Adventure: Northern Spain
Breakfast at Alsur Cafe started out with a bang!
2022
When did I fall in love with Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region? About an hour into the trip. What can you expect from a city where the first meal is a chocolate glazed doughnut filled with eggs and bacon, fried potatoes on the side? Only good things! The Spanish are not shy when it comes to eating audaciously and living with unabashed passion and I tracked this vibe right away via my breakfast. Thank God we had lots of walking and bicycle miles planned to balance things out.
Four friends traveled in mid-October, yet it felt like full summer with fourteen glorious 75° days in the forecast. We toured the city fresh off the plane by Hop On/Off Bus, which gave us a nice overview of the neighborhoods. Our hotel was in the Gothic Quarter, perfect for walking in any direction to destinations like Família Sagrada, Mercado de la Boqueria, Antoni Gaudí’s Família Mila and Dragon Houses, museums, La Rambla, and the Waterfront.
Our Amigo Alfredo: @what’s app +34-677-31-90-32 contact for tours.
We only had two days to explore, so we booked an e-bike tour which doubled as an iphoto class. Our wonderful guide, Alfredo, taught us the finer points of shooting on an iphone as he led us on an adventure through this sexy city of 1.6 million souls. Alfredo shared historical tidbits and secret spots along the way. I found it very moving when he reverently reflected on how much the 1992 Olympic Games influenced the modern city that Barcelona is today. The city’s infrastructure, right down to the sand shipped from the Sahara Desert to create the Waterfront, was revitalized by the Games. Because Barcelona is a safe, bike-centric city, it was a blast buzzing around on the e-bikes. This green-forward city plans to be car-free via several ‘super-block’ areas in the next few years.
Família Sagrada is truly a wonder of the world!
Throughout our touring days we devoured crunchy churros, patatas bravas, gelato with whimsical toppings, stellar coffee, and cold local beer. (I even found a dark zero-beer by Estrella that made me swoon.) A highlight of our visit was the 90-minute tour of Família Sagrada, a fantastical must-see wonder of Antoni Gaudí’s genius architecture. It is truly a marvel and nothing like any ‘church’ we have ever visited.
A delectable feature of our visit was The Barcelona Taste food tour with Maribel. We dined with seven guests in a moveable feast of three courses (pintxos, raciones, postres, plus beverages) touring three restaurants from 7-10 pm. I can’t emphasize enough what a valuable experience it is to eat with a local guide. It set up the cultural and culinary knowledge base up for our entire trip, plus we learned so much insider information about the city. Because it saves us hours and hours of research, we make it a practice to do this every trip—and we always meet wonderful people.
Our time in Barcelona was short because our next big adventure was to ride the Costa Brava (Spain’s Riviera) over three days of hilly 50-mile rides to Girona, the home and training ground of many Tour de France teams. We booked a self-guided tour with Claudio who did a decent job of procuring bikes, booking our hotels, and moving our luggage. It was up to us to navigate Stage 1 and get our butts and bikes from Barcelona to Calella (87 km). We had a gorgeous 3,000 ft climb, smooth balcony roads, and views of the sea on a 72° day—it was truly spectacular!
On Stage 2 we biked Calella-Caldes de Malavella (80 km). We didn’t like the first 15 miles—a busy highway—but the payoff was a stunning balcony road by the sea that felt like a spiritual experience, and why we came to ride this legendary route in the first place.
The Vichy Catalan Spa a funky spot to spend the night.
We spent the night in a quirky, cool place: The Vichy Catalan. It is an historic hotel owned by the mineral water company that is Spain’s signature water. Formally an old-world spa, the building is a wonder to explore. I should mention that few people speak English in the small towns of Spain, it is Catalan on the Costa Brava, and Basque as you travel northwest. We had to use Google Lens translator to even read a menu. I found this kind of refreshing as I like to make an effort when I travel, and it’s fun communicating with new folks in new ways.
There’s nothing like a big slab of Basque Burnt Cheesecake to fuel the ride!
Stage 3 was Malavella to Girona (79 km) and we had some tough going that day with the navigation, but sometimes getting lost is half the fun. We fortified with Basque Burnt Cheesecake and cappuccinos early on, then again with a delightful patio lunch at La Placa along the way. The payoff was the final climb into Girona, Els Angels, a beautiful 11 km climb. Arriving in city center Girona, we were very glad to store our bikes at Hotel Utonia and take a siesta. We toured the charming city on foot scouting for glimpses of the lean-bodied pros, and we built in pit stops at The Service Course for upscale bike shopping, and La Fabrica Girona, a happening café. Both are informal ‘clubhouses’ for the biking set (and Instagram obsessions of mine) so I was thrilled.
We said farewell to our pals, and Jeff and I drove from Girona through the Pyrenees Mountain range for a sentimental tour. Back in the day we rode many of the Tour de France climbs here, and it was fun to reminisce as we spotted the Cols and villages on a map again.
The St. Jean de Luz harbor with 905 meter La Rhune in the background.
One of the best surprises of the trip was an idea I lifted off a bike tour site, booking in at La Reserva in St. Jean de Luz, France. It’s a picture postcard seaside resort town. Our adventure was to hike La Rhune (905 m), a mountain sacred to the people of the Basque region, with a backpack picnic from the famous Maison Pariès bakery. Let it be noted under ‘Miracles DO Happen’ that on this trek, in the middle of nowhere, there is a tiny restaurant serving the best version I’ve ever eaten of my favorite food—French fries! Oh. My. Jesus. I can see why this mountain is sacred.
