Swimming in the SEA!!!!

Ohhh, I have to say that one of the great things about living here is the chance to go and swim in the sea.
Haig de dir, que un dels plaers més gran de vivent aquí és l'oportunitat d'anar a nadar al mar.

Honestly, going to swim in the Med is one of the great joys of my life here.
Veritablament, anent a nadar al Med és un dels alegries més important quan penso de vivir aquí.

I've swum in Empordà a month ago, and even by my Canadian standards, it was a little chilly.  Then swimming again more recently....chilly getting in, but warm enough to stay there quite a while.  Also pleasant cause most of the Catalans view it as far toooooo cold to swim yet, so it's not exactly congested with people.
Aquest any he nadat en Empordà, el mes passat, i fins i tot amb les meves experiencies canadenques, feia fred.  Llavors, he anat a nadar més aviat, una mica fred a l'hora d'entra l'aigua, però bastant calin que pots quedar allà per una estona.  Un altre advantatge és que la majoria dels Catalans pensen que encara fa massa fred per nadar, per tant, no hi ha gens de aglomeració.

Love it. Me l'encanta.

I think I want to bring my bike next year.  Have to see at the end of the summer.  Em sembla que portarè la meva bicicleta aquí per l'any que ve.  Hauré de mirar al final de l'estiu.

Running

I have (finally) gotten to the stage where I can run and run and run and not have to stop cause something is hurting a lot, or I am desperately out of breath, or I am bored.  (It took long enough!)
He arribat al pas quan puc córrer i continua corrent sense parant perquè un part em fa mal, o estic ofegant o m'avorreixo.  (trigava bastant!)

Minor comments on today's run.  Running downhill makes you feel like an Olympian.  Running on the flat is boooooring (on streets).  Running uphill hurts but makes you feel tough.  Having a couple of swims in the Med in the middle of all this makes you feel like life is pretty darned good.
Unes comentaries sobre l'esforç d'avui:  Baixant corrent, em sento com una Olímpíc.  Quan està pla, em sento molt avorrida, Pujant fa mal, però em sento forta.  Anar a nadar al Med entremig de tot, em sento com la vida està molt bé.

L'olla de Núria

I went off and did the Olla de Núria with a local group on Sunday, rising at a somewhat astonishing 3:30am from the Alberg there to do so.   Núria is a valley that is surrounded by a series of 20 or 22 peaks that very nearly completely encircle it.  The idea is to go up one side, and walk all the way round and down the other.  It involves a long day at some altitude.  The majority of the peaks are around the 2700 meter mark, or about about 8900 feet.  The tallest, Puig Mal, is 2910m or 9547 feet.  Pretty high considering we all live pretty near sea level!
Vaig anar a fer l'olla de Núria amb un grup d'aquí, vam aixecar a les 3:30 de la matinada al l'Alberg allà per fer-ho.  Imagino si estas llegint en Català que sapigues que és la Vall de Núria i els cims d'allà.  

Here is a link to the GPS track that I captured with the fancy new hiking/running watch.  Aquí pots veure el trac de GPS que vaig fer amb la nova rellotge amb GPS.

And here are some photos:  I aquí, alguns fotos!

An extravagantly good day.  Un dia quasi excessivament bé.

Bosc vertical

Notes about the Bosc Vertical  Notes pel Bosc Vertical.

Went with the kids on Monday, more news about the weekend soon.....  Vaig anar amb les meves filles aquest dilluns, més noticies del cap de setmana quan puc.


1.  Go early. Vas aviat
2.  If doing two routes, have a snack between them, and a break.  You enjoy the second one more that way.   Si vols fer dues rutes, esmorzar entre les dues i descansar.  Desfruiteries més la segona com així.
3.  You can bring food, and they will watch it for you, all they have is pop and chips. Pots portar menjar i val la pena perquè només tenen patates i fanta/cola
4.  It is seriously cool És super guia.
5.  Wear shirts that cover your belly. Portas una samarreta que tapa tota la panxa.

6.  Have a blast. Desfruites

Off again! Me'n vaig un altre cop

Spent the morning being an (unused) substitute examiner, and it was more fascinating than you might have thought it would be......I'm new to this examining for international levels, and it was good to get my hands on some of the materials and get a chance to practice a bit, even if it was on my own.  Doing another stint next week, where I am on the list to actually examine, and I am looking forward to it with more confidence than I had this morning.
He passat el matí a Barcelona, estava una examinadora de substitució, inutilitzada....era més interessant del que pensis........per mi està una cosa nova, ser examinadora per exàmens internacionals i he aprofitat l'oportunitat de mirar la material i de practicar una mica, encara que era jo sola.  Tinc més treball la setmana que ve i no seré substituta i ara tinc més confiança desprès d'aquest matí.

