Artikel 2024

Attunement

Link: dennis-wray.com

La Parra/Asturias

Über viele Jahre/Jahrzehnte war das Hotel „La Parra“ unser Zuhause und wir saßen nächtelang auf der Veranda, ließen uns nicht stören von den vorbei donnernden Trucks und genossen die Freundlichkeit und Beständigkeit des Teams um Ana und Amable. Danke, Danke an alle!

For many years/decades, the hotel „La Parra“ was our home and we sat on the veranda for nights on end, not being disturbed by the trucks thundering by and enjoying the friendliness and consistency of the team around Ana and Amable. Thank you, thank you all!

Durante muchas anos/décadas, el hotel „La Parra“ fue nuestra casa y nos sentábamos en la veranda durante noches enteras, sin que nos molestaran los camiones que pasaban atronando y disfrutando de la amabilidad y la coherencia del equipo que rodeaba a Ana y Amable. Gracias, gracias a todos.

Carretera general km 285

(A-8)
Salida 277
33590 La Franca
Telf.: 985 412 234
web: http://www.hrlaparra.com

‘Colombres’, a word like a promise of a “second home” and the “most beautiful region of north-west Spain”. Both are true and we want to explain and describe a little of it to you here. The region of Euskadi, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia, the north-west of Spain and the ‘Costa verde’ is always worth a trip and there is so much to see and experience that one lifetime is not enough.

But the region around the ‘Picos de Europa’ limestone massif is very special, as it combines sea and mountains within a strong relief and if we start in the morning from Colombres near the Atlantic, we reach the high mountains of the Picos in two hours. The views are always breathtaking and on a clear day, the images are etched in our minds forever.

Thoughts

24 degrees on 12 October 2024 in San Sebastian says it all. After all, we had to switch to a Ford van because of the fear of a wet and cold journey back to Colombres. The second reason was my temporary abandonment of motorcycling due to fears and insecurity. That’s what happens over the years. My Vespa Cosa 200, which was with me, would hardly have been able to keep up with Martin and the XJ900.

Another fantastic year in Asturias, top organisation, good atmosphere, our English friends from the Moto Guzzi Club Britain with us for the 20th year. In 2004 I made my way to Colombres for the first time with Hanna on a GS400 and my CB750K2, because it’s a good 1600-1800 kilometres. We have never regretted it, as my friend Dennis Wray from Burnham/Slough (who sadly died 2 years ago at the age of 80) has been urging me on and promoting Colombres for years. Thank you, Dennis!

We always want to experience more of the area, culture and history and have been spending more time in the Picos or visiting the El Pindal or Altamira show caves for years now. This year we stayed at the Hostal Poncebos in the centre of the Picos de Europa with Bulnes and its funicular railway, the divine Ruta de Cares, the dreamy Camarmena and the highlight was the ascent to the Refugio del Uriellu from Sotres. That’s at least 1200 metres of climbing over 10.5 kilometres and although I had trained with my mother in the Black Forest and hadn’t been as good on foot as I was at the moment for years, my courage failed me two days beforehand. As there were storms and heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday, it wouldn’t have worked out anyway and my shame was put into perspective. With humility, I will continue to train bravely in 2025 and then nothing should stand in the way of an ascent.

The Uriellu is the landmark of the beautiful Picos de Europa nature reserve and standing at the foot of the nucleus of Spanish mountaineering is my motivation.

Moto Guzzi Club GB

Impressions

A week in the Picos de Europa in hiking boots and rucksack, more of that please. The way back was ideally organised with prehistoric show caves, like pearls on a necklace, via Altamira, Lascaux4 and Chauvet. San Sebastian, one of my favourite cities in Europe, was of course on the list for one night, so we looked for a good Pinxtos bar and found it. With booking.com we also found a nice place to stay in Montinac-Lascaux and especially with Nathalie and her husband we had a wonderful place to stay near Vallon Pont d’Arc (Sarlat) close to the Chauvet cave. She rides a Suzuki Bandit 1250 herself and the basis was just right, but even without motorbike enthusiasm, a very friendly welcome and brilliant accommodation. Thank you for that!

After the Ardeche, it was a pretty quick trip to the Rhone motorway and towards Strasbourg and home. Thanks to Martin, who had already driven all the way from Urloffen to La Franca/La Parra in 18 hours (there’s a long-distance driver gene in Martin’s DNA) and that with an automatic gearbox unknown to both of us, lots of buttons, cruise control, multimedia, Bluetooth and the like, AdBlue instructions ‘Another 400 km, then the engine will switch off. Fill up with AdBlue’ (2 l at the Shell petrol station in Appenweier for €16, 15 l in France for €55 and €0.79/l in Spain, but it’s only uric acid anyway (sometimes German engineers do have a sense of humour), and, and, and……

Asked what the best thing about this year’s tour was? Answer: Everything. Simply everything. It was as planned and refreshing for heart and soul, every day was a pleasure and we were very lucky, once again, with the people we met.

What was still missing…

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