Portugal Trip - 2017

[Sir Nick]

Don't work on a phone Andrew. Need to access via PC

[Andrew300]

I'm on a iPad so that would explain it ! Thanks Nick

[GraemeW]

Hi Andrew.  No it all works via your browser.  Just click where you want to type and type in what you want.  Its automatically saved.

It can sometimes be temperamental, so PM or IM me if you have problems.  I was suggesting there,  that its not that useful for general chat on the trip, so we can just use to for storing more detailed info on the tour, plus any ideas you have etc.  Lets use the forum here for chat or create a tour whatsapp group?

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

Nick has started the Whatsapp group which is a good shout. We can chat about stuff on there and then add any actual detail into the sheet. Better way of doing it. Nick can you make me admin so I can add my mate Steve in?

[Sir Nick]

Done ✔

[GraemeW]

100 days to go 

[Steve Gibson]

Plenty of time to fit the supercharger they left off, Graeme. 

[GraemeW]

Funny you should say that Steve. It's now up to 500 miles and getting the occasional flooring of the right pedal.  This weekend for the first time I thought I wanted the charger 

[Sir Nick]

Graeme can you update the OneNote with the 13 hotel details please

N

[GraemeW]

Nick
done

[Sir Nick]

Brittany ferries balance paid...off to the night soup kitchen now for dinner

[GraemeW]

yes we committed now...

Low pound won't help, but it should be a trip to remember

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

Sod the cost, can't bloody wait! Having spent the day with the atom at Abingdon today, 12 days in the company of my 4 wheeled friend is going to be awesome!

[GraemeW]

Its been a bit quiet on this topic, here on the forum, about this epic Ariel club tour.  Most of the chat has been happening with members of the tour on a WhatsApp group.  Didn't want to clutter this forum with the minutiae, or make you too jealous .  Any last minute Go shows???

With little under two weeks to go before we depart, here is a summary of the final routes we are taking around Northern Spain and Portugal.  We decided against long drives across northern Spain to get to Portugal then cover all of Portugal in a trip (although I would still like to do that some day), but rather make everyday count and make the most of north western Spain as well. So the trip is a 50:50 Spain & Portugal.  Steve Gibson has given its name as the SPortugal trip.

Day1
Arrive Santander on ferry, and then a short drive to Santillana del Mar west of Santander.  A small historic, and a bit touristy, town, but nevertheless a good starting point for our tour the next day.  There will probably be a temporary shift of attention away from Roman and UNESCO World Heritage stuff, to the "Mad Max" posse rolling into town that afternoon.

Day 2
Start of the tour proper, beginning with a short drive west along the Cantabrian coast through attractive fishing villages, before turning a sharp left at Unquera and heading south on the N621.  This is a spectacular drive across the Picos de Europa mountains with plenty of twisties for the Atoms, and plenty of good places to stop for Andrews Nomad (& me the Newbie) to catchup  .  We cross into Castille ending the day in the city of Leon.

Day 3
Instead of continuing south to Portugal on relatively boring roads, we head west again towards Ponferrada, Spain, then follow the river Sil gorge towards Ourense.  Many of these roads rated by bikers, so hopefully translate into good Ariel roads, as well as being attractive countryside.  We stop for the night in the Canon do Sil Parador.

Day 4
Kick off with a spectacular drive along the Canon do Sil gorge, on a road specially commissioned for the Ariel Club (take it easy gents...its not that wide). Then take a left hook at the Minho river heading south to Ourense, and though it, stopping only for fuel. Continue south to the Portuguese border, but not on the boring motorways and main roads, rather on more Ariel sympathetic roads, crossing into Portugal at Portela do Homen on the OR312. Down through the Geres national park and lakes on the N308-1, before turning east to the Portuguese city of Chaves where we stop for the night in an old fort.

Day 5
Head south again towards the river Douro valley, the heart of the Port wine vineyards.  A slightly shorter days driving so we can spend some time on a Port wine estate, before ending the day in the pretty town of Pinhao.

Day 6
Again, kick off the day on another road commissioned for the Ariel Club, the N222 Pinhao to Regua.  It is a bit of a Mecca for petrolheads.  I timed it for a Monday morning hoping it will be quieter for us. From Regua, follow the Douro river all the way to Porto, Portugal's second city, where we stop.

Day 7
Rest day in Porto.  Chill by the pool or take in old historic Porto and the wine lodges.  Plan an evening drive (aka dawn Raid) taking in some of the sights of the city, with meal on the south bank of the Douro somewhere, watching the sun go down.

Day 8
Head north from Porto on the old road to Spain (no motorways on this trip!), hugging the coast along the Costa Verde, stopping for lunch before crossing back into Spain at Caminha.  Scream up the Castro de santa Trega, and odd mountain right on the coast with spectacular views, then hug the coast again heading north to the spanish Town of Baiona for the night.

Day 9
Head north towards, but not stopping in the cities of Vigo and Pontevedra before heading north east on the N541, through beautiful Galicia, ending up in Lugo, a historic town on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 10
Continue north east through Galicia, on a day of mountains, lakes and rivers, on roads best enjoyed in Ariel machinery.  Ending up just east of Gijon on the north coast of Spain. 

Day 11
Last day .  As short trip back along th coast to Santander, or a drive (as currently planned) along the foothills for the Picos de Europa back to Santander.  Then back on the ferry to Blighty

Should be a great trip with some spectacular roads to enjoy our Ariel toys.  They have been having record temperatures recently across most of the route, although the long range forecast is that it will be cooler when we are there.  Still, plenty of factor 50 required.  Also, after the tragic fires in central Portugal, most of the country still on high alert with the record temperatures, so we are keeping a close eye on the situation. Especially for days 3 & 4





 

[Steve Gibson]

Good post, Graeme. Worth saying that we'd love to see any French/German/Swiss/Spanish/Portuguese/Italian owners, if they want to join us for a drive, day or more...