Seleno's Vuelta a Cataluña

The Plan

Hola mes amis. That's right, Spanish and French in the same sentence.

Once again this summer Selena and I are off on another adventure. This time we've got three weeks in France and Spain planned. Should be great!

The plan goes like this:
>fly into Barcelona on Saturday, July 18
>rent a car and travel to the Hautes-Pyrén ées in France on July 19 where we will be camping by the roadside for 3 nights
>catch Stage 16 (July 20) of the Tour de France on the famous Col d'Aubisque
>enjoy the Tour's Rest day by cycling my guts out around the Haute-Pyrenees (July 21) and challenging some of the most famous cols (climbs) of the Tour de France
>catch Stage 17 (July 22) of the Tour on the famous Col du Tourmalet, which will be the stage finish
>Enjoy July 23 somewhere in France hopefully cycling around copious grapes and doing significant sampling ;)
>Spend a week (July 24-31) living in an apartment in Girona, Spain (Cataluña Province), the European home-base of a majority of the North American contingent of the pro peloton (that's pro bike riders for you non-roadies :)
>PS Our great friends Rod and Deanna Rawding will be joining us for the week in Girona. So what will the week look like, you ask? Let's just say that Rod and I will spend as much time riding the training routes of the pros as we can get away with; Selena and Deanna will run often and enjoy the beaches of the Costa Brava; and altogether we will enjoy the cafes and tapas bars daily
>On July 31 we will say adios to our pals and to Girona and once again rent a car and spend our last five days touring the Costa Brava
>fly home Thursday, August 5

As per usual, I'd like to share as much of the experience with all of you as possible via this little blog, so as with the past two summers, please check in on us as much as possible and do drop us a comment to let us know that you were by.

You never know what once-in-a-lifetime experiences the road may provide as I found out last year. Stay tuned!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Arrival

Hi kids! So, two people, two bikes, two backpacks, and two carry-ons made it to Barcelona today; thanks Air Canada (and eventually by train to Girona). A happy event to say the least but indeed it's a hard fought victory.

This needs to be a quick check in as it's been a heck of a day--seems like we've been without sleep for a week. Bikes are built back up; car is rented and parked; head is clearing. Tomorrow bright and early we head north to France's Haute Pyrenees to position ourselves for Stage 16 of the Tour de France on the regions 2nd most famous climb, the Col d'Aubisque. This is the current challenge on the docket. We'll be living in a tent by the side of the road(s) for the next three or four nights, so unless the cafes have wifi, this may be all you'll hear from us for a while...but if I can get something up, I will as soon as I can.

What's the MOST famous climb in the region, you ask? That would be the Col du Tourmalet where we hope to be for Stage 17 on Thursday. (Rest day on Wednesday.)

Good night all.

Seleno (pics will be coming eventually)

PS The only way to describe the heat here is 'unattainable' as in I can't picture the Maritimes producing this amount of heat - killer.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Packing and Prepping

The list is long; I don't know how it's all going to get done. Come to think of it, maybe it won't, and I'm sure it'll all work out in the end.

Check back, say, Sunday night for our first official post (hopefully by then). I have no idea what the internet access is going to be like in the Hautes Pyrenees - I know that our tent doesn't have wifi...so if I don't get something out on Sunday, it may have to wait til July 24...

Until then, please wish us luck!

Seleno