UK to Croatia and then Portugal, 2026. Motorcycling and cycling.
May 4th Monday
It is difficult to get away in the summer. The garden needs attention. Grass cut at last minute etc. This time someone is coming in to look after it. May is very much growing season for my veg. I like my vegetables. Finally I am ready by 9.45am and we are off. Panniers are new but look odd. We need to settle in. The weather is cloudy and 11c. Not so warm but not raining. Norfolk needs rain however. Many thoughts go through my head as I set off. Passport…yes. Think I have left light on in kitchen. Thinking about temperature I realise I have no small puffa jacket for the evenings. Oh well. Then later realise I have left milk out of the fridge. Ring Gina my daughter…she is the one who will look after my house plants etc.
Fill up in Brandon, going to press on and see if I can get an earlier ferry….Dover -Calais.It becomes very misty but dry. I fail to get earlier ferry and sit in cafe at the Dock. Then watch our ferry unload….lots of foreign lorries come off. Then on we go. Two motorcycles. Not many cars. Its the end of a Bank Holiday and I guess I am going the wrong way so to speak. All very smooth…research hotel on the ferry and decide on somewhere near Lille . Every hotel on google maps posted lower prices than reality. Maps need to update!!! Oil crisis seems to have hit hotel room prices.
On the way the dual carriageway said it was shut ahead which indeed it was. Maps did well taking me on some great country route and bypassing a massive jam. It was an accident. Few jams on our avoidance route…but as on motorbike I was able to get by…..
First night and bike.
May 5th Tuesday
No milk so no tea!! Set off with no food or drink…its grey, murky and later a fine drizzle. Not great and not that warm. Travelling on anything but motorway so progress not fast in France but once I get into Belgium much better. Good fast road, not much traffic, pretty…in the drizzle!! After Mauberge in particular…good till Arlon. Weather after drizzle did cheer up so that I had a very welcome stop in Givet by the river Meuse. Soon after that found an enormous Intermarche and bought picnic cheered by prospect of dry weather.
Not to be however…got worse and the rain set in. Whilst shower proof I finally had to stop and put on more waterproof gear. Gloves hopeless..leak… and one boot leaks a bit. Booked hotel at this stage about 1 hour further on. In Luxemburg at Remich. Strange rather grand spot….not cosy but good room.
May 6th Wednesday
Rain very much still in the air. 9am start after breakfast which was included. Cloudy and cool…12c.. bit of spitting rain but forecast was better in Strasbourg where I was heading. On my minor roads…I have now since leaving Calais gone France, Belgium, France, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, France, Germany.
My chain has got loose, needs tightening. I stop, when I catch up what has looked like better weather in front…about 11.30am, in a car park. As I very much suspected, the wheel bolt is very tight. Mechanics!!. I put all my weight on the wrench and it fails. OK…. nearing Strasbourg I look up BMW . They are closed, having 2 hour lunch break. Try another motorbike dealer. Very helpful. We tighten chain. He tells me about a diy place. I then buy a very good wrench with extendable handle that I can really put pressure on with..
Weather has remained dry but rain will come. I have managed all this in BMW’s lunch hour. Head on towards Black forest. Stop while nice and have a small break . Black cloud arrives within minutes of leaving so on with extra waterproofs and the rain arrives. Had booked hotel about 1,5 hrs away. Arrived to find it shut…dead. Rebooked another about 30 mins away. By now gloves soaked. New place friendly…turks…have to carry all luggage in as told could be dodgy. Hope rain keeps thieves at home . Have good evening talking to the owner about Turkey and Germany etc.
May 7th Thursday
It was dripping with rain…put over trousers on. But rain is such a pain..the phone has to live in a plastic bag. The vital phone with map directions .statistics…mileage etc. The tank bag is wet through but was empty overnight. I had to tighten my chain in the rain….but new wonderful tool worked. It rained for a bit but roads were wet till midday. Encouraged enough to buy a bit of picnic food, and then later it was nice enough to stop! Hurrah.! However it was deserved as the temp has been at 10c…shifted up to 15c around lunch time.
