Transpirinaica 2013

 

In September, we brought a wonderful group from Calgary on a journey across northern Spain, along the Pyrenees through Aragon, Navarra and ending in Basque Country in San Sebastian. We took our time staying two or three nights in each place and getting a feel for the local cuisine, culture and sights.

We passed through amazing scenery, came upon village festivals, weaved around sheep and cows, and felt the wonder of the high mountain passes on a queen stage making a loop through France.

 

At our first hotel in Boltaña, we were lucky enough to coincide with three pro teams staying there for La Vuelta Espana. At dinner that night we anxiously awaited the Astana, Saxo Bank and Sky teams and got to see how high the riders pile their plates with food!
The next day, we saw a stage of la Vuelta finish in Formigal after hopping on the ski lifts up to the top of the mountain.

 

I believe the heart of our visit came at our three night stay in the beautiful rural hotel, El Caserio de Fatas, near Jaca with our hosts Raul and Ruth. They made us feel at home, let us do our laundry, and provided us with quiet respite after some tough days on the bike. They even had a masseuse come to quell some pains at the end of the day. Raul accompanied us on a few stages here as it is his home and he knows it best, he also led the group out for a night of tapas in Jaca. Thank you so much Raul and Ruth!

We then had a night in misty Roncesvalles, the popular starting village for the Camino de Santiago in Spain. We dined on a simple Pilgrims menu, and it was just the right thing before a good night´s sleep.

Now worn and weathered cyclists gathered for our last hotel change of 133km from the region of Navarra to the Basque Country and the fabulous coastal city of San Sebastian. Time for some celebration!

 

After the trip, during our drive back to Girona, I thought about how vast an area we covered and how it would be so nice to just keep on going...that maybe this could be life...well, it was nice to think about for a while. 

Getting Ready for the new Bikecat Trans-Pyrenees tour

Last year, we organized the Spanish Trans-Pyrenees trip for a group from the US going from the Eastern Pyrenees all the way to the Atlantic in the Basque Country. As we were preparing the trip, we discovered so many nice roads and beautiful villages along the way that we started to imagine a similar trip, but with time in each place to get to know it a little better. The new tour will cover part of the Pyrenees region but with more nights in each place, no need to pack every night, leaving us more time to enjoy and relax. Here are some pictures from our trip last week to finish the preparation for this year´s Trans-Pyrenees tour with Rob's group from Calgary.

Here is Jaume getting ready for work in the morning:

Looking for lunch stops that offer more than a ham and cheese sandwich

That was one mighty piece of bacon in my salad Jaume happily ate.

Finding that perfect balance between challenging and fun!

Have to be in good enough shape to keep up with everyone:)

Patience

And most importantly, finding those little roads that keep you coming back for more!

We hope we can continue offering Bikecat cycling tours for many years to come!

Oops! Depending on who you meet on the road, sometimes it is more challenging than others...i can´t help it.