Spain – Eurovelo 1

by Chris Riches - 30th August 2018

Llançà to Tamariu

Most of the journey down to Tamariu was on the Eurovelo 8 route which I joined at Castelló d’Empúries, and that meant it was mostly on quiet roads with stretches of dedicated paths. Compared to the preceding days in the Pyrenees border area, it was relatively flat once I had got out of Llançà. The route wasn’t as well developed as the Eurovelo 1 but there was occasional signage. It went through some nice countryside and old villages which blended smoothly in to the landscape with their light orange stone buildings.

It was interesting to see the Pyrenees, which were still clearly visible, from the Spanish side of the border. Cacti appeared occasionally on the landscape as it became more barren looking, this was something that I hadn’t seen in France.

When I returned to the coast at Sant Martí d’Empuries, where there was a nice stretch of beach, there seemed to be a lot of French visitors. Excluding Catalan / Spanish (I had read that for 39% of Catalans, Catalan is there native language, and 97% understand Catalan), French seemed to be the main second language spoken amongst the people that I encountered. Catalan independence flags and symbols where a common feature of the ride, at one point when entering a town I went under a street banner with the text “Welcome to the Catalan Republic”. The Spanish flag was notable in it’s absence – in contrast to France with the frequent presence of the wind-swept Tricolore.

In the fields that I passed alongside were orchards, grain crops and sunflowers, with engine driven pumps providing water. Not having been to mainland Spain for a long time, the scenery was very new and interesting and varied and the cloud cover meant it wasn’t overly hot.

I was using the brakes a lot in the Pyrenees, this must have put pressure on the handlebar grips which were very worn. I stopped at a bike shop in Palafrugell to purchase some new ones.

Upon arrival at the campsite on the coast at Tamariu, I discovered there was plenty of space and could choose an area for the tent. At the beach nearby was the clearest water so far.

Distance: 49 miles

Maximum temperature: 26 degrees C

Looking back towards Llançà

Cacti

Catalan Street Banner

Catalonia, Spain

There was an old building on the top of the hill

Catalonia, Spain

Tamariu

by Chris Riches - 1st September 2018

Tamariu to Cala Llevadó

Having spent 2 nights in Tamariu, it was time to cycle further down the Costa Brava towards Barcelona. Travelling south the landscape became more green, then I passed through the built up town of Palamós, with it’s long beach overlooked by high rise buildings. Later, the resort of Platja D’Aro was similar, with an array of bars and restaurants on the seafront and then several residential blocks behind the main promenade.

The second half of the route was mainly inland – I followed the cycling route and then joined a minor road which was adjacent to the motorway. There was a stretch of path with Eucalyptus trees either side of it and the orange coloured earth was similar to that found in Australia.

Looking at the vertical ascent beforehand, I knew there would be some substantial climbs. Turning back towards the coast meant going over some hills and some of the highest terrain that I had encountered so far outside of the Pyrenees / border regions. There were some good views from the highest section at around 800 feet of the hills to the north, and then a long descent back down towards Tossa de Mar.

After briefly stopping in Tossa de Mar, with it’s fortified medieval town, I arrived at the steeply sloping campsite at Cala Llevadó, which overlooked the Mediterranean and several beaches below.

Distance: 41 miles

Maximum temperature: 24 degrees C

Tamariu

Palamós

Eucalyptus near Llagostera

Cala Llorell

by Chris Riches - 3rd September 2018

Cala Llevadó to Barcelona

Really enjoyed the tranquility of Cala Llevedó which was an extremely relaxing location. It was situated upon a hillside and some of the construction of the surrounding buildings perched on the cliffs appeared to defy gravity. Someone pointed out the bats in the evening flying amongst the trees, and the beaches at the bottom of the cliffs were unspoilt with clear water for snorkelling with many fish. The beach shelved quite steeply and there was a noticeable current but it was possible to swim easily, and the water was pleasantly warm.

On the journey to Barcelona I passed through several resorts including Lloret de Mar, Calella and Mataró. I only stopped briefly at a few and there was a train line running alongside the beach in the latter part of the route. Often a graffitied train passed by with a loud rumble.

It was hard to ignore the politics of the area when the yellow ribbon, a symbol used by Catalan independence supporters to demand freedom for Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, couldn’t be missed: it was often seen painted on the road, and was attached to fences and railings for miles, especially in Vilassar de Mar. Around Lloret de Mar, the Spanish flag was occasionally displayed in people’s windows / balconies.

After El Masnou, the scenery became much more built up and it became obvious I was entering the Barcelona area as some very tall buildings appeared on the horizon. The beach to the left continued to look pleasant and surprisingly empty from what I could see.

Around Montgat and Badalona some of the buildings started to look much older and more decorative. There was a good cycle path and large pedestrian areas that meant entering the city by bike was easier than I was expecting, and overall an easterly tailwind was welcomed.

