Spain 11,
Sept. 29, 2026,
Hi Everyone,
I have been a little under the weather for the last few days. Jet lag, 2 triathlons in 3 days, trip to the hospital, unexplained GI upset, but with an 8 hour sleep last night I think that I have completely recovered.
Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway, Looking for adventure in whatever comes our way, Born to be wild. Thank you Steppenwolf
Upon hearing the song in 69, I went to Europe, bought my first motorcycle, and travelled for a year. Motorcycling was in my blood and life has never been the same since then. I set up my Honda 500 Rebel, with the GPS and saddle bags and set off on the 1st day of my 10 day motorcycle journey this morning. I took only what was needed and left 2 suitcases with the hotel with a promise to return for my belongings in 10 days.
The Honda is a modern Japanese bike with all the conveniences. My 53 year old Triumph 750 Tiger is a different bike completely. You cannot compare the looks. The Triumph is hands down more beautiful than the Honda. When I am working on it on the street, cars stop to admire it and even take pictures. At cafes where I stop for breakfast, crowds gather to tell me how they had a bike this and travelled all over the back roads of Quebec with their ‘blonds’. On the other hand, the Triumph has a kick start (when it decides to start) and vibrates like crazy when you hit 90km. The Honda has an electric start and the ride is as smooth as butter even over 100km/hr which I rarely hit. The Honda has multiple safety features. It won’t start if the stand peddle is down. The speedometer is digital. The bike tells you what gear you are in. There is a wire to simply connect the GPS. I have wires running all over the place in an effort to modernize the bike. I love the Honda for the narrow windy roads that I take in Spain but don’t get me wrong, I would never trade in my Triumph for a newer bike.
On my bike trips in Europe, I usually plan to ride for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, with a break for lunch. I also usually take the next day off to see the local sights. This time, I want to reach the coast and spend 3 days on each of the islands. Ibiza and Majorca. I planned a 5 hour ride for today. I made a mistake on a turn and the GPS lady wound me back to my point of error costing me 1 hour. I stopped twice for breaks and stopped multiple times to take photos. In all, the trip took 7 hours which is a little much for 1 day.
Spain has 2 major beautiful cities, Madrid and Barcelona. There are also many smaller cities worth visiting such as Malaga. Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Toledo to name a few. The Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean coast are also very built up for tourism. On the other hand, in between these cities, the land is barren with villages few and far between and not really interesting to visit. During my journey today, I saw very few cars, even less bikes and almost no restaurants or cafes to have a bite to eat. Although the land is tilled with many fruit trees which grow in an arid climate, I hardly saw any local farmers.
Somehow, where ever I go, I almost always miscalculate the gas situation and often come close to running out of gas. This happened in the UAE of all places and New Zealand. Today was no different. The GPS was not up to date with gas stations. 80% were closed and many others had switched to electric. Luckily I found a gas station just at the last minute. I was wondering if I was going to have to hitch hike to the next gas station. In Morocco, 56 years ago, I siphoned gas from a generous motorist. I will never forget the taste of gas in my mouth.
I am staying in a small town, Albecete, in the Hotel Europa. It is wonderful 3* hotel in a 100 year old building that has been completely renovated to modern standards. I am writing my blog in the hotel bar, sipping a well deserved beer while eating delicious tapas. The restaurant opens in ½ hour and I will stay for dinner.
Love,
Brian
