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Catalunya this summer - anyone able to advice?

RJVB

RJVB

GT Reference
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
1,936
Location
Paris
Hello,

Before I type the whole story and enumerate all existential questions I might have on the subject, is there anyone on here who knows Catalunya (the region around Calafell to be specific) well enough to give some advice?
(on things like would I take the Norge, or rather bus/train/plane...)

TIA
René
 
No. Haven't been there.
But maybe sometime; just need more time than I've got this year. It'll probably only be bouncing the Pyrenees.

Generally three advices, tho'.

1. Do it.
2. Do it on the bike
3. Get yourself a good GPS and a decent map.

Have a nice trip!
 
So here's a bit more information:

- the hotel has been booked...
- Anne will have a conference in Barcelona before, it is not unlikely she'll take the car though nothing has been decided yet
- it's about 1100km, and this time it's not about the journey so I don't want to spend more than 2 (3 at the most) days going
- it'll be hot and crowded on the highways (and worse, at the toll stations)
- the hotel doesn't have a private parking, and the last time I was anywhere near the place is more than 20y ago...
- A plans for a far-niente holiday (which probably means lots of beach cooking, something I never really cared for)
- I don't know the region well enough to assess its biking potential
- on the contrary, I know that there is (used to be?) a good network of trains and buses that allows to go almost anyplace of interest, and without the need for heavy gear or entering an oven on wheels (no airco in A's car)

I *would* be an occasion to discover the internal, northern part of Catalunya (or its coast roads), and Aragon, both of which as supposedly very beautiful with gorgeous roads. As well as an occasion at least to traverse France's central region (the Massif Central), probably also worthwhile.

I just don't have an endless stock of vacation days, and with Anne's teacher's schedule of 2 weeks off every 6 or 7 weeks, I'd do well not to spend all of them. One compromise would be for me to take a train or bus going down, and the car back along the scenic route - and that's exactly why I'm looking for feedback!
 
Hehe, it happens that I spent my younger year summers very close to there, in Comarruga (just a few Km south).
You can travel by motorbike there no problem, and the coastal roads are nice for short trips, but traffic during summer is usually denser than during the rest of the year.
Beware of Highways (Autopista, AP-## on the road signs). If you need to travel fast try to find the Freeways (Autovía, A-##) or just use the triple digit roads (national roads).

Road sign examples:
AP-20: Toll Highway
A-20: Freeway
T-121: National road
T-2424: "B" road

If you go west to Aragon close to the Pyrinees you'll enjoy some of the best scenery and twisty roads a man can ride. You won't regret it :)
 
Well, I'm back, and thought it'd be nice to answer my own question — as well as give some advice :S



My trip south to Spain was a fast one, but a treat once I got off the A6 and then A10. Correct that: the 1st day was a treat, the 2nd day started out perfectly on the N88 from Mende to the A75, but quickly became hellish on the unfinished connection of the A75 to the A9 near Pézanne (avoid that — Anne did 3km in 1.5hours there on the return), and the 40km of jam south of Narbonne. Fortunately temperatures were bearable, but I ended up splitting lanes at break-neck speeds...



Catalunya is indeed a great place for biking. Roads are mostly in tip-top condition, and there are mountains (some almost really high), rolling planes and flat spaces, all with suitable vistas of vinyards, sea, forests, mountains ... and the kind of things Spaniards like to do with parts judged too pristine.



Calafell is as I remembered it, just bigger, maybe a tad cleaner, but still mostly a holiday town for the Spanish (should I say Catalan??). Zapa may be interested to know that the once derelict beach-side sanatorium building then on the southern outskirts has become a gorgeous Meridian hotel. He might be as disappointed as I that my then-favourite hang-out, the La Espineta bar with its great brown beer, has become a rather up-end fish restaurant. Our hotel (Antiga) was in the old town (partly lovingly restored), however, almost flush to the old church. Even before leaving I'd obtained a right to park the Norge on their terrain — so she basked in the Spanish sun and occasional thunderstorm for 10 days ... next to the swimming pool.



I didn't ride much; in fact, we took the bike out only once to explore the mountain roads between Valls, Montblanc, Poblet, Prades and then Reus a 3rd time. For the rest, I succumbed to the advantages of Anne's car (shade, draughts and beverages). Parking of a car is a bitch, though, and expensive.



For the return, last Thursday, we'd planned to take the coastal C32 highway and then some smaller roads towards Port-Bou, continuing onwards for the night in Perpignan. The 2nd day would have taken us through the Massif Central: part A75 (free, btw, apart from the Viaduc de Millau), the Gorges du Tarn on to Le Puy en Velay, and then the fast track for a night in Clermont-Ferrand (after which we'd slab it home).



