Spain 17,

Oct. 6, 2026,

Hi Everyone,

My TomTom 550 Rebel is a GPS dedicated for motorcyclists. You chose your route according to whether you want the fastest way to get there or wether you want a ‘thrill’ ride which is usually on secondary or tertiary roads with the maximum amount of hills and curves. That is usually the type of road that I choose. To day was no exception and should be my last ‘thrill’ journey. I chose a route on the south western part of the island from Palma to Valldemossa and then down to the port. The road was steep and I was amazed to see hundreds of bicyclists on the road. They seemed to ride in groups of 5, 10 or 20 and were probably part of different teams. I spoke to several people and although most were from Spain, many came from different countries in Europe. They carried no luggage so probably a truck brought their bags to different hotels along the route. Many times the bicycles past me on the way down going over 50km/hr.

The first part of the route had the usual amount of curves and twists. The road from the town of Valldemossa to the port was the most difficult and adventuresome road that I have ever been on in all my days of motorcycling. The route was only 5 km long and the scenery was breathtaking. I wound my way down the mountain with a switchback every 30 to 50 meters. I rode in 1st or 2nd gear rarely achieving 30 km/hr. Many of the turns had to be taken in 1st gear at 5 km/hr. Often I had my foot on the ground for balance. Hopefully I didn’t do too much wear and tear to the sole of the boot.

I arrived at the port at the bottom of the mountain and had a capuchino in a cafe overlooking the port. There were many cars there and everyone was enjoying a full meal. I didn’t stay long as I was anxious to get going and the sky looked threatening. In the end, going up hill on the curves was no harder than going down hill. I arrived at my hotel 5 hours later.

Love,

Brian