Distance: 52 miles

Maximum temperature: 27 degrees

Cala Llorell

Barcelona

by Chris Riches - 8th September 201826th November 2018

Barcelona

Spending 3 nights in Barcelona provided time to visit some of the cities numerous attractions and a deeper insight in to Catalan history and culture.

With a population of 1.6 million, Barcelona was by far the largest city that I’d visited so far on the trip, and apparently the city has the sixth most populous urban area in the EU. With it’s grand buildings, museums and art galleries, gothic quarter, shopping districts, multiple parks and the beach and harbour areas, each district that I visited felt quite unique. The bakeries rivalled those I’d found in France. The Xuixos which originated in nearby Girona were new to me and were especially enjoyable. The subway system meant getting around was easy. I was staying near a police station and besides the heavily armed officers standing outside the door noticed it’s long queues at the reception desk as I walked past. I was glad the place I was staying let me put the bike in their locked storage area where it would remain for the duration of my stay.

Once I’d visited Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia, a long walk from the city centre, I headed to the Picasso Museum in a mediaeval mansion in the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. This contained a big collection from the artist’s early years and mostly comprised his more realistic and less abstract work, along with many sketches and preliminary drawings. There was also some examples of his later work in the style that he pioneered, Cubism.

Interested to learn more about the area, the History Museum of Catalonia provided a great overview, detailing the story of the region from prehistoric times onwards, and it’s relationship with it’s neighbours and invaders. It was interesting to discover how cities which I had cycled through like Perpignan were once part of Catalonia, and read about some of the myths surrounding the origins of the design of the Catalan flag. With sections about agriculture, trade, the Catalan language, and movement of people from one region to another, it was also interesting to reflect upon these things in relation to the areas that I had cycled through. There was a powercut in the museum by the time I had reached the 18th century section, and I’d already seen quite a lot of the exhibits, most of the lights went out and I left. This seemed to affect surrounding offices and businesses too. Overall the museum was fascinating to visit.

Parc Güell, designed by Gaudi, was situated on a hill which gave good views of the city from it’s highest point. Later in the afternoon I took the train to the long beach on the western side of the city, Platje de Castelldefels.

The Montjuïc area, which overlooks the vast port and most of the city, had many attractions, and the walk up the hill next to the Miramar Hotel through the various parks and gardens was very scenic. Montjuïc Castle was strategically positioned at the top of the hill. The Olympic Stadium, built in 1929 and renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, was free to visit and the scale of it was quite impressive. Nearby was the palatial like Museu Nacional D’art de Catalunya (MNAC) with it’s enormous collection dating from Gothic times to the 20th century. There was also a good Dali exhibition with a few large scale surrealist pieces, and drawings and photos. The view of the city from the outside of the museum looking towards the Magic Fountain and Plaça d’Espanya was excellent. Official FC Barcelona shops where a common sight when walking around the city, along with plenty of unofficial ones containing Barcelona merchandise, and street vendors were selling sunglasses, trainers, handbags, ornaments and football shirts which were laid out on fabric mats on the street. I took the metro to the Camp Nou (often referred to as the Nou Camp in English). I didn’t go in to the museum or stadium and it was hard to get a very good impression of it from the outside, but given the significance of the club in the city and throughout the world, it was interesting to see it. On match days the atmosphere must be special and bring the whole area to life. The stadium was near the University of Barcelona. There was a large empty area surrounding the stadium, a ‘mini stadium’ next to it, and a large official shop.

The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art in the city centre contained some thought provoking and inspiring installations, photos, and films. The artworks were mostly created by Spanish artists, and exhibitions included “Beneath the Surface” and the work by a British artist, Melanie Smith, featured some interesting aerial photos of Mexico City, which formed part of a larger project featuring the city.

In the area surrounding the museum were some nice independent shops and street art. It was great to spend the afternoon wandering around the city looking at the shops and walking over to the beach area of Barceloneta. A thunderstorm then occurred, so I sought the shelter and good food of a Tapas restaurant before catching the overnight ferry to Menorca.

by Chris Riches - 8th September 2018

Menorca

When the ferry docked in Ciutadella, the sun was still below the horizon and once I was instructed by a port official where to go after travelling down the ramp, and had left the port area and cycled towards the campsite, I quickly found myself in the countryside. There was very little noise or traffic on the roads, the white buildings and dry stone walls adjacent to the road seemed to perfectly match the landscape. Soon there was little sign of human habitation, let alone tourism. As the sun rose behind the clouds to softly illuminate the road, the scene felt completely the opposite to what I had left behind in Barcelona.

The seat on the ferry was comfortable but not particularly conducive to sleep and I was keen to find the campsite to get some rest. So I took the most direct route offered by Google, and eventually came to a gate which was manned by a gentleman who proceeded to warn me about the bus which would soon be travelling along the road. It struck me as strange that the road needed to be gated but carried on. Eventually the road narrowed to the extent that it became clear that meeting a bus could now be problematic.

