Spain - Outgoing
Spain (720 miles) –This was the first time abroad on a bike for both of us, and we didn’t have a clue how to get out of Santander to the road South. A fellow biker on the boat advised us the first town to aim for would be Burgos. Coming up to the turn-off for Burgos however, the GPS decided to keep us on a different route. We eventually got there but the long way round. We found out later that the short way was all dual-carriageway, but we had a nice wee run through the Spanish hills, albeit misty. This was the N263, a nice, smooth road with some decent corners.
We followed 2 German-owned GS’s along part of this stretch, keeping at a steady 70mph. We waved goodbye to them when we stopped for fuel in Burgos. Riding on the right–hand side of the road is much easier than driving a car on that side.
The intention was to get as far south as possible on that Thursday, to get us on the ferry as early as possible the next day. Despite riding at between 90-100mph for the day on Motorways, we only made it as far as Granada, about 150 miles short of Algeciras. We’d been told by some ex-pats that it was a Spanish bank holiday, and to get a hotel early, but we didn’t reach Granada until after 8pm. By this time, I was knackered, and my rear tyre was heading the same way. Because of the weight and speeds I’d been doing, I knew it would probably last the Morocco part, but no way would it get us back through Spain again. Despite having AA and Carole Nash cover, I was determined to complete the trip riding the bike, not on the back of a truck. Anyway, I put the Ibis hotel, Granada, into the GPS and, after fighting it through the rush-hour traffic, we arrived at the door. The staff apologised for only having 1 room left as it was adapted for disabled use. I was happy at this though, as there was the option of the seat for the shower. There was also secure parking for the bike so that sold it to us. We had food and beer in the hotel and hit the sack early, ready for an early start the next day.
The blast to Algeciras was just that, although we left a bit later than planned. It took about two and a half hours to cover the 150 miles, but that was just the start of the delays. The port at Algeciras consists of a number of booths, each representing a different ferry company. We asked at a few companies, who all said the sailing was 1.30pm. We opted for one company who claimed to be only an hour crossing (compared to two for others), but this turned out to be the wrong choice. Firstly, the boat, which was already in the dock, had broken down. Then the incoming boat was late, and then it took ages to load up. We eventually left Algeciras around 3pm.
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