I am feeling overwhelmed trying to write this up. Em trobo enfonsda intentant d'escriure aquest passeig

Which is silly.  Que està una mica tonta.

I am going to add the rest of the Catalan later though.  I am getting too tired tonight.

So, here goes.  We went up to Olot on Sat evening so that we could leave bright and early the next morning.  The hotel was fine, nice and clean and just renovated, the people very friendly and it was VERY close to the start point of the walk.

His Chuckiness and I walked a couple of hundred yards up the walk just to get our bearings, and saw this:  

Then we went into Olot and we saw this:

And this:

The next morning on the way out of Olot we saw this:

The path we took goes along an old railway line, and in places this was quite clear.

No?

About 2K out Chuck found the first cow pat - thankfully, the only cow pat. See?  EEEEWWWwwwww  That's what happens when you have to put the leash on.

Fortunately I found this font nearly immediately.

Then the route flattened out a lot.  There are mountains in the background, but it was a very cloudy misty day.

This was slightly depressing, but fortunately it happened early while I was still fresh.  The other thing I didn't like was the mile markers, well, km markers and half markers.  When you have so far to go, it is not uplifting.  I prefer something of a float happily in the moment and don't think of the miles and km to go, nor hours, just enjoy where you are.  It's good that way.

This is a really fun copy of this painting, by a much esteemed and beloved Catalan painter.  I adore it too.  

This is a fantastic bicycling route so there were a lot of bike themed paintings, like this one at a highway underpass:

This one is fuzzy because the shot off the warning gun as I took the picture, and I think I jumped more than the anti-shake could manage.  Lining up for the start!

These ones are swinging around the back to meet up with the start, they have about 10 min to go.

Coming out of that town, into more fields, rolling more now, with beautiful mountains in the background.

The track is now going up the only hill on the route, 2 k of gentle climbing.  Chuck in the foreground.

Through a cut.  There were a number of these, and they were very cool.

Poppy season here.

Now, this last picture for today was on the way down from the Coll d'en Bas, the only hill.  Look closely at those marks in the concrete.  They tell what I thought was a funny story.  See if you can guess.  

DONE! FININT

we're back, we're well, more later.

hem tornat, tots bé, més desprès.

Hmmm, that bag is heavy. Hmmmm, aquesta motxilla pesa molt

I've packed most everything, and it weighs too much.  Tooooooo much.  Something is going to have to get left behind, and I'm thinking food.
He fet la motxilla i pesa massa.  Moooooolt massa.  Hauré de deixar algunes coses, penso jo, que serà menjar.

Right now I have:  Ara mateix porto:

2 sandwiches/entrepans
2 fuets (think a thin long salami without the spices)
2 chocolate bars/barres de xocolata
3 cacaolats
3 water bottles (still empty!)/ampolles d'aigua (buides!)
a bag of dates/un manyoc de dàtils
a whole lot of dog food/força menjar pel gos
a packet of cookies/galetes

Youngest is eating one of the fuets as we speak.  Too much food!  En aquest moment, la Petita està menjant un dels fuets.

No dog food can be tossed, I am debating dropping a chocolate bar from the bag, which will make Youngest ecstatic and maybe getting rid of the cookies.... No puc deixar menjar del gos, estic rumiant si vull deixar una barra de xocolata.  La petita seria molt contenta si ho fes i potser les galetes queden aquí a casa.

But then what will I eat? Però que menjaré?

I think I am just getting rid of the fuet (which Youngest has already finished) and drinking up the cacaolats quickly ie breakfast, mid morning snack and lunch tomorrow.  I can buy more anywhere easily.  Em sembla que simplement deixo un fuet (que ja l'ha menjat la Petita) i beuré els cacaolats ràpidament, o sigui, per esmorzar, segon esmorzar i dinar.  Aquests puc comprar molt senzillament per tot arreu.

