Spanish Adventure Part 5

 

Spanish Adventure

Part Five.

Friday morning, bright and early for breakfast and loaded up for a day at the races. An easy run to the Catalunya track until we joined the queue to get in. It was not the best organised with having to go in one entrance then out again to go in another entrance for our pre-booked car parking. We finally got parked but missed the Moto 3 first practice by the time we found t stand H and seats. It was scorchingly hot and we spent the least time possible in the sun. It was a unique experience with every MotoGP rider having a stall or part of one. Time to buy tee shirts. I was impressed with Fabio Quatararo in practice as he was so smooth and progressive in his riding and seemed to be streets ahead in not looking as though he was trying. Aleix Espargaro was hustling his Aprilla to make progress and wild at times. There is quite some camaraderie in the stands and conversations with complete strangers about who is good who you support and what you think of the racers. I could have done with live BT Sport to help recognising machines and riders. It was not available to me in Spain. The big screen opposite us was too far away. During the mid day break we explored the entertainments near stands A and B and the entrance 1. There was a big queue to sit on Fabio’s bike and I declined but did have a picture of me and Gita holding a winners’ trophy.

We did not stay to the end and Moto2 second Free Practice as we had tickets for the theatre at eight. Leaving after MotoGP practice would get us back to the hotel before five with enough time to get showered and changed and be heading for the station by six and in Barcelona by seven for an evening meal before show time. Unlike the UK travel is relatively cheap with a travel ticket giving eight journeys. We could both use it. Two return journeys to the centre of the city for 28 euros. My comments on British Public Transport are not printable. Theatre in Spanish you might ask but it was a treat for us watching our youngest daughter perform in her chosen profession and we had the luck to be there. It was a musical called Starcrossed. Written by one of the cast and turned out to be one of the best things I had ever seen in the small theatre. It was entertainment at its best with believable story line, excellent acting and witty script, not to mention the songs. It was over all too quick and we had to rush back to the station to catch the last train back cutting short our post show revelries.

Saturday was a struggle to get started. We had got back to the hotel at one am and were up at seven for breakfast and on our way at eight. The same traffic greeted us as expected but we went to the parking area by a different route which was much easier. Just as hot and we still managed to miss Free Practice for Moto3. Always eager to know how Scott and Josh are progressing. The rookies in the paddock. New people to meet today. Yesterday you could go anywhere but today you had to use your allocated seat. Practices were much the same with a couple of riders taking a tumble and qualifying set the scene for the races. The return journey was uneventful other than missing a turning and going into Barcelona to come out on the right road. I pulled into the garage just a little way from the hotel to fill up with fuel for tomorrow. It was also a cafe and shop. Gita noticed there was something dripping from under the car. I checked the oil and there was not much left. Time to panic. I bought 5litres of oil and hoped we could get to the track for race day. Back at the hotel car park there was tell tale slick from where we had parked the day before. Nothing I could do about that for a few days except adding oil as required. It was a crankshaft oil seal doing exactly what it did in Portugal where I had help at the 2CV Rally to fix it. This time I was on my own. There was only about sixty miles to do the next day and I reckoned it was safely doable with the amount of oil I had only hoping I did not have to stop on the motorway.

Another early start and still not away any earlier than eight. There was much more traffic today and so many more cars. Entering the parking was not bad but going up a steep hill I had the oil warning light flicker. Although the same car park we were much further away and took much longer. We still missed a warm up but were in good time for the races. Another hot day in the sun with no shade in the stand we found shade whenever we could even having a proper meal in a covered area. There was drama in every race and the finale of Fabio winning was a spectacle with crowds heading for the podium to see the gladiators. Walking down the start-finish straight to see the stars of the day was an experience I will never forget taking pictures as we went.

It took ages to get out of the car park and on our way. Today I did not make a mistake with the navigating but the drive was tense, expecting the oil light to come on at any moment. There was much relief at getting back to the hotel and parked up. What a day! I needed some time to work what to do next. That would be tomorrow.

 

 

Spanish Adventure Part 4

                                      Spanish Adventure 

                               Part Four.

