Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem (1897). Oil on canvas. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona. Google Art Project. Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

A tandem bicycle, a friend, and a spark of creativity

I don’t know whether you have ever been on a tandem bicycle, but in my experience, you need a good friend to accompany you, because there is always the vexed question of whether you would like to be the front seat driver or the back seat driver. If you are in front, you can’t tell whether the person at the back is pulling his/her weight, while in the rear, your view is restricted by your companion’s back and you’re distracted by his/her posterior jiggling, wiggling and possibly wobbling before your downcast eyes.

For these reasons you should only go tandeming with a very dear friend. (Thank you, Toby Sachs, for a memorable jaunt along the towpath of the River Thames near Kew Gardens many years ago.)

These thoughts surfaced when I was searching for pictures for our blog on e-biking in the countryside around the Watermill. I came across the amusing painting above, by the Spanish Modernist Ramon Casas. That’s his friend Pere Romeu, sitting upright in the back seat.

Artistic friendships that spark creativity

When he wasn’t on the front seat of his tandem, Ramon Casas could often be found in Barcelona’s Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats) Café, a meeting place for artists, writers and political thinkers, where he was a leading member. Among the younger ones who looked up to him was an ambitious teenager called Pablo Picasso, who exhibited some of his early works at the café. The atmosphere and the argument encouraged him to experiment with new styles and themes, which would revolutionise art in the 20th century.

Join us for a creative course in Tuscany at the Watermill

You can enjoy more artistic anecdotes during a week-long creative course at the Watermill. Especially over aperitivi in the walled garden or the restored olive press. Come and join us for inspiring creativity, warm hospitality, delicious food and wine, stunning locations and the convivial company of like-minded people.

Early Bird offer for 2026 creative holidays

And don’t forget our Early Bird 0ffer: £(GBP) 75 off the cost of any 2026 creative holiday if you book before the end of 2025.

For more about everything, please go to https://watermill.net/