Monday, September 20, 2021

Olot, Day 1

Bike Route: Girona to Olot, 36 miles, 2700 feet of climb

We were a little sorry to leave Girona. It is a nice town and we felt at home there. But we were also looking forward to exploring a new area. Onward!

We left Girona about 9:00, hoping to beat the rain that was predicted to start in Olot around 1:00. The first part of our ride was familiar, as we went back up toward Banyoles, where we were Sunday. After that, we were in new territory. We ended up going a good part of the way on the Vias Verde; it was in great shape and kept us off the highways.

We entered Olot on a wide street lined with tall sycamore trees. Just as we passed a large park with stone fences and huge trees, the sky darkened and the wind increased and the temperature dropped. We pulled under an arcade covering a restaurant and a coffee shop just as the rain started to pour down. We ordered lunch and messaged our host asking if he could meet us at the apartment in an hour, got out our warm jackets, and watched it storm. By the time we had finished our meal and needed to cover the last few blocks to our apartment, it was just raining lightly. How lucky could we be?

The apartment was great. We had an open kitchen-dining-living area and bathroom on the first floor, and a loft with two bedrooms and a bath above. Plus big windows and an elevator. That's how lucky we could be!