Another warm day with more sunshine started with a good breakfast then a little oil on the alternator front bearing. The usual engine oil check showed no oil consumption having covered over 1000 miles since leaving home. Cartagena was the next stop following the coast as much as we could.  It was quite an up and down road, mostly dual carriageway with glimpses of the sea as we travelled east. Only 118 miles but it seemed to take ages to get there. Staying at a modern hotel with an underground car park the round had limited space but comfortable enough for a one night stop at the edge of the shopping area. An interesting place to walk around with the main street taking you down to the water front. 

There were ancient fortifications to protect the harbour and in that area a number of performances were taking place. Along the high street were a display of theatrical masks. It was the best seaside town we visited on the trip so far. Wishing we had two nights here we moved on to Valencia. Knowing it would need more time to visit we booked an Ibis near the airport which did food and we would save Valencia for a longer visit. A Valencian non event. We did not venture away from the hotel even to visit the shopping precinct nearby. I spent the time on trying to locate a new alternator without success. It would have to keep going with my daily oiling.

An early night and an early start got us through Valencia and to our next destination. It was a quiet place more so as it was Sunday evening. We arrived at the Hotel SB Corona Tortosa and it was a gem of a place with a swimming pool. El Cid parked in the underground car park again and safe we explored the town. Found a bar that was open and enjoyed a few beers near the park which had a small museum. In the museum was a display of giant puppets. Apparently this is what the town in known for. It brings out these puppets for a week long festival each year. We found a restaurant not far from the hotel and spent the rest of the evening doing catch up on Itchy Boots.

Monday and we were on our way to Mataro just outside Barcelona and about 30 minutes from the Circuit de Catalunya. We had arrived at the B&B Hotel Barcelona Mataro. This would be home for the next six nights. It had been an Ibis at some point but had lost its catering in the change.  There are not many hotels in Mataro that have secure parking so our choice was limited. The main drawback was that it was a twenty minute walk to the train station and a further twenty minutes to the centre of town. Barcelona was where our daughter lives so doing MotoGP was a bonus to the visit. I had booked the tickets in 2020 for the event and to do a road trip afterwards. Sadly Covid got in the way and now it was happening.

We had covered some 1663 miles to get here staying in nine hotels on the way and still not a drop of oil used. I met a Mehari man from France, Michel who runs a 2CV restoration business, Renov 2CV. I did not see him again to talk a bit longer.

Tuesday was a rest day with a trip to the beach and a meal out.

Wednesday we went into Barcelona in the El Cid to deliver all of Neema’s, our daughter, stuff she had been unable to take to her new flat and she had left at home. It was a car full along with other stuff we had bought for on the way. We had a lovely day with a bit of sight-seeing and two meals out. We got back to Mataro just as it was getting dark. A successful escapade.

Pond in the Park near the Barcelona Arc de Triumph.

Thursday was another walk around Mataro day with a trip to the beach again and another walk around  town. It was hot and after walking for more than two and a half hours I had had enough and had no energy left for another walk into town for the evening. I waved the white flag and went to bed. Tomorrow was MotoGP Free Practice.

Spanish Adventure Part 3

 

Spanish Adventure

Part Three.

 

Having arrived in Ronda travelling by the scenic route we had an evening and all the next day to enjoy the place. I was not feeling too good early evening I thought it was too much pollen in the air with the strong fragrance of the tree blossom in the park but it turned out to be my UV contact lenses and corresponding Polaroid sunglasses that gave me such a headache. It was eye strain from being double polarised. There was a grainy view to the world I could not cope with. A rest and not wearing contact lenses or sunglasses I was alright after an hour too late for Gita to go shopping.

The next day was all action starting with a chef cooked fried eggs done to perfection and sausages and bacon. Out of the hotel and across the road the shopathon begins at the first jewellery store. Contactless card payments are magical at removing money from your account. As the little machine bleeps you almost hear the whoosh as the money goes. Fortunately for me there is only the one “High street” where all the shops congregate. We shopped until the shops closed for lunch so we took a break too. I was dragged into most of the jewellery shop and bag stores. Some were both with Mia-Mia have four stores in that area and something was bought in each store. Post lunch is a quiet time to fill in the time before the shops open again we visited the Bull Ring just behind the hotel. Ronda is where Ernest Hemingway wrote “Death in the afternoon”. Drama of the bull fight and about the villains and heroes of that era. But the Bull Ring is about equestrian prowess and where the Olympic sport of dressage was born. Spanish Elite School of horsemanship was born there out of necessity as there were no trained cavalry to go to war with and Ronda was that school. The Bull ring was built after the riding school. I like Ronda and staying at the Paradore, the hotel on the cliff with stunning views looking down on the birds gliding on the thermals.

