Final Post

Good afternoon everyone.

What an adventure. After 3 grueling weeks, we have made it home alive, and the Tour de Cuisine 2010 has come to an end. Thankfully, we made it back with no mishaps and with our health intact.

My beautiful and lovely mother surprised us at home with our own Finish Line for our trip. Here are some of the photos

(Notice the U being represented)

However, I must also disclose our theme song for the trip: "Stayin Alive" by the Bee Gees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY

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First off, I want to thank all of you followers (however many there may be) for supporting this trip, and providing me with an outlet each day after bicycling.

Another shout out goes to my dad for providing me with this once in a life time opportunity. This will remain a special memory that we will always be connected to each other with.

Thanks Dad.

And to wrap things up, here's a picture from 1989 of the first Seigel Cycling Adventure!

A Fine Farwell and Pleasant Goodbye

Greg

Day 19: Girona to Roses

Good afternoon.

This blog is being written from the US, for we had to wake up at 5 am to drive to Barcelona for our flight.

So yesterday we had a nice time in Roses. Dad burnt only the second clutch of the entire trip from his dire struggles driving in treacherous terrain!

Here are some photos from Roses








Now the reason for traveling to Roses was to eat at El Bulli, which has been previously ranked the best restaurant in the world.

After eating there, you realize that Ferran Adria is just a revolutionary of gastronomy. While many of the items tasted fair or odd, he consistently challenged what ones perceptions of food can be. Given the impending closure of the restaurant, I'm glad to have been, yet not begging to go back.

While trying to explain these photos, please understand these photos will give off an appearance that might not equate to its actual composition.

Considering there were more than twenty five dishes, I'll post the ones I can remember.




Mojito cocktail
Cocktail is inside the sugarcane




Cheese that is frozen into a different state of matter




Macadamia nut shavings cookie




Coconut sponge




Real caviar sauce with fake caviar pearls




Prawn accompanied with prawn sauce




Ravioli
Dipped into water for two seconds and the paper around the ravioli dissipates




Fatty tuna




Taco with cocktail




Artichoke inside
Outside is the only edible rose in the world




Combination of Spain's two most popular soups: Gazpacho and Almond Soup




Sandwich




Thai influenced vegetable wrap on potato paper




Smash then eat the ice








Treasure chest of chocolates




With the father of molecular gastronomy, Adria Ferran

And finally a photo aboard our Barcelona to Atlanta flight.




We are about to leave for Tampa.

Tomorrow will be the final post.

Greg



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Atlanta Airport

Day 18: Nice to Girona

Good afternoon! We took a flight this morning from Nice to Barcelona, and then rented a car and drove 40 miles north to Sant Pol de Mar for lunch.

And what a treat lunch was. I'm currently overlooking the sea, and it's a blur that we accomplished our goal from Biarritz to Cannes.

Here are some photos from lunch:




Shrimp



Cod (underneath) with peppers




Vegetable ravioli




Cheese platter




Strawberries and roses




Array of desserts


Photo with chef Carme Ruscalleda

And photos from dinner at Cellar de Can Roca




Olive tree




Goose




Cod

Tomorrow we hang out at the beach in Rosas and tomorrow final meal: El Bulli

Greg

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 17: Cannes to Nice + Monte Carlo

Good evening from France (or principality thereof)

We made it! We finished our biking for the trip.







Finish line



Arnold



Arnold Jr




Cannes




Antibes




Nice from our hotel




My father, a woman?




Monte Carlo




More Monaco




Monaco at night


Today marks the end of an era. Seigel Cycling will be calling a press conference announcing their retirement from the pannier-bicycling profession.

A word from our sponsor:

But Sponsors also need to eat: this time in Monte Carlo at Louis XV




View of dining room




Crayfish




Turbot




Pigeon




Chocolate cake with raspberries



And now for a final tabulation of our trip statistics

Miles biked: 710

Hours biked: 64

Feet climbed: 35,800

Panniers thrown out: 6

Bicycles given away: 2

Screams climbing Col de Leques: 2

Number of people who yelled at each of us about getting of the road: 1

Number of Seigel Cycling teammates looking forward to retirement: 2

Tomorrow we fly from Nice to Barcelona, and spend the night in Girona.

Good night

- Greg



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Promenade des Anglais,Nice,France