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Spain trip
- Thread starter Brian P
- Start date
Thinking some more about this, the thing to do is take the coastal route down to Tarifa and take A-381 back (goes through a natural park for a lot of the distance) and then it's simple to just stay on that road to A-382/A-382a which leads past the front entrance to the track.
www.google.es
B&B HOTEL Jerez to Circuito de Jerez
www.google.es
What an awesome trip Brian. Thanks for sharing and hope you have a safe and amazing trip.
Do you speak/understand or read Spanish?
Do you speak/understand or read Spanish?
Not at all. "Cerveza" = "beer". (What else do you really need to know?)
"They all speak English over there" ... they said.
"You'll have no trouble" ... they said.
LOL not quite ... not really "trouble", just not always being able to communicate easily. Google Translate came to the rescue this morning, although breakfast consisted of toast with butter and jam and a coffee, because the place didn't have a written menu and the waitress did not know a word of English and I know not a word of Spanish (and "cerveza" is not appropriate at 9 AM before going riding). The waiter where I went for dinner didn't speak English but asked if I knew French ... "Un petit peu" ... that plus some pointing and hand-waving got me a beer, a bottle of water, a coffee (by the way, Spanish coffee is excellent - not as strong as Italian espresso, not as burnt as Starbucks, more flavorful than Timmies), and a plate of "patatas" with beef and cheese ... someone commented on Facebook that it looked like poutine. Kinda but not really. That serving turned out to be huge. Total bill for dinner was 10.10 euro. In Toronto just the beer would be pushing that ...
Finding something to eat while out on the road in rural areas hasn't been as easy as expected, between:
- The usual sparsity of population in those areas means, not much around. That's the same as anywhere else. But then:
- Lots of places are open just for what we call lunch (which is the main meal in Spain).
- Another subset of places are just open for the evening social and tapas time, and aren't open during the day at all.
- No one in Spain really wants to get moving or do anything before 10 AM. Maybe 11. Reason why, below. Add this to the factors above, and you ain't findin' breakfast, except at the hotel where you're staying, for their guests.
- Mid-afternoon is siesta time. Nothing's open.
- Late afternoon, through the evening, until late at night, is when the Spanish do all their social gatherings and partying. But that's not when I'm riding. But, that's why nothing functions in the morning here.
- I have yet to encounter McDonalds, Burger King, or anything of the sort - not that I'd want to go there anyhow. I haven't seen a single one. (I haven't gone looking, to be fair.)
I decided to stay in this evening and deal with a reality of multi-day motorcycle road trips ... laundry.
sburns
Well-known member
Yeah if you are not use to the eating times they have over there it can throw you off. But I have always found the food to be very good. Even take away pizza is great. If you are still around Barcelona, there is one appetizer which is nice, it's basically diced up potato's, probably lightly fired with olive oil, and has little spicy sauce. Tapas is ok, but that can add up quickly if you have a large appetite. One of the worse things I have seen all over is the Ham sandwich, "Jamon" I wouldn't even call it a sandwich, it's just bread and ham, no other things (like butter etc), and it's not cheap either! While on the road you might find the gas station with a mini mart with pretty good food selections. You'll find American fast food in big urban centres like Madrid/Barcelona. I've seen a Tim Hortons in central Madrid, same crummy smell.
Enjoy it's a fantastic country to visit!
Enjoy it's a fantastic country to visit!
I've never travelled to countries that do the full on siesta thing - thaat would definitely add layer to planning each day. What about grocery stores and buying stuff that is easy to eat on the road, especially since you have hard cases.
Good on you for doing that alone and not speaking Spanish. Makes for some interesting times for sure. When we were in Brazil, trying to get anyone to understand that vegetarian means no beef, chicken, fish, etc was a real challenge due to the language barrier.
Those roads look endlessly incredible.
What's the price of fuel there and overall cost of travelling compared to Canada or the US?
I wouldn't say they have full-on siesta here, but a fair number of restaurants and some retail places have an hour or two closed in the afternoon.
Premium petrol is around 1.60 euro per litre ... and as I have experienced on previous trips, the BMW F800 is pretty frugal.
Hotels, food, etc away from tourist traps have been cheap. You don't even have to be all that far from a tourist trap, just not "in" the tourist trap.
