Page 22 - Shining On Newsletter - Autumn 2022

The trip was undertaken solo, using in the main Route Nationale roads through France and in many
places D roads, avoiding the Autoroutes. After arriving in Brittany and a short stay just south of Morlaix
the journey took me south towards the Loire valley, and a visit to the Indian Dealership in Angers where I
received a great welcome and a coffee.
During the trip I used AirBnB
accommodation, some only
booked a day or two in advance,
and most had facilities for me to
prepare and cook meals. This
helped keep the costs of the trip
down. The accommodation was all
under £75 per night with some
even less and the standard was
incredible with nearly all in
stunning locations, and all with
parking for the bike I did avoid
town centre accommodation. Onto
the Dordogne and the beautiful
Sarlat-la-Caneda, an old haunt as
I used to work in this area, a bit of light rain in the morning before the sun came out to dry the roads, it
really is a wonderful area to visit.

My next stop was in the foothills of the
Pyrenees near to Foix, this beautiful area in
Ariege has some amazing scenery and I was
able to explore the area local to my
accommodation. Taking the road D117/D17
south towards the Mediterranean coast at
Banyul-sur-Mer the temperatures continued to
rise touching 32c. I have to say my air-cooled
Indian didn’t miss a beat and cruised along
without issues, it was only me needing to take
on extra water! The coast road from Banyuls
into Spain is very nice and the mountains dip
their toes into the sea. There are lots of
Vineyards along this scenic road and I
recommend it.

My next stop was in the Bay of Roses, Spain, at Empuriabrava, my cheapest accommodation with a
swimming pool, secure parking and breakfast all
for under £40! Two days spent here, giving me the
time to explore and enjoy the spectacular coast.
The journey and the great weather continued into
the Pyrenees and using mountain roads eventually
up and over the snow covered Col du Tourmalet
made famous by the Tour De France cycle race It's
a stunning route and I shared the road with a
number of bikers and cyclists but very few cars.
The pass had only been open a week due to heavy
snow however on the day I passed through it was
blue sky and 25c and was a highlight of the trip.
More roads through the Pyrenees followed and
after an excursion to Biarritz to visit the Indian
Dealership and look around the well stocked shop,

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