Introduction: We got back from Spain (also Catalonia, which would like to separate from Spain) on Friday, October 25. Midway from Munich to Seattle I got a migraine to rival that of the return from Portugal, minus the gastrointestinal bonus. It was bad enough to make me think I am not made for long flights and that maybe, just maybe, they aren’t worth it. I had to cover my nose during the second meal to keep from vomiting and I sat in various poses, alternating between covering my ears and pressing any pressure point I could identify on my head. Sleep was out of the question, as was watching another movie or reading my book, even though I really wanted to finish The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis not only because I was enjoying it, slowly, but also so that I could start the other book I had brought, justifying the space and weight in my bag.
Heather and Hannah picked us up in the Tesla loaner (“our” car for nearly six weeks but that was its final – knock on wood – day with us, but that’s another story…). When we stopped at their house, Heather gave me some magic anti-nausea pills, and I readily downed one. Whether the pill or the hot shower at home was magic, I don’t care. I climbed into bed and was instantly out at 8 PM, barely stirring until I woke up at 8 AM the next morning! Headache and nausea gone, I had a new lease on life. But now I sit a few days later trying to conjure up the details of our trip, a feat I could not do our final night in Spain Catalonia when I hastily filled out the survey for EF on my phone – all the rides and meals and events had blended into one, glorious stream, only slightly more golden in some spots than other, but certainly town and route and restaurant names long forgotten (if I really ever knew them other than a quick scan, since I did absolutely none of the planning myself!). For the sake of our blog, I will try to parse them out, using pictures for reference (thank you, phone, for dates and locations). The only bonus to waiting this long is that I was far more relaxed during the trip. I did not even worry about posting on Instagram every day, and I often left the picture taking to Craig and others. I was definitely zen on the bike!
Wednesday/Thursday (Oct 16-17): A midday flight is unusual for us, usually we are rising in the dark and Craig is quickly finishing packing and we only have time for one cup of coffee before the airport. This departure time was even more odd as we were trying to follow the TimeShifter app which had us going to bed and rising an hour earlier each day so that the day we left we actually got up at 4 AM! But it was certainly less stressful, the TSA lines were short, and before long we were waiting at SFO for our next flight, direct to Barcelona. We were grateful for the extra legroom in Economy Premier and managed to sleep a few hours, although we waited longer than TimeShifter recommended to try. When we landed in Barcelona, we had to wander around awhile before our driver showed up. Salvadore spoke very little English, but we would get to know him a little over the course of the trip as he was generally the group’s driver when needed, the EF van being loaded with gear and even bikes sometimes making it difficult to transport nine guests and two guides and one mechanic.
A quick introduction here, bearing in mind that this was the maiden voyage of EF Adventures, not having done dedicated cycling trips before. While it was the first “public” trip, it had not been publicly advertised, and therefore all the guests were either employees of EF or family/friends of EF employees.
The young-uns: Tori and James both work for EF, in Boston and Austin respectively but they have worked together before in Boston. Tori (24) knows Kayla although she doesn’t work in the same division now. James (27) is a true world traveler who professes to never worry about airline departure times and has a sales pitch for any fun activity.
The 30’s: Rachel and Bob came from New York, north of Manhattan, and talk a lot about the Rockland Bicycle Club. Bob has a 17 year-old daughter and Rachel has younger children, currently coping with a non-amicable divorce. They were both very knowledgeable about biking, and Rachel has traveled all over the world and works in the au-pair division of EF.
The 40’s: Our guides, Bogdan and Alex (and mechanic, Tudor) hail from Romania, although Alex currently lives with his wife in Vienna. I believe they both have children, although I never heard a lot about them. They were very on top of things and were also the architects of the trip having created the routes from various inputs and trial runs, integrating recommended eateries and attractions. They were flexible and responsive, gave cycling and nutrition advice, and asked for feedback often. I would ride with them again in a heartbeat.
The 50’s (almost 60’s): Besides us, Jeff and Bill were long-time friends from Denver. Jeff’s daughter works for EF and he invited Bill along for the ride. Bill has done EIGHT ironmans in the not so distant past, has guided similar trips for another company, travel writes, and lives in Winter Park for the time being; EF was already trying to recruit him for guiding and/or writing. Jeff will be getting knee surgery any day now but was still a power rider. He is an administrator for a public school district and was on his fall break (they take a week off every quarter), so we had a few conversations about education; he is still quite enamored with his job.