But at lunch I saw that my phone had not been charging up. It was at 35% battery. That is not good if running maps. What was wrong? It then would not charge on anything. I had a power pack, I had another charging point on the bike, I had other leads. Nothing made it charge. I took screen savers of the map. I turned maps off. I then got lost!! Turned phone on but battery now at less than 5%. …in spite of being on charger. Finally died. That meant I did not have hotel destination, name , nor access to screen savers . Found someone who was willing to hot spot my tablet for me. That way I could get the hotel name etc. Turned maps on , on the tablet, and when started learnt that it would keep going without network or WiFi. . Off I went again…had about half an hour to go. Numerous stops to get tablet out and check progress. Finally reached hotel. It was in a tiny village which did add to my difficulties.! Natz Schabs…in Italy! I started the day in Germany and went through Austria to Italy. 389kms…
It is an extraordinary village with an hotel every few yards. “Apple” plateau and good place for various ski areas in the winter apparently. Had good pizza in restaurant and very nice glass of local wine costing 2.8 euros.
Very neat apple trees….not vines.
May 8th Friday
The sun is shining!!! No rain in the forecast!! But my phone is the down point having not quite finished charging…checked everything. Hope for best… It was a joy to have the sun and no rain.
Inspite of phone charging problems it was a great day. Pretty and good biking road, especially the SS52. I took one parallel with the Slovenian border but remained in Italy. Through various minor ski resorts. The first hour was on a busy main road, but once turned off on the SS52 traffic was not an issue.
Picnic was relaxed , and I found time to look under the bike seat for fuses but they seemed to be buried deeper. My theory is that the phone port has blown a fuse in the rain. Phone does not charge quick enough…but is charging now… on my power pack. So glove off so I could turn maps on and off to conserve power. It did the trick! My other worry has been the bike chain. Its reaching the end of its life. Having to tighten it each morning…making a good chain noise inspite of oil. Probably got a tight and loose spot.
Actually had a walk about as weather was warm!! Ended up eating in a very noisy Balkan restaurant. Large portion of not great food. ! Hotel restaurant overly “smart”. Now within striking distance of Pula. I stayed in Gradisca dʼIsonzo.
Old !
May 9th Saturday
Sun shining, blue sky!! 23c! Now this good…Short journey today…nevertheless maps says 150kms will take 3 hrs! It was very built up this side of Trieste, then there was Triste itself and after that in Croatia it was very twisty for a while . I had hoped to find a motorcycle shop to talk about a new chain but they were closed. Do not work Saturdays. Found hotel in Pula where I am to leave my motorbike. Much to and froing with bike and luggage. I had to re sort things, get changed etc. After that it was relax. Cups of tea, one glass of wine, sit in the sun etc. Not many people around…very early season it seems. Sea is cold…watched one or two girls brave it!! Finally caught an uber taxi to the airport to meet the group.
Hung around for quite a while but eventually the flight got their bags and 9 people appeared. On to transfer bus and drove for about 45 mins to arrive in Porec. Big hotel. I had not eaten and nor had at least 2 others so nipped out to eat at a restaurant nearby. It was by now at least 10.15pm. Got to bed late. !
May 10th Sunday
Out by 8.30am after good breakfast. Drove in bus for quite a while to inland spot where eventually the bikes were found ! Sorted ourselves out. Weather just fine. Guide talks too much about things when we are sight seeing . End up at a truffle place….and have some food about 3.30pm. Too late….Got back to hotel via transport .. Then out to eat at 7pm. This supper paid for by Exodus. All getting to know each other … Forecast not so good for tomorrow….raining a bit tonight too.
