route planned 116km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42604410

I did not sleep particularly well as the air-conditioning was not wonderful. However, slept enough I think. Down for breakfast very early and we were ready to leave by 715. I went from the north-west today and we were heading south west, so, with the twists and turns on the road with some time to the tailwind, sometimes a slight headwind, but it was not as bad as we had feared.

In my mind, this was a 42 km climb straight from the stars, but the reality was somewhat different. Pretty much pancake flat for about 15 KM, then the very gentle ramp up around 1% for another 15 km within turned onto the old N9 which was quite busy and not ridiculously steep. After a few kilometres return onto the old road that predates the N9, and this was a tiny little country road with steep hills, but completely empty and we did not see a single car. This fed us back onto the old N9 again and in no time at all, we are at the border at Le Perthus.  A frantic place full of French people buying cheap tobacco and booze, and a very busy High Street, where the border runs down the centre of the road! A good half an hour or 40 minutes stop for a coffee and a drink, then we set off down the steep hill through the redundant border control post to formally enter Spain. First time for Kathy and Dave!

We then had a several kilometre steep downhill on a busy main road to La Jonquera, a busy place, full of industrial estates, and lorry parks.  Having diverted round the houses somewhat, we then were stuck on the main road all the way to the 70k point at Figueres, where I led Kathy and Dave to my favourite Tapas café in the centre of town. Delicious food.

Another group from our team turned up just as we were leaving and took over our much in demand table. We then had a 20 km spin to Camallera which in my mind was a pancake flat ride, but in fact contained a couple of very punchy climbs of a kilometre or two.

Key reason for stopping there, was that my brother has a holiday apartment locally and he and his wife had arranged to meet us at handover cold drinks. He went beyond the call of duty, with huge bottle of very chilled water, ice for the water bottles, and even ice to tip down  the back of Alison's shirt. A simply fantastic service that was extremely well appreciated by the whole team.

"Only 25km" to get us to the night's stop at Girona, with one sharp ascent, but of course, the 25 KM dragged somewhat. Nice quality of hotel, and a brief award ceremony for the team for various achievements.

Kathy and Dave and I then headed in a hair raising taxi ride to town to meet Niall and Tina for dinner, and a brief look round the historic centre of Girona.  An equally hair raising taxi ride back, with the driver having graduated from the same school by all accounts.

Early start tomorrow, with a picnic breakfast to try and get to Barcelona in time for reception at the World Parkinson Congress