Arenys de Munt

4 & 5 April 1981

To the sound of Flamenco and the sweet smells of Moroccan hashish

After beating the drum to try to gather, among the subscribers of the Gueux d’Route magazine and from my many acquaintances of the time, possible volunteers wishing to join me for this extraordinary Iberian expedition, a good little band of about ten fanatics from various regions of France confirmed to me that they were up for this adventure.

The Gueux d’Route delegation, representing France at this event, included in its ranks: Patrick ‘Lynx’ Bonin from the Paris region; Jean-Marc ‘Genese’ Roquet from Trets, in Provence; Pascal ‘Bocu’ Bouculat, Patrick and Karine Servanton, Joël ‘Comete’ Gery, and Gilles Ranuccini, all from the Ardechoise region; two Gueux from Vendée including Gerard Guibert from La Tranche-sur-Mer; Bernadette ‘Dedette’ Blanchot and yours truly from Auvergne.

Immortalized in this photo in Catalan country (from left to right): Gerard Guibert (in the foreground, seated in the sidecar); behind him Karine Servanton (also seated) and to her right Pascal Bouculat (pink glasses); behind them Patrick Servanton (helmet on his head) and Patrick Bonin; in the background, Bernadette Blanchot and yours truly on our red 1980 MZ TS250/1 combo

Our troops should normally have been reinforced by two more volunteers from Ardèche. But once they arrived at the customs post on the border between France and Spain, these two sadly and regretfully had to turn back.

One of them, head in the clouds, having made the fatal mistake of forgetting to take his identity card with him when he left. Without this vital document, he was refused entry into Spain. The driver of the combo and his passenger had no other option than to return to square one.

After crossing Barcelona, ​​we took the C31 national road which runs along the sea to reach (via Badalona) the fishing town of Arenys del Mar; a short half hour in the saddle to cover this short distance of 44 kilometers.

Once in town, we took the time to take a shopping break to, among other things, buy cheap plastic sunglasses; which was a common custom at the time, allowing us to optimize our looks and clothing effects as handsome Gueux d’Route, at a low price.

View of Arenys de Mar, a traditional fishing town since ancient times, is located on the Costa del Maresme, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sierra Litoral of Barcelona

From there, we only had to complete the very short distance of 3.5 km, via the C-61 road, to finally reach our goal: the place where the rally was taking place in Arenys de Munt, whose path leading to its camp was particularly narrow, rutted, and sandy in places.

You will understand soon, in the third and final part of this report, why my memory has never forgotten the images of this path, keeping them so vivid despite the fact that they date back more than four decades.

Under the trees of the rally campsite of Areny de Munt, the representatives of the Gueux d'Route delegation resting; (from l. to r.): yours truly (hat and cheap sunglasses);
next to me Patrick and Karine Servanton; 'Lynx' Bonin with behind him the head of 'Genese' Roquet;
and 'Bocu' Bouculat and Joël 'Comete' Gery

Encounter with an eccentric millionaire

On Saturday evening, we took a tour of the city with the priority of finding a seafood or tapas restaurant in order to eat; and after dinner, that of being able to find one or two welcoming bars where we could get a precise idea of ​​the quality of local alcohols and beverages

Chance did things well since we were lucky to have a very exceptional encounter that evening, with a very old and wealthy owner of a complex. This one, a Spanish millionaire with a reactionary character, made us discover and visit his establishment which served as both a theater and a night club, equipped with a multitude of rooms, and especially equipped with an ultra modern, even futuristic, stage, which uniquely for the time was modular, moving and expanding on demand.

We made many friends in Catalonia; like this other bar owner we met late at night,
with whom we also became friends, over rounds of local beer and dubious local liqueurs
From left to right: the owner of the bar; yours truly, a smiling ‘Dedette’ Blanchot
wearing the white Belstaff copy we knew her for; and Gilles Ranuccini

This nice millionaire who obviously enjoyed our company, was absolutely determined to convince us to organize a motorcycle rally in his establishment in the near future. It could indeed have been grandiose. The only reason why it did not happen was the logistical difficulties caused by the distance separating us, between our respective countries.

