Say Cheese!

Dali's melting clocks symbolize the fluidity of time, apparently inspired by camembert cheese melting in the sun. Our five-week trip certainly melted away. Arlo's cake illustrated the feeling at the end of the trip. Thanks to my cheesy-going travel partner Arlo and to you for following along!

Oh my Gaudí

After the bike tour, we all spent a day in Barcelona touring gaudy Gaudí sites, including Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, and Sagrada Família. We didn't want to be a Spain in the butt but, after a week in the countryside, the crowds in the city overwhelmed us and we retreated to our safe space — gelaterias.

Snailed it

Our bike tour looped us through apple orchards, small villages, and coastal paths. The self-guided trip allowed us time for bird watching (wild parakeets, flamingos, and hoopoes) and the bike trail signs recommended a snail's pace. The restaurants also recommended snails and offered us the choice of "land or sea" snails which we bypassed.

In ruins

One morning we rode to the Ruins of Empúries, an archaeological site on the sea with the remains of Greek and Roman port towns (c. 500 BC). Mosaic floor tiles, sculptures, and artifacts are still being unearthed, including what the museum dubbed a "theatrical tragic mask" mosaic that looked alarmingly familiar…

Meals on wheels

We learned quickly that biking (and everything else) is secondary to eating in Spain. We adapted wheelie well. The wick-edly fun melting butter in the shape of candles sparked joy.

Handle bars

Our biker buddies never whined but often steered and veered toward the wineries between gelato stops. Wineries dotted the countryside and sip happened. We slurped from thimble-sized glasses at a self-serve barrel tasting of Rioja, sangria, muscat, and port. Sip, sip, hooray!

Six pack

Three years ago we met new friends on our bike & boat trip to the Croatian Islands. Since then we've plotted a peloton reunion tour and here we are — in Spain together biking (and eating) our way around Catalonia. No backpedaling here. Charge! (Our bikes and our meals.)

Then & Now

At the museum Arlo noticed that one of Dali's early paintings depicted a promenade and beach in Cadeques that we had visited the day before. In 1923 Dalí had to carry water in jugs. Today there's gelato within 50 meters. Progress!

Hello Dalí

Salvador Dali comes from these parts, though for some strange reason he does not have a gelato named after him like Kandinsky. We toured Dalí's home in Cadaqués and then visited the aptly surreal theater museum he built to honor himself in Figueres.

Braving the Costa Brava

Arlo bravely suggested we rent a car to explore the coast and medieval towns dotting the countryside before we start biking. No idling for us! We steered to Port de la Selva, Cadaqués, Pals, Besalú, and Figueres. We hiked a coastal path from Begur to Aiguablava and made a splash at swimming and snorkeling stops in beach coves along the route.

Bye, bye, bye Girona

We did one more night crawl through Girona to try Kandinsky gelato (peach, pistachio, vanilla), stopped to pay off the Espresso Mafia where we tried killer xuixos (pronounced choo-chos), and scouted Game of Thrones locations. (Note to Julie F: I think you once said that every country has a doughnut-like fried food. In Catalonia it's the xuixo!)

Eiffel’s Iron Bridge

Though more than six bridges cross the river into old town Girona we always took the iron bridge built by Gustave Eiffel who constructed it before the Eiffel Tower. The color reminded us of the Golden Gate Bridge — but this one had pots of golden gelato at one end!

Gearing up

Girona is the training playground for many professional cyclists due to the network of tiny farm roads, the nearby Pyrenees mountains, the weather, and the wide berth that cars give to them. So it's a fitting place to get our rears in gear. The routes we picked were listed as "day off" or "rest day" rides for pros. We toured the countryside through pear, apple, and pomegranate orchards, and followed a yellow brick road to Lake Banyoles where a masters rowing competition had just ended. The rowing yarn bomb photo is for my rowing sisters!