The next day was a leisurely start to head to Malaga; some 65 miles away for another two night stop over.  Driving over the hills was challenging. It is the first time I have experienced brake fade from repeated acceleration and deceleration. It was not gentle. I am still not sure Malaga was the best place to stay but considering my shopaholic I thought a hotel of character near the shops would be a good idea. At the end of a hot day the hotel was not easy to find and even more difficult the secure car park. I’m sure I went the wrong way down a one way street to get there. Other than a great deal of walking and the long climb to the fort it was not that memorable. 

We did not even get into Picasso’s museum as you had to book on line. We had no roaming on our phone contracts. Our last evening we enjoyed a beer on the terrace as the sun went down on this unusual hotel. In the morning we had to find the car and take it back to the hotel to load up. We set out early but we could not find the car park. I was one street out in my memory. The car was fine. I am wary of remote car parks from past experience. Back to the hotel past road works that required both mirrors to be folded in to get through. It was a hold your breath time, couldn’t go forward, couldn’t go back situation. After a bit of going round the houses we were back at the hotel. Loaded up we went on our way to Almeria some 128miles and easy driving except for finding the entrance to the hotel. The Gran Hotel Almeria situated on a corner but you had to be on the right road to get to the car park.

 The beach looked close but you had to walk the perimeter of the new marina to get to it. After much cruising the town we asked in a shop for the best place to eat and were rewarded with the Bar Tomat and a very special meal.

 

Comment Time June 2022

 

Comment Time June 22

 

I have had a number of emails from MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) asking me to respond to a couple of surveys. I have just completed both of them and I feel a bit jaundiced about the outcomes. The first one was TfL and the increase in ULEZ does anyone know about this one?? A well kept secret to minimise the response you still have a couple weeks to respond. Look up projects on the TfL website under air pollution and do the questionnaire. I found it quite irritating because they asked questions that were emotive and you had to answer yes to them like is air quality important to you but did not ask me how I would be affected by the implementation of these measures.  It was a questionnaire designed to support what they want to do. I have a couple of classic cars that are not yet historic vehicles, the El Cid, the Burton and the Van as from January I will have to pay ULEZ on them just to move them off my drive. Just my luck they would install an ANPR camera on the lamp post opposite me. AS you may gather I am not too pleased about ULEZ. It will curtail my presence at car club meetings and events. Going to a 2CV club rally will add £25 to the cost of the weekend if I go. Being within the M25 I cannot escape payments until all the cars are old enough to be historic vehicles.

The other questionnaire was about parking charges in Hackney. At the moment visitors on motorcycles do not pay charges but that is about to change with banding being the same as a car for the same engine capacity. Not many 650cc cars around they are claiming to do it on levels of pollution but there is a flaw in the argument in the size of the vehicle as the only comparable car is a 2CV and they have no information on them form the government database. I have read their information about the impact on health and all the figures are estimated which means they have made them up and now are quoting them as fact. I continue to ask what are the figures?  Where is your data to support what you say? I asked that with the ULEZ as well. I know they do not have that level of detail otherwise they would be making use of it. I really do not like it that statements are made with no information to support them and claimed to be fact because it is an emotive issue. You can tell I am wound up I’ve started to repeat myself.

Last whinge of the day: I did not mention it in Spanish Adventure Part Two but on our trip to Caceres I filled up in Valladolid at a Carrefour supermarket. Excellent fuel 98 super and gave nearly 49mpg compare that to the previous fill up with E10 95 from Sainsbury’s in Plymouth that returned a dismal 37.9mpg! I know I filled right up and only a few miles from getting on the ferry but sometime during the crossing some 30 miles worth of fuel disappeared. There was a full tank going on and a noticeable loss when I drove off. I mentioned this to my friend Bob and he had noticed a discernable drop in fuel economy with E10. My policy was not to fill up before parking the El Cid for the night after that. Let me know if you have had similar problems with E10 fuels. There was no leak from the fuel tank, no theft as it is locked. So why did the volume of fuel shrink? Could it have been that fuel is delivered at a standard temperature of 15C and the temperature in the hold of the ferry being about 10C could the drop in temperature really take away 3 litres if fuel? Certainly getting on and off the ferry did not use that much fuel. Does anyone know the expansion rate for E10? It is 1/273 for water but we are not dealing with water.

