You know when you’ve been mountain biking for a few months, you’ve graduated to attempting the intermediate trails, and you feel like a total badass? Yeah, that was me back in 2013. My husband (Mike) and I had started to go mountain biking regularly, and I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it. So of course when he suggested that we go mountain biking while we were on our honeymoon I agreed. How fun, right? Well, not quite.
We had decided to go to Spain and Italy for our honeymoon. I had never been overseas and I was crazy excited. For our wedding registry, I had set up a “honeymoon fund” that people could donate to. We already had everything that we needed for our house. I wasn’t interested in new sheets or dishes. I wanted a killer trip that we could really enjoy! (and probably not afford on our own).
With the registry we set up, we got lucky, and the fund basically covered the entire trip. We spent weeks planning out what we would do in each town where we were going to visit and creating a dreamy adventure. We were pumped!
Mountain biking in Spain
Our first stop was Barcelona. We spent a few days there exploring the city, then took the train up to a small town called Girona, where we spent the next two days. We ended up renting an apartment right in the middle of the city and were able to walk everywhere. Our first full day in Girona was the day we had scheduled our mountain biking tour. We’d found a place called Bikebreaks, owned by a guy from the UK, named Dave.
After arriving at the shop that morning, Dave gave us the rundown of our route and the plan for our ride. We geared up, and headed out. The first part of the ride was through town. Dave was pointing out the places of interest and telling us a little about the history of the town. After that, we crossed over the river and headed for the mountains.
Let me tell you, I realized very quickly that mountain biking in South Florida is not real mountain biking. Actual mountain biking is NO JOKE. My husband was much more skilled at biking than I was, and our guide was basically a pro cyclist. Then there was me. The one who thought she was killin’ it on those intermediate trails at home. I got put in my place real fast. At one point, Dave was actually riding his bike with one hand, and pushing me with the other up the hill. I thought I was going to collapse!
Our well-earned reward
Luckily I didn’t (pretty much thanks to Dave’s help) and we made it to the cutest restaurant tucked in the trees near the top of the mountain, overlooking the city. We stopped there for a quick lunch, which Dave ordered for the three of us. The first dish that came out was nothing I would’ve written home about, but once I ate it, my opinion totally changed!
It was called Catalan Tomato Bread. The platter was basically toasted bread, whole garlic cloves, and tomatoes. He explained to us how to assemble the snack. You take the garlic, and rub it all over the surface of the bread, then you do the same thing with the tomatoes. This way you have a crusty piece of bread covered in a hint of garlic, and the juice from the tomato. Then you top with olive oil, salt, and pepper. So simple, and so very very delicious. Dave told us that this dish was a staple across Spain. It was so simple, and so delicious. (We actually ended up having it at almost every restaurant we visited while we were there).
A day I’ll never forget
Thank goodness for me that the ride home was mostly downhill, because I don’t think I would have made it back otherwise. Although biking was difficult for me, I’m glad I did it (with a little help, of course), and I’m REALLY glad I got the chance to find out about that Catalan Tomato Bread.
If you’re ever in (or near) Girona, go check out Bikebreaks. Dave and his crew are awesome, and you’ll have the best time. And if you want to try the Catalan Tomato Bread for yourself, here’s a recipe you can follow. You can enjoy the treat without any of the hard work!