On another note, I am off tomorrow for another adventure!  Mountains HO!!!! Going with a group this time, so I have less organising to do myself and I can follow along rather blindly, which is nice.
Per canvi de tema, me'n vaig a les muntanyes una altre cop demà!!!! YEEEEEAAAA!!!! Me'n vaig amb un grup, per això no cal fer tantes gestions per organitzar tot, simplement puc anar-hi i seguir els altres. 

So, no posts for a bit....I'll be climbing things!
No escric per una estona, pujaré!!

jonesing for a run, tinc ganes d'anar a córrer

But I am saving up for another big walk on Sunday.....so, no....plus I have tons of work right now, some of it even PAID!!!

Però estic guardant tot per un altre gran paisatge aquest diumenge, per tant, no....a més, tinc molt de feina ara mateix i per alguns parts em pagant!!!


The gigantic blister on my heel is gone, but all the skin off the surface has come off it today.....wish it had held on through Sunday, that fresh new tender skin may find itself a wee bit uncomfortable before all is said and done on the weekend......ho hum

L'ampolla enorme que tenia al peu ja ha anat, però el pel ha sortit avui....m'hauria agradat si podia esperat per dilluns, aquest pel tant tendre podria ser una mica incomoda al final de diumenge.....mira, bé.


I've started another book, and I am nearly done with it......I think, in fact, that I'm going off to read right now!

He començat un altre llibre i quasi l'he acabat....em semble, que me'n vaig a llegir ara mateix!


Have a good one!
Que vagi molt bé!


O

Shostakovitch, Xostakóvitch

The man and I went off to the Palau de Música this evening to hear the Gewandhaus Orchester from Leipzig play Shostakovic's Concert for violin number 1, op.99.

L'home i jo hem anat a la Palau de Música Catalana aquesta tarda per veure la Gewandhaus Orchester de Leipzig toca el concert per violí n 1, op.99 de Xostakóvitch

I am not an educated into the arts of classical music, but this was simply spectacular.  I ADORED it. It was challenging and fascinating and had sections of music like nothing I've heard before.  There was one thin thread of music, played by the violin, that went on and on and on and felt like someone was pulling one single nerve out of your spinal column.  LOVED IT.

No estic gens educada músicalment, però això, això era una música apart.  Simplement espectacular.  Me l'encanta.  És una repta, fascinant, hi havien seccions com res que he sentit en la meva vida.  Un moment quan el violí tocava un fil de so que anava i anava i anava com si fos traient un sol nervi del columna.  Impressionant.

The Brahms that came after had enough body to fill the space left behind, but that's what it felt like, filling out the program, with kind of an odd choice to me.  They played an encore, I know not what, that was more interesting. 

Desprès tocava Brahms, tenia cos, podia aguantar, però era simplement omplint un espai en la programa, i per mi, ho he trobat una música estrany per anar desprès del de Xostakóvitch.  Han tocat una peça més per un final, no tinc ni idea que era, però a mi, semblava més interessant. 

Lovely night out.  Un plaer, aquesta nit.

Ahh. Ahhh

I have almost stopped reading these days. Quasi he acabat de llegir aquests dies

I love Murakami's books, love love love them.  Except the one I'm reading.  That I have been reading for a very very long time, cause I just don't like it.  I want to finish it, but I don't like it.  I have a bunch of other books but they are all kinda heavy and literary and dark. 

Good lord what I'd give for an hour in the Toronto Public Library.  All of you in TO...I hope you know just how luck you are.

M'encanten els llibres de Murakami, me'ls encanten me'ls encanten me'ls encanten.  Excepte el que estic llegint ara.  L'he estat llegint per molt i molt i molt de temps, perquè simplement, no me l'agrada.  Vull acabar-lo, però no me l'agrada.  Tinc unes quantes altres llibres per llegir, però son tots una mica pesats, i literaris i foscos.  

No puc dir què donaria per un sol hora a la Biblioteca Publica de Toronto.  Tots vosaltres que hi sou....espero que sapigueu la sort que tingueu

walk with kate and more. Caminada amb la Kate i més.

