Photos from my Picasa Album:
http://picasaweb.google.es/loulousfo/Spain2010?feat=directlink
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010
Airport on Saturday. Waited for Erlend for a couple of hours... drove to hotel in Banyoles, Spain. On way to town, Erlend and I were texting Greg about leaving me at the airport... remember the (I waited ten minutes, couldn't find her so I left) story. We couldn't find villa and it was dark so we stayed in town at Erlends hotel. We had dinner in Banyoles at midnight at an outdoor caffe I think the name was La Parra.
Next day up at 8AM, we ate two breakfasts...
off to find the villa on cami del mas sant bartomeu (look up other name of road) Fontcoberta is the name of the city. Not Banyoles... correction. We are staying in
Fontcoberta about 15 minute bike ride from Banyoles.
Map of the town & Villa:
Click here
Name of Villa is San Bartomeo de Torres: To view their web site,
click here
Take a
tour of the villa and learn it's history
Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010
Started ride outside our villa. 87 degrees, 7000 feet of climbing, 86 miles
Ave. grade on climb 10.5%
15 precent grade in most areas (per Greg's bike computer)
Chart of the ride I found this online from another user
Stopped for lunch in a town called
Figueras.
We stopped in a cute town (
Figueras) for lunch...paella, roasted chicken, amazing mellon with ham. Half a beer with Heidi and lots of water.
Got lost in
Cabanelles
At the top Albanya (think this is the name of the area)
Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Mont
Restaurant at the top of the climb. We all had to purchase water. Ran out at the top
Epic 19km descend
One fall (andrew) but not hurt
Along ride we saw several sheep dogs and old men hearding sheep along the road.. was magical
We can see the mtn. from our villa's second floor balcony. Seem's amazing that we biked that far.
Back at villa by 730pm in time to jump in pool, then we had an amazing sitdown dinner with our private chef
After dinner, people were up talking, swimming... I went to bed at 10PM spent
Monday, Sept, 6, 2010
Road about 40 miles and not as much climbing, but steeper grades than yesterdays ride. The heat is a killer. Today it was about 90 degrees... four hour ride, no stopping for lunch, but we did stop for a photo op in a sunflower field and by the lake.
Must see all the girls on a horse and the whole team on the train!
Back at villa the gals swam and had a small lunch. Others when on a hill climb.
Louisa n Heidi shopping in
Banyoles... it's very difficult to shop here. We went to three different places trying to find peanut butter. I couldn't say 'peanuts' in Spanish without laughing...cacahuates!!!
Dinner was an amazing buffet dinner by Epicurean Catering:
Spanish Tortilla > onions, dried herbs potatoes milk egg
Artichoke and red peppers
Chicken \ sause chickpeas, tahini, lemon garlic yogurt preserved lemons
Pasta mushrooms tamari (soy like)
Tomato salad onions cucumbers
Puy lentils goats cheese walnuts red wine vinegar olive oil
Apple tatin butter and sugar
Greek yogurt sugar vanilla essence
It's really quiet now. it's about 10:30 and most people are reading, on their laptops or sleeping
Tuesday, Sept 7, 2010
Riding to
L'Escala today
Jonathan made amazing eggs this morning, epic coffee
Breakfast ~ peanut butter and bannan sando, eggs, coffee, peach and cake with yogurt
After breakfast I had to jump into the pool for a quick swim... then off on the bike to the coastal town of L'Escala (
Costa Brava area).
Greg, Scotty, and I raced on a dirt track somewhere on the coast (gold quads)
Met Kristin at hotel on coast, AK and I jumped in van back to villa ~ about 44 miles toady, ave. speed 23 miles an hour (I think, check with Greg). Needed Dana to push me a couple of times to keep up with the train. Tanya is a machine... she pulled almost the whole way to the beach. very strong rider. I was very happy with my choice to ride back to the villa in the van. Shortly after leaving the hotel at the beach there was a total down pour, lightning & thunder storm. All the lights in the villa were out, flooding, beautiful lightning storm from the deck. The others had Dixie cup size drops of water pelting them along their trip home... ouch
Happy hour with Erlend and Heidi ... amazing fish, olives and bread... one beer while waiting for dinner in Girona.
Group dinner in Girona at a restaurant called Dolce Vita in the Place De Independencia. (
Plaza Independencia 11.
