ONE LESS IN THE BUCKET

[PHILinFRANCE]

I'll try and keep this as brief as poss because i know i can talk a load of shite :laugh:

Being born in July i'm a Cancer sign so it just seem right to go to the Tropic of Cancer.

I originally planned a solo trip but Diggermanbob mentioned he was doing the Transportugese route and asked if i'd like to join him .......it was such a hard dicision :whistle: and then Steve AKA chunky butt of here asked to come along !!

So a plan was hatched .....DMB landed in Santander 10th May so we set off from ours on the 9th ..............after replacing my flat battrey :S

The Donk and Steves Tenner

IMG_4024 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

The run down France was good but uninventable except for the lunch stop in Tournon D Agenais
IMG_4032 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

......where a very friendly Magpie joined us for lunch

IMG_4028 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

IMG_4029 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

We found a Auberge for the night ready for the run to RV with Bob tomz

May 10th

Up and off early follow great road and views

IMG_4039 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

Untill a thunder storm caught up with us , managed to miss the worst on a garage forecourt and soon dried out when the sun came back out as we headed over the hills to Bereo on the N170

IMG_4048 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

IMG_4045 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

Got to the port at 5.55 for the 6pm RV but Bobs ferry was running 30 mins late and Bob must have been a naughty lad as he was last off but he'd booked us a hotel an hour away (thumbs)

IMG_4052 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

with a garage for the bike (thumbs)

IMG_4051 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

Then there were 3 ...... (thumbs)

[Famous]

None of this keeping it brief
Full story
Here for the duration (thumbs)

[MR X]

You have been back two days and this is all you can come up with :laugh:

[daveuprite]

You have been back two days and this is all you can come up with :laugh:

But Mark, there's a sheepskin saddle and a magpie! What more do you want? I'm glued...

[Brenhden]

I'm in the office all week, give us something to read please (thumbs)

[Tramp]

Hurry up my cup of tea is going cold ....lightly loaded as ever i see :woohoo:

[diggermanbob]

Anastasia Steele had handcuffed me to my bunk :laugh: :laugh:

[PHILinFRANCE]

May 11th
Got up to a dry day that just got worse rain turned to hail and freezing winds , stopped on the tops at an old ruin hose , tried to warm up a bit , put a second pair of gloves on but i don't do cold and it got the better of me , i could see the town over the river and thought i could make it but my body just shut down !!! never had anything like this before , i was fully aware of evrything but my hands and legs just didn't work , shock hit me and felt like throwing up

I hit the bridge wall at walking pace and flopped to the side followed by Steve and Bob shouting "YOU OK" unable to answer forcing the nausia they pulled the bike up and got me to a cafe , and within an hour i was sorted .......yes i'll put it to a Doc soon


Drama over the weather picked up a little near Braganca and was feeling fine....proper weird ..... yes i'll see a Doc , but not to far form our prebooked Ibis we got pulled by the police and army !!!
Turns out the Pope was coming over for a gander but onec chatting the cops seemed more intrested in our trip

IMG_4056 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

The weather was bloody shite that night and the hotel a German conection with

"SHINDLERS LIFT" :woohoo:
IMG_4058 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

I had loaded the TP track onto my GPS so tomoz looked easy peasy

Still raining but onward and up ward , the trail wasn't as easy to find as i thought but we did get there

IMG_4064 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

A tad over grown at times but at least the rain had stopped

IMG_4065 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

the odd puddle

IMG_4067 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

The end of the storm and a ploughed field to cross to get back on track

IMG_4068 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

IMG_4071 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

Shelter from the storm and a map study moment :S i'd been put up front and the GPS tracks just didn't seem right to me , somethings not good .....probably me !!!!

IMG_4074 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

All that to play in so feck the GPS lets wing it and head south ....wet finger....

IMG_4076 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

This proved pretty good

IMG_4078 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

Even taking us through a castel at Figuera de Castelo Ridrigo and our 4 star hotel for €85 each just for the room !!! so the haggeling started and i managed to get it with brekki for €45 each (thumbs)

IMG_4080 by Philip Parkinson, on Flickr

After eating we set to and tried attacking the TP from another direction via a map and Steves tablet ............tomoz will tell :dry:

[diggermanbob]

At this point I should say that I was behind Phil and watching him swerve from side to side out of control and then hit the bridge , luck was on his side that day it was bloody scary , get that check up mate (thumbs)

[PHILinFRANCE]

Just had it done mate (thumbs) very low blood pressure down to being so cold , Doc said it nawt permanent , scary and a bit freaky