Istria.1
May 11th Monday
Rain delayed our start. We met at 9.50am to take bus/van further north to start our journey today. Rain did finally stop. We viewed a few coastal spots as we cycled north. Boban finally led us to a cafe. The sun was shining finally and we sat outside having coffee and tea etc. A few had toasties. Boban then wanted to go as rain was coming but the waitress was useless at coming to get our money and kept on serving others. It was very frustrating. When she finally came over it took ages. As result we left too late to avoid all rain. Putting rain jackets on, we continued till the back up van came. However many of us wanted to do the 10kms more in the rain. Boban himself had wanted to get in the van…that seemed obvious! So some got in the van and the rest of us carried on. My shorts got pretty soaked, gloves , ..but feet felt dry as had dry skin socks on.
We had ended up in a wine tasting place. It was excellent. Some dried meats, cheese and truffle paste and local wine to try. Then back to hotel in the van. …by then 6.30pm or so. Out to a restaurant round the back of the hotel by 8pm. My clothing was pretty damp and the socks were a bit wet. Forecast for tomorrow is not brilliant.
My electric cycle.
May 12th Tuesday
Cycles are here in town…usually we have had van rides to the bikes….and we are off down the coast. Rain threatens and not long before it comes. Jackets on and on we go in the rain. Its pretty cold too. Cold wind. The coast is full of rocky bays with tourist hotels . It is not where I would want to holiday. We press on with the odd photo stop. We begin to see blue sky on the horizon. Eventually we see an inlet like a fjord…pretty…. Rain stops and down we go to this pretty fjord where there is a restaurant. Against all the odds we sit outside in the sun and have lunch. That is it on cycling today. We did 20 miles. At one point I was turning the power off my electric cycle to work hard in an effort to warm up. My phone said it was 17 c in the rain but it felt like 10 c.
In the evening we walked through the town to a restaurant some of the others had spotted. Good for me as I have not really explored. Good meal though bit expensive…40 euros each.
Another group photo
Fun sign.
May 13th Wednesday
A dry day! Taken inland to get the bikes. We then cycled some nice quiet roads. We did quite a circle. Stopped to see old church etc, have a good tea stop and then later lunch. We did 50kms in all which was more than other days. Though dry , the air was cool. But so much better than the other wet days!!
After cycling we are now transferred to Pula and to an hotel near where I have left the motorbike. We arrive quite late…6pm…. This hotel has a great position with an amazing view over the sea. We end up eating in the hotel bar….most of us anyway. It is a very swish hotel but not in the middle of town.
Sorry about blue tone !!
This was our swish hotel.
Amphitheatre in Pula.
May 14th Thursday
Cycles are nearby so off we go to cycle through Pula and northwards up the coast. Weather dry but cold and cloudy…ish. Many islands off shore and one that the excursion tomorrow is to go to. …Brijuni. Tito liked that island..add more details later. Wonderful large amphitheatre in Pula. I hope I might go inside it tomorrow..we will see. We get a tea/coffee stop in Fazana. Then onwards with a fair amount of rough gravel road. Lisa does not like it!! She has clip in shoes and does lack confidence. However we reach Rivinj.
Lovely old town sitting on its hill top over looking a beautiful bay. The old town had been an island until they filled in the very narrow channel between it and the mainland. Here we finish cycling. Walk right round the bay then are told to walk the town for an hour. …or eat. I did not hear the eat bit which meant I did not get any lunch. Very windy!
Van back to hotel. Now about 6pm so I immediately leave to walk to the hotel where my bike panniers are. No chance of a shuttle so hang them round my neck and walk back. Plod, plod but with one minor rest , I make it back by 7pm. About 1km… Supper choice was bar snack, expensive restaurant, or bus into Pula. Only two could be bothered to go to town. The rest of us had bar food. !
May 15th Friday
I have organised a mechanic to put a new chain on my motorbike. This became possible when I heard that this last day was for excursions. So missing the excursion I could get my chain done. I walked off to get the bike out of its garage. Then it started raining during my 15 min journey to the mechanic. Had to stop and put on waterproof trousers! Mechanic was waiting . I went off to a cafe. All good till he rings to say he needs another part….it was the link for the chain. Having sat in a smoke filled cafe for one hour I then sat in another for more than another hour. While waiting I also walked around a bit. Saw this invasive thing hanging off some trees….its called String Cottony Scale . Its a notifiable pest…an invasive pest and found first here in Pula in 2019 !!.