The World Superbike weekend event ticket pre-pandemic, I thought was cheap (60-some-odd euro IIRC). WorldSBK does one-price tickets that normally let you roam everywhere and allow access to the parts of the paddock that the public is allowed into (obviously not garages or hot pit lane). This weekend ... thanks, covid ... it's limited-entry, physical distancing (mandatory empty seats between occupied seats), tickets only sold in advance (contact-tracing) and assigned-seating (contact-tracing), and I'm not sure how much access there is going to be to anywhere except your designated seat in the one single grandstand that they were selling tickets for (hopefully I'll find that out tomorrow). But ... 32 euro for the weekend!!
Premium petrol is around 1.60 euro per litre ... and as I have experienced on previous trips, the BMW F800 is pretty frugal.
Hotels, food, etc away from tourist traps have been cheap. You don't even have to be all that far from a tourist trap, just not "in" the tourist trap.
The World Superbike weekend event ticket pre-pandemic, I thought was cheap (60-some-odd euro IIRC). WorldSBK does one-price tickets that normally let you roam everywhere and allow access to the parts of the paddock that the public is allowed into (obviously not garages or hot pit lane). This weekend ... thanks, covid ... it's limited-entry, physical distancing (mandatory empty seats between occupied seats), tickets only sold in advance (contact-tracing) and assigned-seating (contact-tracing), and I'm not sure how much access there is going to be to anywhere except your designated seat in the one single grandstand that they were selling tickets for (hopefully I'll find that out tomorrow). But ... 32 euro for the weekend!!
Priller
Well-known member
I noticed that when clicking around in Street View. Basically a lane and a half, you figure out who gets what. Reminds me a bit of UK rural roads with hedgerows and stone walls making every corner blind. Sometimes there you have to reverse for ages to find a cut-out to allow the other guy to pass. Doesn't stop most drivers from bombing along, mind...
Not sure what you decided, but I personally love Fridays at big race events. It's quiet, the racers and teams are more relaxed, and you can explore the track and get a feel for the place.
I saw that. His retirement announcement was typically classy, par for a racer that I've followed since he was a kid (my Mum's side has a lot of Welsh, so he was easy to cheer for). I hope he goes into commentating or some such...
It has bailed us out many times in Italy. We've used the camera translate feature to read medication labels at the pharmacy, and it's like magic (also works for motorcycle part installation instructions entirely in Japanese). The conversation feature (you talk then I talk) made a short stay in the hospital for my wife a lot easier, as it let her talk to the nurses surprisingly easily. It's not perfect, but it's the closest I've seen to the Star Trek universal translator.
Not sure about Spain, but Italy typically doesn't do breakfast beyond coffee with milk (cappuccino, macchiato) and light pastries. If you want bacon and eggs, you have to find somewhere that caters to tourists, and they're going to be mediocre at best. Might have something to do with the four hour dinners that start at 9 or 10 pm...
Cheaper and much better, I suspect.
It's been interesting to see the differences in the MotoGP crowds this year. Silverstone and Austria were packed to capacity, while the Spanish and Italian rounds seem to be kept to 10 or 25 thousand. Austin will be unlimited, based on the seats we bought (and sold). As I'm sure you know, GP pricing is waaay higher, and paddock access is in the thousands. It's one of many reasons why WSBK can be a more fun event to attend.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
Seeing a pattern here, apparently warm weather leads to enjoying life and not spending every waking moment working away
I have heard from several aprilia and ducati owners as well that the reason they cant find parts during the summer is because italians dont work in the summer.
I have heard from several aprilia and ducati owners as well that the reason they cant find parts during the summer is because italians dont work in the summer.
Priller
Well-known member
To be fair, in Italy it's mostly August where things get shut down (Ferragosto), and it's partly because the heat gets so stifling that escaping to the beach is as much about survival as relaxation.
But yes, it's much more common and accepted for people to have a healthier work/life balance. Same could be said for Germany, where four weeks' vacation per year is the minimum (plus holidays) , with many getting six. Telling a German about our typical two weeks per year mostly results in them being speechless...
I think the EU mandates a minimum of 20 vacation days per year, so no wonder the Brits wanted out of that awful deal...
I ended up riding down to the southernmost town in Europe with the intent of taking a picture of Africa across the Gibraltar Strait. Except ...
As I approached that area, it started getting cold, and damp, and misty, Maybe that's why the UK kept Gibraltar. Same crap weather.
It turns out that the actual southern tip is in a restricted-access area. Don't know why, it is quite apparent that there is a commercial shipping port adjacent to it, there's big walls and a big sign prohibiting entry to everything except buses, and a security gate. Nope. Not worth the bother. I took a pic nearby in which you can just barely make out hills across the strait through the mist.
