Trough France we took four days on N-roads. Starting a beautiful journey on the motorway seemed no good idea. Direction Brussels, Flemish Ardennes, first camp site in Coucy-le-Chateau. Our GPS showed we were 311 km from home, the road let us travel 100 km more. From the camping ground we looked at the old city walls and the fields. The next day we went towards the river Loire, avoiding Paris. Near to Blois we follow a road on a dike - something familiar to us Dutch. Large areas south of the Loire are land behind dikes. Wind is very strong and we have to look out for the stone walls along the road. Soon we ride trough Amboise. The little caves to store the local wine seem deserted. At Tours we go south, direction Poitiers. At Lacroix Moto & Electro (awkward combination of washing machines and BMWs and Yamahas) we buy a rear light. With the wind in our faces we head for Sommieres-du-Clain. September 96 we were the last visitors, this time we are the first. Water and washing rooms are shut off. After a visit at the municipal hall nothing happened... Tourists are not to be expected yet.

The ever ongoing pine tree forest starts a long time before you reach Bordeaux. Motorways with three lanes are not very safe but the power of our Funduros keeps us out of trouble. Stopping for lunch we ride with more than 100kmh, thoroughly braking with a truck behind and a sharp exit to the right. Of course the exit is a sandy road... We forget the busy traffic as we sit on the Atlantic beach with a bottle of wine and large pieces of French cheese. This is the perfect sundowner! Swimming is not allowed at this place. Standing halfway your knees you feel the hunger of the pulling ocean. The owner of the camp ground at Vieux Boucau knows some Dutch words. Apart from 'goedemorgen' (good morning) he refuses to tell the other words, but his smile is big enough.

Fifth day on the road: Bask Country. We follow the N121 in the opposite direction of last September: Bayonne - Cambo-les-Bains - Ainhoa - Elizondo - Pamplona. Sometimes I wonder how we managed to ride in the ongoing rain. The views are impressive! We eat at midday at a wonderful picnic ground with a fountain with fresh water, grill, tables and benches of stone and no other people at all. The bells we heard belong to horses that feed nearby. In close range two big horses and a foal rest in the shade of trees. In the air lots birds of prey and little finches in the bushes. Welcome to Spain! On the road to Lizarra we overtake an other F650 that rides close to the edge of the road like a moped. I am glad I had some driving lessons in the crowded city of Utrecht!

Checking the tyres before leaving Lizarra Karin discovers some metal pin sticking out of her rear tyre. The small pin appears to be a nail of 4cm that penetrated the tyre. The night before we abundantly put chain lube on our chains... Breakfast first and than at work. Change a tyre for the first time isn't easy (Possi advised to practice at home). Not easy at all with only a piece of paper that describes how to put a Michelin Desert on the rims... Growing impatience and motorcross boots make this task rather easy in the end. Push the outer tyre deep in the rim with the boots and the three tyre-irons fit easily. The rest is just like any bicycle. After washing my hands with water, detergent and dirt they are brand new.

From Lizarra to Allo, Lodosa, Arnedo and Soria we ride to El Burgo de Osma. We follow the LR115 - C115 that goes through different nature reserves. Every 30 minutes we have a different scenery. First bends with nothing to see what on the other side is coming around it. After Yanguas we cross a plane at high altitude and freezing wind. The road is marked with sticks in case snow falls. Soria is a busy city, crowded with storks. In the Netherlands these birds are carefully protected. In this country they build nests everywhere, on churches or radio-masts and their shit lies under their nests. After Soria we ride trough a scenery with little bushes and juniper berry trees. The churches that seem to belong to small villages always are a few hundred meters away from the houses. This looks like cowboy movies in Mexico. In fact, Mexico resembles Spain. The Michelin road map signs out a camp ground in El Burgo. Following the sign we find ourselves 17 km far away in Ucero. The camping ground in Ucero is rather expensive but very beautiful, it lies in a natural reserve. Following Spanish habits this site is blessed with good picnic facilities. Later we discovered the municipal camping ground of el Burgo is on the other (south) side of the N122.

Ucero is just outside the Parque Natural Cañon del Rio Lobos. This park was not on our maps and this might be the reason for its quietness. In the evening the silence has gone as a couple of fathers in hunter-outfit arrive to camp with their children. Their only interest seems to be laziness, crisps and their walkmans. Next morning the children still dislike the environs and their fathers cope with huge hangovers that can be smelled from Pamplona to Jerez!

Surroundings are dominated by blue magpies. These birds only live in the south-west part of Spain and Portugal. They look like big swallows, especially the heads and they are more impudent than the magpies at home! The skies are reigned by the vultures. During the day they hunt on the sides where the sun shines.

Saturday 24 of may 1997. Doing some shopping at El Burgo and drink some very strong coffee (cortado) and cafe con leche at the Plaza Major. Afterwards we make a long walk in the nature reserve. Along the Rio Ucero we walk far into the canyon until we reach the monastery.

<--- Ermita de San Bartolomé, Ucero Soria

Through the canyon, at the Ermita we take a path trough the hills back. Fortunate we took our GPS with us. Without the previous programmed waypoint of the camp site we couldn't be back before sunset... At 1,25km in a straight line we reached a path that brought us to the village dump of Ucero and back in the civilised world. At the end of the path we meet a Spaniard who likes to talk a little. To our regret we say '¡No habla Español!' - we really should learn this beautiful language. People just want to talk and share your adventures.

At Sunday we leave and ride trough the Sierra de Guadarrama. . Far away we see the clouds rolling over mountaintops and very soon we ride in poring rain. Rain in the Spanish mountains means water and mud on the roads and very slow driving traffic. With only 40kmh we overtook most Spaniards! Riding fast is also dangerous because you can meet a herd of cows anywhere. Stepping aside for motorbikes is unknown to them. By accident we arrive in El Escorial, a city with a beautiful parador. We enter the first hotel we spot and ask for a room where we can dry our gear... As the weather permits we visit the town and drink some glasses of Estrella Damm. Spanish visitors only drink coffee before dinner. We visit part of the famous monastery. In far distance you can see Madrid. Back at the hotel the restaurant is closed but we still can get some paella y ensalada. The grandfather actually is the only one that speaks very good English! After dinner we view all television channels that are available and discover that this sad day five people died because of bad weather... El tiempo for tomorrow is just as bad.

On Monday we ride via Avia trough the Sierra de Gredos and the C501 to Plasencia. On the top of the Sierras we see fresh snow. At Madrigal de la Vera we enter Extremadura. We are welcomed with Bougainville. Between rain showers the temperature is pleasant.

Bougainville. Welcome to Extremadura! --->

Just south of Malpartida de Plasencia we put up out tent. This camping ground is at the border of the Parque Natural de Monfraguë, famous for its birds of prey. The camping ground is crowded with international bird watchers that go to the washing room with binoculars - just not to miss something...

Go on with part 2 of the Extremadura y Andalucia-tour -->>