End of Trip Reflection-Steve
Looking back at the trip. Some facts. Barcelona to Toulouse pedalling 1,614km and climbing 21,559m (that is almost three Mt Everests) over 56 days. September 6-October 31, 2022.
Can I say that I loved every day? Yes. It is hard to pick the best when, in some way, every day had something beautiful, something that challenged me, something that caused me to stop and wonder, something special.
As I get deeper into this thing called cycle touring, I look back on my progress: beginning as an enthusiast just over a year ago in central France, through seeing the light and becoming a convert somewhere in Portugal, over and over in Spain my belief was confirmed, and now back in France I may be approaching zealotry.
My reflection is divided into three parts, based on geography: The coast, the mountains and the rivers.
The Coast: Barcelona to Girona, ten days of riding up over headlands and first, looking down at the gorgeous seaside views, then riding down into coves, each with its unique beach, and maybe a town. It was the perfect way to warm up to a mountain tour, great routes mostly on quiet roads, through charming towns as well as big resorts, good value on hotels and restaurants in the off-peak season, the weather was consistently hot and clear, everyday we swam in the Mediterranean and cycled a reasonable distance that included some big hills.
If I have to choose only one best day, then for the cycling it will have to be Palamos to Pals. It was partly the context of being the third day out so we were starting to relax into travel mode while excited at actually being in Spain and touring again and blown away at just how beautiful the views and beaches are. What's great about it? Pretty much everything in the previous paragraph. Here is a link to the Cycle Blaze post for that day. Palamos to Pals, Costa Brava
The Mountains: Girona to Pau, 18 days of grunting up, and then further up hills to cross passes with stunning views, then putting on our layers and an elated cruise down to a comfortable, warm room and some tasty food. Then getting up and doing it again. We were constantly amazed at how the roads were smooth but without much traffic, especially mid-week, and the scenery was spectacular every day, yet different as we got higher and further from the sea. Overall great weather but we were glad of our puffy jackets and windproof layers as September ended and autumn came upon us. And of the flexibility in our schedule to stay in Luchon for three nights of rain waiting for a streak of clear days to cross the high passes.
Best day has to be the col de Tourmalet, partly the fun of riding through a ski resort and under chairlifts, partly the excited, Saturday crowd at the pass, partly coming into Luz, a fashionable mountain town, buzzing on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and partly the sunny, blue skies and temperatures ideal for cycling and the exhilaration of riding up and over a major “Tour de France” mountain pass.
The rivers: The Garonne, Tarn, Lot, Cele, Dordogne. From Pau to Bergerac and back to Toulouse. The Midi-Pyrenees region of France, four full weeks, yes 28 days of decadent, leisurely riding in a big circle above Toulouse, through rolling hills, up or down river valleys and then crossing up and over to another valley. This part of France is mostly small-scale farming, cows, sheep, pigs, lumber, vegetables, wine, fruit and even walnuts, all connected by tiny, winding roads and dotted with towns villages that seem little changed from whenever was their heyday, be that 100, 300 or 500 years ago. For three days in a row we plotted our route with stops at multiple “les plus beaux villages de France” with well-preserved castles, churches, bridges but still feeling like places where people live regular lives. The culmination was Toulouse, a city full of ancient buildings and bridges, but also brimming with life from tons of young people studying and working in aviation and tech.
Best ride was the Cele river from Bouzies with super quiet roads, lovely scenery and an aura of being paused in time. Best place was Cahors with its mix of market, city tours, art museum and, of course, the bridge! Or maybe it was Pau, or Agen, or… I can’t decide.
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