered to put it back into your jacket pocket and buttoned the jacket pocket down for the rider. So those small things do leave a lasting positive memory of my and I guess many thousands of fellow motorcycle riders minds, while still actually speeding up the entrance of both riders & drivers onto the toll roads.

Another track crossed off the visitation list, another MotoGP seen in real life and a chapter of ths trip closed.