Then I left town (via different route) and that road climbed up and up ... and there it was, a (relatively) clear view across the Strait of Gibraltar, complete with ships in the shipping channel. I took a picture, of course.
Then it started raining, and got foggy, and I abandoned any thought of going to Gibraltar or even taking a picture of it across the water, and headed back. The A-384 turned out to be a motorway, so the return trip didn't take long.
At WorldSBK, they are quite clearly following protocol that was established earlier in the pandemic when Spain was in a lot of trouble (like, say, a month or two ago when they started selling tickets for this event). Spectators only have access to one designated grandstand with assigned seating and that's it (although there is a deck on top, and I suspect that everyone will be up there to see whatever parts of the Paddock Show that we can). Access to the paddock is locked down. Evidently teams are allowed to invite a certain number of VIP guests, but (a) good luck, and (b) they have to follow Dorna's covid protocol, including getting paperwork submitted and approved in advance. Obviously they do NOT want any riders or team members getting sick if they can possibly help it.
Still ... the freight train of 300s in practice is something to behold, and the sound of the superbikes ...
As I approached that area, it started getting cold, and damp, and misty, Maybe that's why the UK kept Gibraltar. Same crap weather.
It turns out that the actual southern tip is in a restricted-access area. Don't know why, it is quite apparent that there is a commercial shipping port adjacent to it, there's big walls and a big sign prohibiting entry to everything except buses, and a security gate. Nope. Not worth the bother. I took a pic nearby in which you can just barely make out hills across the strait through the mist.
Then I left town (via different route) and that road climbed up and up ... and there it was, a (relatively) clear view across the Strait of Gibraltar, complete with ships in the shipping channel. I took a picture, of course.
Then it started raining, and got foggy, and I abandoned any thought of going to Gibraltar or even taking a picture of it across the water, and headed back. The A-384 turned out to be a motorway, so the return trip didn't take long.
At WorldSBK, they are quite clearly following protocol that was established earlier in the pandemic when Spain was in a lot of trouble (like, say, a month or two ago when they started selling tickets for this event). Spectators only have access to one designated grandstand with assigned seating and that's it (although there is a deck on top, and I suspect that everyone will be up there to see whatever parts of the Paddock Show that we can). Access to the paddock is locked down. Evidently teams are allowed to invite a certain number of VIP guests, but (a) good luck, and (b) they have to follow Dorna's covid protocol, including getting paperwork submitted and approved in advance. Obviously they do NOT want any riders or team members getting sick if they can possibly help it.
Still ... the freight train of 300s in practice is something to behold, and the sound of the superbikes ...
slightly off topic but not really, since with today's observations, it's rather curious how Dorna/MotoGP is going to deal with the Texas covid situation. And ... seems that here's the answer.
So ... basically same situation, except the number of fans allowed - which is between the track and the local authorities, that's not up to Dorna.
Priller
Well-known member
It's such an odd deal, but it's clear that Dorna is really desperate to try and project the idea of a world, rather than European, championship. According to Simon Patterson, much of the paddock is very unhappy to be going to Texas, and the fact that local ICU's are verging on full was a real point of concern for the riders. They mostly assumed it would be cancelled like the Asian rounds, and were a bit stunned when the 'final' calendar was released with COTA still there.
I was just waiting to see if they were going to cancel, as selling the tickets through a third party (no facilitated scalping via Ticketmaster) meant we took a sizeable hit on the cost after various fees. Booking in June seems so naively optimistic now. I'd be perfectly happy to go to Misano or Valencia, but the timing just didn't work...
Priller
Well-known member
My heart breaks for Dean Berta Vinales. Not sure where to put this, but here seems as appropriate a spot as anywhere.
I have to admit, I haven't watched a minute of live 300 racing this year, but I have to wonder if they have the same issues as the Moto3 races with drafting creating huge trains of very close riders.
Assuming so, it clearly has to be stopped, and I like van den Goorbergh's idea of controlling the gearing, particularly in the top two ratios, to limit the advantage gained in the draft. It would lower some lap times, and potentially make the racing less entertaining, but at this point something has to be done. The little bikes have become far more dangerous than the big ones, and that's not right with so many young kids in those classes...
I have to admit, I haven't watched a minute of live 300 racing this year, but I have to wonder if they have the same issues as the Moto3 races with drafting creating huge trains of very close riders.