String Cottony Scale.
He had big problems getting this tiny part. In the end he did not charge for his extra time. Nice man. Rain did stop, but due to start again as I get back to the hotel. Good thing is I can park at this hotel with no problem.
Off we all go in the evening to a restaurant in Pula for last exodus supper. It was good food. Its still raining. They all seem to want to see the motorbike in the morning….its still meant to be raining.!
Pula after our meal.
May 16th Saturday
Got baggage down after breakfast into reception. Jumped on by all the staff hanging around to help! I go round the back to get the bike and bring round to the front. I had got permission to put it on the pavement from reception so that it could be under a roof as ….surprise, surprise, its still raining. So loaded panniers etc. A few of our group spotted me so with an audience , I finally got things tied on and with a wave I was off. Actually up to the hotel Verdure to hand in my parking card. Then off in the rain.
It rained for about 2 hours as I headed towards Trieste. I am now on motorway as many miles to go as I head for Portugal. Gradually the weather improves as I head west. From 12 c to 22 c by the end of the day. The alps to my right…far away…are bathed in sunshine before me. Lots of glistening white snow.
Little traffic really on the motorway and I finally stop near Piacenza, not so far from Genova. 556 kms. So glad I have a new chain. Hotel/motel said it had a restaurant but didn’t. Had to go into town…Broni…and found a bar and got a bit of food. Very nice and friendly. Town had endless takeaways and pizzerias but few restaurants.
May 17th Sunday
14 c outside but I get biked packed and head to town to get petrol. Phone failed to completely charge as did power pack which only charged 20%. What is up?? Anyway, did not need to keep maps running as motorway straight forward. Weather slowly warms during the day..all the way to 25 c.
I have an aim…600kms. Montpellier is the destination and I get there about 5pm. Need another gas canister for my little tea making stove and head to decathlon but forget its Sunday and its shut. Tomorrow…. Had lots of short little stops in the frequent ‘airs’ on the motorway. A few more bikers…mostly Italian and French. One pair of Dutch…lady on bike like mine. Then a lone French lady…older…like me but she had no English and me no real French. …The Dutch had been to Sicily and caught boat back..Palermo to Genoa. As I travelled from Croatia to France via Italy, driving habits re speed are very different. Croats don’t take much notice of speed limits, not do Italians. Road works on the motorway with reduced speed limit signs were completely ignored…traffic just sped by as normal. However in France it is more disciplined, possibly at 10kms above the limit where ever but cameras are noticed and adhered to if spotted.
Ibis hotel tonight…in town… 613kms.
May 18th Monday
Had a decent meal in the Ibis. Friendly waitress. Up and off again. Petrol disgustingly expensive even off motorway…over 2 euros per litre.. weather 16 c and rose to 18 c but then dropped to 15 c as clouds looked ominous and even gave me 5 mins downpour. Slowly , slowly got away from the Pyrenees and weather improved as we got down on to the plain. Old childhood memories of driving to Zaragoza with dad and mum came back. The bull statues on the hills….
I arrived at my central hotel by about 4.30pm. Problems with getting motorbike in underground garage but got there in the end. They then wanted to charge 15 euros for the garage. Not mentioned on booking.com… Managed to get that down to 10 euros….terrible even at that price. But it is central and I walk into the centre to find Decathlon to get my new gas cylinder. Success ,and then a drink in a central cafe and then tapas meal. The latter was great and I sat opposite a French couple who amazingly rode motorbikes. We had a great chat , them doing wonderfully with english. They said that their friends in Grenoble had snow down to 1000 m last week. No wonder the southern alps looked so white and a mountain in the Pyrenees today. Walked back past amazing church and then the market building opposite the hotel. Its huge!! 615kms.
