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I've made it home, look for some updates soon...

Nearing the end

So I've decided to take a break from the blog for the rest of the trip (I leave friday) and will just update it when I get home and tell you all about my reflections and put up pics and all that cool stuff. So until then you can all have one less site about visiting while your online and check back in Next sunday or so and hopefully the blog will be full of fun and exciting new things!

Week two in Girona

So after we returned from our sojourn to the Basque country we were all ready to relax for a bit and since we still had our rental car for a few more days explore the surrounding area. So that's what we did. And my dad and I rode our bikes, lots! It was a good week but nothing to earth shattering to tell you all about unfortunatly, just a day trip to the coast (which I didn'ty take part in) and then a trip up into the mountains to a small cool old town and then to another town called Banyoles where we saw a really cool old bridge, but other than that my dad and I just biked, slept, and ate, and all was good.

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco

So Monday morning was our last in San Sebastian and we spent the morning walking to the top of the hill neaer the beaches and were treated to an amazing view. We then headed off to try to find the last climb on of the first stage of teh vuelta ciclista al pais vasco or tour of the basque country. It was amazing the coincidental events that happened to be going on in the San Sebastian area while we where there and everyone thought this would be a good one to check out. I guess it was meant to be becuase we acidentaly stumbled upon the course and were able to stake out a spot on the final cat. 2 climb before the decent into the finish about an hour before the riders where expected to arrive. Unfotunatly it was raining, but spirits where high, its not everday I get to see my favorite riders in action. So there we were as first a rider from a spanish continental team went by off the front with a small gap followed by a lead group led by Saunier Duval and we could see Tour winner Alberto Contadoe and Cadel Evans near the front. The power is absolutely amazing and those were the only 2 I could identify before they were gone, and this was on a big climb! We were then able to watch the slower groups come through getting a great look at American Chris Horner and Luxembourger Frank Schleck (at least thats what we thought and yelled at the time, however upon reading some articles after it was actually his brother Andy, hopefully we aren't the first to make this mistake). So it was just to cool, what a trip this has been! We then headed back across Spain to our "home" in Girona. So I'm starting to catch you all up here, the most recent news is that I met Myles at the airport today (he is now asleep and trying to dejetlag) so its shaping up to be a fun last 10 days with trips planned to Barcelona and out to the coast. Hope to keep you all posted!

Bilbao-Bilbao

Bilbao-Bilbao is a huge bike tour that I just happened to see advertised in the back of a spanish bike magazine that I was reading and coincided with out trip to San Sebastian. The add claimed 6000 people would participate in this 116 km tour around the basque country. So my dad and I figured that even if we weren't able to finish we could get some cool phootos (which we didn't) and some cool free t-shirts (of course they only had xl left) and some cool stories (which we did!) so we decided to go for it. The day was unfortunatly overcast and freezing cold, but the ride was great. There really were 6000 participants and the course was not nearly as daunting as the profile made it seem and the speed was less than anticipated so all in all a really cool and fun day in the saddle.

San Sebastian

As our first week in Girona came to an end the fam and I rented a car and headed off to San Sebastian for a long weekend on the atlantic coast. We took a route through the france on the way to see some different scenery and another angle to the ever present mountain here. We arrived in San Sebastian late friday evening and after getting settled headed off to check out the famous San Sebastian tapas bars. They lived upto the expectation, some of the best and most nicely presented tapas I've seen yet. Saturday we headed off to Bilbao about an huor away and the capital of the basque country. There my dad and I registered for our ciclotourismo ride the next day (to be talked about later) and then we went to see the Guggenheim! It is the coolest building I have ever seen! The art inside is no comparison to the builing itself and its curves and titanium sheen. The inside is just as spectacular though I don't think I can really descride it to you well. So we headed back to San Sebastian for our dinner reservation at a Cideria in the hills outside the city. On a recomendation from Mr. Hynes and multiple guide books we thought this typical basque country affair would be worth checking out. Cidra is slightly alcohlic and bitter cider which they serve freely at the ciderias along with a multiple course meal. The huge vats (i don't think thats the right word) anyway the big round things they store the cider in are a site in themselves and the food was supurb, though I'm not a huge fan of the cidra. After an getting a good nights sleep my dad and I headed off Sunday for Bilbao-Bilbao's ciclotourismo tour.......