Went for a walk with Kate and Bonnie on Friday, I haven't had a chance to write that up yet either!  I seem to be doing nothing at all but walking if you were to read the blog....but life has other stuff going on too...more lower down, first our walk with Kate. 
Vaig anar a passejar els gossos amb la Kate i la Bonnie divendres passat, i no he tingut temps per penjar una descripció d'això tampoc.  Sembla que l'única cosa que faig és anar a caminar, so només llegir el bloc, però la vida va córrent com sempre....més desprès, ara caminant amb la Kate.

I've got a new camera, which is very exciting...it is tiny which I love for longer walks, but I have to say that the photos are not nearly as good as with the bigger one.  This one below of Chuck for instance is pretty flat and grainy, for all that it is another photo of the pooch lying in a puddle while drinking it......  Tinc una càmera nova, que m'emociona força....està molt petita, que m'encanta per caminades més llargs, però haig de dir que no fer fotos tan bones com la càmera més gran.  Aquest a baix d'en Chuck estirat en l'aigua mentrestant bevent-ho......

Some lovely wildflowers....vam trobar flors molt boniques

Part of Kate's delectable picnic!  I brought a couple of mangy gooey bananas and she was good enough to share some of her delicious spoils with me! A baix un part del pícnic delectable de la Kate!  Portava jo unes plàtans, una mica vell i sobre madur i malgrat d'això va repartir la seva riquesa amb mi!!!!

What else have I been up to?  Woken up about 15 times last night with the rain and thunder and lightning that sounded like it landed next door.  A moment when I am most delighted to not be living on the boat, man how I hate lightning on a sailboat.  Went for a 7K walk with Youngest and Chuck (the man came part way, but then had to leave to go rowing) to raise money to fight cancer - a local effort.... I involuntarily went to a Catalan poetry session, as the man and I were signed up to be the attendants for an hour at a local show about climbing in Catalunya, and the poetry club just never left...so thinking that the two of us would be able to hang out for an hour with some chips and something to drink in the quiet, we ended up sitting around silently listening to this all.  We went to a local bar afterwards for a bit of a time together anyway. 
Què més?  La nit passat vaig despertar unes quantes vegades amb la pluja, i llamps i trons...alguns sonava com van enterrar-se a la casa de la veïna.  Un moment quan estic molt contenta de no ser a la barca.  Llamps en una barca de vella, no m'agrada gens ni mica.  Vaig anar a caminar un 8K amb la petita (l'Home ha vingut un part, però havia de marxar per anar a remar) per guanyar diners contra càncer, un esforç local....involuntariament vaig anar a un exposició de poesia Catalana.  L'Home i jo vam dir que faríem un hora de vigilància per una exhibició local sobre escalada en Catalunya, i el grup de poesia simplement no van para mai.....vam pensar que podríem quedar-nos allà, tranquils amb una bossa de patates i alguna cosa per beure, i vam quedar seguts, silents i esperants.  Per tant, al final vam anar a un bar per passa una mica de temps junts.

Chelsea won, not sure if I care much one way or another. Chelsea va guanyar, no sé si m'importa.

I went running, which was delightful having been away from it for so long.  Feels weird to say so, never thought I would LIKE running.  Weird weird weird. Vaig anar a fer fúting, i va anar molt molt bé, especialment perquè no ho he fet per unes setmanes.  Trobo estranya dient això, no pensava mai en la meva vida que m'agradaria corrent, però si, a mi m'agrada i a sobre ho trobo a faltar si passa temps!

Also the girls and I went off to this Goya exhibit at the Caixa Forum.  So amazing that we can just hop on the metro and go and see an exhibit like this.  Such a complicated man living in such complicated times.  The paintings and drawings were so very varied.  We also went through this piece, which involves you quite directly in the work and it was quite popular with Youngest, and Eldest and I were more than happy to go through it several times again too. 
També he anat avui amb les nenes per veure l'exhibició de Goya a la Caixa Forum.
   Trobo impressionant que podem simplement pujar transport públic i arribar a un exhibició com així.  Una home tan complicat, vivien en temps tan complicats.  Les pintures i les dibuixos eren molt variades.  També hem passat per aquesta obra que ha agradat la Petita molt, i la Gran i jo estàvem ben contents de passar per allà unes vegades més.

