Liza Carey

Role at Ride International Tours: Graphic and web designer.

Languages: English, Catalan and Japanese.

Where is home: Solsona, Catalonia, Spain.

Kids and pets: My son Samuel and my squirrel chasing beagle Molly.

What bike are you riding: Spin bike at Micky’s Gym.

Favourite places for food, drink: Catalonia has amazing wines and La Gatera, an intimate wine bar in my adopted hometown Solsona, has a great selection curated by owner Sigfrid. Another gem in Solsona is Mare de la Font Restaurant, which uses local seasonal produce and creates good honest food that the locals love.

Barcelona has plenty of worthy places to choose from – a couple of my favs – Tapeo Bar for tapas in the Born district and El Nacional Restaurant in Passeig de Gràcia.

Favourite food – drinks: Vermouth, ‘Vermut’ in Catalan, and tapas. There is nothing better than sipping on seductive bitter-sweet vermouth and nibbling on ‘formatge manxec’ (aged sheeps cheese), ‘Pa amb tomàquet’ (bread with tomato), thin slices of buttery ‘Pernil Salat’ (acorn-fed Iberian ham) and ‘Patas Bravas’ (fried potatoes topped with a spicy bravas sauce), with friends on a lazy afternoon. A couple of my favourite vermouth brands – Vermouth Padró & Co. and Bertsolari.

Favourite thing to do in Catalonia: Hiking in spring in the Catalan pre-pyrenees, escaping to Costa Brava in the summer, mushroom hunting in the pine forests surrounding Solsona in autumn and cross country skiing in the nearby mountains of Tuixen – la Vansa in winter.