Narbonne to Colera - Day 104

Date: November 30th, 2009
Distance: 126km
Country: Spain
Song of the Day: Free Life - Dan Wilson

Well, when I picked the spot last night, I did forget about one thing. Wind. I woke up to quite a tempest this morning. It really hasn't been this windy since I was in Iceland. I had to keep the tent staked down while I was rolling it up. The wind did do one good thing though, my tent was bone dry as I put it away. Still I was up with the sun. Not that I could really see the sunrise because of the clouds.

Most of the morning was pretty boring. I did get to see the Pyrenees in the distance though. Covered in snow. I was glad I decided to take the coastal route. By the late afternoon I was once again riding along the rugged Mediterranean coastline. The little towns in the area were really quite reminiscent of the Cinque Terre. The same pastel buildings. the same terraced vineyards. The road was a bit more cyclist friendly though. I really liked the town of Collioure, with its two fortresses overlooking the harbor.

The last climb out of Cerbere was pretty brutal though. It had also started to rain. Plus the sun had set and it was starting to get dark. So not the most pleasant ride in the world. Still, at the top was the sign I was waiting for, España. Yeah! Country 11. Final stop on my European tour.

My next task was to find somewhere to sleep. The area wasn't really all that suited to camping though. Not a lot of level ground. I asked about camping and there was nothing in the first town. I was heading to the next town which did have a camping site when a thunderstorm blew in. I decided that it was time to get in doors.

There was a handy city information sign which listed a place nearby as a "Hostal". It turns out the place was not quite what I expected. Really it was just a hotel. Originally I was going to go somewhere else but the owner lowered his price. It was still a little more than I wanted to spend, but boy it was nice. Plus it is out of the rain, with a place to charge my stuff and free internet. With a warm bed, I have no complaints.

Now I just have two days to get down to Barcelona. Spend a few days there and then head down to Valencia.

-Dravis