CCC 2501 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS TOUR
Hello and welcome to Spain. Today is the first day of our tour. We check into our charming little hotel and spend the morning recovering from the exertions of the journey. In the afternoon we all meet for a briefing where we get a small impression of what we can look forward to over the next few days. A few helpful tips on riding in the region and the general course of the tour are of course included. Then the time has finally come, we get our motorcycle keys and immediately set about getting to know our vehicles a little better. In the evening we sit together and get to know each other better. And enjoy the first dinner of the tour together. We round off the evening full of anticipation for tomorrow.
Good morning from Málaga the place to be, if you like to have a first great riding day. Today is the day where our story will begin, a journey through Al Andalusia to the beautiful town of Seville. After a good breakfast and our first morning briefing, we went out towards Ronda. The rollercoaster road up to Ronda is for sure on of the best down here and if you like a twisty road!? You should not miss this one! After 2,5h pure fun with sun in our faces it was time to step back in time. The history of Ronda goes back to 18000 BC but that would be too much to discover at the lunch break. And so, we parked the motorcycles and went straight to the Plaza de Toros de Ronda, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain which was built in 1784. From there we went to the Tajo canyon and the Puente Nuevo bridge and several pictures later it was time to have some lunch. After that we went back on the bikes and if you ride all the morning up! than you got to ride down on the other side of Ronda. What means more twisty roads and on top we passed places like Sierra de Graz Alema Natural Park and Zahara de la Sierra. Both are one of the pueblos Blancos or "white towns" because the overwhelming majority of the buildings are white and has been outpost of the Moorish people as they ruled this piece of land. From there we passed countless olive tree orchards before we arrived in Seville. I think that was a very nice way to kick off this tour. So, stay tuned for more of our journey. Thomas and Axel
Welcome to our first rest on the tour. On days like that you got a couple of option, what means you can go for a ride, or you explore the town. In our case we did both. One group went out with Thomas to a rest day ride and the other half when to town with me for a little guided city tour. Our Tour through Seville started with the Plaza de Espana and from there we walked to the Famous Moorish royal palace Alcázar. The way from the palace to the third largest cathedral of the world went through the Jewish quarter which is famous for the small alleys. Already in this moment we were impressed from the architectural achievements of the past. A coffee later we were on the way to the Setas de Sevilla and as you can see on the picture – Seville treated us well. And after all this history we needed something to eat and so we went to one of the food markets and fill my backpack and had a small picnic at the Canal de Alfonso the XI III. From there we passed went to the Nao Victoria’ which is Ship were Magellan became the first man to sail around the world. And so, an impressive city walk came to an end. That was our little Seville Walk. Team rest day ride returned just an hour after us after a relaxed ride back to the hotel. The journey of them went all the way up to Alanis and through the Sierra Morena and back to Seville. We would say: that was a nice day so far! Yes, so far because tonight some of us will enjoy the Flamengo show and after that we will go to dinner together. That was day 3 and tomorrow we will say goodbye for the next couple of days to Spain and to the same time we will say: Welcome to Portugal. See you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
The sun rises over Seville, the sky is blue and the mood is great. The best conditions for a wonderful day. After the briefing, we plunge into Seville's rush hour traffic, which we fortunately leave behind us very quickly. We drive parallel to the coast heading west. The landscape is characterized by rolling hills and orchards. In terms of driving, the route is not really a challenge. And so we have time to soak up the many little details along the way. After a short coffee stop, we continue on to Huelva. The city from which Christopher Columbus set out to find the sea route to India in 1492. You know the rest of the story ;-) Afterwards, we alternate between riding on the highway or along the coast to Ayamonte. This small village on the Guadiana border river will serve as our lunch stop today. The little square at the harbor is beautiful and invites us to linger. But we want to continue. To avoid wasting time waiting for the ferry, we take the highway again and cross the river and thus the border to Portugal. For the next two hours, however, we turn our backs on the coast for the time being. Because in the mountains a little further inland, empty, fantastically winding roads and breathtaking panoramas await us. And so, at our last coffee stop, some very cheerful bikers arrive. Now it's not far down to the coast. Faro and its historic city center await us. A fantastic day slowly comes to an end
Hello from Portugal After our first night in Portugal, it was time to see more of our holiday destination Portugal and so we headed towards Sines. We had two options that day: One is to drive along the coast and the other is to drive through the breathtaking mountains of the Algarve. And guess which one we chose? Of course we went into the mountains and mixed the day with a coastal drive and a mountain drive. As I said, we first headed into the Algarve's hinterland and the countless orange tree plantations in combination with cork oak plantations were more than worth it. Nice little mountain roads led us up to Mount Fóia, from where we had a great view of the Algarve coast. Sometimes it felt like we were driving through Australia because there are so many eucalyptus trees here. Portugal surprises in many ways. And if you look carefully through the landscape, you will see and discover places like the Moorish castle in Silves and much more. But that's not all!!! We topped off the day with something special. After the mountains, we drove down to Cabo Sao Vicente, the most south-westerly point in Europe. What a view from there!!! And now it really started, it was 1pm and time for lunch and so we headed north towards Sines and on the way we saw our van and Thomas who surprised us with a picnic right on the cliff. I would say this surprise was very welcome. After a good lunch, we drove on to Sines, where we will sleep tonight. A great day came to an end and tomorrow we will arrive in Lisbon, where we will spend the next two nights. So see you tomorrow and enjoy the pictures Thomas and Axel over and out for today
