The “guinea pigs” stop for a photo opportunity. A really great group – all keen to get away – braved our hastily compiled tour to Spain. We found some brilliant roads, lovely scenery, top hotels, fabulous cities and great weather – masks did not deter us!!
We’re off & John’s touting for business already!
A socially distancing briefing!
A rare photo of us!
“The Masked Guinea Pig Spanish Tour”
I’ve been on a few tours over the years and met some lovely people but amazingly a special one comes along unexpectedly at a time when we’re advised to stay at home and not to travel unnecessarily in the midst of a world pandemic virus never experienced before.
Sue and I would like to thank John & Jen for all their effort in making the tour happen, re-planning a great route through Spain due to the Portuguese border being closed, where we saw so many interesting cities and sites over the 10 days, albeit sometimes through steamed up spectacles due to wearing the obligatory mask.
I’d also like to say it was a real pleasure meeting, riding with, and enjoying the company of a friendly, very considerate and extremely competent bunch of experienced riders on the tour. This was a back markers dream tour!
Long may you continue J&J and perhaps let me come again (with Sue of course)?? “
Ken (21 trips!) & Sue (17 trips) Wright, Suzuki V-Strom 1000, Kent
Jen’s in the lead & we’re off
Straight into the Picos Mountains
“5* Facebook review – I have been with BN European Tours 9 times now (with a 10th booked already) and I keep going back for the wonderful adventures they take us on. The most recent was a tour of Spain and they came up trumps again with some spectacular places and most awesome roads. Well done John and Jen”
Paul Butler, 9th trip, KTM Superduke GT, Bedfordshire
Lunch stop
Pretty scenery
Cheers!
All in the same cafe!
John with Wayne & Carole
“Hi John & Jen,
Well what a wonderful tour that was! It had everything – 4* hotels, swimming pools and fantastic roads! We enjoyed the days off the bike and the places chosen to stay were superb. Salamanca was the highlight for us and the Picos of course.
All credit to you both for putting some of the holiday together at the last minute due to Portugal restrictions – not an easy task. You’re both always cheerful, never get in a flap and are thoroughly professional.
Hope to see you again soon.”
Wayne & Carole Williams, 6th tour, BMW K1600GT, RCT
Drinks before dinner
Us again!
A great group
And a great bar
“Hi John and Jen, once again a fantastic trip – as always I enjoyed it from start to finish! Fantastic roads, great hotels and awesome company! How you managed to pull together such a fantastic trip under the pressures and restrictions of the current Covid crisis is a testament to the level of research and detail you put into each and every trip, I for one will be back again to experience your excellent work again…oh yes – of course – I’ll see you again soon to experience Monte Carlo! Can’t wait, look forward to the stunning roads you both seem able to find. Thanks a lot again to all who participated in this tour, both my dad (Stoner) and myself had a fantastic time!
Adrian Stone, 2nd tour, KTM 990 Adventure, Cornwall
Dinner is included in a local restaurant
Cider poured the traditional way
Keep your distance!
Oviedo by night
Masks are not a problem!
“Hi John and Jen,
Thanks for a fantastic trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole guinea pig experience, even the masked bits!
All your hard work putting the alternative tour together paid off: the roads, hotels and scenery were faultless and it was great to ride with such a great group of like-minded people as well!
Great to finally be on the leader board too, even if it’s right at the bottom…
Cheers!”
Neil & Ann Henderson, 3rd tour, BMW R1150 RT, Bedfordshire
Socially distancing breakfast
Our first 4* hotel
Morning coffee stop
The “Stoners”
Monument to the Immigrants
We ride the “Camino de Santiago”
“Trip number 8 for me and they just keep getting better! Great roads, great riding, fabulous places to visit & stay in, superb hotels, great company with like-minded bikers doing what we love. All this organised supremely & put together perfectly by John & Jen with all of their 17 years experience of organising tours and making peoples’ lives richer in the process. Thanks again John & Jen, see you on another tour soon!”
John Young, 8th trip. Suzuki V-Strom 1000, Norfolk
Great roads
We stop for photos
“Backmarkers” Sue & Ken
Ann & Neil
AMAZING roads!
He’s heading our way…
We’ll keep our distance!
Horses & their foals
Jen’s leading again
Wayne & Carole – BMWK1600GT
John Y – Suzuki V-Strom 1000
Ken & Sue – Suzuki V-Strom 1000
We regroup on the dam
Wayne & Carole again
Lunch stop
UNESCO town walls
Our next 4* hotel
View from our hotel
A free night in Santiago de Compostella
The stunning Cathedral
Hardly any tourists!