Tomorrow?  Chuck to the vet, me to get mammogram results, Youngest to the podiatrist, me to a meeting and to work.  Hoping to get a 10K walk in though I am debating running it....we'll see.  All on the flat which I honestly kinda hate.
Demà?  En Chuck cap a la veterinària, jo buscant les resultats d'una mamografia, la Petita cap a un podòleg, jo tindré una reunió i hauré de treballar.  Espero que pugui fer un passeig de 10K, però també estic rumiant si ho córrer o si camino.  Està una ruta molt pla, que no m'agrada gens.

Final day, long walk. Dia dos, caminada llarga

Chuck and I started off bright, early and eagerly the next morning.

I had hopes of walking from Cassà de la Selva clear to Blanes on the coast for a total of about 55K, nicely bringing me over the 100K mark.

Vam començar al pròxim dia ben aviat i amb moltes ganes.  La idea era d'anar des de Cassà cap a Tossa i llavors, tira per Blanes per fer una 55K i acabar amb més de 100K caminat.   Vam sortir d'hotel a les 6 amb la primera objectiu de trobar la via verde. Era una caminada super maca amb l'alba del sol sobre un paisatge d'agricultura i ben pla.

We were off by about 6:00am, first of all finding our way back to the Via Verde.  It was a lovely walk, with the sun rising through agricultural countryside.

Old stone farmhouses.  Masies antics

The Via Verde looks pretty much like this the whole way.  Wide, flat and even (and slightly boring after a while).  La Via Verde, més o menys, sembla així per tota la via.  Ample, pla i ben fet (de debò, una mica avorrit desprès una mica de temps)

Once we got to Llagostera I left the via verde. It runs beside highways for most of the distance from here, and it is so well signposted that it is a little dull.  The upper sections are well worth it, the lower sections, all in one flat gulp, a little dull.  So we cut away.  Our first challenge was to find Can Misèria.  These are common reference points in villages here, the name of a house.  It is, however, fairly rare for said house to have it's name on it, so you need a local.
A Llagostera vaig desvia de la Via Verde.  Va a costat d'una carretera per quasi tot el recorregut des d'aquí i no m'interessa gaire, està tan ben marcat que no m'enganxa.  Per tant vam trobar una alternatiu.  La primera repta era troba can Misèria.  Com sapigueu, aquestes cases son referents molt comú aquí Catalunya, però molt sovint, no tenen el nom marcat a fora.  Necessitem un gen del poble.

As I was getting near the place I thought it should be I came across a senior citizen tooling around for an early morning walk.  PERFECT!  She did indeed know which house I needed and I was off. Map in hand, compass out, interested in the walk again, now I had to find my way.
Quan estava apropiant-me a la zona, he trobat una avia caminant. molt a poca a poc.  PERFECTE!  Com pots imaginar, sabia exactament quin casa necessitava, fins i tot hi havien dues Can Misèries i sabia quin necessitava.  Vam començar, amb mapa i brúixola, amb ganes i interes, que ara havia de trobar la ruta per a mi mateix.

We worked our way out of Llagostera, not a big place and into a veritable maze of side roads.  Which we wandered in the right general direction.  There was supposedly an official walking route through here, but the signposting was spotty at best.  I decided to ignore that and make my own way.
Vam sortir de Llagostera, no una poble gran i vam entrar una laberint de carrers petits.  Vam anar xino-xano per allà en la direcció general que necessitàvem.  Teòricament, hi ha una ruta oficial, però les senyals eren una mica ocasional.  Ho vaig deixar i vaig decidir de crear la ruta jo mateix.

Eventually we came across a paved road and started heading up that.  It was nice to be sure where I was again, and I had to meet up with and NOTICE the GR92, a long distance trail that would carry me right to Tossa.
Amb temps, vam trobar una carrer més gran amb ciment i vam començar de pujar per allà.  Estava un plaer saber exactament on estàvem perquè havia de trobar la GR92 que em portaria fins a Tossa.

As it intersected with the road I was on, and I could see where I was very specifically on my maps, which even included kilometer markers, and there was almost no traffic at all, we kept to the main road for this section.
Que la GR creu el carrer que pujava, i podia veure exactament on estàvem a la mapa que portava les marques dels kilòmetres i no hi havia gens de transit, vam quedar amb la carrer més gran.

