Biking in Spain - Figueres to Cadaques

Bye bye Figueres, Cadaques here we come! After a hard day of climbing, we expect today to be much easier. Well, we are in for quite a surprise! On the map, everything looks fine and dandy... In reality, Cadaque is well tucked away, surrounded by steep mountains. Now we finally get the meaning of Costa Brava, which means wild coast in Spanish.

The ride starts off pretty smoothly, as we bike through cute little towns and fields of green and vineyards. What we don't seem to notice is those protruding masses of rock in the background... Ignorance is bliss! But reality hits us pretty hard a couple of ks later, when the landscape starts to change and we start to sweat. It's on those days that I miss the Netherlands, or the land of the flat. TIP: When planning your itinerary, make sure to not only check the distance that you will be cycling, but also the inclination of the road which can put a whole new twist to your ride.

Slowly but surely, my dear cousin Myka and I start pedaling our butts off. We won't let the mountain beat us, although we sometimes feel like giving up (which involves throwing our bikes off the cliff). Cars whiz passed us and we get the occasional thumbs up from the window. At every turn, we wonder if the road will take us downhill, but we keep going up, up, up. André the machine even gives us a little help by pushing us in the back for a much needed little break. What makes things especially difficult from today as opposed to yesterday is the fact that we are constantly in the sun, with little shade for us to rest in. TIP: You can never be too safe; bringing two bottles on the trip is definitely a good idea, because you'll never know when the next stop will be! You can also add a squeeze of lemon for flavour.

Honestly, this has to be one of the most challenging things I've done in my life. But the reward is well worth with... a breath-taking view of El Port de la Selva, and the satisfaction of knowing that we pushed our limits (I say that now, but I was pretty much swearing all the way up!). We are on top of the world!

It took us hours to go up, and just a few minutes to get down. Myka finally got passed her fear of cycling downhill; maybe it's because we are too exhausted to press on the brakes... On the way towards the beach, we see some castles and gorgeous scenery. In the little port town, we put our feet in the sand and relax for a bit. But the ride isn't over... We still have an impressive hill to go up in order to reach Cadaques. Well, we've got to do what we've got to do, and continue biking...

Finally! We reach Cadaques. It's a very cute town surrounded by water and a cobblestone beach. But it's time for a break, and tomorrow we are off to Dali's house. We marvel at the view from our room, as we sit back and relax after the hardest day of our trip. After a little rest, our stomachs start growling with hunger. My sister recommended we go to Casa Anita, a seafood restaurant in the village renowned for its hospitality. Well, it was one of the best suppers of my trip! We ate all sorts of fish and had an awesome desert.

The next morning, we visit Dali's house... No words can explain how loco this man is, so here are a few pictures from his refuge.