Olot
On Saturday, we headed back to the Sadernes trailhead, hoping to swim a bit. But the area was mobbed, which was not a little disconcerting considering how narrow and curvy the road is. So instead we visited the nearby town of Olot, Capitol of the comarca (county) of La Garrotxa. Although small (population 35,000), it seemed to have lots of interesting sites and plenty to do, though it was devoid of tourists only days after the Spanish border had re-opened. Olot is situated at the edge of the Garrotxa natural area and there is train service (whenever we are doing that again) from Barcelona, so it would make a great starting point for a car-free hiking trip.
We ate a tapas lunch at an unassuming bar on a tree-lined rambla of Passeig Miquel Blay. When we ordered the staple dish of patatas bravas, the barkeep walked over the fancier restaurant next door for them.
We wandered around a bit, finding the bull ring at Plaça de Braus d'Olot, slightly elevated above the town center.
We walked up a nearby hill, of which there are many (the town is surrounded by four volcanoes), to the Parròquia de Sant Pere Mártir. It offered another view of the downtown below and a dramatic, almost gargoyle-like bust of Saint Peter overlooking the steep climb up to the church.
