Now you will be in bloody bright sunshine and on the A136 in Espania. I would strongly suggest taking this road down to Bieascas and turning left onto the N260 to Ainsa and onto the A138 to Barbastro, but you could take the boring quicker(?) route via Sabinanigo/Huesca to Barbastro.Either way it's here to Lledia on the N240 via Monzon. Hopefully they have finished the ring road in Lleida otherwise you will have to use The Force to find your way through the roadworks to the C12 towards Tortosa. This will yake you through Flix in the mountains near the river Ebro. Remember this place as I will be moving there (my dad is already doing it as well next month) in a year or so and all are welcome. The local Rose wine is excellent but has gone up to 55cents a bottle. Buggers... Anyway, follow the river down to Tortosa and pick up the coast road N340 (or the peage A7/E15) to Valencia. Here the A340 goes up into the mountains inland slightly to Alicante then it goes down through Murcia and Lorca. Just out of Lorca (ok a bit further than that...) you can pick up the A92N which I believe is a free motorway/dual carriagewaythrough Baza/Granada then at Archidona take the A359/A331 down into Malaga, straight into the first English pub you'll find...
This route will probably be the same time as going through Madrid but as you will be in the mountains by the coast you won't get anywhere near as hot. Central Spain in August?? Hahahaha.....
You have got to do it though! What transport are you taking? On the return go from Lleida on the C13 towards Andorra (becomes the C26 then C14). Here I would suggest stoppin gat the last town before you leave into France I think it is called Pas de la Casa? Every shop in every town sells the same stuff at the same price so don't bother shopping around. The roads into, upto and through Andorra are amazing! Not to be missed. If you have room, the last town has some bike shops that are so cheap they are almost giving the stuff away. We paid £8 for oil that would have cost £25 here! Lids, leathers etc all very cheap. And the grog and smokes... I get my £5 a litre 80% black Absinthe here, but they do non suicidal drinks too. Rum at £1 a litre? Try the shop next door to the gun shop (where they sell stun guns for 40 Euros including little ones that fit in the pocket... and Mace at £3 etc etc...). If you have a car then go through the tunnel before the vill and this will take you out into France. Head back towards the vill and park outside the border and walk in. The GD's have been busy searching all the cars everytime I or anyone I know has been there, but if you walk back a few times with full carrier bags they don't seem to notice. Your choice..
Then head up the N20 to Foix/Toulouse/Cahors/Brive then on the free peage to Limoges back on the N147 to Poitiers (that Ecosse badge might come in handy here...) then N10 to Tours. N138 to Le Mans where you will find yourself on the race track (making Bentley noises I trust) then Alencon where you pick up the N158 to Caen. Go on the N13 via Bayeux where you will eventually find the signs for the Normandy Landing beaches etc if you have time then up to Cherbourg and home! Crap road manners will resume when you disembark at Portsmuff. Oh well, can't have it all....
