To Tossa De Mar

March 19, 2022

It’s chilly, breezy and lightly raining when I go out for coffee this morning at about 9, and the same when I walk down to the bike store just before 11 to pick up Rachael’s bike. The store is closed when I arrive there and I spend a chilly then or fifteen minutes standing around in the alley in my bike clothes until I’m relieved when the owner cycles up and opens the gate looking cold. He’s biked here from his home on the south side of Barcelona and he comments on how cold and windy it is today.

A wet Saturday morning in the Gothic Quarter.

I hope he hurries up! A wiser man would have worn a coat.

Not bad. Only ten minutes late. And in fact he had texted us on Rachael’s phone warning us that he was cycling late.

Rachael’s bike is fine now though, so all’s good. Ten euros for the pad installation feels quite reasonable for the work. I bike it back to the room, my knees aching from cycling on the smaller frame, and then Rachael and I finish packing up and preparing to leave.

Streets are still wet but it’s not raining when we check out at noon. We had mapped a five mile ride to a minor train station on the shore east of town, thinking we could see a bit of the city on the way and catch the train at a quieter station. We change our minds at the last minute though and head for the much larger station in Placa Catalunya, only a few hundred yards from the hotel. With our late start it seems smarter to take the most efficient route we can.

Leaving Barcelona. It’s a bit on the steep side but if we return to Barcelona we’d stay here again.

In Placa Catalunya, looking for the entrance to the train station.

Catching the regional train is simple and inexpensive. We purchase our tickets at an automated kiosk (7.50 euros each, bikes free) and twenty minutes later are on the train heading north up the coast to Blanes, the end of the line. If you’re biking into or out of Barcelona yourself, know that there is a wide network of frequently running regional Cercanías (commuter trains) that accept roll-on bicycles, space-available. Also, keep your ticket after you board, because you’ll need it to leave the station at the other end.

Lying Weather.com suggested we’d be dry in the afternoon at Blanes, but it’s wrong again. We’re not in the best humor when we bike away from the station. It’s only thirteen miles to Tossa de Mar but there’s a minor climb in between and the threat that the shower could intensify and we’ll arrive soaked, cold and uncomfortable. Instead, the unexpected happens and conditions improve as we ride. It remains gray and windy, but the rain nearly stops soon after we leave Blanes. The ride ends up much better than we feared at first.

Still, it’s not the start we anticipated when planning this tour. It’s not just today either - every day from now until the end of the month looks unseasonably chilly, windy and wet. Out of curiosity I looked up the normal climate for the region. The average March brings only five days of measurable precipitation but it looks like they’re getting fifteen or twenty this year.

And, there’s the minor annoyance that my bike needs work also. The gears are a mess, something we didn’t find until we started riding under a load. They’re functional enough to ride out the days ahead but I’ll want to find another bike store before we do any serious climbing - maybe in Figueres, five days away.

The view inland from the low summit between and Llorret de Mar and Tossa De Mar.

We’re staying in a small, low-key hostel in Tossa, a far cry from our posh digs in Barcelona. If we’ve understood the host correctly they’re a new business and we’re among their first customers since tourist season is just beginning. They’re still getting set up actually, and it shows. There’s no trash can in our small room and there’s still construction or remodeling work happening downstairs. It’s fine though - we like the folks, they have room for our bikes, and the location is brilliant on a small lane a half block from the beach. Later in the night it will be pitch dark in the room and the soothing muffled beat of breakers hitting the shore will be the only sound.

We leave the room almost immediately to walk around before the rains return - which buys us at most a half an hour. Just long enough to walk up the path to the castle that overlooks the bay and be reminded of what a beautiful, atmospheric town this is. Later, after dark we’ll walk through the quiet, empty streets of its old quarter to a small restaurant where we’re presented with gut-busting servings of cod and duck.

I’ve no doubt that Tossa de Mar is a crazy place in the summer; but now, before the season starts there are few people strolling around and it’s very idyllic - even on a gray, wet and windy day.

The horseshoe shaped bay at Tossa de Mar reminds me in a small way of the conch shell beach in San Sebastián.

Below the walls of Tossa de Mar’s iconic castle.

In Tossa de Mar, just minutes before the rains return. We made it just past the turn ahead and then quickly turned back toward the shelter of our room.

We’re not quite the first, but we don’t mind. We’re happy to find a good meal at a place that opens at 7.

In Tossa de Mar, an exceptionally pretty place.

Today's ride: 13 miles (21 km)
Total: 13 miles (21 km)

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Gregory GarceauLyingweather.com. Good one. Kind of like our local TV station's "Just Guessing" weather report.
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2 years ago

Rich FrasierScott - After failing miserably with several weather apps, we've settled on yr (a norwegian app) as the best of the lot. I occasionally supplement it with windy. Might be worth a try.
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2 years ago

Ben ParkeWhat specifically are your gears doing? Adjusting gears is actually not that complicated. Unless the limit screws got messed up in transit, it’s likely just an issue that can be fixed with the barrel adjusters to fix the indexing. Park tools have some really awesome YouTube tutorials on adjusting the shifting.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Ben ParkeIf I’m desperate I’ll tamper with my own gears, but results historically have been mediocre to poor so I avoid it unless I’m desperate. If we’d been shut in by rain today I’d have given it a try out of boredom, but fortunately there’s an LBS in Tossa and I had someone competent look at them. He said there was an issue with the cable, I think.
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2 years ago

Ben ParkeTo Scott AndersonCables can get messed up when you break a bike down for packing like that. It’s happened to me more than once. Not everyone is eager to tinker. I’ll tinker with bikes all day, but I won’t mess with anything regarding electrical or plumbing. Most gearing issues, save a busted or fraying cable, can be adjusted with the barrel adjuster. Normally just an issue of indexing. Usually once the limit screws are set, they don’t need any tweaking, but when you’re packing stuff up, all bets are off.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Ben ParkeYes, it seems like there’s always something foul that comes from packing. It’s why I like to stay multiple days in the place we arrive and stay for a long time. No big deal, this time.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierYr - what a funny name for an app. I thought you must have made a typo at first, but it looks promising. We’ll add it to the list.
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2 years ago