Tam, Jade and Franky's European Adventure

[Northernraider]

Hi Tam,
So good to meet you today as we have been following your adventures since Day 1. Nice to see Jade too, she really is very sweet and sooo friendly! Your tales have been a constant source of inspiration for us on our first MH journey into Europe. Keep up the good work!!

Was lovely to meet you both too hope you enjoy the rest of your trip

 

[Northernraider]

Moved a few miles outside of gijon to sleep last night found this wee place and some great walks and views.

The Spanish are a strange lot though and have a weird idea about sculptures etc ....thos is a lovely picnic spot with big green for kids to play and they have dumped this great big rusty sharp piece of old metal on it in an attempt to be arty lol

In the UK that would have cones and barriers around it with first aid staff on speed dial lol

Oh and jade found another new friend

Heading towards the picos now

 

[Northernraider]

Well by some weird coincedance I happen to be in the presence of the king of spain ha ha

Photos to follow

 

[Podney]

I like the build up. He’s probably come to make you an offer for Franky.

 

[Northernraider]

So today i left gijon and headed towards the picos de europa. Went to the aire at cangas de onis. Parked up there had some lunch and then thought we would cycle up to the "santuario de covadonga " that's quite a trek I can tell you ....didnt realise it was so far or so steep. I tried to drive closer but the place is swarming with police and got turned around so had to use the push bike. Finally get up there and the place is heaving ...only then do I find out it's the day of Asturias here ...think I missed the main event as things were a packing up but then hey ho who turns up but king felipe himself ....i got some pics of the cars coming in stopping at the hotel and some of the king himself getting out the car ...no sooner had I clicked and I gets a hand on my shoulder from this big Guardia civil ...and he tells me I gotta delete the pics with Felipe in it what's that all about. So anyway I gets some pics of the santuario etc and finally head back down .....and I bumped in to a guy cycling up on a wooden bike with a wee dog in the back ....well we had to grab a photographic opportunity there lol.
The rest of the pics are from on the way up and down ...not long back in franky and I'm knackered lol

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

I was expecting a selfie in front of a statue.

 

[Northernraider]

Bugger I forgot the aire pics

 

[Northernraider]

I was expecting a selfie in front of a statue.

Nawww it were the real king lol ....cant believe you can't take pics of him

 

[Lenny HB]

.cant believe you can't take pics of him

You mean that stopped you?

 

[Northernraider]

You mean that stopped you?

The bugger stood behind me and made me delete the ones I took ...and then stayed there stopping everyone from taking anymore.
Got a lecture about not having a bike helmet either lol

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[2657]

The Battle of Covadonga of c. 722 was the first Christian victory in the Iberian Peninsula over the Arabs and Berbers invading from north Africa under the Umayad banner, and is often considered to be the start of the 770-year effort to expel Muslim rulers governing the Iberia during the Reconquista. Our Lady of Covadonga is a significant Marian shrine. The Spanish Army has, over the years, named several of its units "Covadonga".

One of the choices for my forum name

 

[busby]

The bugger stood behind me and made me delete the ones I took ...and then stayed there stopping everyone from taking anymore.
Got a lecture about not having a bike helmet either lol

I got that lecture last year,,apparently you need one if cycling between towns but not if you just cycle in one town or village,,thats what the Guardia told me anyway..Bit the bullet and bought helmets,,,used to them now,,,BUSBY

 

[Val 3 dogs]

Lovely pics Tam,looks a beautiful area.I don't want to be done for sexual harassment but as I'm old enough to be your Granny, I'll risk it lol: you are looking pretty good yourself

 

[Northernraider]

So when I went to bed last night there was a carpark in front of the one I was In with around 30 motorhomes in it.
Went out with jade at 9am and they have a gone and I'm the only vehicle to be seen ...i get that twilight zone thing so we walk up the road a bit and police everywhere and road closed.

I've only bloody landed right in the middle of this big bike race thingie that's going on today.

Found an English guy and trying to ask him which road I could get through the picos but still be heading east towards santander and he's waffling on about this bike race and naming riders etc .....i could actually feel my eyes glazing over and was desperate just to strangle him there and then ....the look on his face when I told him cycle racing ranked maybe 1 or 2 points above football for me and that was like zero ....nada ...i jist want to see the bloody mountains I couldn't care less about lycra clad numpties ruining the country side.