Chuck was still turning down food, so we played catch with his kibble.  Me tossing, one piece at a time and him catching and eating them.  Gradually we got some food into him this way.  He does this sometimes, simply doesn't feel like eating, and doesn't.
En Chuck encara no volia menjar, per això vam jugar amb el seu menjar.  Vaig llençar un sol trosset cap a el i  el va agafar de l'aire i el va menjar.  Poc a poc va menjar una mica.  Ho fa de vegades, simplement no li dona la ganes de menjar, i per tant, no ho fa.

We wound our way up and up and up for about 8 kilometers.  Stopping to cool off and have a break as Chuck needed.....once near these cork trees where a fire had gone through.
Vam tirar més i més amunt per unes 8 kilòmetres, parant de vegades per refrescar-nos (bé, Chuck) i descansar quan en Chuck volia....un cop a costat d'aquests sorrers a on un foc a passat fa una mica de temps.

Eventually we found the GR92, which we were both happy about, off the tarmac, into the woods and hills and onto the next stage.  All going well, lots of energy and interest and up and up we went.  My sister phoned at one point to ask how things were going and we had a great long funny chat. Do adore her.  Then, while talking to her, I made it to the peak of the walk I was on, les Cadires.    It was fun and lovely and then down we went the other side.
Eventualment vam trobar la GR92, i ens vam posar contents perquè no estàvem amb ciment, estàvem al bosc i muntanyes i passem pel pròxim pas.  Tot anava molt bé i vam continuar pujant.  La meva germana em va trucar per demanar com anim i per una xerrada ben llarg i divertit.  M'encanta la meva germana.  Mentrestant xerrant vaig arribar al cim del dia, les Cadires.  Divertit i maca i vam començar de baixar. 

Here's a view of Tossa de Mar, the first goal.  Aquí pots veure Tossa de mar, la primera objectiu.

We had quite a bit of fun working our way down the mountain, there are millions of little roads through here and we cut through the underbrush from time to time to get from one to another more directly.   Vam desfruitar-nos força baixant les muntanyes, hi ha milions de carrers petits i vam córrer entre bosc de vegades per salta des d'un cap a un altre. 

It was getting hotter and hotter, and eventually Chuck wanted to stop in a sandy shady bit on the side of the road. He digs into the sand till he gets down to cooler damper sand then throws himself onto it, his relatively hairless belly soaking up the cool and rapidly bringing him some relief from the heat.
Tota l'estona la temperatura pujava i finalment en Chuck va demanar de quedar una estona en una mica d'ombra sobre sorra al costat del carrer.  Quan té calor, excava una mica del terra fins que trobi terra més freda i li estiri allà. La seva panxa que porta poc pel deixar li refrescar-se ràpidament.

Here he has just dug himself down and he's soaking in the cool. Aquí ha tirat la terra de sobre i està desfruitant la freda al panxa.

Then he fell asleep.  LLavors, va dormir.

Woke up a few minutes later for another dig to cooler soil.  Li va despertar per troba terra més freda.

Then he fell asleep again.  For 40 minutes!  It was like traveling with a toddler, waiting around while he has a nap.  I decided at this point that there was no going on, we were out of water (we could get more in Tossa) and his Chuck was done.  He never naps in the mountains.  It was just too hot.
I va tornar a dormir.  Per 40 minutes.  Estava com viatjant amb un nen de 2 anys, esperant quan fa la migdiada!  Finalment vaig decidir que vam haver de continuar, vam haver apagat l'aigua (vam poder agafar més en Tossa) i en Chuck ja va haver gastat tot.  Mai fa una migdiada al muntanya.  Simplement feia massa de calor.

So, after 40 min I woke him up and we marched down into Tossa, he kept wanting to stop, and I kept him going as we had no more water and it was only getting hotter.  Once into Tossa, which took about half an hour, we found some water and Chuck had a good long drink, though he was disgusted with me for not letting him lie down in a river.  No taxi in the land was going to take us on to Blanes and the train if he was soaking wet and muddy.  The bus to Blanes wouldn't let the dog on (they don't here, ever) and the first two taxi's said no too, but the third, my man, took us.  Thank goodness.
Desprès de 40 minutes, li vaig despertar i vam anar cap a Tossa. En Chuck volia parar moltes vegades, però li vaig dir que no, fins que no trobem més aigua.  Vam arribar, va beure, no estava gens content amb mi quan no li vaig deixar estirar-se al riu, ni un taxi portaria un gos ben ple de fang i xopat.  L'autobús de Tossa cap a Blanes no portar gossos per això havia de ser un taxi.  Les primeres dos em va dir no, però la tercera, el meu heroi em va dir que si.  GRÀCIES!