Tapas in the evening sun
Our hotel
What a breakfast room!
Lovely coffee stop
More fab roads
Great views
A great group too
Lunch stop
Gravel anyone?
Afternoon coffee stop
Our next 4* hotel
Adrian & “Stoner”
Paul’s on his 9th trip
Carole & Wayne
Sue & Ken
Ann & Neil
John Y went to the pool
Dinner is included tonight
It’s Paul’s birthday
Drinks after dinner
Undercover parking
Morning coffee stop
We stopped just in time…
As a cycle race passes by
First sighting of storks
The bridge where John met a lorry!
Lunch stop
We cross an iron bridge
Then an amazing dam
Stop to admire the view
At coffee stop – more storks
Our next fab 4* hotel
Two nights here in Salamanca
View of the Cathedral from our rooms
Opposite our hotel
More storks
Lovely buildings
The Cathedral
Churches everywhere
The amazing Plaza
Cocktails with Ken & Sue
The Plaza lit up by night
Local entertainment
Stunning!
Another beautiful morning
“Five go for a Ride-Out”
Paul on his KTM Superduke GT
The three KTM’s
Fab scenery in the mountains
Paul again
“Stoner” on his KTM 790 Adventure
“Stoner” again
We stop for drinks
High up in the mountains
“Stoner”
Jen’s view riding pillion
Adrian on his KTM 990 Adventure
Stop to admire the view…
on the “mini” Stelvio
Adrian
His Dad “Stoner”
Paul
Great roads
Here comes Adrian…
and there goes Adrian!
Adrian stops to take photos
The prettiest lunch stop in the mountains
Cute souvenirs
So many ham joints
So quaint
Ready to roll…
Black cows – white calves
Back in Salamanca
Time for some sightseeing
Visit the Cathedral
Absolutely stunning inside
Just a few cracks!
Climb the bell tower for great views of the city
and another stork!
Not very tall in olden days!
Only 200+ windy stairs!
Sangria in Salamanca
Cheers!
A Covid-19 wedding!!
Morning coffee stop
Carole & Wayne with Stoner
More castles
Don’t mess with me!
Our 3* hotel in Toledo for 2 nights
The terrace
With great views of the city
and a fabulous swimming pool!
The Covid guinea pigs!
The city lights up
Dinner is included tonight
A lovely sunset
Breakfast on the terrace
With a day off to explore the city
Gateways in the city walls
Great architecture
Chains on the walls…?
The Cathedral
A witchcraft store!
Buskars
Another city gateway
A very different city to Salamanca
This is the hospital
The bullring
Some original paving slabs
Another lovely sunset
Always a morning briefing
And another castle
At lunch stop…
A HUGE Monastery
Lots of cafes
Covid ice-creams!!
Our next hotel is CLOSED !!!
Jen practices her Spanish!
We’re moved to a 4* hotel next to the Aqueduct
Wow!
Where does it end?
“Stoner” grabs 40 winks…
Before joining the lads for a beer
We all enjoy drinks before dinner
Dinner is included in a local restaurant
This is a starter!!
The jokes start…
But it’s lost in translation!
Lovely suckling pig
Morning coffee stop
We ride through fields of sunflowers
Two-storey nests!
At lunch stop the next day
After an unmarked policeman…
showed us the way to the old town!
Clever idea for a drink
The setting for our final hotel
The heavens open!!!
Characters strike the bells
Fine now to sit outside
Dinner is included tonight
“Stoner” thanks Ken & Sue
Another of John’s bad jokes!
John Y had been practicing his
Artwork in the town
Gaudi Palace
Murals for those who didn’t find them!!
A “Bento-box” breakfast
We head back into the Picos Mountains
Stopping for a photo shoot
They’re at it again!!!
Thanks to Ken & Sue
Most of us (thanks Paul)
Great scenery
& great roads
Stop for photos
Ken & Sue!
John leading (thanks Paul)
John Y
Wayne & Carole
Neil & Ann
It’s “Stoner”!!
There goes John Y
Then Paul goes past the van
Final lunch stop
All back to the ferry – but it’s not all over…
The t-shirt shop is open!
Thank you everyone
Nice arse Adrian !!!!!
And we sail into the sunset
And that’s all folks! Thanks so much to the ten guinea pigs who had faith in us to put together this tour when we couldn’t travel to Portugal. We had a great time, we know you all did too & we look forward to seeing you all again – some even later this year! Ride safe, keep well, John & Jen.
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