Saturday, April 7, 2012

Monday and Tuesday

Walked today, basically all day.  Figure I did 55K and 2000 M of ascending and another 2000 descending, about 11 hours walking time (I didn't time the breaks closely, they may have been longer).  I am aware that I have legs at this point.  His Chuckiness is sleeping, but not so tired that he couldn't try to hump me when I was dancing!  BAD DOG!!!!

Vaig caminar, més o menys tot el dia.  Em sembla que he fet unes 55K i  2000m de pujada i un altre 2000m de baixada.  Unes 11 hores de caminar (més o menys, no comptava les descanses bé, i potser eren més llarg)  Estic conscient que tinc cames en aquest moment. Chuck està dormint, però no té tant de son que no podia intentar muntar-me quan estava ballant per un moment.  PROU!!!!

Lovely day, no photos, the camera was a little too big to haul, which is a shame there were some incredible views and beautiful buildings.  Can I just also add, that you can't swing a cat in this country without hitting a monastery.  Also, that old saw about always bring a map?  It's a good one.  Added unnecessary mileage (kilometerage?) today.

Un dia molt maca, no he fet cap foto, la meva càmera està una mica gran per aquest distància, llastima perquè hi havia unes vistes preciosos i unes edificis molt interessants.  Haig de dir també que n'hi ha tants monestirs per aquí Catalunya!!!  També?  Aquest dit que sempre has de porta una mapa?  Té seny.  He anat més lluny que calia.

Back to the story of last weekend, it has pictures.  OH; and I could do another blister picture!  Only one foot this time, still have the ugly socks so, so maybe one of these days....

Anim cap a l'historia d'aquest cap de setmana passat, perquè té fotos.  OH!  I us puc ensenya una foto de les meves ampolles, però avui n'hi ha només una.  Encara tinc aquests mitjons tan lleigs, potser un d'aquests dies.....

Onwards.  Anim.

Monday, we worked on their house.  They had just had some work done on it, so it was sort of like opening up the cottage, you know that weekend?  You do a whole lot of work and then have some fun.  We all worked steadily on Sunday evening and Monday, the man and I went for a short walk on Monday evening, up a local hill to take in the view, no camera on that trip.  Then Tuesday we went on another excursion.

Dilluns vam treballar al seva casa.  Van acabar de fer obres i estàvem re-obrint-la.  Vam treballar per diumenge a la tarde i la majoria de dilluns.  L'Home i jo vam fer un petit passeig cap a un puig per allà, no càmera per aquest mini-excursió.  Dimarts, vam donar una bona ruta turística.


First stop, this celler in El Pinell de Brai.  If you ever get the chance to visit it?  GO.  Totally cool building, and the most amazing thing of it all is that it was built by a village of 1000 people with mostly their own sweat.  The entire village mortgaged their houses and fields for the money and for three years, all of them, after a full day's work, went and build the celler.  Amazing.  The civil war came through here a few years later, and killed nearly everyone.  It was an area that was very badly hit. Only three houses were left standing and 90% of the population was killed.  The celler though, remained.  They took the roof and beams off early and guarded all of the roof tiles very carefully.  The planes flying over and bombing thought it had already been hit, and never bombed it.  There is considerably shrapnel damage visible, but the building still stands.

Primera parada, aquest celler en el Pinell de Brai. Si tens l'oportunitat de visitar?  Fes-ho.  Un edifici molt impressionant, i sobretot era construït pels gens del poble.  Un poble d'un 1000 persones, pobres,  el van construir ells mateixos.  Tot el poble va hipotecar les seves cases i camps, i desprès de tot un dia de treball, van anar a treballar aquí.  Van acabar tot en unes tres anys.  Em deixa boca-adada---  Quan la guerra civil estava aquí, van matar casi tothom.  La guerra aquí era molt dur.  Només unes tres cases estaven els peus al fin de la guerra i 90% del població era mort.  El celler, en contrari, era més o menys igual.  Van treure la taulada, totes les rajoles i les bigues i els van guardar.  Quan els avions volaven amunt, pensava que el celler ja era en ruïnes i per això mai va bombejar-lo.  Hi ha força forats dels metàl·lics, però encara hi és.


The detail work is amazing and typical of the period.  The architect was a great fan of Gaudi and you can see the influence in this building.  Els detaills són increïble i també són molt típica d'aquest epoca.  El arquitecte era una fan d'en Gaudi i es pot veure en el edifici.


If you look carefully at those arches, they are a single layer of tile, mortared in place.  They've been there for 90 odd years, and through a brutal civil war.  That's workmanship.

Si mires, aquests voltes són un sol nivell de totxos, fixat en el seu lloc.  Han estat allà per unes 90 anys i mentre la guerra civil, molt brutal.  Això està treball ben fet.



The vault there?  It is supporting a GIGANTIC cement wine container and all the wine, something like 30,000 liters.  All on that little skinny vault.  Catalans knew vaulting like nobody.

Aquesta volta?  Està portant una contenidor enorme fet de ciment pel vi.  El pes?  No ho sé, però és de ciment, i pot tenir unes 30.000 litres de vi.  Tot a sobre aquest volteta.  Els Catalans, ells saben de fer voltes.




Sembla en Gaudi, no?


Another view of those vaults, I included a corner of the guide for perspectiva on how big these are.

Un altre vista dels voltes.  He deixat una mica del guia en la foto per perspecitva...aquests contenidors estan enormes.



Totally beautiful, and they are HURTING for cash to keep it open, so if you're in the area, and even if you're not, well worth going and having a visit.

Absolutament preciós i necessiten diners molt....per això si estas per aquesta zona, i encara si no ets, val la pena anar-hi.  

5 comments:

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

I have to say that I take a walk and am thrilled to run into some Canadian geese and a few snowdrops and you, on the other hand, run into this cellar. Not wanting or meaning to compare, it just strikes me funny that we are at such opposite ends of planet earth and still are able to connect. Wishing you healed blisters and good, wicking socks. Happy Easter!

thecatalanway said...

Just got back from ALmeria and catching up with you and everyone. I can see you have gone somewhere but not sure where - need to read further back! My goodness that walking - my dogs are so envious. Lovely photos. How did you manage to dance after all those kms??? kx

oreneta said...

I have to say though Kim, that there is something about Canada too, that you can walk and walk and walk and find nothing but wilderness, not always a café and some old guy whose family has been living there for generations. That has its own beauty.

Kate, ALL over the place! It has been a great week....and I didn't dance for long, just the song really called for it.

elpadawan said...

It's impressive and very ingenious how they were able to preserve and spare that cellar during the war...

oreneta said...

I thought so too, another cool little side fact, the wine they make there is very strong, something like 18% and the bulk of it is sold to France, where there are some regions who do not have a high enough alcohol content, so they blend this wine in the strengthen it. Odd world isn't it.