Some of us are already on our feet as the sun rises over the Atlantic, the sky is blue and there is a light breeze. Perfect conditions for our day's riding. So let's not waste any time. The first section of the day takes us along winding side roads past countless cork oaks. Unfortunately, the condition of the road is not as good as we would like, but we still have fun. After a relaxing coffee, we continue north. We take the ferry to Setubal to avoid having to take a long detour. However, one of the bikes doesn't seem to like this at all, it quits the service without further ado. And doesn't want to start again. However, a replacement is quickly organized and so we can continue our journey without much delay. Not without paying a visit to the Castelo de Sao Felipe in Setubal, of course. Just a few kilometers after the town, a particularly beautiful stretch of road awaits us. A wonderfully winding road with a perfect surface that runs high above the sea makes it difficult for us to decide what to concentrate on. The breathtaking view or the fun of riding, fortunately both. The route ends at the cliffs of Cabo Espichel, where an abandoned monastery towers high above the ocean. We enjoy the sound of the sea one last time before plunging into the evening traffic of Lisbon. But we also master this challenge with flying colors. And so we say welcome to Lisbon
Bem-vindo ao nosso dia de descanso or Welcome to the rest day number two in this Tour. Portugal treated as well so far, the sun is shining and a breathtaking scenery along the way is our daily happiness. And today we got another day to choose what we gone do. Some of us started as usually at 8:30 to enjoy the rest day ride and the other went in town to discover the beauty of: Lisbon, which has been the capital of Portugal since the mid-13th century, what means it is one of the oldest cities in the world. The city enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is a potpourri of character and charm, blending 20 centuries of history and cultural influences with modern trends and lifestyles. A city what you got to see once in a lifetime. Just look at the pictures!!! All in one it is a perfekt rest day: 22 C + sun + a nice ride + the flair of this unique town = there is almost nothing what you can ask for Well, and tomorrow we will take of towards Spain where we will sleep in Zafra. So stay tuned for the story of our ride from tomorrow. Thomas and Axel
A short night comes to an end, as we are missing an hour tonight thanks to the time change. What a mean thing to do;-) Our day is set to be a little longer than the last few, but the route is not as demanding. Instead, we follow in the footsteps of the past. First we leave Lisbon behind us, the large bridge over the Tagus is an impressive structure. And after a few kilometers on almost empty highways, we reach our first destination, Evora. We enjoy the sun and the Portuguese way of life over a leisurely coffee in the park. A car club is meeting right next door. A great opportunity for a journey through European automotive history. We then visit the Igreja de Sao Francisco de Evora church and the famous ossuary. Back on the bikes, we take a short ride through the town and discover the remains of a Roman temple in the middle of a medieval fortress. Yes, you read that right. Now it's time for lunch, Axel is waiting for us with a picnic on a hill full of old windmills not far from the town. This is the way to live. After lunch, we ride a long and rather unspectacular section to Elvas. We roll through the old town on our bikes, have a coffee and pay a visit to the town's impressive landmark, an 8-kilometer-long aqueduct. The last few kilometers to the hotel are once again wonderfully winding, the icing on the cake, so to speak. And so we reach our destination for today, Zafra, where we spend the night in style in an old fortress.
Cordoba here we come! Our journey goes on. Today we will leave the flat land and meadows behind us and will enter again Al Andalusia. Welcome to our next riding day. Leaving Zfra is quite easy and soon we arrived Lirena where we had a coffee to warm our souls, because today we had just 9 C. After a little break we went right into the Parque of Sierra Norte. Also, a place where we have been on our first rest day. The ride through the national park was such a pleasure after the flat land of the last day. And so, the smile in our faces came right back, rider and motorcycle felt like home again. Curve twisty roads, surrounded by countless olive and cork trees guided us today all the way to Cordoba. It was a pure riding day and of course if Cordoba is our destination we should not be too late there, because it is worth to discover the town with all the history. And so, we did, we had lunch today in Cordoba and enough time to see the beauty of the past and today. A wonderful day comes to an end and tomorrow we will have already our final ride back to Malaga. So quick can slip the time when you have adventures days. So so See you tomorrow for the final chapter. Thomas and Axel
The light of the rising sun bathes the mesquita in an almost magical light. This is how our day begins this morning in Cordoba. After breakfast, however, we first have to go in search of lost items before tackling our last day of driving. After a short delay, we soon set off. We leave the mighty walls of Cordoba behind us and head southeast on well-maintained country roads. Today should be all about having fun. And so, after about fifty kilometers, we turn off into the mountains. Here we are greeted by countless olive trees, empty roads, countless bends and breathtaking views. After lunch, we ride through the Montes de Malaga National Park - an absolute must for anyone who rides a motorcycle in Andalusia. We are getting closer and closer to our destination, Malaga. From the road, we enjoy the view over the city before plunging into the hustle and bustle of the metropolis on the Mediterranean. Once we arrive at the hotel, Axel is waiting for us with a boot beer. In the evening we meet again for dinner together. We look back on the last few days and say goodbye....Of course there are presents too;-) The perfect end to a perfect tour