Here for Chuck, here for me

Aquí per en  Chuck, i aquí per me

One of the things that I like about writing the blog is the discipline of going back over the day and coming up with some moment, or idea or thought to write about.  Today, however, is proving tougher.  The majority of my thoughts have been focused on the upcoming walk, and that just doesn't really lend itself to great blog fodder.
Un dels coses que m'agrada d'escriure aquest bloc és l'oportunitat de rumiar sobre el dia, buscant un moment, un idea, un pensament per descriure.  Avui, per l'altre banda, trobo més difícil.  La gran majoritat dels meus pensaments avui han estat enfocat al camina i la realitat és que tot d'això t'avorreixes ben aviat.

Though I do have to give a great big thank you to everyone who has donate so far!  Chuck and I so far have been sponsored to $470!  That's a whole lot of money, and I am simply over the moon happy.  Chuck is not quite so clear on the issue, but as long as he gets a walk and some food, it's OK.  He's not so happy about this pre big event taper idea, he just thinks he's been getting some crappy walks lately.  Vision beyond the immediate future isn't quite 20/20.
Malgrat d'això, haig de donar una gràcies MOLT gran a tothom qui ja han ajudat!  Fins ara, Chuck i jo hem tingut espònsors fins a $470!  Això esta moltes diners i estic super contenta.  Chuck no queda tant clar amb aquesta tema, però fins que tingui algunes passeigs i menjar, tot està bé.  No està tan content amb la descans abans de l'esforç, simplement pensa que els passeigs d'aquests dies són força patètics.  La seva visió pel futur fora del immediat, no està gaire bé.

There, see?  All I'm writing about is the walk.
Mira.  Només parlo del passeig.

I could talk about how much cancer sucks.  Cause it really does.  But I think I have now.
 Podria escriure sobre el càncer, que està una (la unica paraules que surten donen l'evidencia que passo massa de temps amb adolescents.  Per això, ho deixo així:  que està una "·(?!)·(/!&$*.  És la veritat.  Ja ho he dit.

Listen, lets finish this off like this:  I hope you have a fabulous weekend.  Later, alligator.
Mira, acabem així.  Espero que tinguis un molt bon cap de setmana.  Ens parlarem desprès.  D'acord?

O

Feelings

Weather forecast:  perfect
Temps previst:  perfecte

Places to stay: booked
Llocs per dormir:  reservats

Maps:  printed
Mapes:   imprimint

Lift to the start: organised
L'amiga que em portarà a on començaré: organitzat

Ankle:  hanging in there
El turmell: aguantant

Food:  TB purchased
Menjar: ho haig de comprar

Packing: TB done
Fent la motxilla:  ho haig de fer

Excitement: building
Emoció:  creixent

Here for Chuck, here for me
Aquí per en  Chuck, i aquí per me

The amazing and wonderful Kate. La Kate, la meravellós i fantàstic

I got a visitor today.....the wonderful Kate!
He tingut una convidada avui....la fantàstic Kate!

What some of you may not know about her is that she is an acupuncturist!  I've never had acupuncture, and I have to say that it was utterly fantastic.  My ankle feels much better (which she said often happens, and that I am NOT to start dancing and running just cause it feels so much better).
Potser no tots de vosaltres sabeu que està una acupuncturista!  No he utilitzat acupuncture mai i haig de dir que a mi ha anat molt bé.  La meva turmell em sento força millor (que m'ha dit la Kate passa sovint i que no pugui anar ni a ballar ni a córrer simplement perquè em trobo millor)

No problem.  I am totally focused on the weekend.
Cap problema.  Estic guardant tot pel cap de setmana. 

I am also quite a bad blogger and failed to take a photo of my foot with the three needles in it.  Didn't hurt at all, they are SUPER fine and thin.
M'he trobat, a mi mateix, que no sóc una bona blogger.  Saps perquè?  No he fet ni un foto del meu peu amb les agulles.  No feien mal tampoc.  Son SUPER prims.

What else. Què més?

Donations still open:  Here for Chuck, here for me $5??? It's a deal at 5 cents a kilometer.
Encara podeu ajudar:  Aquí per en  Chuck, i aquí per me €5????  Es un molt bon preu!  Només 5 centimets per kilòmetre!


