Sketches of Spain-Barcelona 1992.

[Prufrock]

Hi guys,
here are some images of my black GS1000E (with my buddies red GS) on our trip to Spain in 1992 for the Barcelona Olympic Games.
We left the UK from the ferry port of Poole(Dorset)and landed in Cherbourg, France.
If you guys want to trace the road journey by map here are the key places on the journey down(*where we stayed overnight in France).
France - Cherbourg, Coutances*, Avranches, Rennes, Chateaubriant, Nantes, Chantonnay*. les Sables-d'Olonne, La Rochelle, Royan, Blaye, Bordeaux, Langon*, Baza, Tarbes, Lourdes. Col du Aubisque, Col du Tourmalet-famous mountains in the French Pyrenees and featured in the Tour de France. The image is that of both GSs on the descent after summit of the Tourmalet-see the observatory on the mountain at 3091 metres-to Bagneres, then to back to Lourdes for the ascent of the Aubsique.
We crossed in to Spain(from the Aubisque))via the border at the Col de Portelet.
I'll add the Spanish route shortly, most of the images are of Spain.
Enjoy!
Prufrock.
P.S mine is the black GS.

[Prufrock]

Sketches of Spain - Part Two.

Guys,
can't figure out how to upload more than one image at a time...so here is part two.
Spain. We crossed the border and the air temperature was an amazing contrast with the French side, it was now very hot-no wind chill!
Into Spain via the Portalet, and down into Sabinanigo with Fiesta in full swing...we then arrived in the mountain resort of Jaca where we stayed the night in five star hotel(a treat), GSs in the underground car park, we hit the town and found a bar with beer,food and pretty Spanish waitresses! We're in the region of Navarra, the Spanish Basque country.
So Jaca*, Sanguesa, Iruzun, Pamplona, Tolosa*, leaving Tolosa via the Sierra de Aralar(image shown)and the Puerto de Urbasa(927 metres), onto the brewing town of Estella, onto Allo, Lodosa - crossing Spain's largest river the Ebro - then El Villar de Arnedo, Arnedo. Then around the edge of the stunning Sierra Cebollera to Soria. Soria to Calatayud via Malanquilla*where we stayed in a fantasically welcoming Venta(family run hotel)where they all waved us off when we left; heading for Calatayud.
(*= overnight stops)
Part Three later - it's 0930 here - stuff to do.
See ya later.
Prufock.

[Prufrock]

Sketches of Spain-Part Two(a).

Hi Guys.

I am vain enough to think you might want to see a picture of me on that descent after the Tourmalet. Travelling light, tank bag(a magnetic Held)and tailpack(a Frank Thomas), note the American market GS handlebar.

Pink thing is a"fanny pack", and a rolled up(orange)oversuit that was never needed.

See the observatory?

Love that GS.

Prufrock.

[Prufrock]

Sketches of Spain-Part Two(b)

Hi Guys,

here's a photo of me and the GSs on a bridge crossing Spain's biggest, longest river, the Ebro.

This crossing is at a place called Mequinenza, the largest nearest town is Lleida(Lerida)40 miles north east of here - where we headed next.

At Mequinenza the two other big rivers of Spain join the Ebro (the Segre & Cinca) before flowing down to the Med.

Any of you guys over the other side of the pond want to do a tour of Spain, I'll happily arrange(I am going in 2012) - Spain is second in the league of World Heritage Sites(UNESCO)having 42, Italy is first with 45. Example: Spain has the only(in the World)fully preserved and working Roman lighthouse at A Coruna in a region called Galicia (northern,"Green Spain").

What do you want to see before you're 40/50/60..?

Regards, Prufrock.

[Prufrock]

Sketches of Spain-Part Two(c): The Battle of Belchite.

Hi Guys,

This is an image of the ruined town of Belchite, in the region of Aragon, it was destroyed in the Battle of Belchite during 1937 in the Spanish Civil War that raged between 1936-1939.

The town was left ruined as a monument to the war and abandoned-a new town was built nearby.

Infantry, artillery and an air offensives were trademarks of this battle; General Franco's army supported by Hitler's National Socialist Germany using military aid & equipment together with Wermacht and SS advisors.

You'd have missed this in a car!

Prufrock.

[Charlie G]

Nice shots! That last one needs to be a painting in a gallery. I imagined Spain to be a bit dryer than your photos show. It must have been in the spring. As far as touring Spain, it will have to wait till I tour the UK. Thanks for the photos.
It's a bit of work posting them up, isn't it?Took me a while to do this one:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=175279

It was a bit of a struggle to learn to use a photobucket site, but the end result was worth it. Cheers.

Charlie G

[Prufrock]

We went in July/August for the Olympics...some of the shots are in the north of Spain,"Green Spain": Asturias, Galicia, Navarra. I have other shots where it appears much drier-but people who do not know Spain assume it to be what it actually is not, and that is surprisingly green.

Andalucia in the far south is drier and can be desert-like in places - it is often called"Africa in Europe".

Glad you like, I'll try posting a few more. Have to collect my new GS on Monday, to partner with my GS1000E, I have found a low mileage (19K) 1987 GS850 that I cannot turn down, a very good price and only two owners from new.

Post pics when I have the bike in the garage.

Prufrock.

[Prufrock]

Clearly Spain is not creating enough interest as a destination - any English guys on here ever ride very far?

Some rides I'd like to do stateside - one I did do but no pics.

Prufrock.

[Tim Tom]

Cool!

Thank you for sharing those memories. Very cool. I was in Spain a few years ago and it looks just about the same now. I would of loved to be on a bike but instead had to settle for a rental Alpha Romeo.

Seriously cool pictures though. Thank you.

[Flyboy]

Great story, it must have been a great ride, I am officially green with envy.
keep the pics coming, most enjoyable.

[gs scott]

Agreed - great pictures, sounds like one heck of a road trip on your faithful GS - and with a GS riding buddy too! Thanks for sharing - more pics would be nice as well.

[blokv1100]

I have been to Spain many times (my mother is from Spain).
I have always wanted to spend a couple of weeks on a motorcycle touring the beautiful country.
I have the spainish bull on my windshield and on my helmet.
Great photos, thanks for sharing.

[Vmass]

Great pictures..... I was just tallking with my son about Barcelona. He is a freshman in high school and will be making the trip with his class during his junior year. I asked him if he would mind if I came as a chaperone (one guess what his answer was!).

Anyway, I lived in Rota as a young teenager. Great memories. I would love to go back, as I remember it was a beautiful country.

One of the things we did a few times was take the ferry to Morocco, very cool.

Thanks for the pics.

[Prufrock]

Look out for more Spanish trip images soon, had some technical issues with scanner, now solved bought a new one!

I'll also put some of my off-road trip(s) with my XR600 in the Spanish mountains"The Picos de Europa".

Have a great day guys...it's POET'S day today!

Prufrock.

[Tim Tom]

Great pictures..... I was just talking with my son about Barcelona. He is a freshman in high school and will be making the trip with his class during his junior year. I asked him if he would mind if I came as a chaperone (one guess what his answer was!).

When I was in high school I was able to test into the Spanish class a grade above mine thanks to taking it in 8th grade. So by the time I was a senior I was taking AP Spanish 5 and very very close to totally fluent. Well when I graduated my parents and I, along with my best friend went to Spain for two weeks. It was my job to be the translator for the group. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. We spent a week in Barcelona and I fell in love with it. I'd love to go back some day, of course I'd need to brush up on my Spanish again, after 4 years of negligence in college it isn't what it used to be .

If you can, go with your son. You will both love it.