It began after me and Thoughtful Mark had been on a tour. The tour was OK, but there was something missing. Yes, the route was good, the hotels were fine and the tour leaders were efficient. We arrived at our destinations on time, as planned and the guides were attentive to our needs, but still there was something. It wasn't something that was wrong with the tour; it was something that wasn't there.



When we returned home, I was chatting with Thoughtful Mark and we came to realise why we hadn't enjoyed the tour as much has we should have. Although we weren't exactly unhappy, we hadn't smiled enough, so began to think, not that we could do the tour better, but differently. That was the beginning of the thought process that brought us to where we are today, and that is why our tours put the emphasis on having a good time as well as seeing some fantastic sights.

At the moment, we have two tours on our books. One is the 'Grand Tour of Spain' and the other is the 'Spanish Heartland Tour'. Let me tell you about the big tour first. We meet in Santander as the ferry arrives from England, but don't feel that you have to use the crossing to Santander. You may feel that you'd prefer to extend your holiday by travelling through France, or you may be a resident of Spain, or any other country for that matter. That's why ferry crossings are not included in the price. After we have said our hello's and transferred your luggage into the back-up vehicle, we begin our journey to Salamanca. Don't worry, there will be plenty of stops for refreshments along the way. With good reason, Salamanca is known as 'The Golden City'. Day 2 includes a visit to the 'Classic Motorcycle Museum', which in itself is worth a trip to Spain. We end the day in the Roman city of Merida. Most of the riding is done off-motorway and the third day sees us on the old road to Seville where we spend some time relaxing in the Andalusian capital. The next morning we head into Malaga's lake district and take a look at the spectacular 'El Chorro' gorge where the movie 'Von Ryan's Express' was filmed. Lake Vinuela is where we stop for the night and unwind with a few beers. This area is really something, especially when the peak of La Maroma is snow-capped.

On day 5, we visit the spectacular caves at Nerja and take in some coastal roads, before finishing the day at the seaside town of Roquetas del Mar. The next day we pass through the only true desert in Europe, to visit 'Mini Hollywood', the home of the Spaghetti Western. Then we are on a diet of mountains and national parks as we head through one of the most sparsely populated areas of Spain. We end the day in Requena. On day 8 we travel through even more fantastic countryside to end the day in Cuenca, with its famous hanging houses. More national parks and the 'Monasterio de Piedra' are included in the following day's ride. On day 10, we ride through the fantastic Sierra de Cebollera to finish up in Logrono. On the final day, we ride through the 'La Rioja' wine region on our way to Santander.

The 'Spanish Heartland Tour' is a seven night tour based near Soria. Once again, we meet at Santander and head to our hotel, from where daily excursions are made to the surrounding mountains and countryside. The 'Monasterio de Piedra' also features in this tour, along with trips to the cities of Zaragoza and Tudela. There are mountain roads, a black lagoon and a mediaeval village, so there should be something for everyone. Again, you can make your way to Santander as you please.

This is just a taste of the tours on offer. Both the tours are described in further detail on the website. I couldn't say how many national parks we pass through, but the whole of Spain is something of a national park. It really must be the best country in Europe for motorcycling. If any of you would like to see the tours in more detail, or receive our quarterly ezine, please visit our website.