Ten happy gravel enthusiasts went to Girona for Inzain's Gravel Camp. If you want, you can watch a video about our experience here.
Day 1 Anglés
Every day started with a luxury breakfast at iconic La Fabrica, the bike cafe of bike cafes. Every day we got a new variety of porridge, yoghurt, sandwich and at least two of their incredibly good coffees. They held a special open for us, very good start to the days.
A shorter checkout ride from the hotel along the north bank of the river, coffee in Anglés and then home via the south side. Not so many altitude meters, but a nice ride without any challenges, maybe then my computer mount took on a life of its own 🙂
We had decided to eat our way through Tripadvisor's list of the best restaurants in Girona (except those with stars in the Guide Michelin). The first evening it was Pizzeria Marghe, number one on the list. The pizzas were world class, it must be admitted.
Day 2 Emporda
After breakfast we set off on a nine-mile ride towards Emporda. We follow the river east on very flowy roads, nice, fast and absolutely wonderful. A miscalculation was that Rustik, another very famous cafe that was intended for lunch, had suddenly closed, but there were alternatives for those who wanted to in the neighboring village. No climbs today either, aggregate height meters much like at home in Stockholm.
Day 3 Bunyoles
This was my favorite day, great roads some climbing and then coffee on Banny Vale's jetty, which juts right out into the lake. Quality of life extraordinaire!
It had rained a little during the night so in one place we had some nice peanut butter mud (Those of you who have been to Kansas may know what it is like). We also had a chain jump, but it was managed with joint efforts.
The way home was mostly downhill on finger gravel, Via Verde and a bit of asphalt, the beer at the finish line was like a slap in the face! tonight's restaurant was La Piccola, very inconspicuous exterior and steel shutters with graffiti, but looks were deceiving. A real gem of a restaurant, I had the best Caprese ever in my life, good wine from Emporda didn't make it worse.
Day 4 Santa Valles – Traka
First day with a little more altitude and several real climbs. The route followed part of the Traka, the famous gravel race that takes place at the end of April.
The last part of the climb was quite tough, forestry machines had driven down the 18% hill and made it muddy, even the strongest were defeated. The roads were winding with alternating forest, plain and fields. We passed an exciting place, we chose to call it the "drug factory", several BIG dogs were chained with ROUGH chains and then a 22% slope as a bonus :).
Lunch at a really cool place, they put together some Spanish specialties for us. Super delicious. The return offered more climbing and car-free, completely magical roads.
In the evening it was time for the tasting menu at the Mimol, very very good.
Day 5 Rocacorba
Girona's most iconic climb, but for us, on gravel. Tough, steep and wonderful. Some of us took a kinder trip and some an excursion to Tossa de Mar.
We reunited again in the evening for a simpler dinner at the hotel.
Day 6 Rest day – Dali Museum in Figueres
If you get the chance, pay a visit, it's an experience in itself.
Day 7 The volcano tour
According to the forecast, the weather was a bit challenging so we chose a shorter tour, it went through Europe's largest open volcanic crater, but there was nothing you could see, it is so huge that it felt like ordinary scenery.
Even though the trip was a little shorter, about 50km, it was really nice. Just the right mix of champagne gravel, slightly winding singletrack connected by shorter asphalt stages.
Some of us were hungry for fish and led the way to Octopus, a very good fish restaurant even if the decor had a bit of a "light bulb romance" character.
Day 8 Sea Otter Europe
We were supposed to drive most of this race course, but it was raining so some chose to drive part of it, while the rest of us waited out the rain and instead took an asphalt ride when the sun came out again.
31 km with 500 meters of altitude and three climbs, short and hard and very nice. Being able to combine asphalt and gravel is one of Girona's strengths as a cycling destination.
Back home it was unpacking of bikes and then farewell dinner, we chose this week's favorite La Piccola and had a nice evening.
