Two week trip down to Spain to see the MotoGP Catalunya - a week to get there and a week to get back. Starting point the ferry terminal at St Malo. Reasonable first day of about 350 miles, mostly Peage autoroutes, to Mimizan Plage on the French Atlantic coast - huge beaches popular with surfers and packed out in summer. Not so busy in late May with a prime spot hotel booked only the day before arrival. Left the motorway system and crossed the Pyrenees at the Somport crossing going over the top rather than through the tunnel. Probably the nicest crossing I can remember, as there was still lots of snow on the mountains and the valley in spring bloom. View from the Somport crossing (1640 metres) Not sure of what mileage I was going to do, allow time to for picture taking and taking time to enjoy the sights, so did not bother booking a hotel for the night. Got to Spain and had issues with phone network being very slow. Figured to get away from the mountains for a better phone signal, but no joy. Still no hotel booked. Pulled into to a big roadside hotel getting as it was getting late - they said they were full. Explained my issues of connecting my phone, and could not book anything - they found a "spare room" !! after all !!A lovely big room and downstairs restaurant. Must have said Gracias to the lady a hundred times. Through Madrid and on to Toledo, as much for where it is in La Mancha as for being a historically beautiful city in its own right. Decision time - whether to scrap the idea of the MotoGP and tour La Mancha instead - decided on going to see the GP. So headed back on the back roads through Avila Segovia, Soria. The high plain was still a bit chilly ( low as 11 Centigrade) - altitude signs of +1,000 metres so not surprising a bit chilly. Central Spain still with some green wheat fields and red poppies. Much longer and everything turns brown. It was nice to see Spain with some colour. Toledo Central plateau - some greenery, before everything turns brown in the summer heat.
