Galicia -It’s Green!

Yesterday was a bit of a toughie, 250 miles and eight hours on the road (stopping for coffee, lunch etc) so it was with some relief that I arrived at a lovely small family run hotel which oozes the quality I’ve been missing.

Let’s get the biking stuff out of the way first.

Imagine somebody said to you “We’re going to close the Lake District to everybody but you for one day. We’ll resurface all the roads you want to ride on, make them half as wide again, choose the perfect weather and whatever bike you want”. That’s what the first 100 miles were like yesterday, for fear of becoming boringly repetitive, for a motorcyclist or even a cyclist, northern Spain, I suppose like many hilly and mountainous places in Europe, is a ‘biker’s’ nirvana!

A fault with Reg though, I think his speedo must be far too optimistic and the position of the footrests seem to be too close to the road surface! 🤔 

Santiago del Compostela

Regardless of your stance on the St James myth/legend and his connection with Spain, one cannot help but contemplate the significance to millions of people who tread the Camino del Santiago, all roads in this part of Europe seem to lead there.

My purpose for choosing this location as a base was purely to see the area and not for any religious reason however, being only 20 miles from this infamous place there was no question of me missing it.

I chose today to wander around as the weather tomorrow will be too hot, particularly in motorcycle gear. Ever since I first picked up signs for the Camino del Santiago hundreds of miles east of the city, I have seen walkers either in groups, couples or solo travellers with their rucksacks and walking sticks. Today in the Praza da Inmaculada it was awash with people having their photographs taken, all with a unique story to tell of their pilgrimage, some religious, some no doubt just doing it because it’s there to be done, but all achieving something special in their lives. Footwear of choice seemed to be anything from walking boots to sandals, and I even saw one guy in bare feet, respect to them all!

Yet again another hint of emotion for some bizarre reason, maybe just the grandeur of such a place, it made me think a little bit of Rome, but obviously not as diverse or on the same scale.

Finisterre – Southwest 2 or 3, veering west, moderate or poor, occasionally good.

After coffee ‘on the street’ as is the done thing here, it was off west, as far west as it is possible to go in mainland Spain and, in Roman times, to the end of the known world. Like the pilgrims to Santiago going because it’s there, I went to Finisterre because it’s there, and if you think I’m going to carry on in rhyme then think again. To be honest it was difficult to distinguish it from Lizard Point in Cornwall, actually the weather was better in Cornwall! But it was worth going even if my journey back to my hotel was a bit tedious due to a slight detour caused by a combination of satnav, proximity of junctions and my inadequate decision making! And it was a peage, toll, whatever they’re called here, AND I never had a ticket and the barrier wouldn’t lift! Fortunately the attendant came and spent more time waxing lyrically about Reg than letting me through, but all worked out fine in the end and I tried to restrain my frustration of the detour by taking in the modest surroundings I was riding through for the first, and last time!

The Stephen Hawkings plaque has no attribute but it just said he came here and liked it.

I Lied

Biking #2 – Reg

2,000 miles on this trip, 3,000 miles in three weeks, as near as dammit is to swearing.

The whole speedo/footrest thing, he’s deceptively quick, probably due to the low engine note, like I said before, no song and dance, no screaming, just a very deep. grunting sound. Now before your mind starts wandering onto other things, we’re talking engines and stuff here, so go and have a cold shower and settle yourself!

I haven’t started scraping the pegs yet as my feet are so big that my heels drag along the road surface way before the pegs will touch. And with the seat so low my buttocks will probably touch down before the pegs!

Suffice to say Reg is an absolute joy, and has been in every respect on this trip. Yes the GS would be easy, the GS is a remarkable bike, but for me……Reg is even more remarkabler! 🤣

PS I passed through this place: