Day 5, 3/04/08: Didnt slept in Madrid

Havent talked much about the landscape in Spain, because the center of Spain is something as pretty as this:

or:

How the hell a big city like Saragoza was created in the middle of this landscape remains a mistery to me. So, boring trip, through highway almost near Madrid. I was too sleepy, so at 22.00h decided to pull over in a gas station in the highway near Gualajara to sleep in the middle of trucks. 800km this day

Day 5, 3/04/08: Mis amigos

To be accurate, i had experienced already in France a taste of the behaviour of some spanish truck drivers, giving me light signals meaning that i should go faster. But honestly, although i was expecting more bad behaviour, in the road between Lerida and Saragoza it reached its peak.

Sure, it was not an highway but the road was in good conditions. But it was up and down, so my poor Maluch sometimes was just trying to survive the hills.

This would be ok, if this wasnt a heavy traffic road for trucks between Barcelona and the Northwest of Spain and with very few areas to overtake. To cut short, i was thrown out of the road by spanish trucks about 5 times. Meaning, if i hadnt went on the right side and brake, they would have hitted me (on purpose). Sadly, i could not identify any of the drivers. Although, i believe these guys that drove trucks resembled something like this:

Note: Dont do this road: Lerida-Saragoza. Way too dangerous.

Day 5, 3/04/08: Entering enemy field

After a night sleep in Béziers on some residencial street choosed in a somewhat random (but not that randomly) way, i was close to the spanish border. So, at 8am, engine started and 100km to reach Perpignan by national roads.

But, because i needed to do more than the 600km of yesterday, i entered in Perpignan on the highway directing Spain and to cross the Pyrenees. Although the mountains looked high on the distance, after having no problems crossing the Alps on highway, i was pretty confident all was going to be ok.

In fact, not only went well, but almost near the border and uphill i was taken over by a polish truck that obviously greeted me, and still with some energy on my 652cc engine i was able to overtake him a couple of km ahead to thank him. In fact, i believe all the polish drivers greeted me during the trip.

At the border, and because they still do some random checking, i was pulled over by the police. Luckily i believe they just wanted to check a bit better the car (their exact words were: "esto es la ostia, nunca he visto uno igual"), so they just asked for my ID. Nice guy. I didnt had to show them any documents of the car, which could lead to some questions, starting by the fact that the car was not registered in my name. My excuse to give would be: "....its from a friend....". Never will know if it would have worked....

I was still undecided if either to stop in Barcelona to visit a friend and rest a bit, or continue trip until Madrid. Because i was ahead schedule, decided for the second.

Status of the trip (so far)

- Mechanical problems: 1 (solved with purchase of spare part still in Poland)

- Almost accidents: 1 due to my mistake

- Problems with the police: 0 (even asked stuff to Austrian policemen..)

- Problems with truck drivers: 0 (no stupid horning or light signals)

- Times i used the jerrycan: 1

- Money spent in hotels/pensions/hostels/camping: € 0

- Days: 4

- Bigmacs: 2 (plus a kebab)

- Baths taken: 0

- Km: 2400

- Countries crossed: 4

So far, so good