Day 1 - Santander to Soria

Stopping beside the N232 near "Ona" after a very rapid blast out of Santander - the only dry spot of the day!

Descending from the clouds on the N111 north of Soria - John's quote of the day "I didn't expect to suffer from hypothermia in Spain!"

Rex Harrison got it completely wrong. The Rain in Spain does not stay mainly in the plain - it's endemic across the whole of the north, certainly when John and Nigel are in town, and it's November. Headed off the boat into a rain swept Santander, and the rain stayed with us virtually for the entire 220 miles to Soria in Rioja country. But before we get to the destination, the adventure saw us executing some "near-miss" overtaking moves past lorries, cars, and pretty much anything that got in our way; climbing up through the mountains in dense cloud and rain (at 1700 metres); negotiating tight hair-pin bends with no room for error; almost losing it on a particularly tight bend and greasy road with the prospect of a few hundred metres of drop to negotiate. One of those long days of gruelling riding where you feel you will never get to the destination - and you feel yourself salivating over the first glass of Rioja at the hotel......oh, and we hadn't booked anything, so didn't know whether there would be any room at the Inn anyway. Finally arrive at Soria in pitch darkness. The Beemers headlight has also died so I am riding with main beam only - something to get fixed in Cordoba tomorrow. John's most stressful techinical hitch is that his driving boot-lace is about to snap. Writing this now in the Paradoras in Soria after a lovely meal and a couple of nice bottles of Rioja makes it all worth while. Will sleep well tonight.

Already engaged on the first date!