Spanish Adventure Part 2

 

Spanish Adventure

Part Two.

 

Overnight in Valladolid and another bright sunny morning to explore the old historic town. Not much time to do anything with the prospect of temperatures reaching into the thirties as the day progressed and so did we, south towards our next destination in Caceres 217 miles. The old part of the town had restricted access and parking was in a secure municipal underground facility that was in amongst the narrow streets. You have to go slow as junctions are not marked and there is no right of way. I remember a moron in a white van even trying to overtake on a street that was only one car width. That was the most eventful part of the journey. It was all motorway work keeping at a speed not quite with the lorries. The long inclines were too much for 602cc with frequent excursions into third gear to cope with the load we were carrying and mindful of the cost of fuel at 2.20 euros per litre. Care with the throttle to get as many miles as we could from each drop of fuel.

The hotel was right on the main square and it being a Friday night it was a bit noisy. We grabbed a beer in a bar and watched the world go by for a bit and then went to a restaurant for a meal. Accommodation for Saturday night was a problem with booking as I had a plan to visit Cordoba but hotels in our price range were just not available. Saturday is wedding day in Spain and finding paces if difficult so the reason for the location of the next hotel. For want of a better description it was a gastropub. It was in a relatively remote village of Hornachuelsos on country lanes, some 175 miles away and more than four hours of slow driving up hill and down dale hairpin bends and steep off camber corners to keep you on the ball. 

We arrived just in time to pick up the keys to the room and get two beers before they closed up at 4pm until 7pm when they opened for the evening session. In this small village there was no street parking only a car park at the back of a block of flats that everyone seemed to use. It was not a secure set up.  We escaped for a walk around the village and found the church and the castle. Highlight was finding the Ferreteria. It is as the name suggests somewhere to ferret around in. It is the local general store which has everything in from electrical goods to building materials, cooking utensils and stationary. A gold mine of stuff!

We eventually ate in the pub and after a walk around the village left the locals to it which was around the pizzeria. There was not much to do there so it was not surprising they had a play with the car stealing the tow ball cover and bouncing it a few feet from where it was parked over night. Other than that incident people were very respectful and left things well alone and in other parking areas there were no problems.

Hornachuelsos was bitter sweet and no breakfast as they did not open again until 10am. I left there annoyed but by the time we had reached the next town we found somewhere to have breakfast  my demeanour improved. Our next destination less than a hundred miles away and again another country lanes drive to Ronda and a two night stop in a five star Paradore.

 

Spanish Adventure Part 1

                                                          Spanish Adventure.

Part One

We had just packed our Indian side of the family off home on the Sunday and set about packing for our journey. We were on our way to Barcelona to see our daughter Neema in a Musical. We were to drive there in the El Cid with all of Neema’s stuff that she could not take on a plane. The car was full to overflowing. The cat went into the cattery on the Tuesday morning and we went off to Bristol to stay with my brother Adrian overnight before continuing on to Plymouth to catch the ferry to Santander. We thought it best to break the journey as neither I nor Gita had done any big journeys in a car since the first lock down and were a bit a bit “rusty”. We filled up with fuel at Sainsbury’s at Plymouth and headed in to the ferry port. All going quite smoothly until at check-in we needed a Covid passport. Shock-horror the proof of vaccination was not enough. It had to be digital. I have two gripes here. The Government website gave all the either, ors but did not say that it was essential. Brittany Ferries only told us that at check-in. As a first-time foreign traveller since 2019 I had been on-line checking what was needed and no-one said that you MUST have a Covid Passport!

So sitting with one hour to go I went on line and registered ten finding out how to do it showed Gita. I hate doing things on my phone. My fingers do not work well with touch screens. I found that out when they were first introduced in 1995 where it is with laser beam or touch sensitive screens they will not work consistently because that I have trepidation about using them. It is infuriating when you touch an icon and it does nothing or something that you have not touched and I can demonstrate that time and again that modern technology fails me. People with size one fingers complain I am doing it wrong but then they are not using my size 9’s. My Covid passport arrived in minutes but Gita’s was still pending. We were waiting still as the last cars checked. This level of tension I could do without. We may not be able to travel and that would mess up all the pre-booked hotels. We had help from the check-in people who were pleasant and considerate as we waited for the Covid passport to come through. It had started to rain to match our desperate mood.  Just over the hour it came through and we checked-in. Relief there was still time as we joined the Passport queue. We had made first trauma of the holiday had been dealt with. Plain sailing now but that was not to be. Gita was seasick and wasted a complete dinner until she took some seasickness pills. Sea Legs. They are good for her and bought them in New Zealand in 2011. As we disembarked from the ferry there was a niggling rattle that was like a loose tappet but did not match the engine noises. It was not the engine.