Zaragoza church
Zaragoza market building.
May 19th Tuesday
Forgot to comment yesterday on the different foreign trucks on the road. Amongst the usual European were Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland and Serbian. The dual carriageway yesterday was full of trucks but relatively few cars. Top legal speed 120kms.
Today it was on we go towards Portugal. The dual carriageway continues towards Madrid. At first it is interesting…no flat plain but ups and downs and curves. Later it straightens out as we near Madrid and after it gets even straighter and not so great! I avoid the peage round Madrid and stay on dual carriageway which just ploughs on…
Stop here and there, it stays pretty cool really even though temp does slowly go up from 16 c in the hills to 27 c at the end. But I keep fleece on as thought might go into hills on my right…the Sierra de Gredos. One peak in particular stood out as it had snow on top…the Almanzor Peak.. 2591 m high.
I stop in a place called Navalmoral de la Matthew. Not quite the place I imagined. The hotel was not displaying its name and Google could not find it. When I did the glass electric front door was not opening. People inside!! Eventually I got in. Grudging lady at the desk. Later when I went back to my bike for 2nd load I was once again stuck outside. Again after banging on the door, I got in . Then, only then, lady explained that the room card would open the door if pressed against a black pad. 499kms today as planned…should have 300kms to go.
Walked into town in the back streets and finally found main square and plenty of life. Had nice drink and was given a little dish of potato tapas. Should have stayed but thought I would eat properly in the hotel cafe. Walked back…over building site again…and found cafe shut. Saw on map another up the main road. Went there and found it was teetotal. !! Full of Islamic People…
So it was over to Lydl which was open late and bought some small snacks. That would do…
May 20th Wednesday
Continue on dual carriageway till near the Portugese border. First thing is great..very little traffic, hardly a truck. Spotted too late to get a photo…a stork on its nest with big white young . The nest was on top of an olive tree. Looked magic. Saw more cranes…flying and in fields. Lovely wildflowers.
Into Portugal..the road is great, still hardly any traffic. It is very twisty. I only have 130kms to do. Not pressured and know it will take a while. So many bends ! Stop in one cafe but cannot find food or shade. It gets hot and I am going slower because of the bends.Fleece has already come off….First time since leaving UK. Finally stop and finish the last of my salami bought in Belgium. Been a godsend. No drink! No cafes but endless bends. Finally arrive in Lousa, find strange station hotel. Its a kind of trolley bus station and my room opens onto pavement. Great however. Plod into town, not far, but do not find much, barr a new bar with bar snacks. Buy one thinking restaurant next but find nothing so its to bed a bit hungry.
May 21st Thursday
Have a snack in the bar, tighten the chain on my bike in the increasing heat and then leave for Penela. Penela, perched up a hill is not big bike friendly with one way streets , sharp turns and cobbles. The bar that Clive liked has gone. I finally found one where I could park the bike in front and sat wasting time till Cathy, the lady I have come to see, is free. I watch the market pack up, I slowly have 2 cups of tea. She sends messages…I say I am waiting till she is done. Eventually, she is free and I head off in pretty hot weather by now…30c…up the hill to San Sebastiao and Beistero. Again I wait but not for too long. It is very good to meet. She is short and friendly. We talk and walk, checking out the plots left. There are 3 but she does not know where one is. I have a photo which could be helpful. …from 2014.! One is a building plot and 2 rustic. It was a short but very useful meeting.
Near the plots of land
I then head straight off, heading for Spain and city of Guarda where I arrive at about 5pm. Top temp was 33c and am glad I was on a good dual carriageway on the whole so could keep speed up to stay cooler. Cathy said Portugal had only got warm 2 days ago as I arrived. 190kms.
Guarda.
Lovely Broom beside the road…lovely scent..
