Riding the Mediterranean Furnace Barcelona to Agde in 44°C Heat

There’s always a mixture of excitement and sadness when it’s time to move on. Barcelona had been an incredible place to visit, full of amazing sights, great company, and memories that will stay with me for a long time. But every road trip has to keep moving, and today it was time to head north towards France.

With the bike loaded and everything checked one last time, I climbed into the saddle and started the engine. The familiar rumble echoed through the morning air as I pulled away.

John and Lorraine were waiting to see me off. As I rolled away, they both smiled and waved, wishing me a safe journey. I gave them a final wave back before turning my attention to the road ahead.

A quick glance in my rear view mirror showed them getting smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared from view. It was one of those quiet moments that makes you stop and think. We'd shared part of the adventure together, but now our journeys were heading in different directions. It was time for me to continue on my own.

Leaving Barcelona always feels special. The city slowly gives way to the busy roads of Badalona before opening out towards the countryside and the long motorway north. With every mile, the Mediterranean sparkled to my right, while the mountains stood proudly in the distance. The excitement of discovering somewhere new quickly replaced the sadness of saying goodbye.

Today's destination was Agde, France, via Badalona, Girona, and Perpignan a journey of 329 kilometres that would take 7 hours and 31 minutes. It looked straightforward on the sat nav, but with temperatures climbing from 38°C to a blistering 44°C, I knew this would be another demanding day in the saddle.

Little did I know that before the day was over, I'd be battling relentless motorway miles, scorching heat, and one of the toughest riding days of the trip. But that's all part of the adventure, and as Barcelona disappeared behind me, I couldn't wait to see what the road had in store.