Costa Brava, Spain: Along the Big Blue Sea

Our last view of Barcelona looking south.

The morning was overcast and the terrain level on the day we left our camp north of Barcelona.  The skies cleared by noon, and the road started to climb and twist and turn like the serpentine lines on the map.  It was Palm Sunday, the first bright and sunny day after a rainy spell, and we shared the road with packs of racing bikes, fast and roaring motorbikes leaning into the curves, and people out to enjoy the coastal views.  We were the tortoises amongst the hares.

Imagine this beach on a summer day packed with oiled bodies.

Rocky shoreline of Costa Brava

Costa Brava is the name of the Mediterranean coastline north of Barcelona to the border with France.  Resort towns are scattered along the way.  Houses are built on the nearly vertical cliff faces, clinging to the slope but somehow enough room for a swimming pool.  At one point in the afternoon, as we were crawling our way up a grade, I looked town onto someone’s terrace, and there was spread out a holiday feast with the barbacoa going and the family gathered around.

Downhills are a reward after a hard climb.

Mediterranean blue water and rocky shore.

We were feeling good.  At about the 70 kilometer mark in the town of Tossa de Mar we had an opportunity to camp and call it an afternoon, but we did a reality check and and agreed to push on.  We finished off the last 21 kilometers with just enough time before the sun set to find a grocery store and the campground in the town of Sant Feliu du Guixols.  Before leaving on this journey we wondered if we had trained enough or still had it in us to do the big climbs with our loaded bikes.  No more worries

Can't resist another "old and new" shot.