# España Mar Mediterráneo



## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Hola!

I'm now in Girona in Costa Brava in Girona Provence in Catalunya in España. I rode through Alt Empordà to Girona from France. https://forums.roadbikereview.com/commuting-touring-ride-reports/commencer-fran%E7ais-275712.html


Big tree in plaza in Colera









Llançà









Cadaqués. I cycled over from Llançà (about 20 km) on two days.



























Portlligat. Exploring small roads on my bicycle I came upon Dali's house and museum.


















Salvador Dalí's house and museum


















This couple opened their restaurant Es Cau a year ago. Excellent place and the veggie options on the menu caught my eye.
She gave me some bands to listen to in Spain and ideas for places to visit.




































Llançà Port in the evening


















Monestir de Sant Pere de Rodes. It's about 700 meter climb to this monestary built around 600 AD during the time of Pope Boniface IV.









Castell Sant Salvador from 10th and 11th centuries. It's located on a hill above the monestary and reached via hike.



























Salvador Dalí house tour.


















Cap de Creus


















BIF!




































































































On the return trip to Llançà I saw a blotch on the hill next to the road. I shined my light on it and it moved. A mythical senglar! 
Riding along later I heard a snap behind some bushes so I stopped to listen. Then I heard some grunting/growling. I got off my bike to put it in front of me. Then I thought "what am I doing?" and rode about 100 meters down the road before stopping to listen again. I heard more noises seemingly close again. I decided to keep riding but got out my camera in case I saw another one.
I heard more but didn't see any. However I saw a small tiger hiding behind a bush. I spotted it first, foiling its plans to leap out at me.










Delva de Mar


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## fredstaple (Jun 2, 2003)

Super ride report. Looked like a fun trip


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Nice pics. Beautiful country. How big are those cats?


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Wonderful pics! The list of places I need to visit keeps getting longer. :thumbsup:


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

beautiful pics.

All those white washed buildings remind me again about how hot it gets and most buildings with no a/c. Ahhh, the simpler life.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

nice shots.
color me jealous.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Mercès! 

I rode from Llançà to Figueres and visited the Teatre_Museu Dalí. 










Figueres Rambla early morning























































Rode out to Parc Natural Dels Aigualmolls De L'Emporda. Lots of birds including storks and flamingos.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Buena Semana Santa! Today (Monday) and Sunday are holidays in España. 

I tried to ride to Barcelona three days ago but my wheel broke another spoke. I returned to Girona to see about buying a sturdy touring wheel. No luck so I had the spoke replaced again at the LBS. Yesterday I rode to Olot for the day. It's over 100 km I think. I went to visit the Cathedrals in the morning and had lunch. I left on the ride at 2:30 and brought my lights, reflective gear, and warm clothes. Nice roads to ride on, just the sounds of birds, wind in the trees, streams, and one more spoke popping 1/4 way into the ride. I made it to Olot and spent a couple hours there having dinner and exploring the town in the evening. Left Olot about 7pm. I hadn't counted on riding so much in the dark and hoped my light would hold out since I didn't recharge it after the last night ride. The route went though some quiet roads at night, very dark with little traffic, and I heard a strange noise from the woods. Probably a senglar. I made it back fine with the light, without losing more spokes and route finding along some small rural roads. Arrived in Girona at 10:30 pm.

Today I will try to ride to Barcelona. 

Going back a week or so ago, after leaving the park I rode to the town of L'Escala at the southern end of the Gulf of Roses. It's near a site of Greek and Roman ruins, from the early 6th Century BC called Empúries.



















Greek ruins. Founded for trade with tribes in Iberian peninsula. 









The museum, displaying items found at the site, is in the background.



















There is also a garden at the site.










Entrance to the Roman city. Romans arrived in 218 BC at the start of the Second Punic War to block the Carthaginians. The other Roman cities Barcino (Barcelona) and Gerunda (Girona) flourished but Municipium Emporiae eventually declined and was abandoned by the third century AD. 










Sant Martí d'Empúries. Site of the original Greek settlement of Palaiopolis, founded in the 6th century BC.
It has been occupied since the Bronze Age and was the capital of the region at the time of Charlemagne, until the 11th Century. It was an island at the time of the original settlement.



















Roman jetty built in the 2nd and 1st century BC.









Evening in L'Escala.




































Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French writer of The Little Prince fame, was shot down over the Gulf of Roses in WWII. There is a statue to the prince in Riells.

Historic background comes from The Rough Guide to Costa Brava 2002 edition. This book was given to me by an English couple cycling to Narbonne from Barcelona. It's got a lot of detail beyond what is included in the national guide books and I've enjoyed having it with me. Given the date it is also interesting to see how things have changed over a decade.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

The path to Girona. Over the river and through the woods.




























Arriving in Girona. I rode on one of the greenways and then the last 10 km or so on the secondary roads into Girona. 
The northern part of the city is industrial.




























Cycling tour guide.













































The Cathedral and Església de Sant Feliu. Sant Feliu had the top blown off by lighting in 1581.



















I met a few other cycle tourists in Girona from other parts of Europe and Canada. I went for a ride with a guy from England.
Our plan was to ride to Olot, however It was raining one morning causing us to wait until 1 pm before leaving. It rained most of the day
and the temperature was dropping in the afternoon as we climbed toward Olot. We turned back outside of Olot since we were without lights
and would be cutting it close to dark with the planned loop. I took one photo during the ride.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Girona has a beautiful Barri Vell, or Old Quarter and is said to have the best preserved El Call, or Jewish Quarter, in Western Europe.
Girona was a center of Jewish scholarship during the 13th to 15th Centuries as a result of the rabbi Nahmanides, a doctor, philosopher and poet. From the 11th century onward Jewish people were persecuted and all were expelled from Spain in 1492 or forced to convert to Christianity and be subject to the Inquisition.

Semana Santa in Girona

















































































Girona pro cyclist Koen de Kort in Bikebreaks run by Dave, from Britain, and Saskia, from Holland. They sell a nice map of the area and he highlighted some rides on it for me. They also sell trip books with detailed route descriptions and elevation profiles along with jerseys from resident pro cyclists.










Bicycle share program throughout Girona









Drivers are required to safely pass cyclists.









Riding to Barcelona from Girona I was taking the scenic route through the hills, visiting some of the historic towns recommended by Saskia along the way.




























Púbol is the home of El Castillo Gala Dalí. Dalí.fulfilled a promise to the love of his life Gala and bought a derelict castle and renovated it for her to use as a retreat. He was supposed to get her permission to visit (a tour guide at his home mentioned they were playing). Gala requested some covers be made for the radiators to hide them. Dalí made the covers......and then painted radiators on them.  

Otherwise it seemed a bit sad since Dalí lived there for a couple of years after Gala passed away and the executioners of his will ignored his request to be buried next to his wife in Púbol. 



















I went to the historic site Poblat Iberic d'Ullastret,a former Iberian settlement of the Indiketa tribe from the 7th century BC but it was closed by the time I arrived. They had their own system of writing (still undeciphered) and money. Next I went to the town Peratallada. It is from the medieval period and, with a stone wall and moat around it, was one of Catalonia's best protected towns. There is a thirteenth century Romanesque church nearby. 










I met two women from France and we walked around the town and had hot chocolate together.



















There was a beautiful sunset.










I rode through Monells. It seemed a popular place for cyclists to have a morning cafe. The town was known for the Mitgera de Monells, a standard grain measure which Juame I decreed in 1234 as the standard to be used in markets throughout the diocese of Girona.










This is the LBS guy at Bicicletes Fortia who replaced two of my spokes. He just took my bike and replaced them on the spot each time.
A little girl came in later with her small bike and asked if he could help inflate her tire and he did and she was on her way.
After he fixed my spoke he changed out of his coveralls and into nice clothes and probably went on to a holiday event. 










Evenings and markets in Girona





































I went to the cathedral on Sunday morning and they had Semana Santa (Easter) mass. Afterwards I rode to Olot, leaving in the afternoon.




























The pigeon that got away. Barely. I wonder if birds know the short ones are the most dangerous?














































It got dark on the way back. Some of the roads were small farm tracks. This one got narrower.










Spooky abondoned building at night.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Last night in Girona. Riding to Barcelona on the scenic route in the morning.





































Esglesia de Sant Marti de Romanya at Romanya de la Selva



















Sant Feliu de Guixols























































Tossa de Mar




























Vila Vella (Old Town) of Tossa de Mar





































The next morning while riding outside of Tossa de Mar I was struck by a driver. He drove his vehicle into me from behind, hitting me directly with the hood of his vehicle and throwing me through the air and off the side of the road onto the rocks. He stopped and I asked him to call an ambulance. The police arrived from Tossa and later an ambulance arrived from Blanes. They took me to the urgències in Blanes and my bicycle went to the police station in Tossa de Mar. 

