My trip to Porto was awesome. I’ve missed riding on the continent, and although I was nervous, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure. Firstly, the ferry service Plymouth to Santander was great. Comfortable cabin, nice bars and restaurants & good seating out on deck. There was a lot of bikers on the ferry, heading for a big rally near Faro in Portugal. Then the ride from Santander to Porto was hot! I stopped for fuel at one point – and it was 40degC! Note to self: Buy a proper Summer Jacket. There was a small diversion to avoid a brush fire by the roadside. The weekend in Porto with my 2 sons was great, really enjoyable – Nice hotel and it’s such a fun & friendly city. For the ride back to Santander, I took a detour through the Montaña de Riaño & Mampodre Regional Park (see photos below). Another ferry journey and I was back in Blighty. I called in to see my brother in Lincolnshire to break up the 770 mile journey back to Northern Scotland. I’d done nearly 2400 miles in 8 days. The “numb bum” has just about worn off – and I need another rear tyre!