Onto the train from there, here's Chuck on his first train ride ever: Aquí, en Chuck al tren, per la primera vegada:

And sleeping on his first train ride ever.  I aquí dormint al tren per la primera vegada.

We had a 5K walk from the station, and I finished off the mileage with the climb of Puig Mal.  Not quite a full 100K, but as the last bit at Puig Mal was at some altitude and we did over a kilometer of climbing and descending, I'm counting it done. Vam tenir una caminada de 5 kilòmetres cap a casa i vaig acabar les kilòmetres pujant Puig Mal, no exactament 100K però que ho vaig fet amb altitud i que vaig pujar i baixar més d'un kilòmetre, dic jo, està acabat.

Most importantly, thanks to you all, we raised over $600 for Camp Kesem.  I think that's mighty fine, and I'd like to thank you all so very much.
Més important que tot, i gràcies a tots vosaltres, hem guanyat més de $600 per Camp Kesem.  Penso jo, que està fantàstic i voldria donar-vos to moltes gràcies.

Eldest La Gran

She had an important test today.  Té un examin molt important avui.

She had a test on the cha-cha-cha.  Té un examin de la xa-xa-xa.

I kid you not.  No està una broma.

Long walk, first day, continued. El Paisatge gran, primer dia, continuació.

OK, where was I? Ahhhh, the skid in the concrete, pretty cool, no?  Llavors, on era?  El ciment, no?

We kept on walking, Chuck and I.  We had quite a lovely time in fact.  There were lots of lovely mountains overhead, we had plenty of water and lots of places to get more. Vam continuar, en Chuck i jo.  Era un dia fantàstic, moltes muntanyes, vam tenir molt d'aigua, i moltes llocs per buscar més.

Plenty of food, and generally pretty lovely scenery.  Molta de menjar, i vistes molt maques.

See?  Sheep: Mira?  Ovelles:

Hills and villages and mountains.... Puigs, pobles i muntanyes.....

There were also quite a lot of cyclists.  A LOT of cyclists and at first Chuck was pretty good about them, going over to one side and letting them pass, but gradually he got kind of tired of their frequent passing.  As we were coming up to the river and bridge in the next two photos, he was hilarious.

Hi eren moltes ciclistes.  MOLTES ciclistes.  Per començar en Chuck li comportat força bé, anava a una banda del camí per deixar-los passar, però amb temps va cansar dels ciclistes.  Un cop, quan estàvem més a prop del riu allà baix, era hilarant.

He tends to walk about 20 yards ahead of me most of the time, so when we overtake people, he tends to do so first.  I always find this amusing when I am walking along as the person in front of me in generally unaware of our advance, then Chuck appears.  They normally look slightly surprised, but rarely look around, instead watching him.  This is what happened, this time, except that just after he passed an older man, three bicycles approached abreast.  Chuck seem to have decided that he was done with bikes, and he didn't go to the side of the road, in fact worse still, he decided to weave around a bit in the road.  The cyclists were ...ah.... distracted by this, one stopped completely and the other two pulled off some neat maneuvers to avoid him.
Normalment en Chuck caminar unes 20 m a davant de mi, per això quan passem gents, els passa en Chuck primer.  Sempre ho trobo divertit perquè la persona no sap que estem arribant i de seguida, en Chuck apareix.  Normalment, semblant una mica sorprès però tampoc no em buscant, en lloc, els mira cap a en Chuck.  Que va passar?  En Chuck passava un avi i just desprès, tres bicicletes estaven apropant-se cap a en Chuck i era evident que en Chuck ha decidit que ja està no li acomiadarà ni un més.  Llavors, no va anar a una banda, pitjor encara, va començar d'anar xino-xano aquí i allà al mig del camí.  Els ciclistes trobava aquest....difícil.  Un havia de parar i els altres dos havien de fer unes maniobres per evitar un accident.

The old man was having a blast watching this, funniest thing he'd seen in DAYS apparently.  Guess he's a little tired of cyclists too, on his home stretch of path.  I didn't even have to apologize as they all thought Chuck was his.   Had a good laugh with the old man as I passed him too.
El avi estava rient!  El cosa més divertit que ha vist en DIES.  Imagino que està força cansat dels ciclistes també.  No havia de disculpar-me tampoc, que tots pensava que en Chuck fos el gos del avi.  L'avi i jo vam riure quan li vaig passar també.
 