Cycling was becoming more difficult and I looked down to discover the rear tyre of the bike was only partially inflated and must have a puncture. I was somewhat amazed that this was the first puncture and that I hadn’t had one sooner, especially in light of the many fragments of glass I had unavoidably cycled over on the edge of the roads in France. It didn’t take long to locate the offending thorn and replace the inner tube, or maybe it just felt like that because the bus I’d been warned about had passed by several times in either direction, and by the time it was fixed, it was broad daylight.

A stone type of stile like barrier – to stop vehicles and allow pedestrians – would necessitate removing the panniers temporarily. Two men on mountain bikes going the other way (who hurriedly made traversing the stile look easy) provided reassurance that I was heading towards a campsite.

Eventually I arrived at the campsite and checked in, then visited the beach at Cala Galdana. The beach was in a sheltered cove and the sand and water had a slightly green tinge.

It wasn’t until the next day that the sun came out and I cycled down to the more remote Cala Mitjana first thing in the morning, then returned to Cala Galdana which looked stunning in the sunshine and still being early, almost empty.

Once I had packed the tent I left the campsite and cycled to Ciutadella, where I caught the fast ferry to Alcudia in neighbouring Mallorca.

Cala Galdana, Menorca

Ciuatadella, Menorca

by Chris Riches - 10th September 2018

Can Picafort to Palma

Majorca was clearly visible from Menorca and the fast ferry from Ciutadella to Alcudia only took an hour and a half.

Once a bike mechanic in Alcudia had fitted some new brake cable, and given some advice about the best way to cycle to Palma, I headed for Can Picafort and spent the night there. It was a busy resort with a lot of bars and restaurants alongside the beach.

The following day I took the Camí Vell de Muro route over to Palma in the south west of the island. Being mostly farmland and occasionally vineyards, and with some old looking buildings, the inland landscape was completely different from busy the coastal area, so it was interesting to see this part of the island. A mountain range was visible on the right hand side, but the route was fairly flat. Santa María del Camí and the small, old village of Biniagual were quite nice to cycle through.

Entering Palma, I knew very little about it and the size of the city took me by surprise. The roads were wide and almost empty, perhaps because it was a Sunday afternoon. When I reached the old part of the city where I spent the night, found it had a lot of character, and being a historic port city it was similar in some ways to Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale.

Distance: 37 miles

Maximum temperature: 29 degrees C

Palma, Majorca

Biniagual, Majorca

Palma, Majorca

Inca, Majorca

by Chris Riches - 12th September 2018

Ibiza Town to Cala Nova

A large coach transported the passengers and the bike directly on to the Palma to Ibiza ferry. Transmediterranea – the ferry company – didn’t seem to have a clear process for storing bicycles or dealing with them – so I left the bike against the wall on the lower deck of the ferry with the trucks and hoped it would still be there when we docked.

Sitting outside on the sunny 4 hour crossing of the Balearic Sea to Ibiza, at the front of the vessel below the bridge, the island slowly came in to view during roughly the halfway point of the calm journey. As we approached from the north east it was shrouded in cloud and the island looked very green. From afar there wasn’t much sign of settlement on the east side of the island where I was intending to camp.

The vehicle deck access door that I had entered the lounge area from initially when I boarded remained locked when I returned when the ferry docked. At reception I was advised to wait for the announcement because it would eventually open – it didn’t. After following some seemingly equally confused Spanish HGV drivers to the HGV deck through the maze of the noisy ferry, I discovered the area I’d left the bike was closed off by means of a very large metal gate. Eventually one of the crew provided access to the area where I’d left my bike and relieved to escape from the ferry and the port area, I cycled out of Ibiza Town towards the more tranquil Cala Nova.

The buildings I saw on the way there were mostly painted white and fairly stylish looking. Curved rectangular buildings seemed to be a common theme giving them a soft edge. Something struck me about the graphic design style often used by the shops, hotels and restaurants – a bit like in Koh Lanta in Thailand, it tended to use the vernacular style.

Cala Nova and the campsite had a pleasant atmosphere and people were doing some impressive yoga, some were playing musical instruments, and I was surprised to find the beach adjacent to the campsite had a lot of surf. In the evenings the rhythmic noise of distant bongos competed with the birdsong and the sound of the waves. The bars and restaurants nearby had style whilst being unpretentious and not generic feeling and the food was some of the best yet in Spain.

Getting to San Antonio involved a 3 mile early morning walk to Santa Eulàlia and then a 30 minute bus ride – I was intrigued to see that part of the island too. As anticipated it was far more built up than the area that I was staying and it was probably a different experience during the day than at night time.

Luckily the sun came out in the afternoon when I took the opportunity to walk to the beautiful neighbouring beach of Cala Llenya which was very nice and had a laid back atmosphere too.

The following day, before catching the ferry to Valencia, I had a look round the walled old town area of Ibiza Town which was very picturesque and set on a hill.

Distance: 13 miles

Maximum temperature: 28 degrees C