I bagged La Rhune in fashion kicks—not my usual gear—but packing was limited!
While the hiking trails are sparsely marked and we had to do some navigating, we ended up with a truly epic hike and a powerful view of Col des Trois Fontaine, a 20 km climb we did in the aughts, when were young and nothing felt impossible. It all felt sweetly nostalgic—while time and opportunity have been very kind to us, life’s adventures do pass by all too quickly.
I have always fancied myself a Francophile yet after one lovely day and night in France, I could not wait to return to Spain: the delightful skewered bites of pintxos, raciones of beef cheeks, and my personal crack, the Basque Burnt Cheesecake. We just needed more of that lusty sense of intensity the Spanish do so well, so we headed to San Sebastián, deep Basque country, for some mountain biking and more eating. This stunning city of 185,00 is one of the most food-centric places in the world with the most Michelin starred restaurants per capita.
In keeping with our ‘dirt by day, lux by night’ motto we booked in at the LaSala Plaza Hotel, located smack in the center of the action with the salty sea lapping at our door. LaSala is a newly renovated hotel with a chic maritime theme and so high-tech that I was afraid to touch the control panel. We had oceanviews on two sides (room 405) and we found it to be the ideal spot to unwind after a week of constant motion.
We did some mountain biking with the aid of our local guide Mateo, who was so friendly and kind. Like Portugal last year, we found the trails to be rough and steep, and the sport still emerging. We opted to try out e-mt bikes as they were the only ones on offer. OMG: it was SO fun! At age sixty-five I think I’m in love with the ebike, having ‘earned my turns’ after thirty years. (update: I already have one on order! :)
One day we did a wild self-guided road ride to a picturesque fishing village called Geteria, where I’m pretty sure we both used up one of our nine lives. Let’s just say it involved a concrete mixer truck and that I cried all through lunch. After that, we focused on the many cool hikes you can take right from town. San Sebastián is preternaturally blessed with the Pyrenees mountains, the Bay of Biscay, and Old Town converging into one sacred space, and it’s become my new favorite city in the world.
I was never a cheesecake fan until I met this one…Basque Burnt Cheesecake. I am going to share the recipe in my next post!
After our daily activity and siesta, we’d go bar hopping around 8 pm. At each bodega the ancient walls buzzed with intense excitement and good cheer. The locals and tourists mingle effortlessly, and I loved that. We ate very well and cheaply—the town is a foodie marvel, and I’d say a click up from Barcelona with regard to creativity and value. We’d order small glasses of beer or mineral water and select 3 pintxos—garlic shrimp, tuna & walnuts, figs with Iberian ham, anchovies, Idiastabal cheese, croquettes, olives, sausages, fried cod, whatever could be combined and skewered, each bar boasting their specialties. The barman kept track of our meal by the number of toothpicks leftover on our plate. Our pattern was to devour the tasty combinations, discuss in detail, and then move on to the next bar. To go four rounds was a big night for us and we always had to end the evening at Bar Vina for their Burnt Cheesecake, it’s simply the best. The food is so superior and consistent throughout the city that recommendations aren’t necessary, but here are our favorites in Old Town: Atari, Donostarra, Sport, Ganbara, Gandaries, Bar Martinez, and Bar Vina.
When did I fall in love with San Sebastián? From the moment I laid eyes on her, she is a stunning city in every possible way. And I found our Basque friends to be warm but stoic, exuberant yet modest, and passionately efficient about everything they do. They are a fiercely proud culture, and they want to welcome and host visitors. Do not interfere with their efforts to run the show, or you run the risk of embarrassing them, and yourself. If you are gracious, respectful, and relaxed and allow them to show you their country you will have a rich experience. ‘Bun Dia’ and ‘Gracias’ go a long way (‘Lo siento’/I’m sorry comes in handy, too!) In a word, the Basque are a lot like Vermonters, and I think that’s why we felt so at home here—and why we cannot wait to return.
Some Notes on Travel
I try to be a conscious, not conspicuous, traveler. Learning some local phrases and a bit about the history and politics of my destination goes a long way with people. I find that the more casual I dress (frame jeans, cute shirt, sturdy but cool kicks, a light backpack) the more I fit in, the better my experience. I have one comfortable but chic evening outfit, and I work it to death.
I think carefully about what I pack and how it will look in a photo because it’s permanent. Good sunglasses are a must! Because we move around so much, we only carry on one bag so packing for two-weeks (including bike stuff) is something of an art. We use cubes, under pack, and buy most of our toiletries when we arrive. (I don’t know why but not one hotel we stayed at on this trip had hair conditioner in the bathroom!) Remember, it’s possible to do a load of laundry part way through and much easier than dealing with extra bags.
No one was masked anywhere but public transportation; very few masks were worn on the plane. We have been flying out of Dulles/DC lately and find it more reliable than NYC; on our last two trips we flew direct to our destination (Lisbon, Barcelona) and we blew through the airport with Global access and carry-on bags, easily making our two-hour connection to BTV. I try to edit my photos daily and we keep our passports with our hotel manager’s card in our daypack. Buen Viaje!
I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me!