Oh, I saw this on line, felt like a bit of an affirmation of the optimism and delight we can bring to each other with a little risk and effort.
I també, vaig veure això al internet.  M'ha deixat amb un sentit d'optimisme i alegria que podem portar als altres amb molt poca risc ni esforç.

 Good fun.  Divertit.

Donation pages! Pàgines per fer donacions, si et ve de gust.

 Chuck and I are now officially a team at Camp Kesem.  We each have our own page, and should you feel moved to help out, this is where you go.
En Chuck i jo ara som, oficialment, un equip a Camp Kesem.  Tenim, cadascú, el nostre pròpia pàgina i si et ve de gust, i vols ajudar, és a on pots anar per fer-ho.

Like so many people, I have a friend in Canada who has been battling cancer for quite some time now, and has recently been re-diagnosed.  It makes me very sad.  There is no other way to put it, and it is very hard on her family and on her kids.
 Com molta gen, tinc una amiga a Canadà que té càncer, i ho ha tingut per temps i ha sortit un altre cop.  Em fa molt trista.  No hi ha cap altre manera per dir-ho.  A sobre, està molt dur per la seva família i els seus fils. 

So when I discovered that this years 110MoN was to benefit Camp Kesem, where kids from families enduring cancer can go for free, sounded pretty darned good for me.  As I am here in Spain and my bud is in Canada, there is really nothing at all I can do for her, but I can do this.  Chuck and I are going to walk 100+K (depending on the route) this coming weekend (depending also on the ankle).  If you want to help out, here are the links:

Per això quan vaig descobrir que aquest any el 100MoN està per ajudar Camp Kesem, a on nens de famílies que estan sobreviuen un càncer poden anar gratuït, a mi sonava molt bé.  Que estic aquí a Catalunya, i la meva amiga està allà a Canadà, hi ha molt poc que puc fer per ajudar-la, però això, sí.  En Chuck i jo, caminarem 100+K (depèn del ruta) aquest cap de setmana (depèn també del turmell).  Si voldria ajudar, aquí tens els enllaços.

Chuck's page at Camp Kesem.  La pàgina d'en Chuck a Camp Kesem

My page at Camp Kesem.  La meva pàgina a Camp Kesem

 

 If you would prefer to make a donation to an organisation in your own country, fantastic.  Camp Kesem is all over the US at this point and hasn't expanded beyond those borders, yet.

Si preferies ajudar una ONG en el teu país, fantàstic.  Camp Kesem té moltes casals per a tot arreu als Estats Units, però no han creat cap fora d'allà, encara.

Thank you in advance.

Gràcies a tots,

Chuck and/i Oreneta

Well THAT looks dramatic. Doncs, això sembla molt dramàtic

Took myself off to the village physiotherapist, who was Youngest's basketball coach when she did basketball, and has worked as a physiotherapist for the Premier basketball league here in Spain...
He anat avui al fisioterapeuta del poble, que era l'entrenadora de la Petita quan feia basquet i ha estat la fisioterapeuta per un equip de primer lliga aquí Catalunya.(em sembla era de Barça!!!)....

Just walked in the door to see what they thought, if they thought there was anything they could do to help.
Simplement he entrat per la porta per mira que pensant i si em poden ajudar.

45 min later:  VOILA!
Desprès de 45 minutes?  VOILA!

I had had an electric current run through it for more than 15 min, a massage for a while (which felt amazing and not painful like you would think) and ultrasound done.  They she taped it.  Wish I'd had the camera to take photos of the process, when I remove the tape on Wed as directed (if it doesn't bother me, in which case I am to remove it first) I'll take some shots to show the dismounting of this edifice that she constructed!
M'han posat una corrent d'electricitat ( o algú així) per més de 15 minutes, un massatge (fantàstic...i no feia mal com podries imaginar) i un ultrasò.  Desprès l'ha ficat aquesta cinta.  Em sap greu que no tinc fotos del proces perquè és un veritable edifici.  Quan el trec dimecres (si no em molesta abans) faig fotos dels nivells

A good way to find new voids in your vocab this is too.  Una bona manera per troba llacunes en el vocabulari, tot aquesta historia.

