From Spain to Morocco

Stopped at a small city called Chiclana de la Frontera and ordered new rear shock absorber bushes promised in three days.

Chiclana is a pleasant place and my hotel had a lock up garage as well as being in walking distance from the centre.

There is a popular beach 26km away with a (rare) self serve automatic laundry.

After three days I went back to the motorcycle shop and they replaced the rear brake linings and changed the oil for E75(AUD$113) but said the bushes were still three days away.
Next day went for a ride to Cadiz

The museum was free and well worth a visit.

So after the sixth day my kindly hotel receptionist telephoned the motorcycle shop to see if the elusive bushes had arrived. NO. Wait another three days. This is when I regretted my Spanish lessons did not include swear words. Left the next morning for Algeciras and went to the Yamaha dealer there and paid for the bushes for collection on 28th when I will be back from Morocco. Left all my camping gear at the hotel and caught the 90 minute ferry to Africa the next morning.

The cranes which unload the container ships are some of the biggest in the world

Police on board stamped my passport and pre-printed customs declaration for the bike made customs on arrival pain free if slow.  Found an ATM for some Moroccan Dirnams and happily the insurance office was shut so made a saving there. On the road to Chefchachoan where found Dar Scotlandee, a guesthouse high up on a breezy hill overlooking the valley.

Morocco is very third world with lots of rubbish, piles of neglected rubble everywhere and donkeys and horses used for transport.
Chefchaouen is known as the blue city.

The guesthouse staff were rearing an orphaned desert fox as a pet.

Spent two nights at Chefchaouen then left for Fes.  Without Sat Nav maps for Morocco the strategy is to ride as close as you can to your hotel, then pay a taxi to lead you there.

Road wound through the Rif mountains and straightened out onto plains with intensive agriculture.
My Fes hotel was right next to the medina (Old town)

Next morning made my way to the famous Fes tanneries, in constant operation since the 14th century.

 All natural ingredients are used. The white vats are used for softening the hides with pigeon poo. Yellow is saffron, brown from henna etc.

Virago from Ireland to Bulgaria; 9 days in Portugal

Entered Portugal from Spain at Guimaraes and, after at stop at Evora, made my way to Lisbon.
Visited the Pena Palace in Sintra in the rain.

Pleased I wasn't walking by when this dropped.

 

Caught a ferry the next day in very windy  overcast weather.

But first I had to navigate Monday morning peak hour traffic over this bridge.

Clouds slowly disappeared as I went further south and after some light rain, the sun arrived.
Stopped along the way to check out the cork trees.

Found a nice 51 Euro (AUD$77) hotel in the Algarve near Benagil beach.

There is a famous sea cave at Benagil that I wanted to see, unfortunately the sea was too rough.

So I had to be contented with a walk along the cliffs.

Weather had turned nice at last and I left for Spain in 28 degree sunshine.

Virago from Ireland to Bulgaria days 7 to 15

Apologies for not updating for so long.
Rode along the Atlantic coast of Spain heading West until just before Lugo when got caught in the first rain. Entered the city in steady rain and was following a long line of cars along when one of those plastic square traffic calming devices appeared in front of me.  The cars straddled it without slowing but I hit it and was immediately down on my left side watching bits of broken mirror floating past and wondering if the car following was able to stop.  Happily it did and two locals immediately ran to help me pick the bike up. One of them handed me the keys from the road. The ignition key had snapped off in the cylinder.

I could still ride so after sitting for a while contemplating my luck and slowly drawing confidence, I used my GPS to find the nearest hotel and ever so slowly made my way there.
The receptionist was brilliant, ringing a friend who worked at a Kawasaki dealer who came and took my Virago away for repairs and a service.
My right thumb was now twice the size as normal so I took a taxi to the local hospital for an X Ray to ensure it was not broken. Happily not so doctor gave me two iboprovin and sent me on my way.
Lugo is famous for it's intact Roman walls.

Which you can work all the way around the city atop.

After two unscheduled nights in Lugo, back on the road again in cold rainy weather.
I had landed on my left side and the left elbow armour in my jacket had impacted my rib cage. It felt like a bruise but after 120km I could not change gears so stopped at a small town near the Portugal border for three nights. Wrote a note with the help of Google Translate and went to the local Farmacia.  She gave me a packet of Voltarin which seems to have done the trick as I am now almost pain free.
Hotel had a restaurant attached which was handy. Opening hours were1pm to 4pm and 9pm to 11:30pm. They eat late here.
Crossed the border to Guimaraes in Portugal on third attempt.

Stayed two nights and did a day trip to Amarante

Virago from Ireland to Bulgaria Day 6

Early start from Bilbao to the Picos de Europa National park

Followed the Garmin directions to the tiny town of Cain.

Beautiful sunny weather but cold over 1000 metres. Hit a high of 2500 metres

Closer to Cain the road followed a narrow river gorge carved out by the river Cares

Found a E30 pension ($45 Hotel). The above was the view from my window.

After checking in, started a 90 minute walk along the "Ruta De Cares" a renowned trail carved through the gorge in 1919 to service an irrigation project

One wrong step here and you're 35 metres down in the rocky stream

A most memorable day!