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September 2016. Thirteen days riding south through France and Spain and into Portugal — roads I'd only ever read about.
The route came in over the Cantabrian Mountains before dropping south to Salamanca, Badajoz, and into Portugal — Albufeira, Cascais, Lisbon. Names that had lived in books finally passed under the wheels. The return tracked back north through Madrid and Zaragoza and home through France.
Two nights in Madrid meant time to catch a La Liga match at the Bernabéu — Real Madrid vs Villarreal on Wednesday 21 September. Madrid were on a run of 16 consecutive league wins, equalling Barcelona's record, and needed one more to set a new one. They drew 1–1 after Sergio Ramos equalised a Bruno penalty, so the record stayed tied at 16. A good evening regardless.
Passes:
- Puerto de San Glorio, Cantabrian Mountains (1,609m)
Places Visited
- Brittany, France — 1 night
- Picos de Europa, Cantabria — 1 night
- Salamanca, Spain — 1 night
- Badajoz, Spain — 1 night
- Albufeira, Portugal — 2 nights
- Cascais, Portugal — 1 night
- Madrid, Spain — 2 nights
- Zaragoza, Spain — 1 night
- Toulouse, France — 1 night
Stats
| Dates | Monday 12 – Saturday 24 September 2016 |
|---|---|
| Countries | UK, France, Spain, Portugal |
| Duration | 13 days |
| With | Solo |
| Distance | ~4,430 km |
| Route | London → Brittany → Cantabria → Salamanca → Badajoz → Albufeira → Cascais → Madrid → Zaragoza → Toulouse → home |
| Transport | KTM 1190 Adventure (2014) |
| Temperature | 10–30°C |
On the way home through southern France, I stopped to look at the Millau Viaduct. At 343 metres, it's the tallest bridge in the world — taller than the Eiffel Tower. I didn't cross it, just pulled over and walked underneath to take it all in from below. The scale of the pillars up close is something else.
Photos
