September 2025 – Page 5 – Travelling reflections

D43 Trans Europa El Port de la Selva – Tossa de Mar

Spain has a population of about 49 million – with a far larger land mass than the UK. The UK has a population density of about 279 people per square kilometer. Spain 96.

Tossa de Mar was put on the map in Neolithic times. It took off in the early 1950s when Ava Gardner – dating Frank Sinatra – made a film here with James Mason (Pandora and the Flying Dutchman). So making it a popular tourist destination and creating Costa Brava. There’s no information about the tradition of tossing the mayor.

We got a sense of the population distribution from today’s ride. A most pleasurable jaunt up to see if the Monks were at 2nd prayer and the down onto a great agricultural plain. Gone are vines. Replaced by apples, some cattle and arable farms.

The towns are “working”. We pass through La Bisbal, which is known for, and it shows, ceramics. Calonges has a large piece of art bought in a bring and buy sale of things from a 2004 Barcelona exhibition.

Tomorrow to Barcelona and a double rest day.

France, Spain, Trans Europa

D42 Saint Cyprien – El Port de la Selva

We’ve entered Spain, or the independently minded area of Catalonia to be precise. Salvador Dali came from a town Figueres we passed through. A controversial figure as a supporter of the Franco regime.

One of the cols we passed through noted the Republican refugees who had crossed there when the Republicans lost (Franco’s opponents) in 1939. 400000 of them, living in refugee camps along the French coast where we started today. Nothing is new.

We left the pesky cycle paths and entered proper roads: the old road over the mountain pass. Which meant it went up and down and up and down, zig and zag. Lots of time to take in the views of the towns and fields below. Much better than looking up.

Lots of vines: I’m curious what the altitude and cooler temperature means for the final wines. Better? Paint stripper?

A deserted border post near the top of a hill, then into country No10. No passports needed since we entered Estonia. Apart from a few hotels wanting the details and a photocopy suffices.

As we arrived early, I took an extra ride up towards a 10C Monastery. I can confirm it looked like a religious building. Had I looked at tomorrow’s ride sooner I would have spotted it goes up the same way. So a chance to photograph it in morning light vs mid afternoon. Always look on the bright side of life.

France, Trans Europa

D41 Trans Europa Valras-Plage – Saint Cyprien

You look forward to cycle paths most of the time. Sometimes they can be a pain: left to right, back again, onto road, back to path, dodge the large e-bikes thundering towards you in pairs.

Today’s ride, good as it was, had an extra frisson of mud, glorious mud. My fault, I cleaned the chains last night. Luckily this was super sticky mud with a nice clay feeling, so doubled up as extra lube. The canal on one side was the added incentive to stay in the tow path mud.

The coastal belt is a queer mix of traditional, slightly shabby and interesting local towns – where you see people (coffee, fags and pastries) and new developments along sea fronts. Where you don’t see people in the housing areas.

The beaches are deserted as are the acres of car parks. An ideal time to pass through or indeed stay. Probably a different scene just a week ago.

Inland there’s lots of nature in the marshy flat lands. Some of it bights. Red squirrels are used to being fed. The highland cow some saw was probably lost and very warm. Or on its holidays: why just us humans?

Tomorrow into Spain – which means an uphill to get to the Border post.

France, Trans Europa

D40 Trans Europa Montpellier – Valras Plage

Which I think translates as Valras Beach, a small sea-side town with a fine beach. We got there by following the sea around and along the canals.

Leaving Montpellier I was eating words. Soon we were into out of town shopping mall areas. High traffic as it’s a Monday and the end of school holidays. We are going against the tide of traffic so generally ok. Apart from roundabouts and when the cycle paths switch back and fore.

It then felt like a mixture of Gwent levels, Llanelli Millenium Path and Swansea Bay along to Mumbles. Generally delightful, with a few amusement parks of varying rusting vintage thrown in for amusement.