Navarra in Espania

[rodbargee]

OFF THERE ON WED bouncy ferry ride to Santander then a week riding out from a villa

[Taipan]

Don't forget the pictures. Us armchair tourers need lots of pictures y'know!

Safe journey.

[Rockburner]

Jealous. Enjoy!

[rodbargee]

hurricane dregs over the bay!

[Cousin Jack]

hurricane dregs over the bay!

Been there, done that, and I didn't enjoy it one bit!

[rodbargee]

report on its way honnest

[Noggin]

Pikchoores

[Mr Moofo]

DId he make it?

[rodbargee]

picchoores locked in phone at the minute

[rodbargee]

we did sadly have an off this year first in 25 years. coming soon

[Cousin Jack]

How soon is soon?
Xmas?
Easter?
The Summer Solstice?
We need to know!

[rodbargee]

gratuitous northern lights in the Dales so not quite North.

Our much trailed trip to the Navarra region of Northern Spain, here goes.It will be a somewhat brief report as things didn't go quite to plan.
we had booked a villa in a place called Cadrietta about 50 miles from Pamplona. So the plan was as ever to meet up at Taunton Dene services and load the bikes ontothe trailer and have the fourth bike in the back of the Vito. Two fireblades A new kawasaki 1000 and my newish to me 18 plate ZZR 1400 Performance edition.
I was meeting up earlier in knutsford services to load the ZZR I set off from Askrigg at 5am in what can only be described as a biblical downpour stair rods dont really do it justice add to that high winds and a very unhealthy covering of leaves on the unlit dales roads I was almost certain I WAS GOING TO DROP IT BEFORE i got to the M6 Happily it wasn't the case I got to Knutsford at 8Am three hours!! it gives you an idea of how bad it was, i dont think I got out of third till the M6 it was bloody lethal the leaves hiding a soaked slippy ribbon of tarmac I was first to the services R arriving half an hour late from his place in Leeds with the van and trailer, it was sketchy driving at all that morning. We had a bacon butty and loaded the ZZR into the trailer there followed a slow and treacherous trip down to Taunton Dene, rain high winds etc. What was the bay of Biscay going to offer! Reburner and M. duly got on At Taunton and off to Portsmouth for the ferry.

The ferry was three hours late setting off, there were also the remnants of a hurricane in the bay though it wasn't as rough as we were expecting nothing to do but have a beer and relax. We arrived more like six hours late, the drive to the villa was we'd guessed a two or three hour affair, all was well till we were driving through one of the tunnels on the coast road and we heard what sounded like a huge explosion thunder at the very least we were shortly confronted by this
A real shocker of a crash the cab on the lorry was no longer though miraculously no one appeared to b hurt we were almost at the scene though luckily for us not involved While waiting for the road to be sorted out we witnessed road furniture and barracades being removed on a lorry before the police and ambo arrived..... rather suspicious.

[rodbargee]

eventually the road was cleared and we carried on arriving in Cadrietta early evening the place was deserted it is not a picturesque holiday destination its a new build industrial farming habitation huge tractors parked up and serious machinery for industrial sized farming activities. the Villa was fine with a garage for the bikes and perfectly clean and tidy for the four of us to use as a base. No local resteraunts so we bailed and found somewhere just out of town

[rodbargee]

We wake refreshed and decide on a run out to get some kind of handle on the roads roundabout more than promising, we have a silly-issh five minutes or two and stop for a coffee in a nearby town a light bite for lunch and we head back to base, not hooning i might add.

