Portugal Or Bust

Escape from the UK

Do you think they’ll ever get to Portugal? 
That was the question from everyone who had been to one of our many “fare the well” do’s.
We were beginning to wonder ourselves, with the house sales falling though three times and then the hold ups on the final sale.
We did and with Sue safely re-housed in Portugal, it was left to me to simply to fly back to England with Jim and Moira, who had had a short break at ours, M.O.T the bike and ride it to our new life in Portugal.

Thursday

The bike failed the M.O.T. 
He said "I can’t possibly let you go all that way on that back tire"
It would have been ok for knocking about, for a while at any rate, but I had to open my mouth about my big ride.
After a few phone calls the only way I could get a hoop, was to ride to Birmingham and pick one up.

Friday

My ferry is booked for 9.15pm tonight.
I contacted Stewart at Kirkby, and told him of my plight.
He stopped what he was doing and fitted my brand new tire,
 he has always looked after he VSOC.
All set here we go......
I attached the trailer, should be in Portsmouth in plenty of time,
had a lovely day down the A5 stopping just before Towcestor for an all day breakfast.
The ride down was a pleasure, until my battery melted as the rectifier crammed lots of volts into it.
Bollocks, sorry,(Ooooopps)
I had a freezing cold three hour wait for the RAC lorry to take me back to Kirkby.
At one point I phoned the RAC told them to cancel the lorry and send a hearse!
It was that cold.

Saturday

The guys at two wheels Mansfield took a rectifier of a brand new bike, so that I could get going again, what stars they were.
Really took an interest, instead of simply saying we can get one here by next March as the others I phoned did.

Sunday

Had a great ride out with Terry and the lads and lasses to the barge in Newark,
and on to the cafe where the gathering is going to start from.
The bike seemed to be running ok, the next time out on it would be an 800 mile run home to Sue. 

Monday

 Will I ever escape this country with my bike?
More next time.......

Part two of escaping the uk

 Monday 11 Feb

I should be feeling excited I have an 800 mile ride in front of me, sunshine and Sue, my wife at the end.
But after the last few days I wonder if I will get out of Kirkby, never mind arrive in Portugal.
That said I set of with the trailer in tow. Waving a fond farewell to my home town as was.
Please god or any other power that be let me get to that ferry.
Down the A5 to Towcester where I stopped for another all day breakfast,
the girl behind the counter said “I thought you were going to Portugal last Friday”,
Yes, you me and everyone else I know.
It was a lovely day for a ride but it was lovely last Friday and look what happened.  
It’s not easy riding with all your digits crossed.
I made it down to the Ferry with sunshine all the way, all the worry was for nothing, it was a great ride,
I even got there without getting lost.
I met a guy in the line going from a town not 3 miles from Kirkby,
and he was on his way to Africa on a Moto Guzzi to celebrate his 60th.
Dave West from Sutton in Ashfield. Hope it all went well for you.

Monday night till Wednesday Morning

The Spirit of Bilbao is not just a ferry it is more like a cruise ship, carpets gaming rooms, cinema’s, swimming pool and a gym.
I was so stressed with the past few days I stayed in my cabin reading, playing music and relaxing, it was bliss.
I did venture out a couple of times to do some dolphin spotting and whale watching.
I spied a couple of dolphins then went back to the cabin satisfied.

Wednesday 13 February

We docked on time in Bilbao to bright sunshine and blue skies. I had to remind myself I was now in Spain,
and that they drive on any side of the road they want to, ‘might has the right of way’.
I got Melony the sat nav going and we were off. 
You don’t need a sat nav, the roads are well marked and easy to navigate,
but anyone that’s followed me anywhere knows that I can get lost in a paper bag.
Once out of the docks the temperature dropped there was frost on the ground and then the mist came down too.
I have not been so cold since a rideout with the Lost Riders last summer.
Before setting of, I made a big mistake by going on the net and finding somewhere to stay in Valladolid.
It was only 100 miles into the trip, but I thought that it would ease me into this leg.
I wish I had not bothered, knowing what I do now there are plenty of stops on route, with places to stay or camp aplenty,
so I could have gone farther, then stopped when I wanted.
However I did have a nice afternoon in Valladolid even though the area was run down.  

Thursday 14 February

Early start, the breakfast I had was adequate the Spanish girl that served it was lovely and spoke English with a Black Country accent,
she said she had lived in those parts for a few years.
It was so cold, I knew that it would warm up soon so I just blasted on towards Salamanca, 400 miles to go.
Turn right at Seville then home in Tavira Portugal.
The route is an easy ride just a few detours for road works nothing to write home about.
The closer I get to Portugal the better I feel.
The middle bits of Spain where I stopped for fuel and food were lovely.
The people I’ve met en-route are warming and endearing, I will have to go back sometime and show Sue what she missed.
Had she been with me we would have taken longer to have a better look around.
That’s about it, the start of a new chapter for us.
I will miss the brotherhood I feel for the Lost Riders and I hope that we will meet up in the future.
When I did pull up outside our place in Tavira, surprise surprise.
Sue was out doing a walk around and I had to phone her to tell her.

“Honey I’m Home”

All the best

 Little Malc

 

A special Thanks to Motor Sport travel, who re-arranged my ferry, with human concern and heroic efficiency.
Thanks to Jim for being there for advice, support and the loan of his car.
Thanks to everyone who offered help if I needed it (it is good to have back up)
Thanks to Stewart at Kirkby, the motor bike mechanic who loves custom bikes.
Stewarts Motorcycle Repairs
Unit 3, Unity Road,
Lowmoor Business Park,
Kirkby In Ashfield
Nottinghamshire.
NG17 7LE.
01623 757887
Thanks to the guys at Two Wheels for taking the initiative and getting me the part I needed.
And to our Julie who put me up,
never complaining when one night turned into seven and said good-by more times than I had farewell dinners.   
Where will I be without my mates?