Assuming so, it clearly has to be stopped, and I like van den Goorbergh's idea of controlling the gearing, particularly in the top two ratios, to limit the advantage gained in the draft. It would lower some lap times, and potentially make the racing less entertaining, but at this point something has to be done. The little bikes have become far more dangerous than the big ones, and that's not right with so many young kids in those classes...
Yes, terribly sad situation. Multi-bike collision in turn 2 (not visible from the spectator stand). All we saw was the red flag come out, and a long delay into the time that WorldSBK would have been expected to be doing their warm-up lap, and then a long announcement in Spanish.
It is indeed the same situation that Moto3 has. There is a similar situation during qualifying, too - and we can see what happens ... riders intentionally take the sharp corner going onto the front straightaway wide so as to encourage riders behind them to pass, so that they can in turn draft them. Sometimes multiple bikes take that corner wide. It is all about drafting, and the bikes are so close in performance, and the tracks so oriented towards top speed on the small bikes, that this is inherently part of it. Neither of the two bigger classes sees anywhere near the same juggling for position. Sadly, the very thing that makes the small-bike classes so entertaining, that the equipment is so close in performance, is also what leads to situations like this.
I noted on the live timing during this race that the first 24 bikes were all doing the same lap times within a couple tenths of a second - that's how close it is.
I've read about the gearing suggestion ... I'm not so sure. The bikes in SSP300 use stock transmission ratios.
There have been some suggestions about what to do during qualifying, but what about during a final race, like this situation? When the bikes are close in performance, and the tracks require so much use of top speed, they are going to be close together!
With my own race bike being an R3, I have some connection with this ... although our tracks aren't like that. Perhaps they just need to go to slower tracks ... but then Superbike wouldn't be the same ... and it's the same track for all classes.
Ride in peace, Dean Vinales. The whole paddock is heartbroken.
It is indeed the same situation that Moto3 has. There is a similar situation during qualifying, too - and we can see what happens ... riders intentionally take the sharp corner going onto the front straightaway wide so as to encourage riders behind them to pass, so that they can in turn draft them. Sometimes multiple bikes take that corner wide. It is all about drafting, and the bikes are so close in performance, and the tracks so oriented towards top speed on the small bikes, that this is inherently part of it. Neither of the two bigger classes sees anywhere near the same juggling for position. Sadly, the very thing that makes the small-bike classes so entertaining, that the equipment is so close in performance, is also what leads to situations like this.
I noted on the live timing during this race that the first 24 bikes were all doing the same lap times within a couple tenths of a second - that's how close it is.
I've read about the gearing suggestion ... I'm not so sure. The bikes in SSP300 use stock transmission ratios.
There have been some suggestions about what to do during qualifying, but what about during a final race, like this situation? When the bikes are close in performance, and the tracks require so much use of top speed, they are going to be close together!
With my own race bike being an R3, I have some connection with this ... although our tracks aren't like that. Perhaps they just need to go to slower tracks ... but then Superbike wouldn't be the same ... and it's the same track for all classes.
Ride in peace, Dean Vinales. The whole paddock is heartbroken.
Rental bike has been brought back to IMTbike in Malaga via indirect route. I'm staying at a hotel across the street from the high-speed-rail station. B&B Hotel Jerez to IMTBIKE Málaga BMW Motorcycle Tours & Rentals
Priller
Well-known member
Sounds like the races went well on the Sunday, and Razgatliogu has taken some big steps to unseating Rea and Kawasaki, though it's not done yet by any stretch. Was also nice to see Bautista find some speed on the Honda.
Hope the trip back was as spectacular as the trip out. Heading to Barcelona for some sightseeing before you wrap up?
Hope the trip back was as spectacular as the trip out. Heading to Barcelona for some sightseeing before you wrap up?
I think Toprak has what it takes. It seems like the Kawasaki is at its limit, and the Yamaha is just a wee smidge less fussy about its tires. Of course, there are those who point out that the Kawasaki has the lowest rev limit in the field, a few hundred lower than the Yamaha. There are those who want someone other than JR to win. I have tremendous respect for all of them. It's hard to play favorites.
The next time I ride a motorcycle, it will be down pit lane at Catalunya. Provided that Renfe doesn't kick me off the train tomorrow for having too much luggage...
The next time I ride a motorcycle, it will be down pit lane at Catalunya. Provided that Renfe doesn't kick me off the train tomorrow for having too much luggage...
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