Barcelona sightseeing

Guests will arrive at various times on Friday or early Saturday and so nothing is planned for Friday but on Saturday we shall head from our hotel close to the airport and on the outskirts of Barcelona we take the train into the city for sightseeing. There is a lot to see and do in Barcelona and so there will be something to interest everyone. Some might wish to wander the streets admiring the architecture by Guidi and others of the Catalan Modernism. Others may prefer to relax on the beach and some might like to do some shopping. We shall regroup for dinner in the city before returning to our hotel.

One attraction is Casa Batllo (left) which was created by Gaudi 1904-1906 by a remodelling of a family home dating from 1875. Unlike the original dwelling the remodelling has created a home with virtually no straight lines. The first floor front rooms drew inspiration from Jules Verne's book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Much of the furniture retained in the property was also designed by Guidi and fortunately the house is now a museum and so you can all visit and draw on the experience.

Barcelona, St Feliu de Codines, Vic, Besalu (Circa 125 miles about 5 hours riding)

Your bikes will be waiting first think in the morning and so we can depart soon after breakfast heading north through Sabadell and onto some great twisty mountain roads.

At times we shall break away from main roads and onto single track backroads. Although tarmacadamed the surface can be broken in parts and there is rarely a straight section so progress will be slow but this gives an opportunity to appreciate the views and surrounding countryside. We take our first refreshment break at St Feliu de Codines a small town of about 6,000 population and more that a millennium of history. We continue our route north to Vic, a city of Roman origin and with a current population close to 40k. We break here for lunch and take a brief look at the city.

We end the day in Besalu a very scenic old town dating back to medieval times. The name Besalu is derived from the Latin Bisuldunum, meaning a fort on a mountain between two rivers. The medieval walls and Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river help emphasise the fortification that this ancient town commanded. Our accommodation is at an intimate boutique hotel only minutes from the town centre and main sights.

Besalu, Rocibruna, Arles, Ille-sur-Tet, Carcassonne (circa 170 miles about 6 hours riding)

We begin by heading west towards Olot before deviating north towards the Spanish/French border along narrow and twisty mountain roads. These roads can be steep, twisty and narrow and so progress in never hasty. Depending upon the progress made we might take a refreshment break at the hamlet of Rocibruna shortly before reaching the border. Otherwise we break at the border. Regardless of the refreshment break, we shall stop momentarily to admire the panoramic views at the border crossing into France before beginning our descent. We pass through the village of Arles, not to be confused with the town near Parc Camargue, this Arles is a town of about 2,500 population and situated in the southernmost valley of France on the banks of the Tech river. We stop for lunch a little further down river at Amelie-les-Bains-Palalda where there are several nice café’s.

As we continue our descent from the Pyrenees we visit Ille-sur-Tet where the rock formation “Le Orgues”, organ pipe shaped rocks that are quite dramatic. We continue our journey passing Chateau de Queribus, a Cartha Castle abandoned in 1255, then onwards to Carcassonne where you will spend a night in jain! Part of our hotel was the former dungeon, now a 4 star hotel, located within the walls of Medieval City.

Carcassonne, Castres, Montricoux, Figeac, Gramat, Rocamadour (circa 185 miles about 5 hours riding)

Heading north from Carcassonne we first reach Castres a town of 50k population within the Midi-Pyrénées region. One of the towns museums houses the largest collection of Spanish art in France. The building was designed by Mansart the architect responsible for Versailles. It makes an ideal place to stop and stretch our legs.

Continuing our journey at the Aveyron we reach Montricoux the town largely attributed with origins of the Knights Templar. In the 13c the Templars built a tower adjoining the monastery and later a castle. This survived until 1789 when it was destroyed during Revolution. The town today has many interesting half-timbered houses and a church that dates from the 5th century.

For our next leg of the journey we enter the southern end of the nature reserve Parc des Caussses du Quercy then we largely follow the Lot to Figeac where the first translator of Egyptian hieroglyphics was born, so perhaps it’s no surprise to find a giant copy of the Rosetta Stone in the town. It is a pretty medieval town but we do not stay long on this occasion because there are so many pretty villages in this area and we want to pack in more such as Gramat before bedding down for the night in Rocamadour. Our hotel is within the medieval town with parts dating back to the 1400's when it was the home of Commander of the Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, this will be our base for the next few days.

Rocamadour, Sarlat-la-Caneda, La Roque-Gageac, Gourdon, Cahors, Rocamadour (circa 115 miles about 4 hours riding)

Rocamadour looks as if it is hanging off the cliff over a tributary of the Dordogne and this has meant it has attracted visitors for centuries. Founded by St Amadour (roc of Amadour) who created a sanctuary at the location in the 4th century the town currently has a mere 645 citizens but the town is always bustling with tourists and we are no exception as we shall stay here a 2nd night taking just a local trip today. Those who wish to rest can stay in the town.

Today's run will take us through the northern end of the national part through Lecave to Souilac then south to Le Roc and on to Sarlat-la-Caneda. Sarlat was formed around a Benedictine Abbey. The town is well preserved and is home to numerous listed buildings. It makes an ideal stopping place for a refreshment and a stroll.

The next leg takes us south to La Roque-Gageac and onwards to Gourdon and onwards to Cahors a town with a rich heritage being of pre Roman origin. The 14th c Valentre bridge is one of the towns many attractions. We take another break here before returning to Rocamadour via Ussel.

Rocamadour, Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, Condom, Pau (circa 190 miles about 5 hours riding)

We depart Rocamadour in a south westerly direction making our first stop at Villeneuve-sur-Lot a town of about 23k population. It is another of interesting towns with medieval origins that are prominent in the region. It has many interesting bridges but the one with the greatest claim to fame is relatively modern built around the time of WW1 when it was the largest concrete arch in the world.

After our break we continue south to Condom or to be more precise Condom-en-Armagnac. The town has no connection with contraceptives although it once had a museum dedicated to the history of contraception. That name actually means market. The pilgrimage from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela passes through these parts and we shall cross the pilgrims trail often along our route.

The final stretch takes us to Pau a city is located in the heart of the former sovereign State of Bearn. Our hotel is a 4* spa resort located beside a golf course towards the outskirts of the city.

Pau, Ainsa, Monzon (circa 155 miles about 4.5 hours riding)

Heading south from Pau we rise into the Pyrenees passing through Laruns one of the largest geographical communities of France and probably the lowest population density at 15 people per square mile. We shall stop for a rest break as we cross the border into Spain.

We break for lunch at Ainsa where the 12th c church and earlier castle are the main sights. Two rivers converge at the town; the Rio Ara and Rio Cinca and later forming a lake that we shall pass later in the day.

The road we take after lunch just gets better and better with what seems an endless supply of bends many hairpins so we do need to pay attention to speed. The bends do lessen as we near our stop for the night at Monzon a small city with an ancient Castle of the Knights Templar on top of the hill and visible throughout the city. Our hotel is modern 4* with a stylish restaurant a short distance from the city centre and park.

Monzon, Tremp, Berga, Barcelona (circa 200 miles about 6 hours riding)

Today is all about the road. We want to let you ride some of the best passes in the Pyrenees before returning your bike. The road from Monzon to Tremp is nothing too special but the road from Tremp to Berga across the Coll de Boixols will bring you spectacular views at around 1300m above sea level.

We shall take a refreshment break at Tremp and lunch at Berga before making our way back to Barcelona. We return to the hotel close to the airport and motorcycle depot