Spain and Portugal 2018 – Day Nine Zafra to Malaga

by Richard Swim · Published 2018-08-21 · Updated 2021-01-27

June 8, 2018 – El último día

This was our last day on the motos. We awoke to cloudy skies and imminent rain on the radar. Wet weather gear was suggested from start.

It was not long before the rain began, and then it did not let up for hundreds of kilometers. It rained and rained and rained… My Gore Tex gloves that always seemed to perform well gave up to the relentless soaking. My hands were wet and water was making its way past the rain gear.

We stopped a couple of times for coffee before lunch to dry out a bit. The first stop was in Guadacanal and the second in Fuentes de Andalucia.

I caught a long traffic light in Lora del Río and was separated for a while from the group. Keith waited for me at an intersection and we picked our way through the narrow cobblestone streets to finally rejoin our pack. Domi was already looking for us and finally returned.

By the time we arrived in Osuna for lunch, the rain had stopped and our spirits rose. This had to be the best lunch meal so far and was fitting for our last day together. Plate after plate appeared on the table with tuna, grilled vegetables and beef. The saying on the sugar packet sitting in front of me translated to “Do not take life seriously, after all, you will not live out of it.”.

From our stop in Osuna, it was only a hundred kilometers or so to the end of the tour in Málaga. Domi suggested we take a detour and get in the last of the twisties northwest of Málaga. Excellent idea!

Once we entered Málaga, it was a blur all the way through the heavy traffic and into the Hispania Tours facility. There was constant activity once we parked the motos inside and collected our belongings for the return to the hotel. But there was definitely time for a celebratory cerveza!

Everyone gathered at the hotel for celebration of our time together. The food was marvelous and the smiles even better. Johannes, Marc and Domi gave warm thanks for our participation and we did the same for their support. It’s hard to describe all of the emotions I felt over the days on the road in Spain and Portugal with new friends from around the world. The experience has changed me and I’ll never forget it.