May 22nd Friday
Already 23c at 8.45am.Had a good meal last night, wild boar tenderloin. No breakfast and off I go. Try ordinary road which was fine. Takes about 1.5 hrs before I get to Spain. Heading for Salamanca. Wanted to see the Central Square but as I get near and the heat reaches 33c I go off the idea. By now I have been on the dual carriageway as I have lost an hour with time change from Portugal to Spain. Back to road which runs parallel with the dual carriageway. Stop in a great place and have sausages for my breakfast/lunch with cup of tea. In the end dual carriageway wins again as I press on for Burgos. Arrive about 4.30pm…my usual!! Hotel address as in booking.com takes me to a locked door. Bike parked on pavement as I make phone call then plod round to otherside, and back again to move bike and then heave luggage in from public parking spot. By now I am so hot….! The hotel was advertised with parking but in a message said it was going to cost 15 euros. In the event their carpark was full…really ?
Burgos.
Walk round town after a bath…brilliant to find a bath. Friday night, hot weather and all is busy. Huge cathedral. Have tapas but not as good as the ones in Zaragoza. Enough for me…406kms today
May 23rd Saturday
Its warming up again. Bike okay, pack and go by 8.45am. Head to Vitoria-Gasteiz and then on towards the coast and Mutriku because Ems Plumbe had been there and said it was pretty. A cycle race held me up. There were lots of cyclists on my road…not motorway by now. But a cycle race was involving another bunch of cyclists. Finally roads shut and we all had to wait..finally they appeared, a big bunch going furiously fast. On we all go but it seemed they might circle back round as police and officials were everywhere,. Still I manged to circle round Mutriku before the road I came in on was closed. Quite a detour…up and over a tight pass and I was finally back on my road.
Cycling race…sorry about quality…
All in all it became a long day. Got hotter and hotter too but some great straight side roads helped. End up south of Bordeaux in Parentis -en- born. 413 today.
May 24th Sunday
Now heading straight to Greg on the Isle D’ oleron. Some lovely side roads straight through the forest then get on dual carriageway round Bordeaux. Finally reach Le Chateau and Greg’s restaurant …the Goelands. Am given a lovely lunch of cooked oysters in a sauce, glasses of rose wine etc. Lots of chat with Greg and he cooks supper . Nice bottle of wine and Fluffy the dog looks on. We had a bit of a soak in his backyard plastic pool which did a great job in this very warm weather. Reached 33c today. 250 kms.
Outside Greg’s restaurant.
May 25th Monday
Left Greg and Maud about 9am. It is already 25c. Blue blue sky. They both work hard at the restaurant. Today Maud was going in early to make a dessert. I have a long way to go to reach Caen tonight. The heat is tough but I also have problems with petrol. First petrol station did not like my card….the one I have been using all the time. Next petrol station had run out of petrol. On to a third…that had also run out of petrol. Slight panic but head to a fourth station, a L’Eclerke. Supermarket station. Success….thank goodness. On I go. Much dual carriageway , which is what I need to get there. The heat rises to 36c. Another petrol station which i have to queue for in the sun. So hot… tip water over my cool towel round my neck. It helps I think. Finally arrive at about 6pm. Good hotel. Bunch of English…first I have come across since leaving (apart from cycle crowd). We ended catching uber taxis to eat at an Indian as hotel restaurant shut, over the road is shut etc. Very nice bunch with classic cars. 540kms
Just to prove 36 c on my dashboard.
May 26th Tuesday
Up early…could not sleep as so hot anyway. Set off for port 5 mins away. Got searched …not very thoroughly. We are soon loading…me and about 8 bikes. Friendly. Later more bikes arrive which we learn about as we disembark in Portsmouth. Good cruise across to the UK in amazing calm and hot weather. Then head to Sam and family where I find Sisi and Heidi and Ems. 31c now. Sam comes back from work….not happy with work….
May 27th Wednesday
Its pack the bags for the final time on this trip. Lovely warm weather and after breakfast head off towards home via Sam’s current work site near Basingstoke. We have a nice tea/coffee break. Then it is onwards to Norfolk. Weather gets cooler but no thunderstorm. Finally arrive about 4pm.