We took a 40 mile ride with Claudio yesterday in the countryside around Girona, visiting and passing through a handful of medieval villages. First, I started corresponding with him a couple of months ago, as I had questions about shipping bikes, scheduling tours, etc. He was quick to respond, helpful, friendly and informative. He also kept track of when we were coming and sent me an email a few days after we arrived, which prompted us to set up yesterday's trip. He sent us train schedules, met us at the station, equipped us with very nice road bikes (of the frame sizes and pedal types I had given him in advance, then proceeded to take us on a memorable tour of the gorgeous Catalan countryside on a route he obviously knows very well. He was pleasure to cycle with in every way, and we're going to work with him now to set up a longer, self-guided tour using his equipment and help with preparations. He obviously loves Catalonia, loves cycling, and loves making a contribution to other people's time here. If you love cycling yourself, let him be the one to introduce you to this region! And think seriously about his tour around Girona -- not only was it a dreamy ride, but we also went into the medieval old town part of Girona afterward and spent additional hours walking there. Spectacular place and sights and food, and we went home on the last train to Barcelona exhausted but very happy.