Oh goodness, I am so sorry to hear about all the rain! That was not the journey you intended! Gah - it sounds like a long slog but that you managed to accomplish it AND remember the good parts in addition to the hours of being wet. You will now need to dry out in lovely Madrid for a time before venturing anywhere else for awhile. Thanks for sharing the good, the wet and the saints: it was a lovely read!
Thanks for your support and sympathy. You might associate me with rain but I had nothing to do with the weather gods. All in all, it turned out well and I just might do that last leg of the GR11 next summer. Don't tell any other family member that just yet.
Well, you would think so! We tried on one occasion to get an Uber and then a taxi. That was an ordeal. They can't be found on those trails and hardly in the villages or a Sunday. Somebody could get very rich.
Wow! What a journey! I cannot imagine enduring that weather for so long. You all must feel super human “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”. Thank you for letting me experience this through you.
I wish I did feel that way on those cold miserable days but alas, it was more like "What the heck am I doing here??!!" I'll try to remember your words for the next time.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Much appreciated.
Well, Sarah, you can hardly blame me as you are in part responsible. You were the one who instructed me in the Sierras on how to go uphill by finding ways to lift my legs as little as possible and looking for stones and roots to use as half steps. Or that it takes less energy to take a small step backwards to get a boost on a rock instead of taking a large step up. Or how to let my legs swing ahead of me on the flat and downhill.
Still hoping you can join us someday for a less vigorous hike in the mountains outside Madrid.
Ha ha ! I had a lot of time on the trail to mull things over. Long days and a lot of steps. I'm sure we'll be back on the trail soon. Before the trip even ended, we were already discussing next year and when.
Thank you for your faithful reads and for commenting. Much appreciated.
Intrepid is a good description of you four! Great pictures and stories. Glad you could finally get dry! Best wishes and, I hope, dryer weather when you do the final 8 day stretch next year.
Thanks, Joseph! I appreciate your support and optimism. Probably we'll attack that last stretch next year or the following. It feels good to be dry again and slowly those wet, soggy days will diminish in my mind.
I appreciate your reading these posts and your comments. Thank you!
You four are dedicated hikers to be sure! So proud of you all for soldiering on through thick (fog) and thin (rain)! Loved this piece. It represents life's challenges and rewards. Not everyday is filled with sunshine and joy... but being in nature with cherished family makes it all worth it.
That is the right attitude! Yes, thank you, for refreshing my foggy memory. We had a wonderful time with Andres and Natalia and, actually, they with us. I loved spending the entire day outside on those sunny and even cloudy days soaking up the beauty.
Oh wow, what an unexpected turn of events. So sorry for the rain and the wind, but huge congratulations on finishing despite the challenges. And only one more leg to go, that will feel amazing when you finish that! But as you say, first order of the day is recovering and drying out. Hope to catch up in Madrid soon! ❤️
Thanks for your hearty congratulations. Dry, fed, laundry done, and packs put away, it's time to enjoy urban life again. So glad that I draw nearly equal pleasure from both, with the outdoor adventures edgng out the city vibes.
You know too how desperately Catalunya needed the rain as it had experienced a grave drought. Being a big person, I'm happy for the rain - for the Catalunians.
Me encanta tu positividad. Ciertamente el agua vino bien a Cataluña y celebro que la actividad "pasada por agua" no arruinase la alegría del viaje familiar. Hay que perdonarle a los Pirineos que os recibieran con agua, pero son un tesoro de caminos que sin duda hay que descubrir. Bien hecho y a por las ultimas etapas.
Jejejejeje, Irene. Gracias por leer el blog, el comentario y mas que nada por inscribirte. Estoy honrada.
De hecho la cerveza y el vino catalán nos subieron el animo y a pesar de la lluvia siempre es importante pasar una aventura familiar así en lo bueno y lo malo. Ya nos reímos de la situación. Vosotros sabéis esto muy bien.
Sigo pensando que hicimos un "sacrificio" por el bienestar de Cataluña para aliviar la sequía. Este pensamiento me hace sentir mejor.
Thanks, Karin. In all our prior trips, the weather has been much better with only a day, maybe two of rain. I've learned how to dry my boots with a hair dryer and newspaper among other important skills. But on those days when the sun is out and the sky glistens, boy is the scenery ever glorious.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Much appreciated.
Wow. That was harrowing! Love how you turn the biggest obstacles as just yet another bump in the road to push through. I so admire your intrepid spirit! Blessings and congratulations on completing another segment of the GR11!
You have had some foul luck with the weather in your hiking trips, yet you have persevered. I am impressed with the irrepressiblity of your family. Also, that is an impressive length of the Pyrenees that you have traversed over your multiple adventures. Only one more segment to go! I liked your historical perspective on the role of those mountains as refuge and gateway through many years.
Foul luck is right, ha ha ha. Our hiking companion family members are good sports, that's for sure. I don't take that for granted for a second.
Someday I'd love to dig into some stories about refugees crossing the mountains. They must be amazing and moving. I think of us walking over well maintained trails in protective and appropriate clothes, boots with Vibram soles, Gore-Tex jackets, and hiking poles in the light, rain or not, compared to what those refugees experienced. Cold, hunger, fear, uncertainty. Death behind or ahead of them.
Oh goodness, I am so sorry to hear about all the rain! That was not the journey you intended! Gah - it sounds like a long slog but that you managed to accomplish it AND remember the good parts in addition to the hours of being wet. You will now need to dry out in lovely Madrid for a time before venturing anywhere else for awhile. Thanks for sharing the good, the wet and the saints: it was a lovely read!
