Well to be honest there's not a lot else to say about this day, other than we docked in Portsmouth around 10am and by 11am I was riding on the left again, heading north back to Reading. Although there was now a chill in the air, I was actually glad to be back and heading for home! Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure, the riding, the walking, the scenery, the people I met, but as they say, there's no place like home! And once home and back into the normal routiine of life, it's only then you can look back and appreciate the memories you made and also look forward and plan for the next memory you're going to make. Okay that's the philosophising over with:  Off the top of my head I'm just going to say some of the best and a few of the downers (there weren't many!) of my trip:

Best Road : There were many brilliant roads but if I had to choose it would probably be the road heading north from the beautiful town of Potes in the Spanish Picos D'Europa. It basically followed a river through a spectacular gorge for mile after mile. I was blessed with fantastic weather, a satifyingly twisty road in picture book scenery. Doesn't get much better!

Worst Road: The tortuously steep cobbled road snaking up to the tiny French hamlet ofJoch (Marion's house).  It was one of those roads where once you were going up, you daren't stop! It wasn't very long, thankfully, but it was pretty hairy!

Best Meal: The Terramundi Galician restaurant as recommended by my tour guide whilst staying in Madrid. Not only was it excelllent value for money, but the steak was the best I'd had in a very long time.

Worst Meal: This was probably whilst staying in Roses on the northern Spanish Med. The El Cucharon was recommended on Google, but the Spagbol starter tasted off and the two chicken breasts on the main course could've been used to resole my trainers!

Biggest Thrill: Even though I had plenty of thrills whilst riding my bike and 'flying' up the side of a mountain in the Fuenta De cable car, my biggest thrill was checking my emails to find I'd won the British Superbike VIP competition

Biggest Downer: I guess this had to be when I found that my Satnav had expired, effectively scuppering my plans to ride some of the Pyrenean dirt roads.

Best Find:  For me it has to be the Picos D'Europa mountains and surrounding area. The best way I can describe them is like the Lake District on steroids, but without the lakes (unfortunately, as then it would definitely qualified as heaven on earth!). Definitely on my bucket list to go back!

Best Hotel: Again the Picos comes up trumps. The Hotel Casa Cayo in Potes was almost like from a fairytale, fronting onto a little cobbled street, housing several other little bars and hotels and the vertiginous rear of the property plunging directly down to little river flowing through the town. My room was small but beautifully decorated and the staff were all so helpful and friendly.

Well that's about it folks. I'm not sure whether I will be embarking on anything similar in the near future, especially as the Suzuki DRZ400 has been sold to a much younger chap who has dreams of taking the old girl on his own adventures. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this rendition of my Spanish odyssey :-)