04 to Gruissan

Distance 87 kilometers, cumulative 253 kilometers | Elevation 200, cumulative 1,210 meters, straight line to home 695 kilometers

On a tour like this, it is inevitable that you think about this and that. Plus, you enjoy the nature and surroundings. Something new, often unexpected, awaits you around every corner.

Today I was particularly occupied with the wind. Because compared to today, yesterday's brisk wind was a gentle breeze. My Komoot indicated a wind speed of 42 km/h. My gut feeling suggested that it was between 60 and 80 km/h. Since the wind is coming almost directly from the north, I am sure it is the Mistral. And I found the following information: The Mistral is stormy, cold, and dry. It comes from the north or northwest. It occurs with great intensity at any time of year but is particularly common in spring, autumn, and winter with 40 to 55 knots (8–10 Bft) and hurricane-like gusts of 64 knots or more.

Strong wind is tiring when it comes from the front; if it comes from the side, it is dangerous. A few times I got off and walked because I was afraid of being blown over.

The landscapes I traversed today matched my expectations perfectly. When you look at the magnificent blue sky and the clear air, you can almost forget about the wind. I rode along the sea, crossed countless rivers and marine outcrops, and passed through sandy desert landscapes. At one point, the sand in front of me looked as if it were covered in ice or snow. But it was a thin layer of salt, likely formed by evaporated seawater.

Particularly beautiful were the kilometers that took me along a canal. To my left was the canal and to my right the sea, or rather a lagoon, a mix of fresh and salt water.

Today I rode entirely on the EV8. This route goes from Cadiz to Athens along the Mediterranean coast. On my first tour, I also often rode the EV8, but in the opposite direction.

My mileage today is somewhat lower than yesterday's, but I used roughly the same amount of battery power. Riding against the wind requires a lot of energy, similar to ascending a hill.

I had a unique experience at the hotel: Without a reservation, I entered a hotel that advertised rooms starting at €74. So I went inside to inquire. However, the man at the reception told me he only had a triple room left for €150. That was too much for me, as I had found a room available on Booking.com for €80. So I continued my search for the other hotel. Only then did I realize that it was the same hotel. So I made my reservation on my mobile and returned to the reception. Thus, I got the triple room for €80, including a nice parking spot in a garage with an electrical outlet.

https://www.komoot.com/de-DE/tour/1863615405?ref=itd

On a tour like this, it is inevitable that you think about this and that. But you will also enjoy the nature and its surroundings. Something new, often unexpected, awaits you at every corner.

Today, I was particularly concerned about the wind. Because compared to today, yesterday's stiff wind was a gentle breeze. My Komoot showed me a wind speed of 42 km/h. My instinct told me that the speeds were between 60 and 80 km/h. Since the wind comes more or less from the north, I am sure it is the Mistral. I found the following information about it: The Mistral is stormy, cold, and dry. It comes from the north or northwest. It occurs with great violence at any time of the year, but is particularly common in spring, autumn, and winter with 40 to 55 knots (8-10 Bft) and hurricane-like gusts of 64 knots and more.

Strong wind is tiring when it comes head-on; it is dangerous when it comes from the side. A few times I got off and walked because I was afraid of being blown down.

The landscapes I traversed today were exactly what I wanted. When you look at the wonderful blue sky and the clear air, you can almost forget about the wind. I rode along the sea, crossed countless rivers, and shores, and rode through sandy desert landscapes. At one point, the sand in front of me looked like it was covered in ice or snow. But it was a thin layer of salt, likely caused by the evaporation of seawater.

Particularly beautiful were the kilometers that led me along a canal. To my left was the canal and to my right the sea, or more accurately, a lagoon, a mix of fresh and salt water.

Today, I rode the entire way on the EV8. This runs from Cadiz to Athens along the Mediterranean coast. On my first tour, I often rode the EV8, but in the opposite direction.

My mileage today is slightly less than yesterday's, but I used about the same amount of battery energy. Riding against the wind takes a lot of energy, similar to climbing a slope.

I had a special experience at the hotel: Without a prior reservation, I went to a hotel that claimed outside it had rooms starting at €74. So I went in to inquire. But the gentleman at the reception told me that he only had a triple room available for €150. That was too much for me, as I had found a free room on Booking.com for €80. So I continued my search for the other hotel. Only then did I realize it was the same hotel. So I made my booking on my mobile and returned to the reception. Hence, I secured the triple room for €80, including a nice parking space in a garage with electricity.