Thanks for your support and sympathy. You might associate me with rain but I had nothing to do with the weather gods. All in all, it turned out well and I just might do that last leg of the GR11 next summer. Don't tell any other family member that just yet.
Someone could make a fortune with just ONE Uber is all I'm thinking... but I'm glad you made it safely to dry-dom!
Well, you would think so! We tried on one occasion to get an Uber and then a taxi. That was an ordeal. They can't be found on those trails and hardly in the villages or a Sunday. Somebody could get very rich.
Wow! What a journey! I cannot imagine enduring that weather for so long. You all must feel super human “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”. Thank you for letting me experience this through you.
I wish I did feel that way on those cold miserable days but alas, it was more like "What the heck am I doing here??!!" I'll try to remember your words for the next time.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Much appreciated.
You Iove this…right!!?❤️ (I love living these treks vicariously!)
Well, Sarah, you can hardly blame me as you are in part responsible. You were the one who instructed me in the Sierras on how to go uphill by finding ways to lift my legs as little as possible and looking for stones and roots to use as half steps. Or that it takes less energy to take a small step backwards to get a boost on a rock instead of taking a large step up. Or how to let my legs swing ahead of me on the flat and downhill.
Still hoping you can join us someday for a less vigorous hike in the mountains outside Madrid.
Well, the weather didn't drown your story telling. Glad you are all safe. Knowing your tenacity I'm sure you'll be back on the trail in the future.
Ha ha ! I had a lot of time on the trail to mull things over. Long days and a lot of steps. I'm sure we'll be back on the trail soon. Before the trip even ended, we were already discussing next year and when.
Thank you for your faithful reads and for commenting. Much appreciated.
An intrepid traveler and storyteller, indeed! The alter notes are very moving.
Thank you, Jolene. I'm glad I can respond to your kind message from the comforts of home :).
Intrepid is a good description of you four! Great pictures and stories. Glad you could finally get dry! Best wishes and, I hope, dryer weather when you do the final 8 day stretch next year.
Thanks, Joseph! I appreciate your support and optimism. Probably we'll attack that last stretch next year or the following. It feels good to be dry again and slowly those wet, soggy days will diminish in my mind.
I appreciate your reading these posts and your comments. Thank you!
You four are dedicated hikers to be sure! So proud of you all for soldiering on through thick (fog) and thin (rain)! Loved this piece. It represents life's challenges and rewards. Not everyday is filled with sunshine and joy... but being in nature with cherished family makes it all worth it.
That is the right attitude! Yes, thank you, for refreshing my foggy memory. We had a wonderful time with Andres and Natalia and, actually, they with us. I loved spending the entire day outside on those sunny and even cloudy days soaking up the beauty.
Thanks for the read and the comments. As ever :)
Oh wow, what an unexpected turn of events. So sorry for the rain and the wind, but huge congratulations on finishing despite the challenges. And only one more leg to go, that will feel amazing when you finish that! But as you say, first order of the day is recovering and drying out. Hope to catch up in Madrid soon! ❤️
Thanks for your hearty congratulations. Dry, fed, laundry done, and packs put away, it's time to enjoy urban life again. So glad that I draw nearly equal pleasure from both, with the outdoor adventures edgng out the city vibes.
You know too how desperately Catalunya needed the rain as it had experienced a grave drought. Being a big person, I'm happy for the rain - for the Catalunians.
See you in a terraza soon.
I learned a lot about yet another trek found in Spain via you, Andrea. Thanks so much for sharing this challenging journey.
Me encanta tu positividad. Ciertamente el agua vino bien a Cataluña y celebro que la actividad "pasada por agua" no arruinase la alegría del viaje familiar. Hay que perdonarle a los Pirineos que os recibieran con agua, pero son un tesoro de caminos que sin duda hay que descubrir. Bien hecho y a por las ultimas etapas.
Jejejejeje, Irene. Gracias por leer el blog, el comentario y mas que nada por inscribirte. Estoy honrada.
De hecho la cerveza y el vino catalán nos subieron el animo y a pesar de la lluvia siempre es importante pasar una aventura familiar así en lo bueno y lo malo. Ya nos reímos de la situación. Vosotros sabéis esto muy bien.
Sigo pensando que hicimos un "sacrificio" por el bienestar de Cataluña para aliviar la sequía. Este pensamiento me hace sentir mejor.
Thanks, Karin. In all our prior trips, the weather has been much better with only a day, maybe two of rain. I've learned how to dry my boots with a hair dryer and newspaper among other important skills. But on those days when the sun is out and the sky glistens, boy is the scenery ever glorious.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Much appreciated.
Wow. That was harrowing! Love how you turn the biggest obstacles as just yet another bump in the road to push through. I so admire your intrepid spirit! Blessings and congratulations on completing another segment of the GR11!
Thank you! It was quite an adventure. We came out happy and laughing on the other side but only after we'd washed and dried our clothes.
You have had some foul luck with the weather in your hiking trips, yet you have persevered. I am impressed with the irrepressiblity of your family. Also, that is an impressive length of the Pyrenees that you have traversed over your multiple adventures. Only one more segment to go! I liked your historical perspective on the role of those mountains as refuge and gateway through many years.
Foul luck is right, ha ha ha. Our hiking companion family members are good sports, that's for sure. I don't take that for granted for a second.
Someday I'd love to dig into some stories about refugees crossing the mountains. They must be amazing and moving. I think of us walking over well maintained trails in protective and appropriate clothes, boots with Vibram soles, Gore-Tex jackets, and hiking poles in the light, rain or not, compared to what those refugees experienced. Cold, hunger, fear, uncertainty. Death behind or ahead of them.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Tim.