Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Postcard from Spain +

Morgan Bits
1. Not seen one Morgan on the drive from London to the port or all of the nearly 2 weeks in Spain, which included considerable mileage.
2. We would strongly recommend a Morgan top down drive through the Picos de Europa mountains, no cars for miles even at the start of August .
We went from Aguilar de Campoo to Cervera de Pisuega to Potes and on to La Hermida and the coast. Didn’t see anyone until towards the end of the drive and they were all in wetsuits for river activities & fun….
3. A Morgan friendly hotel with some undercover parking, truly rural although only a mile from the beach, sheep, cows etc . Wonderful staff.
But a rampant flamboyant cock will get you up in the morning at 7am lasting an hour until 8 am ! Rural Hotel Arredondo near Llanes.

Travel and Stuff……little petrohead content. . Saw dolphins and three whales from the boat and the Bay of Biscay was really calm.
Never been to Northern Spain and was shocked at how the mountains meet the coast, all green and forested, wonderful quiet beaches and coves west of Santander. All roads travelled great, no potholes and empty, although lots of pedestrians - pilgrims on Camino route.
Haro and the Rioja were well worth visiting and stunning architecture at some vineyards……one with left over panels from the Guggenheim !?

Son’s wedding not far from Madrid was wonderful, the Spanish know how to party, 7pm until 5am . Got the Spanish contingent on side at the start of my speech by thanking our host country, the Spanish team and football Coach Luis de la Fuente for beating the fouling Argentinians, wearing my scarf and brandishing a large picture of the team. We made 3pm before heading back to the hotel. After party Fiesta the next day. Dismantled everything following day and headed to France.

+ France. The border petrol station had a 500 yard queue to save 30 cents a litre but not if you went via the McD entrance, you enter near the front of the queue. It was like a military operation with staff guiding you to the pump and some heated arguments but thankfully not with me ! Toll booths a plenty for small miles, a total pita ! It was also like a military operation at the tolls, armed police at most barriers and spotty army Yuffs with AK 47s or similar .
Got to our friends near Lannemezan, another wonderful holiday area . Great night of reminiscing over wine..

Intended to stop in the South of France. Nice, Cannes, Monaco , started to see supercars, guessing the make from the backs . My wife did her ‘Queenstown NZ routine’ - not getting out as it had a set of traffic lights, people queuing at a burger cafe - so we drove on. She hated the high rise and over developed S of F and Italian coast, not as we remembered it. My daughter often has to work here and thinks N & C are sh*****es, sorry not very ladylike !
………I enjoyed the amazing sounds of numerous supercars in the Italian tunnels . And one toll all the way in Italy , well done your system.

+ Slovenia
Take me to Slovenia was her plea, so that day we did over 1500 Kilometres in 15 hours with comfort coffee stops . Got into Italy at 1.45 am, only to be pulled as we often are for a people smuggling check . Not what you need at that time of the night/morning.
The heat has just gone and we are starting to hear thunder and felt rain. It’s so refreshing to walk in the mountain air after a storm and weeks of 30 plus degree heat. Also thankfully petrol here is currently €1.51.9
But still no sign of the rare Morgan car …….
Best from Euroland, MM + wife

I have been going to Northern Spain for a number of years, usually no later than June to keep clear of the very high temperatures, the hotels, beaches and most things are tremendous value, the roads are mainly excellent and E5 readily available at most petrol stations,

DB

We (Aero S1 & S4) did Northern Spain last September. West along the coast, down to Pinhao in Portugal, then back into Spain to Salamanca and then back up to the Picos and then home. Wonderful trip with outstanding roads, but we avoided motorways and tolls. Would do it again in an instant, even with the long ferry crossing to Santander.

It’s only one night on the ferry from Plymouth which seem a haul from London but 2 from Portsmouth on the slower gas powered ferry. We had to do one toll motorway but generally all the roads were great. We now plan to go again especially as we have a new Spanish daughter in law .
MM
PS we went out to walk in rain today, glorious…

Didn’t realise that - sailed the two night ferry recently. Tea time though when you get off the one nighter after customs etc.

We did Plymouth Santander out and Santander Portsmouth return as the Portsmouth return route is only 1 night.

Driven Spain and Portugal a few times in the +8. Never used the ferries except for the Channel. Rural France, great roads. Off to Slovenia and Croatia again early September.

We still hope to wave you off but don’t know when you start and from where in Ljubljana ?
We might just nip to Croatia if the storms are bad in the Julian Alps.
The traffic jams from Villach up to the Salzburg area are horrendous according to friends who have just arrived from England,
My wife is pushing for us to get the car train West Coker Chris used from Villach into Germany and even night driving will be a pain through them .
Travel won’t even get easier through the Karawanke tunnel when the second tunnel opens as they intend to close the first for major repairs, one year….
If we don’t see you, enjoy. MM

+Austria
Don’t you just love a bit of Austrian swagger !? Everywhere spotless and efficient.

This hotel at Velden, Worthersee usually has Guests supercars at the front or under cover in the garage and the hotel collection car Bentley but today had cars for sale…..attracted this tyre kicker.
Best MM

- Austria + Slovenia
Back in SLO , it was a bad day yesterday for a Porsche 911 from Austria !
Lovely bit of flat but winding road between Kranjska gora and Gordz Martuljek, you can see for over a mile, 90 kph limit but at that you have
to cut the bends and cross the solid white line . Everyone does it usually at less than 90 on a clear road .
Sadly this Porsche pushed it and ended up mot cornering well, over running one bend and crashed into the back corner of a parked log
transporter. Not injured, perhaps his pride and certainly his Porsche !!
MM
PS Still not seen a Morgan but Stephen888 (?) will be in Slovenia soon with his Croatia rally and hopefully might see some .