Riding with the big boys!

So I know that I'm behind but I'm skipping up to today for now because I had one of the absolute highlights of the entire trip. My dad and I were out for a ride, just cruising along when we heard some voices behind us and turned back to see a group of pros from both slipstream and high road. As they passed we said hi and then saw them a km or two up the road pulled over to shed some layers and we continued on. About 15 or so minutesw later they came by again but one pulled back next to me and asked "was that english that you were speaking back there" we chatted a little and then he asked IF WE WANTED TO JOIN THEM! So of course we did. The one I had been talking to was Lucas Euser from slipstream so for about 30 km I got to sit on the wheels of a group of pros and chat with lucas about biking, life in europe, that kind of thing. We had to leave them after about 30 km as they headed off on there 6 hour ride and my dad and I headed back to Girona, but it was absolutely amazing. And he gave me his e-mail so I'm hoping to be able to get out for anothe ride with him before we head out! But its was just sooooo cool, I still can't believe it!

Week one in Girona

So I'm way behind the times here, but I'll try to catch you all up here. After meeting my Dad and Emma upon my arrival in Barcelona we spent the weekend in Barcelona (for times sake I'm not going to talk about that weekend as there will be other times to talk about Barcelona). Taking the train from Barcelona to Girona draging my dads bike box the whol eway we made it to our apartment in Girona and met my mom there who had driven from Salamanca where she had been studying. The apartment is nice, if not a little cramped. I'm in a room with bunk beds and a look out over Girona suburbs to "Los Pirineos". The first week we spent mainly afjusted to the city and exploring, and of course my dad and I broke out our bikes for some of the most amazing riding in the world. Other than that the first week was pretty uneventful. And the following weekend we headed off to San Sebastian. So that I'll have to talk about in a later post, but now I have to get back to the Barca game. I guess halftime doesn't give me enought time to give you all a proper update, sorry.

Simo and Cagliari

I apologize for the long wait for the next post, I've been on the go and havn't had the time to update, but here goes. I flew out of the piso airport to Cagliari and Simo was there waiting for me on the other end. We headed off to his house and had a pasta dinner before heading out to a local disco until the wee (that doesn't look right?) hours of the morning. Th enext day was easter sunday and I had one the the best and largest easter meals of my life with Simo's family. I then was trated to a tour of Cagliari from the back of Simo's scooter, which was really fun, and I can't believe thay aren't used as much in US cities to get around. The timing of my travels could not have been better because both Willi and Simo were on easter vacation, so that evening we headed off to a beach house about an hour outside of cagliari that "a few of my friends have rented for the vacation" by a few of his friends simo meant about 20-25 in a huge house perched above the ocean. We stayed there the next few nights, and it was, well, an experience I suppose. Its amazing that nobody cares what you do in Italy, we were blasting music and making a huge racket till 6 or 7 in the morning everyday, and they had been doing this all week, never could have happened in the states. After that we headed back into Cagliari for the rest of my stay. The next day we hung out and that eveing I got to play soccer with some of Simo's friends who assured me "don't play soccer". I wish I could play soccer like Italians that don't. But it was a blast. We rented out a small field under the lights for about 40 euros split between 10 of us. I guess tehre are fields like this all over the place in Cagliari and it was really cool. My last day we just hung out around his house and then I headed off to the airport and back to Spain, after a great two weeks of being able to see Willi and Simo. It was so good to be able to see both of them again and I'll try to get some pictures up, but I know you've all heard me say that before, so don't hold your breath. Hasta luego.