Sunday, September 20th
Route Map and Elevation Profile
The Bike Adventures van took up so much of the hotel entrance that the 20 cyclists and their bikes had to manage as best as possible for the first briefing of the trip. A curious neighbour watches on - it's early Sunday morning, so there's not much else to do.
Team Tony listens, but there are some nerves in the air! And it's also here that we say "farewell" to two of our team members - Robin and Bill are heading home after a very enjoyable ride with us from Bordeaux to Barcelona - buen viaje, and thanks for the great company and riding!
The exit from Barcelona was much easier than expected, and certainly easier than the entrance a few days earlier. The fact that it wa 9:30am on Sunday probably helped.
It only took about half an hour to get out of the city, over the Llobregat River and freeway bridges, and into the hills behind the airport and the coast that would get us well away from the agglomeration relatively easily.
Not a pretty river, but we had already seen it on our way into Barcelona.
The first, and most significant climb of the day commenced - there were few cars, but many mountain bike cyclists, both on the road, as well as on the dirt tracks off to the side.
At the top of the climb we take stock, and a break.
Not much further down the road, the BA van provides an opportunity for some to replenish their water supplies.
And by 11:15am, and at 35km from the start, what better time to take "elevenses"?!
We passed through Vilafranca, the same town that I visited with friends the day before by car. This is the Penedes region of Catalunya, famous for both white and red wines.
There's always a church or castle to see in each Spanish village.
That's Tony D going up, and an anonymous local rider coming down the second climb of the day.
By lunch time we've lost Tony W (ahead) and Graham (behind), so Tony D and I decide to have lunch in a nice looking restaurant beside the main road. Perhaps we should have waited 5 minutes when we would have arrived at the beach (hindsight is 20-20 vision).
And 5 minutes after finishing lunch, we did indeed arrive at beach for the start of the rest of the day's ride.
It's Sunday afternoon, the sun is shining, and all's well in the world - Tony D makes a wrong turn...
...as the rest of the world is enjoying their own lunches on an almost endless esplanade.
We cross the main rail line between Barcelona and Tarragona, and effectively Madrid.
Another hill, another castle.
The Romans were here before us - this is a funeral tower on the ancient Roman Via Augusta heading into the former Roman city of Tarraco (Tarragona).
5km from our destination we look for a bar on Cala Romana - no bar, just people sun-tanning.
I had to include this because it was on just about every billboard for 10km...
Our hotel is at the back of a large building which faces the Tarragona "ramblas" - essentially the main walking street of the town.
At 5:30pm it's like any other ramblas in Spain...
We get as close to the sea as the railway line permits...
...and discover that the town is celebrating its annual festival this week. Could that be Malcolm and Tony kissing and making up?!
Being a former Roman city, Tarragona has lots of Roman ruins - here's the amphitheatre by the sea (well, as close to the sea as the railway line permits).
Some street performers entertain the children.
We have a few drinks and settle down for dinner, and to watch the children's fireworks procession which is about to start.
As the sun begins to set in Tarragona, we first hear, then see, the procession approaching up the ramblas...
There are dragons, always dragons, in Catalunya, St Jordi being the patron saint; and the dragons always spit fire, and drums are always banging away.
It seems everyone in town is involved, either as participants or as spectators.
The hats and masks introduce an almost sinister element, but all is good natured.
The parade is for and by children, so all the drums are being played by children.
"Joined by 'yes' - the vote of your life" - the Catalan elections take place next weekend, and the outcome is regarded as a referendum for independence from Spain.
We finish our carbohydrate loading dinner, and get a gelati from across the road.
Back in the street behind the hotel, the participants in the parade are packing up, and getting ready for their own dinner.
That's the end of the first day of this trip - longer than we're used to, but not as difficult as we're used to either.
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