For now, it just looks mighty serious for some swelling that you'd barely see if you didn't know.  GET BETTER SOON ankle!!!!
Sembla molt greu per un inflamació que no pots notar si no saps que ho he fet mal.  MILLORI JA turmell!!!!!

Went walking today. Vaig anar a caminar avui

It was a spectacular day.  I even swam (gasping and briefly in the sea).  From a tapering perspective it was a little more work than I was aiming at, and I very mildly sprained my ankle.  I could walk on it immediately afterwards, so this is a VERY light sprain, but as I am planning to walk 100K next weekend......
Un dia espectacular.  Fins i tot he nadat al mar (per molt poca temps, feia molt de fred).  Per preparació pel 100K, era una mica dur i he torçat, molt poc, el meu turmell . Podia caminar com normal immediatament, per això està un torçat molt suau però que tinc plantejat de fer 100K el cap de setmana que ve......

Fingers crossed, OK folks?
Creus els dits, d'acord?

A friend, una amiga

One of the things we tried to do while we were in Paris was go zip-lining.  You know when there is a cable from one high point to one slightly lower and you get into a harness and, hanging below the wire, you roll swiftly to the other end?  That.
Quan estàvem a Paris vam intentar d'anar a fer tirolina.  Quan hi ha un cable entre dos llocs, un més alt que l'altre i amb un talabard i, penjat a sota el cable, vas ràpidament cap a l'altre banda?  Això.

My sister and I managed to find a place outside of Paris and then we hopped in the car with the kids and we were off.  Sadly, when we got there, it was closed, but the big park it was in, wasn't (nor thankfully the cafe as we had not brought any food with us).
La meva germana i jo vam trobar un lloc a fora de Paris i vam pujar la cotxe amb els nens i vam anar-hi.  Desafortunadament, quan vam arribar, estava tancat, però el parc gran, a on està localitzat, no era (i, per sort, el cafè tampoc perquè no vam portar res per menjar).

There was, however, a good sized playground that we could release the kids into, and they were off.  The most popular piece of equipment was a giant pyramid shaped rope climber.  They have them all over the beaches here - yes, I went to Paris to play on a climber that we have here - whatever.  Youngest climbed right to the top immediately, as you would expect, and at the top there was a girl about the same age as her.  A french girl.  They struck up a conversation, in French.
Agraïdament, hi havia un patí amb unes quantes coses per pujar, els nens ho van desfruitar.  La peça més popular era una mena de piràmide fet de cordes, exactament com els que tenim aquí als platges.  Sí, vaig anar a Paris per jugar amb el que tenim aquí.  Immediatament, la Petita pujava cap a munt, com podries imaginar, i cap allà hi havia una noia francesa del mateix edat com la Petita.  Van començar de xarrar, en francès.

Now Youngest has been studying French for maybe 2 months in school and she is getting private lessons cause she really wants to learn the language.  She was THRILLED to be able to chat with this girl.  They had the occasional intervention from my nephews who go to school there, but in general, they did wonderfully.  They must have chatted for an hour and a half.
La Petita ha estat estudiant francès per potser 2 mesos a colle i amb classes particulars perquè vol aprendre l'idioma.  Estava tan CONTENTA que podia xarrar amb aquesta nena.  De vegades, necessitava ajuda, i els meus nebots les van donar, però en general, anava fantàsticament.  Van xarrar per un hora i mig, més o menys.

I was totally impressed.
Estava impressionant.

She said as we left that she was glad that the zip line was closed, cause otherwise she wouldn't have gotten to meet this girl.  A great outing.
Quan vam marxar em va dir que estava contenta que la tirolina estava tancat perquè si no, no hauria tingut l'oportunitat de trobar-se amb aquesta noia.  Una excursió fantàstic.