It was starting to warm up a bit, and Chuck went for his signature maneuver of lying in a puddle (here a canal) and drinking out of it simultaneously.  This is a bit of foreshadowing....just letting you know.
Començava de fer més calor.  En Chuck va utilitzar un dels seus trucs molt característic, va ficar-se en un canal i va beure d'el aigua a l'hora.  Fes nota d'això, influenciarà el futur.

Lovely bridge!  Un pont molt maco.

Mountains.  Muntanyes.

A neat house....I was actually yo-yoing with some bikes, which was pretty strange, I guess I was the ultimate tortoise to their really skittish hare.  An American couple and I passed each other three times, they were not sure they were on the right route, repeatedly, and I reassured them repeatedly.  They had been sent on this route by a tour of some sort who had given them a list of sorts, but no map.  I ended up showing them my map book, which is in Catalan, so they can't read any of it, but hopefully I convinced them that if they just stay on the trail, they'll get to Girona with the added bonus of no highway time!

Un casa molt bonica....em va sorprendre però estava passant i repassant unes ciclistes.  Ho trobava estranya, havia de ser molt més lent, no?  Vaig passar una parella americana unes tres vegades.  No estaven gens segur que la ruta els portaria cap a Girona.  Han comprat la ruta d'un empresa de viatges i els han donat una lliste però cap mapa. Els vaig ensenyar la meva i els vaig convèncer que sí, arribaran a Girona i no haurà d'anar als autopistes. 

These are the gegants from Celler de Ter.  I would like to say to anyone reading this blog about the Vies Verdes, that if you are going to do only a portion of this walk, do the bit up to Cellers, or at most Anglès.  After that you are walking right next to a two lane road with cars whizzing by at 100K all the time.  It is safe and all that, but it is a good deal drearier and not nearly as nice as it is up to this point.  Not so much fun once we got past Cellers.
A baix pots veure els gegants de Celler de Ter.  Voldria dir que algú que trobar aquesta escrit sobre la via verde, si només vols fer un part de la ruta, para a Cellers, o per molt a l'Anglès.  A bais d'allà, estas a costat d'un carretera, i les cotxes passen a unes 100K tota l'estona.  Està segur, però gens maca.  

Still heading into Cellers.  Encara tirant per Cellers.

You can see the road in this photo: Pots veure la carretera aquí a baix.

By now it had started to rain on us.  The other thing that had started was that his Chuckiness had started to go rather slower.  By the time we got to about km 46 he demanded a rest.  So we did, sat down right in the dirt as there wasn't another option with the cars flying past, I called the man and told him what was up and my doubts about getting to the booked hotel in time (ie before the kitchen closed at 11pm) and about if Chuck was going to do the distance.  We rested a good 15 min.  By the time I hit the 50K (or so) mark, I was pretty much pulling Chuck along.

Ara ha començat de ploure.  L'altre cosa que ha començat era que en Chuck ara va més i més poc a poc.  Quan vam arribar a 46K va manar que parem.  Ho he fet, vam seure-nos allà mateix al terra, no hi havia cap altre lloc, amb les cotxes allà mateix.  Vaig trucar l'Home per explicar-li on estàvem i que estava passant.  Tenia dubtes de arribar abans de quan tanca la cuina - a les 11, i si en Chuck podria anar més.  Vam descansar per 15 minutes.  Quan vam arribar a 50K, jo estava tirant-li. 

Decided to call it quits at this point.  It was still raining, Chuck was clearly unwilling and we still had a good four hours to go and there was some doubt about making it in time at all.  So, I called a cab.  I had thought we would take the lift through Girona and out the other side, leaving us with just about 2 hours of walking left.
Vaig decidir que ja està prou.  Encara plovia, en Chuck no tenia gens de ganes de continuar i encara faltava 4 hores de caminar i començava de fer tard. Vaig trucar un taxi.  Pensava d'anar a l'altre banda de Girona i caminar un altre dues hores....