But the biggest revelation for me that evening was the number of hashish smokers, some of them quite old, discreetly smoking a joint in public, on the terrace of an establishment. These Catalans, at the dawn of the 80s, were apparently light years ahead of their neighboring countries.

During the night, Denis Batignes and the Moto Camping Club Toulousain arrive

Back late at night at the rally camp, we found other old acquaintances from the south of France who had just arrived: members of the MCCT (Moto Camping Club Toulousain) including their president and notorious leader, my good old friend Denis Batignes.

Batignes, one of the 25 brothers unanimously inducted into the Confrerie Motocycliste des Gueux d’Route, since its foundation at the end of 1979, and also a member of the CCM (Confrerie des Chevaliers Motocyclistes), is in the same lineage as the greatest rallyists in the history of French motorcycle touring.

He is certainly less well known to the informed than a J.M Debonneville, but he is nevertheless of the same vein as our venerable bearded druid.

We who know what he has accomplished on a motorbike, and the fact that he is still active to this day despite his advanced age, this great kilometre swallower deserves that I address to him here a few lines of respect and homage that are undoubtedly due to him.

Another achievement of his to note is the famous Transpyrénéenne (aka Transpy), a motorcycle event that has just celebrated its 45th anniversary in this year 2024, and of which Denis Batignes, the devoted and energetic president of the Moto Camping Club Toulousain, is the initiator and organizer.

In the early 80s, Batignes (left) and yours truly (right) in conversation at the Arverne Sidecar Rally, a meeting that I organized for only 3 years (1980, 1981 and 1982) in Grandchamp, Auvergne. On the way back from his expedition to the North Cape, where he took part in the Norwegian Kristall Rally during his trip, Batignes, before returning home, did me the honour of participating in my sidecar event

Flamenco for the ears, dope to rejoice the soul

In the middle of the night, while some were already asleep in their tents, other night owls in no hurry to rest were partying and having a good time around the many bonfires lit here and there in the camp.

The spectacle of these Spanish rallyists partying was fascinating. Some were eating the provisions they had brought or cooking on the embers of a bonfire, others were drinking beer or wine with the intention of getting drunk enough, others with gypsy faces and gifted with a musical talent were playing flamenco on their guitars with their entourage accompanying them, beating time and rhythm by slapping their palms.

Joints with explicit smells threw plumes of smoke into the air. They were passed from one hand to the other. They were passed to me several times. The effects were such that I have never appreciated flamenco as much as that evening.

Until the day, much later, when I discovered by pure chance the very best of this musical expression; via an exceptional video on You Tube, showing Canut Reyes at a moment in his life, when he seems to be at the height of his art and talent:

Looking for ‘Fanfanne’

We didn't need an alarm clock on Sunday to get up early. Because although this meeting was primarily for combo owners and passengers, many rallyists actually came by moped or solo motorcycle to take part. The noise of the engines of the multitude of 2-stroke motorcycles present at this rally made us give up trying to sleep in, forcing us to get up.

The sun was already shining. A long queue of rallyists had already formed to enjoy the breakfast included by the organizing club in the registration fee. This only started to be set up from 9:30 am.

J.Marc 'Genese' Roquet posing at the rally site. I am still in contact with this Moto Guzzi rider and die-hard rallyist from that era. An expat like me, he currently resides in Colombia after living several years in the Dominican Republic.

A mustachioed Spanish rallyist in his thirties was circling around my 1980 MZ TS 250/1 combo asking in a very Spanish pronunciation and to anyone who would understand him: "Fanfanne". We quickly realized that it was in fact my nickname that he was pronouncing.

This is how I had the pleasure for the first time of meeting him in person. We had a very good exchange of conversation during which I realized that this brave Iberian, Josep Codina, had a good knowledge of motorcycle tourism in his country. But due to his profession as a baker and pastry chef, he unfortunately had a handicap in being unable to take a weekend off from work to participate in rallies.

I nevertheless invited him to the 1st Rendez Vous International Gueux d’Route that I was to organize two months later, in which sadly he was unable to participate.

conclusion...

Text: Jean-Francois Helias
Images: Patrick Servanton & JF Helias