THE ROAD TO SPAIN
Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -
Just like the other large countries of Europe, one motorcycle trip to Spain isn’t enough. Spain shares borders with France and Andorra to the north, and Portugal to the west. Around 1,000 B.C., the Phoenicians landed on the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Not on motorcycles, but in ships. They started colonising Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Almeria and Malaga.
In 217 B.C., Spain was invaded by the Roman Empire. It would turn into an uphill struggle for the Romans, as the Iberians wouldn’t be oppressed. However, in the year 19 A.D. Emperor Augustus took the area under Roman supremacy, even though there were still pockets of resistance to be found. In 711 A.D. the peninsula was conquered by the Moors. "The Reconquista”, which drove the Moors out of Spain, is the story of the liberation and reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, executed by Christian kingdoms in the centuries between 722 and 1492.
SO MANY REGIONS, SO LITTLE TIME
Catalonia is perhaps the first of the 17 Spanish regions you’ll arrive in. The region has a population of 7,4 million, and the capital is Barcelona. Here’s a list of the other 16 regions, all well worth a visit: Andalusia - Seville, Araguaia - Zaragoza, Asturias - Oviedo, Balearic Isles - Palma de Mallorca, The Basque Country - Vitoria, Cantabria, Santander, Castilla-La Mancha - Toledo, Castilla y León - Valladolid, Extremadura - Mérida, Galicia - Santiago de Compostela, The Canarian Isles - Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, La Rioja - Logroño, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra - Pamplona, and Valencia.
TAKE YOUR BIKE INTO THE HILLS
You can also take your bike into the hills, and head for the Cantabrian Mountains. The mountain chain of Cordillera Cantabria is an extension of the Pyrenees, and stretches 480 kilometres along the north coast of Spain. On your way through the mountains, you’ll find it’s highest point: ”Torre de Cerredo”, 2,648 metres above sea level. Another mountain range is ”Sierra de Gredos” in central Spain, between Ávila, Cáceres, Madrid and Toledo. Pico Almanzor, also known as Moro Almanzor, is the highest peak of central Spain, topping out at 2,592 metres. The summit of Pico Almanzor wasn’t reached until 1899.
STAY LONGER THAN PLANNED
There are so many great trips in Spain that it would probably take a lifetime to see it all. On top of that, are all the impressions and the folklore and, let’s not forget, great Spanish cuisine. Spain is a spectacular experience. By the way, there’s the great Sherry, that has been blamed for many a double overnight stay. In Spain, it’s always a pleasure to visit a Sherry Bodega. The Sherry is made in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Adding alcohol stops the fermentation of the wine, thus, the sweetness of the grape is maintained, and the alcohol volume is raised to approx. 20%. The exact procedure an industrial secret, but it is kept on oak casks for a very long time. Sweet Sherries are made by adding wine made from Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel grapes.
Pick the right time of year to go to Spain on motorcycle, they haven’t made water-cooled helmets yet.
