June 4, 2025
To Mataró, Spain
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Remember that part about not waking up until 10 AM yesterday? We did it again today! Jacinto supposedly set his alarm for 8 AM, with an agreed upon depart time of 10. Whelp. That didn't happen. Plus, we were checking out today. We needed to get moving. We missed the 11 AM checkout by 20 minutes, but overall I thought we did well. Jacinto slammed down just one small cup of coffee. It's a wonder his eyes were open enough to navigate.
I did ice my knee one more time before leaving. It seemed much better this morning. I felt hopeful. We ate an odd assortment of items for breakfast. Hard boiled eggs, a Buc-ee's sandwich left over from home. Food from last night. I kept asking if we'd eaten enough to ride 20 miles. Surely we could manage that?
Jacinto's panniers were heavy enough that he carried them downstairs one pannier at a time. The helpful clerk (whose name we never did get), helped carry my bike down. I was able to walk down, alternating legs, and only lightly holding onto the handrail.
It's a good thing we had gotten mostly organized last night. I had new socks, new gloves, and a new shirt to celebrate the trip! They should see me coming, with all of that bright orange. We each have two rear lights, but only turned on one. I wondered if we needed a light at all, as our entire day was on bike lanes and bike paths. One light seemed sufficient.
I told Jacinto he is the point man, I'm following. He warned me not to follow too closely, as the bike lane switches sides of the road, and we don't really know where we are going. We both had RWGPS maps loaded with voice cues. I call that Bertha - in my mind, a no nonsense German woman who is in charge.
It took us an hour to navigate the first four miles. We had two miles of street riding, and then two miles that should have been on the bike path, but was largely a construction zone. We rode past an area where they were setting up for a big concert. They were sound testing LOUD music. The sign said Primavera something. Finally we got to the unobstructed bike path. I didn't see any signs, but it's supposed to be Eurovelo 8. We had a variety of surfaces - from smooth pavement, to packed sand, to pockets of loose sand. There were also sections with wooden bridges that had slates placed a little too far apart for my comfort. I kept expecting a wheel to drop in the gap. They must presume everyone rides beach cruisers!
The only other beach riding I can remember is Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Those lakes must not be as warm? There wasn't the variety of activities. My favorite sight of the day was a barefoot cyclist, riding one handed, holding his surfboard down low alongside him. I thought he was quite talented. I'm sure Jacinto's favorite sight was the naked boobs. He was polite and also pointed out a naked man to me. I can assure you, this small town girl had already noticed!
I was happy when we reached a less developed area of the beach that had large foliage. I needed a hidden pee spot. As I squatted down, my bad knee popped. Ah! Whatever it is that was out of place, appears to be back again. I had been riding with reasonable comfort, but now could up that to 90%. Jacinto had suggested doing my usual stretches last night. Perhaps my knee would have popped then? Or maybe I needed to warm up the muscles riding first? Whatever the case, I do like the end result.
As we neared Matarò, we were funneled onto the N2 road. At first I thought we'd missed a cue, but I did see a couple of cyclists on the other side of the road. I think this was it for choices. Happily traffic wasn't heavy, and everyone moved over nicely. It's a good thing we left those lights turned on.
Our hotel was just a few blocks off of the main drag, and had a large, easy to see sign. Hurray! We arrived. Riding out of Barcelona is totally doable. It doesn't rate as a must ride by any means. But I always felt safe. If you are like Jacinto and want to ride every damn inch, I would say to give it a go. It's not an exciting ride (except for the beach views and the lack of clothing), but I never felt unsafe.
I waited outside while Jacinto went in to register. The desk clerk led us to our bicycle parking spot. We went through the lobby, restaurant, kitchen (!), laundry, and finally to the storage room. Where there is an exit door to the sidewalk directly in front of the hotel. ??? The clerk gave us permission to exit that way in the morning. It will be much easier.
We've missed lunch. Dinner starts at 7. Jacinto says to please eat anything in his panniers to reduce the weight. I told him I'd be wanting those peanut M&M's on our big climbing day. Even though I think my knee is now fixed, I requested ice from the restaurant. I've iced it twice now.
I'm happy with the easy day. It's mellow to not start out with killer mileage. Anytime I can be relaxed, it's a good thing.
Two more hours until dinner. We are walking to the grocery for some fresh fruit. There's a pizza place that has good reviews, but it doesn't open until 7:30. We need to get used to the European food thing.
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5 days ago
5 days ago
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Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 20 miles (32 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 8 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 12 |
5 days ago
You will notice mealtimes change as soon as you cross the border into France.
5 days ago
5 days ago
5 days ago
This can be different in big or tourism-centred places.
5 days ago
4 days ago
At home, we rarely eat before 7 so France works well for us. Spain can be challenging in terms of meals!
4 days ago
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4 days ago
The beaches look beautiful.
4 days ago