Anyway the short of it Is I've had to double back and yet and find another route where I can at least see some of the national park.

We shall see

 

[Lenny HB]

Stop winging, put yer lycra on and get on yer bike.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

Stop winging, put yer lycra on and get on yer bike.

There are certain people in the world that should be allowed to wear lycra


Sadly I'm not one of them

Anyone that looks like a seal or a sea lion in lycra shouldn't wear it ....its morally wrong

 

[scousebird]

Tam, you have made me laugh

 

[Northernraider]

Franky has decided yet again that she isn't being spoiled enough so now it's rear brake pads she needs ....ive one wheel starting to grind ...just what I needed as doing the fronts in s carpark in the sunshine was bad enough
Dread to think what the back will be like and I've not done a tag axle before

But they need done so will have to find a motor factors tomorrow and try and get pads.
Whoever buys this van us not going to need to replace anything for bloody years as I'm slowly working my way through every damm thing

 

[Northernraider]

I'm in "arenas de cabrales" and found a launderette so doing some much needed laundry

 

[Northernraider]

Lovely pics Tam,looks a beautiful area.I don't want to be done for sexual harassment but as I'm old enough to be your Granny, I'll risk it lol: you are looking pretty good yourself

Here you're needing to get back on to dvla they've made a mistake and your eyes are knackered.

I look really fat in that photo .....gonna have to get back to the gym when I get home and lose the weight I've gained on this trip

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[irnbru]

Are you fluent in Spanish yet Tam?

 

[Just smiffy]

Here you're needing to get back on to dvla they've made a mistake and your eyes are knackered.

I look really fat in that photo .....gonna have to get back to the gym when I get home and lose the weight I've gained on this trip

As @Lenny HB said you should have put some Lycra on, looked like a seal and peddle like mad...

 

[Northernraider]

Are you fluent in Spanish yet Tam?

No in fact I think I've got worse

 

[Northernraider]

As @Lenny HB said you should have put some Lycra on, looked like a seal and peddle like mad...

That will never happen. .I have standards

 

[Trixie]

Great picture of the wooden bike and to see the dogs having a social moment while sat in their travel seats.
The seat on that bike looks wooden too. How painful, bum clenched!!!!!!!
Perhaps your Mum will buy you a cycle helmet for Christmas (that’s what Mums do)

Enjoying the photos.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

So I've driven along to " san vincente de la barquera" I'm just on the outskirts as I drove through it and it's a typical Sunday and absolutely mobbed so the couple of parking places you could get a motorhome on are full of cars. Hopefully clear out later and I'll get parked down in the town.
Going to head to torrelavega Tommorrow and hopefully pick up a couple of sets of brake pads for franky....and some food shopping ...and maybe a haircut

So in the meantime here's the few pics I took on route from "Arenas de cabrales" to here and my current view from where I'm parked just now which is quite impressive

 

[Northernraider]

Great picture of the wooden bike and to see the dogs having a social moment while sat in their travel seats.
The seat on that bike looks wooden too. How painful, bum clenched!!!!!!!
Perhaps your Mum will buy you a cycle helmet for Christmas (that’s what Mums do)

Enjoying the photos.

Yes the seat was wooden and hard as hell lol
The bike was quite impressive he had it signed by all the riders in what ever race that was that was going on. He also said he had met the king and he had spoke to him about the bike ...he was from the check ( spelling????) Republic but don't think he's cycled all that way.

It was really funny both of us having dogs in the baskets. ..can't remember what breed he said that was ...a miniature something or other but he was very cute and rather frisky ...he was desperate to get at jade.

 

[Northernraider]

Well San vincente is Still mobbed even at this time so can't get parked in the town. So I'm on the other side in a layby for tonight.
If I can get parked in town first thing tomorrow then we will go for a look around but if not I'm pressing in to torrelavega tomorrow as I really need to get these brakes done before the disc gets damaged...the n/s rear is grinding so it has to be down at the rivet ....obviously no wear indicator on that wheel

 

[Manic]

the n/s rear is grinding so it has to be down at the rivet ....obviously no wear indicator on that wheel

If it’s disc, it could be rust on the edge of the disc.

 

[Northernraider]

If it’s disc, it could be rust on the edge of the disc.

Nah I've had a look through the wheels that disc is definately being hit with the rivets

Not too bad at the minute bit don't want it getting worse.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}