We left at around 9:20 and the route was fun but not exciting; as we neared Andora, we were given the opportunity to either go over the Col or go through the new tunnel. We decided to go through the tunnel and were soon in the Municipality of Andora. Two things struck us about Andora; 1) the sheer number of petrol stations and 2) the lack of anything else to tempt you to stop. The revolting buildings and architecture were quite astounding and, before we knew it, we were through Andora and into Spain. However, we did fill up our tanks with 98 Octane petrol at €1.27 / litre which is around €0.25 cheaper than in France.
The route from Andora took us south on the N-145 which then migrated into the N-260. The route was splendid, little traffic and enjoyable as we sped through the rolling hills and into Adrall where we turned right to continue the N-260 towards Sort. Again, the route was great, and I was relieved that we had not encountered any technically demanding sections because, in today’s 30C heat, this would not have been fun.
We rolled into Sort and stopped at a bar/restaurant where, not understanding the menu, we chose various Tapas which were both curious and pleasant and filled the gap since the (rubbish) breakfast at the hotel Confort.
The section of road between Sort and the junction with the N-230 is simply 45 miles of the most outstanding motorcycling tarmac. We are discussing a road that could have been designed with the BMW GT in mind; perfect surface; smooth with few ripples; straights; fast “swoopy” bends that allow the rider to get into a rhythm swing from right to left and right again; and all of this following the contours of a river which sparkles and glistens from bend to bend. To add some additional fun, there is a section which Phil Battersby calls the “Scalectrix” section where bend follows bend with hairpins at end as the road descends hundreds of metres towards the valley floor.
When you finally reach the junction with the N-230 at Vielha you are grinning from ear to ear. Dave and I have bike to bike comms so we are able to chat along the route; indeed with Janet as Dave’s pillion, she is also able to make her own observations. Along this section of road between Sort and Vielha we all agreed that this is a FIVE STAR (plus plus) road. And you don’t need to be a motorcyclist to appreciate it; no, had we been driving a serious sports car, the same accolades could be bestowed to the designers and builders of this road.
The route back to Phil and Belinda’s place was uneventful and, had I used my head (as opposed to the Sat Nav) we would have had a smoother route as opposed to following “farm track” style roads which the Sat Nav felt were equally fast !
We were warmly greeted by Bellinda and immediately made to feel at home. A group of 5 bikers arrived at 6pm led by Phil so Pyrenees Motorcycle Tours was full to capacity. Nevertheless, a delicious 4 course meal was served at 8pm which was great.
Dave summed up today; “a perfect day’s motorcycling” - what more can one add?
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