At the start of 2020, I had all sorts of ideas for bike trips and possible tours but we all know how that went.  Sitting at home in Spain with little to do apart from thinking about what could have been, got the better of me at times and I, along with many others, just wanted to get out and ride.  As lockdown started to ease and we were allowed to get back to some sense of normality work took over from thoughts of bike riding and everything was put on the back burned for possibly the whole year.

However due to an unfortunate family issue, I had to return to the UK for a short trip, luckily the quarantine situation in the UK was removed for EU citizens and plans could be made.

Mid August 2014, I decided that since there was a national fiesta immediately before a weekend a touring trip was in order.  Not much planning would be done as I only decided to go three days before.  After about 10 minutes on Google Maps the decision was made to head north east up the Costa Blanca coastline towards Benicàssim before turning inland and stopping somewhere near Albocàsser for the night.  Where would I stay?  Maybe a nice hotel, or dig out the old tent and give camping a go, what could possibly go wrong.

What to do? what to do? With the little BMW that is.  After about 18 months of ownership a couple of good trips and many days exploring the local mountain roads and trails a decision had to be made over the fate of the bike.

Written by Eddie & Lorraine Hornblow, forum members of our previous website, who spent three weeks of the summer of 2011 exploring many countries of Europe.  The article is a diary of the trip in their ownwords.

Alcalali to Barcelona (Spain)

Nothing special but a nice ride missing the motorways. Stayed at an Ibis Hotel within walking distance of the cathedral, got a taxi to Las Ramblas. Spent a couple of hour's wandering along Las Ramblas watching the street entertainer's had a bite to eat and back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.