But back to day one. After a 90 minute drive with Salvadore, we arrived at our first hotel (Hotel Ultonia) in the heart of Girona, a small but bustling town. We had showers and only a little down time before we met the group in the lobby and went up to the rooftop for our first drinks and introductions. Then we donned bike shorts and shoes to fit our bikes and changed again for our first dinner at a local restaurant which had a glass floor hinting at the Girona underground. Seafood was to be the theme for the whole week and we were never disappointed.
Friday (Oct 18): Craig and I alternated good and bad sleep nights. Typically one of us would wake up at 3 or 4 AM and the other would sleep until 6 or 7. But overall we did fine really. We weren’t drinking much alcohol and we were riding 20-50 miles most days, and eating a lot. I can’t remember who slept well the first night, but we were certainly ready the next morning for our first ride – the guides wanted us all to stay together that day to assess our abilities, and they had a special surprise – besides showing us their pro team support car (an all-electric Cadillac), one of the members of their pro team joined us for the short ride (Stefan de Bod). He was thin and wiry strong and regaled us with stories of particular races, customized gear, his family (including a new son, his first), and racing strategies. It helped keep the group contained, since the testosterone was starting to bubble with a few guests already. The ride was only 19 miles (Canet d’Adri Loop) with some mild hills. We ended the ride back in Girona at Hors Categorie, a delightful bike-oriented coffee shop and eatery, where we had a fabulous lunch and beer.
Afterwards, as the skies darkened and eventually let loose on us, we did a walking tour through Girona. We wished we had taken the guide up on the offer of umbrellas at the hotel, but at least we each had earpieces to hear her as she walked quickly between sights, over bridges, and up cobblestone walkways between plazas. We listened to stories of the many conquests in Girona, admired the important Jewish community, and watched black nutria foraging on the riverbanks. Back to dry out (we found some free newspapers for our shoes) and then dinner on our own – Craig and I not walking far to have sandwiches from Rocambolesc Bikineria, and then wandering back to a craft brewery where we found the guides already and bought us all beers.
Saturday (Oct 19): First full riding day, broken in two. After another amazing buffet breakfast (Craig was making a habit of tacking on 3-4 pastries), we headed to a local coffee shop for real coffee, not Americanos from a machine. Evidently cycling and coffee is a thing in Europe, or else they believe that Americans are used to having them every hour and they cater to us, but I don’t think so. I often opted out after breakfast, plenty fueled for riding and not wanting to disturb my sleep cycle more than I already had, but the cappuccinos were great.
That morning we did the prestigious Els Angels climb, with a break to explore the castle of Gala Dali (Dali’s wife). Lunch in a sunny courtyard a short ride away. Combined with the afternoon ride, which included the Santa Pallaia climb from Monells to Santa Pellai, we completed the Hincapie Loop (Hincapie was one of Armstrong’s cronies who used to live in Girona). 44 miles total today with almost 3500 feet elevation gain.
The evening was on our own, and James (Fatter Tatter, not!) talked us (and Tori) into attending a Girona futbol match. We Ubered within walking distance, found our seats, and enjoyed the game despite the Girona team losing. It was interesting to see the opponents’ team cheering from within their fenced off section (fenced for their protection we assume). The metal stands were frequently stomped and cheerfully loud, but we were disappointed to somehow not have access to the beer and food vendors at half time, so afterwards we walked all the way back and found a pizza/sandwich shop along the way.
Sunday (Oct 20): In the morning, we packed up our bags and left them in the lobby for transportation to the next lodging, Hotel Mas Bosch 1526. Then we rode to Lake Banyoles, where we basked in the sun at a long table in the lawn and ate lunch (I had the suggested peanut butter banana bread with toasted coconut). The lake had lane markings for swimming and boating activities and had a path nearly all the way around it.
Then everyone chose to do the Mare de Deau del Mont climb afterwards, what would be our hardest ride of the week. We were warned it would take upwards of two hours to make the 10+ mile climb, 3500 feet elevation gain, and the group quickly broke apart in smaller units as some forged ahead and some sought a pace they could maintain. It was steep! The views were stunning but hardly distracted from the task at hand. I let Craig go ahead, we unpaired our helmets, and we listened to our own tunes instead. That worked for me! After a few miles, I actually caught up to Craig (and managed to pass a few other guests as well). We finished in around 90 minutes, and were rewarded with 360 degree views, cold water, and snacks that “Cyber-Tori” had carried up on the back of her e-bike. We could see all the way to the lake we had lunched beside, and we cheered on the remaining riders as they summited. It was a group victory, shared by all!
