Hola...Its late and I found a stash of Zacapa rum...not a bad way to compose some prose. Well...today was a crazy good day. The days are to all start with breakfast and be ready to go at 9...nothing rushes in Spain.....seriously. I don't mind it either. Its a more laid back approach and they are proud of it. So we were told we are going to end up after a bunch of cool roads going down a valley and ending up in an area like Shangri-La...hmmmm believe it wenst I sees it. So I have yet to have a full sleep...last night was no exception...I think the lag got me or something. I think the tank is about 5/8's full. No matter what I am up and good to go at the crack of 6....with the help of the hotels hot water tank....yup I was spry after that.  

I do enjoy the breakfasts too as they are all full of variety....and there is always bacon to boot So I met up with the "gang" and we chillaxed a bit over breaky with some good coffee to follow. Some in the gang are starting to stress the others out it would seem...again .... no names....I am not sure who will read this eventually....but this individual would correct the Dali Lama on meditation techniques and not in a friendly way either....but I digress. I am getting a drawlllll......with a Spanish flair it would seem.... so its the greeting has turned into "KoohhhhMoooooStaaaaaaaaaa....Y'allllllllll".... for the morning greeting now. Need to seriously unlearn when I get home. Must say really appreciate Martin and Roger trying to keep me on the proper Spanish band wagon....Martin talks at Mach 5 though....brutal hard to get it all.......I stare....I go...uhhhh.....hmmmmm..... estaaaaa....ayyyyy yiiiiii yaaaaa uhhhhh ...long pause and followed by a .........SI! and a nod....the nod always works I find. Roger is making a point of nailing me to the cross if I pronounce a word with one "r" wrong compared to a word with two "rr's".....ya serious stuff. but they do like that I am trying.

So we got our gear and trotted to the bikes, pulled them out of the garage.....and were on the road in minutes. We were to hit France today and it was Rogers turn to lead. So off we went out of town and it started off nice and serene. I was number two in the pack behind Roger, Phil behind me, followed by his bud Greg and then the southern triad, and our Californian taking up the rear. Not too long after a nice lil ride, oh and is a nice day too.....we take a turn to the left up a road and I look at my gps...all I see is curves...I look at the pavement....its perdyyyyyy. Oh did I mention I have a set of new...Michelin Pilot 4 gt tires on this bike....point being is they are sticky.

I look back up and Roger is shrinking from my view. Twist wrist time....in not long I was on his tail...a serious hare chase up a mountain him leading with me about 3 feet from his back tire at times an he is leaning hard and so am I. It was a long run and there was no one in the mirrors after the first couple of bends. The twists and turns did not seem like they would end and we hit a bend with a view point and Roger turned in and stopped Rroger hops off his bike and gives me a massive double high 5 and he had a big ass grin on too. I must be doing something right..... I kinda ask uhhh I hope I am not pushing you at all and he laughed...seems he rubs tires when racing a lot. So I must be doing okay. The rest of the gang showed up we all took in an amazing view of the valley we came from wayyyyyy below us and then hoped on the bikes to start the descent Roger setting the pace me right on his rear tire, again.....the rest were gone from view after a few corners....I only saw glimpses of Phil's headlight for a bit then he disappeared too. Then poof....a small pueblo...with a cafe.  

We stop and and time for a Cafe...Cordato (not sure I am spelling it right) its a small coffee with kick and milk, muyyyyy buenooooo. All the towns have huge character..and you can take pics all over the place...which I did....but in no time we all got up and off we went again.... this time we were to climb again till wee ended up in France. Martin made a comment about the s***ty coffee over there....ya no rivalries there lol. I tell him pffffft....try North American coffee...oh and Starbucks is quite a joke over here basically bad swill. The cafe and the coffee within are taken serious here....similar to a religion...but more important. We all got back on the bikes....and were gone again.

So now its a seriously wild climb up a narrow twisty pass that is crazzzzzzzzy cool same hare chase as before.....and its a tallllll pass. The downhill side was crazier....switchback after switchback. Engine breaking and brakes almost the whole way down. Massive leaning only a couple of feet from roger now...Uber fun, sticky tires and good pavement so far is why. The only time I have looked over the side of a pass and went "sheeeeeeeeit!!"......it was a straight down trip.  

We popped out of the valley in a towns called Viehla...still in Spain but not for long. they know a good restaurant here so want us to have lunch here. Ya......it was good.....Way good. Jamon.....like crack cocaine. The town like all of them here is old but its a ski town so there are hotels every where but its still got the ole Cathedral. We went inside and its an old one. No lightening hit me...good sign. We wandered around for a bit after lunch...and headed back to the steeds. Its interesting being a bike rider seems to get a lot of attention just walking with your gear on...none negative and of course when your getting on the bike a lot of chat from folks walking by saying how much they wish they had one...with roads like this I am not understanding why everyone doesn't ride. We were off....... now we head into France.....sigh...yet another crazy cool pass......the chase was on.....and I am learning a few tips from following Rogers line. No problems keeping up at all....but we were definately smoking. When we got to the top I rode back to take some pics of the sweepers. Amazing ride up we are now in France. The descant began......and we ended up in a valley and its getting hot out. Roger pulls into a cool French village..we park all hop off....and head for a cafe.. au lait here. We all are having fun it seems if the banter about the table is right. Time to hit the road again.

Off we went this time the clouds started to close in on us as we climbed a weird pass...sort of reminded me of Scotland....but up we went....and we hit a red light. For a tunnel that is about 5 kms long. Light goes green and off we go. Its a lonnng downhill in this tunnel...I just put it in neutral and coasted the whole way hitting the brakes once in a while. we popped out into a beautiful valley and kept going into a narrow road that wound through a forest...and got narrower and narrower....then it opened up....at the hotel....at the end of a long valley....and with several waterfalls looking at us....we all were looking at each other with wide eyes..this was Shangri-La we thought!!  

Parked....unloaded...about here everyone else was inside the hotel, Roger and Martin were unloading things from the van. I stopped to seriously thank them for the hospitality and for the great rides so far, Martin laughs and says funny thing...seems him and Roger were talking about how good a rider I was as both now rode with me them the hare me the fox. I was Uber impressed as these guys are very good riders. Me chest did puff up a bit I will confess. Great way to end a ride, with that checked in, hosed off...hit the bar ....then the deck to take in one of the nicest views I have ever seen from a hotel (its a paradores). Unfortunately Mike (one of the southern boys) accidentally dropped his bike whilst we were stopping at some point so he was limping bad. He is a funny guy so I was feeling bad for him. He showed up and we commenced to sipping some refreshments till or briefing for the next day...yaaaa we is doing 5 passes.....Tour de France stuff.....yaaa not so bad.....as long as the weather holds, we were giving it a 50 50 chance. We all headed for our group supper just about the time the skys opened up to pour.  

Holy crap how could the supper it be better than the night before...local wines....local specialties. I just let Martin and Roger tell me what to have....and they know their food and wine. Was awesome!....then the local drink of which its name fails me at the moment was brought out. Its basically a shooter made with spices....ya I like it ... a lot...some is coming home with me if all goes well. I chatted for a while and we moved to the bar. We decided to check out the video I had taken so far...everyone was like whoaaaaa wow...ewwww ahhhhh. So it is looking good! On that note.....time to hit the hay for hopefully a solid night sleep.  

 Esta un dias loco!!!!!!!