EXPLORING SPAIN
with the Litas SEATTLE & SNOHOMISH
One of the beauties of motorcycling is that it can take you beyond borders and connect you with people you might have never met. Five Litas from Seattle and Snohomish left the Pacific Northwest to traverse Spain this fall. They joined this year’s Lassies Iberian Scramble by BikerBNB Adventures with 13 other women from across the US and the UK. The tour highlights the best of the Catalonia Region of Spain, including the capital city of Barcelona, breathtaking beach resorts, and the gorgeous Pyrenees Mountains.
Read on as The Litas Seattle co-founder Sara Diaz and The Litas Snohomish co-founder Ashley Winn share their experiences from Exploring Spain on two wheels.
WHO:
We traveled with a small group of five Litas from our local Litas branches (The Litas Seattle and Snohomish). The tour was open to women riders around the world, and we were excited to meet our fellow ‘scramblers’. The final tour group of 18 riders was full of badass babes from both the U.S. and U.K.
WHERE:
At last year’s Litas Holiday Party, we were talking about going on a trip as a group, and we learned about a Scotland-based company called BikerBnB from some other Litas who had been on their Highland Scramble tour in 2022. BikerBnB also offers tours in Spain. It is run by a sister-brother duo and strives to provide unique experiences that you probably wouldn’t have had otherwise. They took so much care and time into choosing the specific locations we stopped at in order for us to truly experience some of the local culture and off-the-beaten-path areas.
The Lassies Iberian Scramble covers the beautiful landscape of Catalunya. This epic adventure took us on a 1,000 km traverse up the Costa Brava coastline, through the Montseny and Pyrenees mountain ranges, the Empordà area, Cap de Creus, small ancient medieval towns like Besalú, ancient castles like Cardona and the wine region of Penedes, ending back in Barcelona.
Sara: “We all looked forward to seeing the beautiful coast and ancient medieval castles, but I was most looking forward to riding the twisty roads up in the Pyrenees.’
Ashley: “Each location we visited was nothing short of amazing! I was particularly excited about the coastal stop in Tossa de Mar for all of the classic Mediterranean vibes.”
Sara: “I could go on for days about this trip! One location that really stood out was a lunch spot that overlooked the Balearic Sea, Cap de Creus. We were served fresh-caught grilled anchovies, a variety of fresh cheeses and cured meats, and a beautiful traditional paella with fresh squid, langoustine, and delicious sausage. The twisty, rocky landscape on top of broad views of turquoise mediterranean waters was one of my favorite places to ride.”
Ashley: “Spain was such an epic place to ride! BikerBNB put together an exceptional itinerary for us to see and experience so many different locations in Catalunya. Each stop seemed to be even better than the last. The food was so incredible and fresh everywhere we ate. I’m not a seafood fan, but I still ate some of the best food I’ve ever had on this tour.”
photo: @gracefulmoto
WHY:
Sara: “Spain has always been on my bucket list of places to visit (my grandparents are from Spain) and the added motorcycle aspect created the perfect scenario for me. It was my first time riding in Europe, but I’ve ridden in Canada and Mexico in the past.”
Ashley: “We chose Spain over the Scotland tour mostly because of the likelihood of nicer weather. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I’ll take any chance to soak up some sun. This was my first trip to Europe and what better way to see it than on a motorcycle?!”
WHAT:
Sara: “I rented a Ducati Scrambler, which was a bit of a departure from the M8 Softail I typically ride. However, I also ride dirt, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch going to the Ducati. I had never ridden one before and I figured it was a great bike to take on the twisty bits. Overall, I had a great experience with the bike, but I’m glad I don’t own one myself, haha! Not enough power in the top end and has a surprisingly wide turning radius for such a small-statured bike.”
Ashley: “My rental bike was a BMW G650GS. I actually originally rented a different bike but when we showed up at the rental site, I decided that one was too tall for me and they were so nice to let me switch to something I would be more comfortable on. Admittedly, I was nervous about riding a different type of bike on unfamiliar roads. I ride a HD Heritage Softail at home and have only ever ridden a cruiser style bike. However, after a few miles on the BMW, I was feeling super comfortable and having so much fun on the twisty roads.”
FAVORITES:
Sara: “On one of the first days of the tour, our lead rider took an unexpected detour on a dirt track through some farms/forest land. The larger group ended up splitting up because some riders were unable to get their bikes up the steep and rocky trail and they needed to go around. Those of us who made it to the top had to continue on the dirt track to our destination rather than turning around. The trail was definitely tricky for riders who aren’t familiar with riding on dirt (not to mention most of the bikes weren’t set up for dirt riding at all), but I had an incredible day! The dirt track was challenging enough (especially with only street tires!) ; those of us who made it felt a great sense of accomplishment for getting to the top.
When we finally got to our lunch destination at a small, family-owned farm, we were greeted with some of the most delicious fresh cheeses and cured meats. The farm was tucked away in a beautiful spot with friendly dogs and cats that made friends with us on arrival. The host of our meal (whose family owned that farm since the 1400’s) was so happy to share information about the farm and cheese-making process with us that it was icing on the proverbial cake. Seeing his passion for his work made the food even more delicious!”
Ashley: “That farm was so gorgeous! My favorite moment was on the last day of the tour when we stopped at an amazing winery for lunch. The ride to the winery went along this beautiful tree lined road, and I just knew it was going to be an unforgettable experience. They served us a classic multi-course Catalan meal in the garden and took us on a tour of the wine cellars. It was a lovely way to celebrate the end of our tour before heading back to Barcelona. I may have brought a few bottles of wine back to the states with me.”
photo: @gracefulmoto
FEELINGS:
Sara: “To quote Selena, going into the trip, “me siento muy…excited!”. This trip was important for me personally because I have always wanted to see where my ancestors came from. I wanted to feel the connection to the culture, rather than getting that connection second- or third-hand from other family members. Each stop we made along the way granted us a unique insight into contemporary Spanish lifestyle and culture, and I found it incredibly fulfilling to make that connection. On top of that, being able to ride motorcycles was just a dream come true! I like to try to experience motorcycle culture wherever I travel. I feel so blessed and fortunate that I could see the homeland of my ancestors through an activity that is such a large part of who I am. Since returning, I’ve been sad that I don’t live there, because I loved it so much!”
Ashley: “Going into this trip I was 70% excited, 30% nervous. It was a lot of firsts for me - first time traveling to Europe, first time on a moto tour, first time traveling with this group of friends. Once we were all together in Spain, it was so easy to relax and really enjoy the experience. After the tour was complete, I was incredibly proud of myself for doing it. I pushed myself and my riding skills (speedy curves galore!) definitely improved because of this trip.”
photo: @gracefulmoto
FINALLY:
Sara: “My greatest takeaway from the trip was how much more fulfilling it was because I got to experience it on a motorcycle. Every single place we stopped, ate, slept, was incredible in their own right, but being on a motorcycle in between each stop and seeing all of the wonderful views and roads made me so happy to be tired at the end of several hours of riding. It made the soreness and tiredness fade away when we’d get off the bike after 6+ hours of riding and we could all relax in a medieval castle and say “I’m so happy we did that.” I probably had a huge geeky smile on my face the whole time.”
Ashley: “Greatest takeaway from this trip? Travel more! Book the trip! I feel so blessed that I was able to have this experience. The memories I made with the girls will be with me forever. Every time I look at photos from our trip, I get those warm and fuzzy feelings. I will definitely be booking another trip with BikerBNB, I don’t even care where it is, I know it will be amazing!”