The descent was fast. Bob crashed while sailing down with Alex, one of the guides, but seemed to be ok. We all piled into the van to head to the new hotel and enjoy their pools and saunas. We did two circuits of dry sauna and cold water plunge which no doubt did us a world of good. Then a beautiful dinner at the hotel complete with dessert (of course) and fitful rest.
Total stats for the day: 58.4 miles with 5,197 ft elevation gain. Some serious work!
Monday (Oct 21): The next morning after a leisurely breakfast (we never saw other guests and they made our coffees to order), we all piled in Salvadore’s van to head to Cadques, an excursion that we agreed last minute to book, as the rest of the group planned to do it. It was a decent drive on a narrow road that wove through the valley; it seemed especially narrow in a big van! But we even passed a few cyclists and the drivers were all patient. In Cadaques, after a brief free time, we had a guide show us around the town where Dali lived. The church was magnificent with so many carved figures, each with their own story. Then we landed at a restaurant for vermouth tasting (I had sangria instead) and drew cards for secret gifts to exchange on the last night.
We split up for lunch, and Craig, Jeff, James, and I chose a waterfront café and ordered various tapas, mostly seafood (which we later learned that Bob abhorred – sorry, Bob!). Back to the van and over the hill where we relaxed a short while before heading out once again for the medieval town of Besalu. Not the liveliest town this time of year, but a great place to see the sunset and we all settled at a restaurant, though we opted to eat inside instead of outside because it was getting a little chilly.
Tuesday (Oct 22): Back to the bikes!
The morning ride was scenic and fairly relaxing, past vineyards and olive trees. Then they stuffed us at a vineyard again, including wine tasting. This time a few guests opted to drink more wine and not do the afternoon ride/climb, but the rest of us chugged up the hill and were rewarded with views of the monastery and Mediterranean. The descent was spectactular, with sharp turns that seemed to cast you off into the sea if you missed them. Then we were driven to the final hotel in the L’Escala region where we had (of course) a lovely dinner just for the group.
40.8 miles today with 2,917 ft elevation gain.
Wednesday (Oct 23): My turn for a bad night’s sleep, but I still rallied with a good breakfast and excellent coffee (and a mimosa for the birthday boy!). Then we rode along the coastline from Saint Feliu de Guixols to Tossa de Mar, a delightful albeit touristy town with lots of shops, eateries, and history. Craig and I wandered the local fortress a bit with Bill, had a birthday beer overlooking the sea, bought our gift trinkets, then grabbed a light lunch on the go and met the group back at the van. The van was parked near a group of big tour buses which reminded us how lucky we were to be on a more intimate tour!
The ride back along the same route was just as delightful and rewarding. Even though we had dinners on our own in the schedule, we all ended up walking to a restaurant a little ways away and sharing a long table together. Craig was toasted and the guides made a special gift of a professional racing jersey from EF (I’m sure because we kept talking about getting him a jersey for his birthday but never had time to find one because we did so much riding!). But one of the guides had sacrificed their own racing jersey, hurried back, and laundered it for him. Lucky for me, it won’t fit Craig and I will be able to wear it! But it was still a great gift and Craig was launched into his sixties in style (even though his meal was the last to arrive at the table).
Only 28.5 miles today with 2,900 ft elevation gain.
Thursday/Friday (Oct 24-25): After another fabulous breakfast (I think I said that a few times), we did our last ride of the trip, 34 miles, ending at the Brugarol winery where we had an extensive lunch (although Craig’s lamb was significantly more filling than my four asparagus spears as a main course), wine tasting, and a tour of the unique winery (including underground bunker with odd slats and lighting). Bittersweet to be done riding. Back to the hotel where we once again congregated as a group for drinks (and exchanged “secret gifts and applauded our guides) and then a late dinner at the hotel. The next morning, we would be one of the first groups to leave for the airport and make our way home. Our driver, Salvadore, bade Craig and me, Tori, and James goodbye at the Barcelona airport and the rest of the trip home went smoothly.
Breit Bikes 