travelogue: the spanish pyrenees

the spanish pyrenees, in the northwest corner of catalonia, is a great location with half a dozen medieval hillside villages - from vielha to the ski resort baqueria - to base yourself, all with fine restaurants tucked away down cobbled alleyways.  for the skiers /boarders, the val d'aran faces the atlantic which in theory gets more storms and therefore more reliable snow... it was the case for stefan and kai who soon discovered the great skiing to be had here; they loved their pyrenees mountain experience.

it was worth all the delayed flights, missed connection, new flights, and arriving 5 hours later than intended driving along mountain roads in the darkness.  we made it!

the skiing can be found across three areas - beret, baqueira, and bonaigua - with the main access from baqueira via a gondola.  baqueira / beret is the largest ski area in spain, with all the open terrain, there is much to ski.  my boys said that it just went on and on and on. 

stefan and kai loved the challenging routes of bonaigua and because so few people make the trek out there, they had the slopes to themselves.  it was bliss.  actually, the lack of people surprised my boys; all that untouched snow just for them.  where was everyone?  well, most spaniards like to linger in bed (having dined late the night before) and then once on the mountain, many ski from tapas to tapas, savouring their meal and wine, paying little attention to the snow.

i had lunch at restaurant 1,800, one of the mountain restaurants.  the waitress set down a plate of olives marinated in pimento chilies and oil and it was the best plate of olives ever.  i think there must have been some sardines in the marinade; they were perfection.  i could see why the skiers would want to lounge here.  

kai dug himself a hole in the snow to protect himself from the winds

the val d'aran, with about 7,000 permanent residents, is as much an attraction as the skiing with several villages anchored by 12th century churches sprinkled throughout.

we based ourselves in arties, a charming village with thick-walled stone homes and steep roofs, twisty cobbled streets, and 360 degree views of the pyrenees.  i chose arties for our home away from home simply because it was described as the culinary center of the val d'aran.  and it was, much to stefan's delight.

the bar at tauèrnes urtau was jammed pack with people and staggering plates of tapas to choose from like chorizo on toast and sardines marinated in oil and basil (my favourite).  we ate alot of tapas, washing them down with cava.  

we stayed at casa irene whose restaurant is highly coveted.  we had a lovely 4 course meal there.  we ate at 8pm which is referred to as the foreigners' hour because the spaniards and french don't dine until closer to 10pm.  and yes, as we left the dining room, it was filled with the chattering of french and catalan.

we also ate pizza from a teeny cozy place that wasn't able to accommodate us but we took the pizza back to the hotel and enjoyed it in the lounge while playing cards.

aside from the many restaurants to choose from, there are a few stores selling wine and champagne, prosciutto and really good chocolate. a river runs through arties, adding to its cuteness.  and i mustn't forget about the cats; alot of shy cats perched on window sills and basking in the sun.  yes, sun!  i given got some colour on my face :)

 

 

treats from spain ;)

deep in the pyrenees mountains, we snowshoed with aran experience.  our guide, maria,  was wonderful... funny, caring and full of facts about the mountains. i wasn't feeling very well this day and having maria's dog along on the hike helped take my mind off my illness, i didn't think i would make it.  the view helped too, the mountains are a beauty.

while i would have welcomed a warm destination getaway, i'm glad we chose the pyrenees.  mountain village life is relaxed albeit sore limbs at the end of ski day ;)

us in toulouse, tired and wandering the streets before our flight

until next time :)