Supertramp Rules

Day: 392
Sant Cugat to Barcelona
Time: Tapas Time
Distance: Not Far
Avg Speed: 150 kph
Terrain: Highway

We all rolled out of bed around the same time this morning. Fernando had been missing his workouts with work and visitors so he excused himself and ran to the gym for a good sweat. Leslie and I decided that we had better get ourselves in gear while we had time and got our things situated to travel and send home. When Fernando got home we all walked into town to mail our camping gear home. We struck out in France with camping, and most of the campgrounds we had seen in Spain were closed as well. We were glad to see that our camping gear weighed in at 10 kg, that is until the mail lady told us how much it would be to send home. The slow boat was fine with us and now we are a little lighter with our loads. We hit the store for a little lunch and then cruised on back home where Fernando whipped up some vittles. We were in full Spain time mode so after lunch we all relaxed with naps and TV. Leslie and I also received our ballots via fax and took care of voting. We had to set it up before we left the US, but it was pretty painless and now we can say we did something when we wave our righteous finger. Around 8:30 we decided that we wanted tapas for dinner. Fernando had taken us to a great little tapas joint in Barcelona a few days earlier, so we just headed on back there. We all loaded into his little Peugeot, dropped the top, cranked the tunes and rolled through the night. Tapas was a lot more involved tonight where we sampled 10 different yummies (pimientos padron, patatas bravas, bocadillo con chorizo y queso, mini hamberguesas, bacon y queso, langostina con brocheta, solomillo, montadito jamon, tortilla patatas, and finally crema catalana). It was great to go with someone who knew what was good, and what stuff was called. Sadly we were only able to sample 1/10 of the menu. After tapas we loaded back in the car, dropped the top and sang eighties tunes on the radio the whole way back to Sant Cugat. At one point I looked in the back seat and watched Leslie singing Jefferson Starship at the top of her lungs (with her eyes closed). The crowning moment was when “Give a Little Bit” by Supertramp came on and we all belted it out. It was a very fun last night in Barcelona.
Hasta luego
CK

No More Tapas

Day 324
Dolny Kublin to Povazska Bystrica
Time: 5:06:00
Distance: 90.2 km
Avg Speed: 17.6 kph
Terrain: Around Mala Fatra NP to the Vah River
Location: 49˚ 8’ 13.39” N, 18˚ 27’ 30.8” E

Now, you’d probably figure that we might be saying that in a few months once we had been traveling through Spain. Chris decided to try some cured meats from Spanish country today for lunch and he paid dearly. As a result, I’m the guest blogger this evening.
It rained a fair amount through the night and we were both a little worried about a wet start to the morning. Luckily, it let up and we got rolling with some humidity and mist. As we ride through this country, I’m intrigued by the landscape. It’s such a paradox; communist era apartment blocks and smoke stacks, verdant countryside and old world architecture. It’s definitely got me thinking about history and its progression in this part of the world. I have nothing to compare it to since my country has never been occupied by other people who didn’t share the same beliefs.
We decided to take the scenic road, a recommended bicycle route around Mala Fatra National Park. The area is quite beautiful with high mountains, limestone cliffs, and quaint settlements. The traffic was light and the air was cool – a perfect combination for touring. We had our first 12% grade and resigned ourselves to granny gear and a slow climb. The view at the top was great and in just a few minutes we were on the downhill slope for the rest of the day.
By kilometer 50 we had reached a large city called Zilina. We had two goals – lunch and the procurement of a bicycle touring map for this part of Slovakia. I found the map while Chris shopped for groceries. We left the city square just as the police were hassling a vagrant.
For the rest of the day we rode along the Vah River. Our stomachs had started the day a little queasy and continued to get worse as the kilometers piled on. I’m pretty sure that our lunch of bread, cheese and cured meats did not sit well on top of the medium pizzas that we ate last evening.
At kilometer 73 we stopped in town to look for a room and found nothing. We continued on and looked for anything that might be off the road. At kilometer 88 we spotted a sign for a hotel and turned around. A combination of heat, fatigue, and queasy stomachs led to an 80€ (yikes!) room without argument.
The budget suffered a little, but at least we have a very nice room tonight and a chance to rest and feel better for another ride tomorrow. I’m sure it will save us down the road.

Here’s to eating tapas in the right country,
LK