Friday, September 24, 2021
Olot, Day 5
Bike Route: Olot to Bas Area Loop, 26 miles, 1600 feet of climb
Oh, what a beautiful day! This easy cycle loop took us down one side of a valley through medieval villages and farm fields, and then back up along the other side of the valley. We cycled up the hills to explore villages built of stone in the 13th and 14th centuries, followed a little lane out to its end at a hamlet, took photos of old churches, and smelled all the wonderful aromas of cows and sheep and chickens and goats and horses and donkeys and corn.
About 1:00, we found a restaurant on a farm outside Els Hostalets d'en Bas. We ordered the menu of the day and were served huge plates of pasta with tomato and meat sauce, beans and bacon, boiled potatoes with an assortment of meats, and roasted beef and mushrooms--topped off with Catalan Creme and espresso. A short mile later we were chugging up the one steep climb of the day, to the beautiful village Joanetes. Overall, it was just a completely relaxing, pleasant day.
On the way back, we were chatting about how the days are starting to run together and speed up. For both of us, the first three to four weeks were full of a kind of nervous energy: figuring things out, learning basic language and cultural skills, getting our bearings and getting used to being on the bikes all day. The next three to four weeks, we were tired but started to relax and enjoy more of the little moments. About two months into the trip now, we think more about home and miss our friends and family and dog. BUT, we are also excited about the plans we have for the next five weeks, and experience says they will fly by. So we embrace the flow of the trip, and appreciate where we are in the moment.
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| The Vias Verde leaving Olot. This is less than a mile from our apartment in Old Town. |
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| The church in Sant Esteve d'en Bas. |
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| The rural restaurant where we had lunch is a family business. They serve all local farm ingredients cooked with traditional Catalan home recipes. |