My leg and back were x rayed at the hospital and they did not see any broken bones. They cleaned the most severe of the leg wounds and wrapped it with gauze. Then I was discharged from the hospital. It is painful to walk and I had to figure out how to move my baggage without my bicycle. There is a hostel near the hospital and I checked in there and made two trips hobbling back and fourth to collect my baggage. The panniers will need to be repaired or replaced due to damage. I don't know the condition of my bicycle. I will have to get back to Tossa to retrieve it.


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## morryjg (Jan 6, 2008)

:eek6: What?! That's no good. Sorry to hear you were injured. I'm relieved to hear that it's not too serious. Hopefully, your bike isn't in too bad either. I've really enjoyed looking at all your pictures, you have a great perspective.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Mercès!


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Oh crap, sorry to hear about your accident. Not something I would ever want to have happen on a tour of a country (or ever for that matter). I hope you can get yourself all fixed up and the bike along with it. Get better!


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## sometimerider (Sep 21, 2007)

You're in the midst of a great tour - and then something like this happens (so much for the mandated 1.5 meter clearance). Cr*p.

Well, I suppose you'll be exposed to some parts of the local infrastructure that you hadn't expected. Another learning experience.

Get better.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

morryjg said:


> :eek6: What?! That's no good. Sorry to hear you were injured. I'm relieved to hear that it's not too serious. Hopefully, your bike isn't in too bad either. I've really enjoyed looking at all your pictures, you have a great perspective.


Thanks a lot. I'll keep the photos rolling as long as I am. 



Ridgetop said:


> Oh crap, sorry to hear about your accident. Not something I would ever want to have happen on a tour of a country (or ever for that matter). I hope you can get yourself all fixed up and the bike along with it. Get better!


Thanks Ridgetop. I replaced the rear wheel, it would not roll and needed to be carried. I will replace the rack. Buying new panniers may have to wait. Maybe they can be repaired. 








sometimerider said:


> You're in the midst of a great tour - and then something like this happens (so much for the mandated 1.5 meter clearance). Cr*p.
> 
> Well, I suppose you'll be exposed to some parts of the local infrastructure that you hadn't expected. Another learning experience.
> 
> Get better.


Thanks! It is a different view of things, including getting cared for by the Catalunyan medical system.

A few photos from Blanes where I stayed three days since it's near the hospital.














































Karl Faust. Creator of the Jari Botanic Marimurtra. People seemed to like sitting next to him.



















Canons for defending against French incursions.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

I shuttled my stuff over to Barcelona. 

Arc de Triomf










Sitting at Plaza Catalunya










Bicing bike share program.










Ramblas



















Sunset in Blanes










WILLPOWER. I summoned it. Deliveryman dropped these off in front of me before anyone in the Hostel was awake.










Market in Blanes










Dancing the Sardana, Csatalunya's national folk dance. Each person puts something in the middle as a sign of community and 

sharing. Anyone can join in. In front of Le Seu Cathedral.



















Nearby market.










A guy grabbed my backpack from a cafe when I was at the counter and took off out the door. He ditched it outside when he 

realized I was coming after him. People told me the police wouldn't do anything. Beware. 


















































































A few from La Bascula. Run by a cooperative and serves veggie food in an old chocolate factory. Excellent food.


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## sometimerider (Sep 21, 2007)

You got a pic of the thief? Fast reaction.

Did you ever think you were absorbing too much of the local experience?

Love the attitude for the escalator - fat people can use it; others take the stairs. (Not much incentive to keep the weight off.)


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## axlenut (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Art, love the pictures. Looks like you are having a great trip other then getting hit from behind. Sorry to hear of that :-(

The escalator/stairway picture is great! We need some of those icons here in the states!

Take care, Axlenut


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Thanks Axlenut. Sometimerider, yeah I was thinking I might want to leave before something bad happened. More pics from Barcelona!

Walking over to Parc Güell I passed through Parc del Carmel























































being serenaded














































God bless Australia



















Plaça Reial























































Futbol night



















Sant Jordi day. The rose and the book day. A Catalunya holiday.




























Old fashioned cash register.



















Joan Miro


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