Fate and stupidity (sic) decided otherwise. I woke up on Thursday to discover I'd contracted something gastric, with a real diarrhea. I'd survived that on the bike in the Ardennes already, late spring, so I took an Immodium and didn't worry too much. Too little, clearly, as I must have lost more liquids than I realised. Loading the bike was hard, but things got a bit better once we were on the go, exactly as I'd expected. I wasn't prepared for the heat, humidity and other hellishness of the Barcelona beltway B20, however (if I'd known we'd be taking that, I'd certainly have proposed a detour, or a stop before!!). Halfway, things became unbearable, and then, all of a sudden, I felt cold sweat rising rapidly along my back and neck, followed by veiled vision. I was in the middle lane, following Anne, under 80kph, probably not more than 70. I moved to activate my warnings (I rarely get that one right on the 1st press :( ), flipped my helmet open for more air. And tried to fight it. 2nd stupidity, I should have attempted to stop immediately. Whether I'd have managed I'll never know, but the next thing I remember is "waking up" lying/sliding almost confortably along the left-lane pavement, to the sound of the bike sliding in front of me.

To cut short the story, I got help, discovered I was intact though with sore ribs, brought to a shaded place where we waited for police and ambulance. The former took care of formalities, the latter took me to hospital for observation and perfusion (my pressure was way too low). The bike went with the police, but I got someone to retrieve my GPS and tankbag with the Powerbook inside (which now has survived 3 crashes with me!!). In all, an X-Ray showed I just have a contusion of the lower left ribs (painful, though no hematoma shows), a few very small hematomas elsewhere, nothing to the head (CT scan); a less-than-1-yo pair of pants to be renewed, and a vest that needs yet some more stitching but will continue to work. My Crispy SWAT boots survived quite well, but one needs a bit of stitching. I suffered 2 more black-outs in the hospital, but it was concluded they were vagal reactions due to deshydratation, the gastric disease/rib pain (those work in concert marvelously!), and probably shock. I was released from observation at about 23h. Anne had taken arrangements for a hotel to spend the night; we left her car in the hospital parking and took a cab.

The next day was filled with getting my insurance's assistance going, visiting the police (no need for that, apparently), and then retrieving the bike. My spirits weren't exactly high, though they lifted when I saw how surprisingly little (structural) damage the bike had sustained.

And then my luck turned a bit. There's only 1 Guzzi dealer in Barcelona, but it's one of the good if not great(est) ones. He actually waited for us to arrive (almost 15min after his lunch/siesta closing time), and then took some time for a quick look and to hook up the battery to a charger (it had mysteriously drained itself to a point even the dash no longer came on). "He" is José Caparros, of Motos Caparros, and his shop is an antry (?) of older and newer Guzzis, Nortons, BSA(s), etc. And he has stock...
We came back at 16:30, and undressed her Eminence as far as needed to see that there was indeed no structural damage to frame, fork, wheels, engine, etc. The only thing broken is the brake lever (the tip), and a number of fixation tabs on the left side of the fairing. The subframe was bent towards the right and the screen backwards, but José got it redressed pretty well. There's considerable scuffing on the left part of the fairing (to be replaced anyway) and sadly also in front of the left low-beam (but apparently one can get rid of that with a 1000 sandpaper followed by application of a special polishing product). On the right side, where I found the bike, there's the brake lever, the right pannier now gapes a bit and the right end-weight is scraped.
With the subframe redressed, and the fairing held together with a number of zipties in strategic locations, most all that shows are the scuffmarks. I did have to shell out for a new battery (200€...), a pair of front flasher covers (stupidly not for a new brake lever, certainly cheaper in Spain), and got me the new dipstick too. I was surprised to learn there had been a recall in Spain for that: when I get around to it I'll post a scan of the paper mask supposed to indicate where to make the hole in the lower-left fairing ... by the owner himself of course... :silly: I also paid for about the full time spent ... including all discussions :) (I'd have done better to go out for a new helmet).
We spent another unforeseen night in Barcelona, this time in a **** Best Western (which will be fully compensated by the assistance, thankyouverymuch :) ), and then retrieved the bike, and set off for ... Clermont-Ferrand. More foolishness (that's more than 600km), but this time I only paid for it by being a bit cold in the Massif Central (temps as low as 11ºC while they were above 26ºC in Barcelona). And unconfortable, what with the Immodium still blocking transit and my belly getting fuller and fuller and pressing against my sore ribs... The last part, last Sunday, consisted of almost 400km in drizzle, rain and wind. Yuck, but in the end cold and wet is more bearable than hot and humid!

Now I'm trying to take care of the sequels. Apparently a car was involved in the crash, which suffered some damage to a door. I have absolutely no memories of the "supreme moment", but looking back on my own and the bike's injuries, it seems improbable that I simply lost conscience and fell over — unless I'd released the throttle and was almost at a standstill when we tripped. That's not really compatible with the screen being bent back, and the scuffing of the optic array, so I'm wondering to what extent I may have entered into contact with the car, possibly "leaning" the bike on it while it slowed to a stop. If so, and the car entered my trajectory, I may have a chance of not bearing the full responsability for at least the damage to the other vehicle, which would of course arrange me.

It's also time to reconsider the Stucchi bars for the Norge, I think...
 
RJVB,

Glad to hear you are (mostly) OK - and that the Norge still lives.

You definitley have much more interesting holidays that I do. :D
 
Phew!...
I am glad you are pretty much OK!
I hope the ribs won't take much to heal but be careful, take it easy with them, they are a ... sneaky repair!
 
Thanks all for the kind words.

Mi_ka: my ribs are OK according to the X-ray. The tissu/muscles around them must be bruised, mashed, whatever ... and that hurts. It's going better already, though - until I get tired and tensed up.
 
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