Reburner leading M next then me and R bring up the rear an innocuous left hander much like the ones on the photo and Reburners blade tucks on the exit. All we know is that he'd got round the corner and was on the run out. All i see is the bike go down and slide into the ditch, along with reburner who's flipped over the tank and is lying in the gutter back to front. He's conscious but in some discomfort. We weren't going fast as M and I pulled up easily before we got to him in the ditch lucky it was a relatively shallow, soft earth affair. NO pics Im afraid we're not gouls! a passer by stops who's a doctor he calls the Ambulance, they duly arrive along with the local traffic Plod. All very calm, Reburner has despite being encouraged to lay still got himself up onto his knees helmet off and is looking a bit peaky to be honest, he gets to his feet and walks to the Ambulance. The police concentrate on having the bike removed from the gutter with us doing the pushing. Its largely in one piece, save for one footpeg missing and the clutch fluid reservoir, also scuffed up and damaged plastics. It wheels ok and has not seized. The plod want sight of the V5 which they get and inform us that he will be taken to Pamplona's main Hospital A+E. Off goes the Ambo, and plod want us to fetch the van and collect the Blade before dark, we duly ride back to base more than a little down. Get the vito, and collect the Blade 100 mile round trip.

we get a text from reburner and a call hes broken six ribs and has wacked his spleen which hes getting medication for to stop any bleeding but is in all in good spirits Mrs Reburner has been informed and wants to know the craic we have decided that well go and visit him the following day its a 70 mile trip to Pamplona we go in the van as trying to find the hospital is a bit tricky three up none of us knowing where we're going. We arrive and are taken by a doctor who happens to overhear us trying to find out which ward he's in two buildings away and a half mile walk we find A+E the whole place is like new individual bays and there he is looking a whole lot better than when we last saw him he wont thank me for this but

[rodbargee]

we find a place to eat in Pamplona and then return to base ( late return) the next two days we carry on riding out somewhat slower than usual, we find near our bas theres a fossilised river bed with dinosaur footprints we go for a look its actually better than we thought it was going to be photos to follow we also went to a place called Canfranc railway station up in the hills now a poshed up hotel it was where the two different guages of railway line met and a lot of escaping Nazis stared their trip to dissapear to South America. we also went to Aguerdas a pretty substantial troglodyte community


at home

R's new ninja Kwacker ( I didnt get a go but it looks and rides well i'm led to believe) Im still very taken with the zzr 14 its a cracker.

we visit Reburner again later that day and the plan is that he'll get discharged the following day and return with us in the van he's very happy to do so so the van doubles as an ambulance and we get back to base so he can recuperate we still get to ride out
Canfranc reception bit of culture in Soria I believe

[rodbargee]

we return on the scheduled ferry which has been delayed by ten hours this time cocking up our schedule considerably. so much so we over night at reburners thanks for the perfect hospitality his bike arrives with himself and we plan a weekend to fix it when all able bodied. next trip TBC when we can agree where to go, any ideas of a European destination that isnt Spain (though it is bloody good) Italy ,croatia, germany, france, belgium. and wont brea the bank like NORWAY THOUGH id love to go.
Sorry all a bit truncated and photography not up to its usual standard...

[Skub]

Wow,that sure was an eventful trip. The best to Reburner for a speedy recovery. Are there any offers on the Blade yet?

[rodbargee]

Wow,that sure was an eventful trip. The best to Reburner for a speedy recovery. Are there any offers on the Blade yet?

we've first dibs but he's still with us! so NO NOT YET

[rodbargee]

How soon is soon? NOW AS IT APPENS
Xmas? BABYJESUS
Easter? AND AGAIN
The Summer Solstice? DRUID YOU LIKE
We need to know!

[Cousin Jack]

Trips this year seem to have been fraught with problems, and broken ribs seems par for the course. Hope Reburner is recovering well, and of course I will go on the list for the bike if he croaks.

One of our group in Ireland had a similar issue, broken ribs and spleen damage but his was a bit more serious. He got to spend some time in intensive care, and wasn't allowed to fly for 6 weeks. Since he came from Canada that was a bit of a bummer. Sounds as though Reburner got off quite lightly, if broken ribs can be considered light. IIRC they hurt like buggery.

Canfranc station looks the dogs bollocks. I saw it being converted last year, even surrounded by builders it looked impressive. Some of the roads around there aren't too shabby either.