Final Thoughts

May 29, 2022

Pat and I really enjoyed our two full days in Barcelona. We left our bikes locked up in the garage as we decided that walking would be the best way for us to see the sights of this fascinating city. We find that cycling in these large cities to be intimidating at times! According to Pat's fitbit we walked about 15 km each day with no real strategy, just walking here and there. We had memorable meals of tapas at Bodega la Palma in the Gothic Quarter and pinchos at Gasterea in Gracia. Dining out in Barcelona is a real treat!

Hard not to think that the scaffold erectors at Gaudí's La Sagrada Família have real job security.

We took the last two seats at Bodega la Palma for a late lunch. We seemed to be positioned at a table for two - half in and half out of the front door. At first we were wondering if they would be any good but they turned out to be perfect as we had fresh air and were not inside the crowded restaurant! No one was allowed in from a line that was soon formed on the street.

Our flight from Barcelona back to Canada suffered a very lengthy mechanical delay and as a result, we arrived into Toronto well after all the connecting flights to Vancouver had left. We had a quick four hour sleep in an airport hotel and were back at the airport boarding an 08:00 flight home. With a bit of time, we were able to reflect on our days of riding in France and on Mallorca.

May proved to be an excellent month in the south of France to begin our journey. Many of the restrictions put in place to limit the transmission of covid were quickly disappearing. At times we were surprised to see interpersonal behaviours and previous covid safety protocols being tossed aside, perhaps too hastily, but we tried to remain cautious of risks. Neither Pat or I suffered any health issues during our trip. Another benefit of May that cannot be understated, is that the roads are much less busy with car traffic than they would be in the summer months.

Some highlights of our tour included:

1) The weather was almost flawless in both France and Mallorca. Not a single change to our planned routing was needed. In France, the mornings were cool but by the afternoons the temperatures were perfect for riding. With those conditions it was easy to have a successful tour.

2) The Bike Fridays preformed exceptionally well - no mechanical failures or flat tires. Pat`s rear hub did need some attention though - to get some oil into the internal gears that were making some strange squeaking noises.

3) We were very happy with the results of shipping our suitcases forward to our destination. We will definitely consider that option in our future route planning.

4) Meeting up with two other couples in the Cycleblaze community was great fun and feel that we have created real friendships with the Mathers and the Maher-Wearys.

5) The single day rides of Gorges du Tarn, the Ardèche river and Sa Calobra were all fantastic. We also highly recommend a multi day ride along the Tarn River starting from Albi. It is one of the nicest routes that we have undertaken. But there were many great days of riding and really only two so-so days as we headed south to the port of Toulon.

6) Getting to the top of Mount Ventoux for a second time in our lives was a real accomplishment for us as well.

Cycling in France is quickly becoming a real favoured destination. The small backroad network, the availability for good food, wonderful scenery, beautiful small towns and such a genuinely friendly culture are all real positives for any cycle tourer. On the beautiful north side of Mallorca, due to the steep mountainous geography, touring can be difficult. But we found that for us, with a reduced load, it was quite manageable. Arriving to Mallorca in late May also worked out very well, but the days can be getting quite warm. A benefit of being there late in the cycle season is that it is a much less busy time for the tourism industry so it is easy to find space at the hotels and restaurants.

In summary, the tour guide was quite pleased with the overall trip planning and the client has already agreed to be lead away from home for another adventure! And until then, thank you to everyone who commented on our blog or simply took the time to read about our daily adventures.

We had as much fun as it looks! Just a wonderful tour.

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Jacquie GaudetWe should have a Vancouver area CycleBlaze get-together this summer. If you’re interested, I’m at jacquiegaudet(at)gmail.com.
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