As i neared the South Coast of France, the climate and geography of the land changed. That's the beauty of travelling so slowly, you see everything changed right in front of your eyes.
It got a whole lot warmer, and a very dry. On the coast, there were flocks of Flamingoes. Their shades of pink were beautiful. I tried getting close for a photo but they kept flying away.
It got a whole lot warmer, and a very dry. On the coast, there were flocks of Flamingoes. Their shades of pink were beautiful. I tried getting close for a photo but they kept flying away.
I thought getting over the Pyrenees would be tough, but the road i chose just happened to be a small hill through a valley and a nice descent into the first town over the border. A couple of small towns later and i was in Girona. The Old Town is a real gem! I loved walking around the narrow alleyways.
I'm not usually a fan of big Towns or Cities, but i really like this place. I spent a long time looking around the Old Town. I spent a night in a Hostel before heading for the Mountains. I didn't realise how Mountainous Spain really was until i got here. It is the most Mountainous country in Europe, after Switzerland. I wanted to avoid the mega touristy coast, so i ventured inland.
Montseny Natural Park
It was a beautifully clear sky and a perfect day for cycling in the Mountains. The roads were virtually empty and i could cycle on either side of the road, stopping to take pictures :-)
There is much wildlife around at this time of the year and I could hear many animals shuffling around near my tent. There were lots of wild boars, and a group of them walked right past my tent! After a close encounter in Turkey which scared the crap out of me, i decided to stay in the tent and not peer out to have a look.
I needed to get to the next Town to stock up on food, when i stumbled upon the Medieval Town of Montblanc. I'd never even heard of this place and i was just expecting the usual small Town. The Town is surrounded by huge walls containing lots of narrow cobbled streets.
I needed to get to the next Town to stock up on food, when i stumbled upon the Medieval Town of Montblanc. I'd never even heard of this place and i was just expecting the usual small Town. The Town is surrounded by huge walls containing lots of narrow cobbled streets.
Looking at the map of this region, there are so many Mountain roads to chose from! And i just love Mountains! Just South of Montblanc are the Prades Mountains.
As i was passing a small village which is nestled between two Mountain Ranges, i heard a lot of noise so i went to have a look. I was suprised to find a crowd of people and a Castell! A Castell is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in many locations within Catalunya. Just as i rounded the corner, they were finishing the final performance. A few locals started talking to me, and it turned out that it was the very last festival of the season.
Because it was so unexpected and spontaneous, i felt really privileged to have witnessed it. There was a band playing traditional music and everybody was celebrating after the final act. The atmosphere was incredible.
After the celebrations, i left the village and followed a road which goes right alongside Serra de Montsant. Serra de Montsant Natural Park is yet another Mountain Range which is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal range.
Catalunya has been full of suprises. I have only seen a tiny part of it, yet it is a region i have fell in love with :-)