Central Catalonia: Solsona & Cardona

The story goes a donkey was once sent up to eat the grass growing atop the bell tower of Solsona cathedral. However, the stairs were too narrow and so someone's idea was to haul it up the outside by its neck! Every year at Carnival a donkey - only recently fake - is still hung from the tower.

The Castillo de Cardona boasts commanding views of the surrounding area. Over a 1000 years old, its now a 'parador' - a government run luxury hotel.

If anyone's into painted paper-mache bear masks, this shop in Solsona is the place to go - they supply them made to fit and in any colour, as long as its yellow or brown!

Solsona is known for its Neoclassical architecture.

Both Cardona and Solsona offer a suprising amount to see for their size and population (5 + 9,000), every street you turn down offers something different. Although not a long way from Barcelona, this is rural Catalonia and you won't find many tourists around.

Hacia Cataluña

Once you cross the border from France, the Spanish Pyrenees are a different story. Keen to avoid the Cadi tunnel and its €10 fee, I opted for the winding 50km N-road down to Ripoll, and what a decision... Flawless, wide (mountain road wide) roads wrap right along the ridge of the mountains and mean you can see approaching traffic (nada) a longgggg, long way ahead.  These are roads made for bikes - or bikes are made for these roads?! I can't explain exactly how perfect these roads are but anyone who has ridden them will relate, and if you haven't, do so! The ability to use both lanes and the sharpness of the turns had me, for the first time, wishing to be on a different bike - or atleast a luggage free one. Your confidence soars as you dip left and right across endless corners: I was really pushing the limits of 3" wide tyres and on a particulary tight corner I managed to get a knee down - unfortunately along with the rest of my body and the bike! Somehow the bike came off with not a scratch though still (unlike the rain covers). Highly recommended.

Highlights: N-152

"Snow chains only beyond this point"

Dying a cold death in Haute-Garonne

Awoken dark and early to an even colder morning than the previous night by Toulouse's commuting workforce. I was genuinely surprised at how cold it was, I really wasn't expecting such a dramatic change in weather in such a short amount of time. Standing still was just about bearable but as soon as you got moving everything exposed to the icy wind would freeze immediately. Not being able to see through the visor meant again driving stupidly slowly down the country lanes, but, even at such low speeds it still meant stopping every 15 minutes to literally thaw out my gloves on the silencer.

I was initially heading towards Perpignan with the intention of entering Spain via the AP7 to Girona, but once I got to Limoux I passed out of the fog clouds and the weather swung again, it was suddenly mild and sunny as it had been the day before. It was looking so good that I decided to drive directly south and risk it straight over the Pyrenees. Words can't do that journey justice, the scenery is incredible and you can't help but look right around at the towering mountains surrounding you, which isn't great when your driving on icy roads bordering a sheer drop. There are unfortunately not many pictures, but then there was not many places to stop and take them along a single lane mountain pass. At over 2000m, the bike began to struggle and passing increasingly frequent signs warning about the road conditions ahead, I was beginning to have serious doubts about using the back routes in January. However, having left it so late in the day and not keen on heading the 50km back down, I had no choice but to continue. This was not a good place to break down, or if you don't have a head for heights, even look down! 

Eventually of course, I did make it up. Driving past the ski slopes on a bike was a strange experience. Once you reach the plateau everything seems to smooth out, there's lakes and farms, villages, a golf course, even a Lidl! And its an easy ride down the main road to the border town of Puigcerdà, and across into España, where the adventure really begins...

Highlights: Mont-Louis, Leaving Toulouse, Making it to Spain

Le chemin le moins fréquenté...

Strange monument in the woods, 

miles from the nearest village or main road.

Enormous derelict chateau along a quiet country road. 

I had the place to myself - In the hour I looked around for, only one car passed by.

Garmin's shortest 'road'

Taking the lesser used road you definitely end up seeing the most interesting things. I did bring with me a GPS however I soon realised it obviously has a tendency to lead you down the fastest, most direct, and therefore generally uninteresting roads available. Changing the settings to 'shortest route' is a good change up and will shortcut you along some great minor roads (on a 125, its not even any slower), however be warned, what the satnav may class as a road may not be exactly what you had in mind! For me, I have found it best to just drive roughly in the right direction, using road signs and taking whichever roads look interesting, only referring to the satnav when really lost - which is surprisingly barely ever!

Onwards and Southwards

    

Pigeonnier de la Poste Royale (Fin du XVIeme Siecle)

Day 2 meant another early start as I was hoping to make it to the Midi-Pyrenees that evening. The weather was unusually very warm for January and meant for, several hours at least, some really enjoyable riding: clocking 400+ km over all manner of road surfaces. Heading south through Charente & Aquitane, it is here you really start to notice your progression through the country as the flat northern pastureland transforms into sweeping hills dotted with medieval villages, vineyards and châteaux. Unfortunately though, the sunny weather didn't last forever and as darkness crept in the temperature dropped over 20 degrees. Freezing conditions and the ridiculously thick fog from the Garonne meant driving for over 2 hours with an open visor before having no choice but to pull over outside Toulouse and endure one of the worst nights of my life sleeping (*not sleeping) on the roadside in -3°C.

Highlights: 19°C, D709, Angoulême

Size Isn't Everything

Louis and his prized 2011 Aprilia RS50

125cc ain't nuttin' - In Bergerac I came across this guy, who was travelling from Brittany to the Costa del Sol - with plans to ride across North Africa - on a 2-stroke sports 50cc. Apart from the engine overheating and the obvious aching, and headache, that comes from riding it for several hours, he was confident of its touring ability (especially its advantage through towns) and more concerned with the risk of it being nicked. Its not the bike, its where you go on it...

The Journey Begins...

Taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth, I docked into a cold Le Havre at 8am. After getting to grips somewhat with both continental driving style [e.g. progress] and not driving on the left (suddenly finding the traffic speeding directly towards you is a very effective reminder), I drove almost solidly for an uneventful 450km through Normandy's countryside, along D-roads and onboard a couple of river ferries, before camping on a village green near Poitiers (unsurprisingly to strange looks from the locals). Mild, dry weather and easy riding, but I personally find Northern France in winter to be very grey and so was keen to head south.

Highlights: 13°C