Andalucia

Valencia

Deletbre - L´Ampolla

Catalan Pride

Spannabis 2012

expendedoras lo mejor

Due to relaxed attitudes (and laws) and low prices, Spain is fast becoming the´new Holland´ and a top smoking holiday destination. SPANNABIS, celebrating its ninth anniversary is consolidated as the most important Spanish cannabis event of the year, and all the big names in the medical and recreational cannabis industries are present. People travel from all over the world to attend and, at €15, if this is your thing its definitely worth checking out - there is loads to see and everyone is very relaxed, and generous!!  

 http://www.spannabis.com/

Highlights A working THC Labratory

Barcelona

Girona

Central Catalonia: Solsona & Cardona

The story goes a donkey was once sent up to eat the grass growing atop the bell tower of Solsona cathedral. However, the stairs were too narrow and so someone's idea was to haul it up the outside by its neck! Every year at Carnival a donkey - only recently fake - is still hung from the tower.

The Castillo de Cardona boasts commanding views of the surrounding area. Over a 1000 years old, its now a 'parador' - a government run luxury hotel.

If anyone's into painted paper-mache bear masks, this shop in Solsona is the place to go - they supply them made to fit and in any colour, as long as its yellow or brown!

Solsona is known for its Neoclassical architecture.

Both Cardona and Solsona offer a suprising amount to see for their size and population (5 + 9,000), every street you turn down offers something different. Although not a long way from Barcelona, this is rural Catalonia and you won't find many tourists around.

Hacia Cataluña

Once you cross the border from France, the Spanish Pyrenees are a different story. Keen to avoid the Cadi tunnel and its €10 fee, I opted for the winding 50km N-road down to Ripoll, and what a decision... Flawless, wide (mountain road wide) roads wrap right along the ridge of the mountains and mean you can see approaching traffic (nada) a longgggg, long way ahead.  These are roads made for bikes - or bikes are made for these roads?! I can't explain exactly how perfect these roads are but anyone who has ridden them will relate, and if you haven't, do so! The ability to use both lanes and the sharpness of the turns had me, for the first time, wishing to be on a different bike - or atleast a luggage free one. Your confidence soars as you dip left and right across endless corners: I was really pushing the limits of 3" wide tyres and on a particulary tight corner I managed to get a knee down - unfortunately along with the rest of my body and the bike! Somehow the bike came off with not a scratch though still (unlike the rain covers). Highly recommended.

Highlights: N-152