So how did we end up leaving at 8am and not arriving until 1030pm, the last two hours in the dark? Being further from our destination at 1200 than when we started? Having no proper meals all day, just two day old bread, yet burning 8200 calories? Cycling 25km on a motorway in desperation? Nearly being killed in the (uphill) motorway tunnels? Mending a double puncture on the hard shoulder? Hiding from police? Ending up cycling 107 miles (170km) in the Pyrenees in 35 degrees rather than 67 miles?
Well, too much to type into my phone here, but the heart of the problem was that the Spanish have converted former A roads into motorways, with little or no alternative routes for cyclists.
For example, leaving Ripoll at 8am before breakfast was served on what looked like a fast downhill start at 1000m, ended after half an hour when we reached the first of three long tunnels through mountains with big "no bikes" signs. This meant cycling back to Ripoll to find the next best route, which turned out to be a little twisty road over those mountains. That cost us three hours.
Things went on like this all day, and we had some very big emotional ups and downs.
Today, it feels good to have woken late on the Costa Brava with just a short ride into Barcelona later!
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