Girona,
17001)
This square had restaurants ranging from Catalan & Spanish cuisine to Italian & Japanese.We walked down a shopping street called (LOOK UP NAME)
The gals took some photos on a bridge over the river "River Onyar" I believe built in the middle ages
Back at the villa I started reading a new book called Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Wed. Sept. 8, 2010
Ugh. I'm tried today... coffee & a swim should help
Fusion team left on a 80 to 100 mile ride this morning. I'm staying behind to rest and maybe ride later in the afternoon with the
Dolce Vita girls. Now back to the pool with my book and some down time. It's been a whirlwind of a trip, but need to sit still for 4 hours before we ride this afternoon.
They guys got back and did a 52 miler with 4000 ft of climbing. Looks like rain again, but still very hot. I went for a swim, then a 1 hour run. Running in this area is magical. I now know why the pro's train here...Now waiting for the gals to get back from Girona so we can bike.
Big dinner at home tonight. It's Erlend's last night with us, then he is off to Barcelona to visit with family. Tomorrow we have another long ride set-up... can't wait. My legs are a little tired, but feeling great.
This is my
roommate here at the villa... she's making us dinner tonight!! Yippy!
My Bike: shimano 105... awesome for a rental. I'm on a Merckx carbon triple crank. We also rented the Orbea. Such a better option than haling around our own bikes.
Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010
Breakfast... three eggs, yogurt, two toast with peanut butter, coffee, water, bannana
Road to
Besalu for lunch, epic bridge and cute town. Road pass Besalu to the Roma bridge called
Pont de Llierca
Sprinting to the town signs:
Ameli won 3
Heidi won 2
Tanya won 3
Louisa tried her first sprint... omg, so hard!!! lost all two tries
Split group in Banyoles at the Lake... Elise, Ameli, Scott, Andrew, Jonathon, Tanya, & Greg when on to climb
Rocacorba. At mile 46 we start our 13km climb to the top of Rocacorba. One of the more difficult climbs for me on this trip. I got dropped in the first mile... climbing solo until Jonathon came down the mtn to look for Ameli, Scotty & me. Greg went on to get Scotty and Ameli...
Jonathon and I (slowly) climbed the last 3km. I don't think I could have done it with out his coaching... I need to work on my breathing, almost got sick, need to work on cadence, rotation,
Road about 67 miles with 6000 feet of climbing in 77 degree weather. 7 water bottles...
Rocacorba Climb Chart
Got back to the villa, ate everything we could see, then swam a few laps, showered and ready for dinner. Everyone is very hungry, tired, and a few of us are not feeling so well... travelers flu maybe
Dinner for Thursday Night:
Salmon en croute onions, ginger sultana
Yogurt & cucumber mint
Rice with Basil pesto
Sausage with broad beans (fava) mustard, worcester olive oil,
Tomato& mo\\arella basil olive oil
Onion & black olive Tart
Green beans with toasted almonds
Mixed green salad
Poached pears with rose wine lemon & star anise
Almond cream with apple juice
Friday, Sept 10, 2010
Got up early today. 7AM rise for wheels out at 8:30.
Andrew and Erlend are off and now it's just Heidi, Elis, Ameli, Scott, Dana, Kristin, Greg, Jonathan, Tanya & me (Louisa) at the villa. Heidi and I take off first to get in another day of climbing at Rocacorba. The others we doing a more flat ride to Santa Margarita and then to Girona to return the bikes.
On our ride home Heidi and I stopped in Banyoles for a cappuccino and a
Xuixo de Girona. Xuixo (pronounced shoe-sho) treats were like doughnuts covered in cinnamon sugar and filled with sweet cream. Very light.
Once back at the villa, I got my book 'salmon fishing in the yamin' and when to sit in the shade by the pool, slept, swam, slept more until 7pm when the others got home for dinner.
Dinner tonight was:
Grilled prawns with dipping sauce, soy, ginger, olive oil, fish sauce, cayenne
Potato, smoked salmon, sour cream omelette
crostinin with med veg, eggplant, red peppers, tomato, onion, basil
grilled endive with local ham, balsamic vinegar
Chickpea falafels, cumin, chillie
Yogurt mint
zucchini with lemon
asparagus with butter
mixed green salad
Orange and almnod cake with orange conserve and toasted almonds
now... we are all trying to figure out flights, transportation to airports and what to do once we get so Sevilla!!!