 Pressing on we reached our first hotel 155miles south of Santander. Enjoying the sunshine and heat that we both needed and can only get from southern Europe. The overnight stop was at Valladolid in the four star Filipe IV hotel which was a great place to stay  but the car parking was in a prohibited pedestrian area and going, what seemed, the wrong way down a one way street.

We had survived day one in Spain and driving through rush hour traffic to find the hotel was an experience to be repeated a number of times as I had booked hotels as near to the centre of town with secure parking.

April 2022

 

April 2022

 

I almost did not do a post this month not because there was nothing to write about but I have a number of ongoing projects and the decision when to document them is the real problem in that when  is the time to do it as mostly they are parts of a complete whole but still unfinished. As usual there are some jobs around the house that have to be done. This month the cold side of a mixer tap in the bathroom had no cold water coming out of it. I had to make a castellated nut spanner to dismantle the tap, which was fine so the problem was in the supply. The problem was in the pipe between the isolation valve and the tap. To get to it I had to remove all the panels surrounding the sink to gat at the pipe with the blockage being a disintegrating fibre washer in the coupling. The washer had migrated into the pipe and took a bit of poking to get it out. Have you ever tried to get a specific sized fibre washer? I can assure you it is not easy. The solution was from an unusual source. Lidl has boxes of fibre and rubber washers and one, although not the correct size, did fit and is still doing the job. 

Next was the boiler service. I was told that it was kettling and would need a new heat exchange or a flush out. Neither would be done at the service. I was not impressed by what they covered in the service and told the engineer so. I decided that a flush would be done and got the flushing agent and inhibitor from Screwfix. I drained the system down as much as I could and put the cleaning agent in and left it for a week. This stopped the kittling noise straight away. The system needed to be drained and flushed three times with the fourth fill the inhibitor was added. What a palaver and it took all day to do it. At this time I was doing other things like working on an aluminium cover to fit below the spare wheel and when I finished that one a cover to hide the filler neck, sender unit and fuel pipe over the petrol tank.

In between was Easter and a visit from my brother Adrian. He arrived Good Friday and left on the next Wednesday. It was action packed. Saturday we went to Brooklands for the day. As we were approaching the car park we were flagged down by a steward and asked if we had booked. For what? A Classic Car day. They let me in on my BCMT card, British Motorcycle Trust, and were directed to a parking area along with lots of other classic cars near the bus museum. There were so many cars there I just had to take a picture from high up on the banking. I was promptly told off for doing that! 

Sunday we were off to the Citroen 2CVB national meeting near Ely in Cambridgeshire. At registration we were asked to join the line up of different models of 2CVs in the arena. I didn’t win any prizes but did get a few spares including a big spanner to tighten the drive shaft nuts. I was also introduced to people who could help me with my hood replacement on the El Cid. Another good day out. The front tyres were squealing on roundabouts and there were allot of them on the trip. The kingpins had just been replaced and things disturbed. Another job to do. 

Monday the relatives arrive from Assam with six large suitcases. Lots of presents and gifts for everyone.

Tuesday was our trip to Whitewebbs Transport Museum and another full on day out in the El Cid. After Adrian went home on the Wednesday I was trying to find someone to check the tracking and get it adjusted. I think everyone was on holiday that week. I was out of luck. How easy is it to do the tracking on a 2CV? Have a look on UTube. A vernier and a piece of string wrapped around all four wheels. I tried it and it does work. The most difficult problem was one rusted adjuster that took a bit of freeing up. It took a few hours of repeated tweaking and measuring that got the toe in of slightly negative to over doing it and then back to within range of zero to 3mm toe out. I set it at 1.7mm.

The next drive out was for Drive It Day on Sunday April 24^th. Again with the 2CV club on a country route criss crossing the Thames from Henley to Chertsey. Nice to see everyone again after Covid. Good day out and no squealy tyres.