But while we were waiting for the cab, we sat in the window of a friendly baker's with an awning, and look at his poor Chuckiness;
Però quan estàvem esperant pel taxi, vam seure al finestra d'un forner molt simpàtic, i mira pobre Chuck:

He's solidly asleep.  Just lay down beside me and passed out.  Head on the camera case.  I decided it was time to call it a day at this point and we went straight to the hotel.  A good thing to, while we were in the cab the heavens OPENED and it POURED down rain for two hours.  We would have been utterly miserable.
Adormit.  Simplement va estirar-se al meu costat i paf, dormint.  Amb el cap ficat a sobre la fonda d'el camera.  Vaig decidir que estàvem acabat pel dia i vam anar directe al hotel.  Bé que ho hem fet, perquè quan estàvem en el taxi va començar de ploure, però MOLT, i plovia per dues hores.  Hauria estat una misèria.

Instead we hung out in the hotel, Chuck slept and slept and slept, I listened to podcasts, phoned the family and had some dinner.  Oh, and a long hot shower.  Ready for the next day.

En lloc, vam descansar al hotel, en Chuck va dormir i dormir i dormir.  Jo escoltava podcasts, trucava la família i sopava.  Oh, i m'he dutxat, ben calin i ben llarg.  Preparat pel dia següent.

Went to the MOUNTAINS again today! He anat a les MUNTAYES avui!!

So, the continuation of the story of the weekend's walk will have to wait.  Per això, l'historia del cap de setmana haurà d'esperar.

Cause I was at the hairdresser's on Tue getting my hair dressed (cut) and he was telling me about this break up the week walk he was going to do with a friend (and fellow hairdresser.  They were going to leave super early Wed morning, climb Puig Mal (2911 M) and come back for lunch.  I asked, slightly pathetically, if I could come and he said YES!!!!!

Mira, estava al perruqueria dimarts i el pello m'explicava que al següent dia anirà al muntanya amb un amic seu i tornaran abans de dinar.  Patèticament, preguntava si podria venir jo. Em va dir que SÍ!!!!


I borrowed walking sticks from a friend and checked out the climb with a couple of experienced types I know, and it all seemed very doable.  Not technical at all, just a walk at high altitude.  And it was and it was MARvelous.....
Un altre amic em va deixar bastons i preguntava algunes muntanyers amb experiència si fos una bon idea i van dit que sí, que no és una ruta tècnica, simplement un paisatge amb altitud.  Era un dia fantÀstic....
 

Below?  The view from the parking lot.  If you're going to climb a mountain and be back for lunch, you have to start high.  Aquesta foto a baix és del parquing.  Si vols pujar una muntanya i tornar per dinar, has de començar ben alt.

Climbing higher, we are actually still pretty low at this point.  Best we didn't know.  Aquí estem pujant, i encara estem ben baix.  Millor que no vam saber.

Made it over the first bump.  Hem superat la primera puig.

My hairdresser brought his dog who had a BLAST!  El gos del meu pello va venir i tenia un dia espectacular.

There he is!  Chucky didn't come.  Mita'l!  En Chuck no va venir.

SNOW!  I haven't seen snow in years, so this was pretty neat.  It ws 1º at the parking lot and got a great deal colder as we went up. Neu!  No ho he vist per molts anys.  Guia.  Feia 1º al parquing i molt més fred més amunt.

French Pyrenees in the background.  Els pirineus de França al fons.

The top, what you cannot see is the wind that was HOWLING around.  El cim, que no podeu veure és el vent!  Hi havia MOLT.

The view going down.  Baixant.

A little flower by the hotel in the Vall de Nùria.  Unes flors a prop del hotel en Núria.

Walking back towards the car.  A very nice walk in and of itself.  Tirant cap al cotxa a Font Alba.  Un paissatge molt maca.

More views on the walk back.  Més vistes.

Looking up towards where we were, kinda, tough place for a girl to have a pee if she's out walking with two guys.  Aquest és la vista cap amunt, nuvolat.  Un lloc una mica difícil si ets una dona amb dos homes i vols fer pipi. 

Look who we saw on the drive out!  Cute overload.   I mira qui vam trobar quan estàvem baixant amb cotxe.

Also, I have a fancy new Garmin GPS watch thing-y (thanks M and D!) so if you click here, you can find out ALL about it.  (the highest speed?  I must have been stumbling or something, or it was during the part where I slid down a snowy hill on my butt).  I'm sorry, but some nerdy part of me finds all that info SO cool.
També tinc un Garmin GPS rellotge, molt guia (gràcies M i D), per això si cliqués aquí, pots veure tot.  (el rapidesa màxim?  Havia de ser caient o quan estava baixant un tros de neu al cul)  Un part de mi trobo tot aquesta informació TAN guia.