A week in the life of Cal Domino

The Ski resort of Vallter and the mountain El Gra de Fajol on the left

Poor Casi..... Our Golden Retriever is certainly a little tender from yesterdays activities ! Bless..... Last night, I had to carry "La Casi" outside to her bed as she was having none of the usual bedtime "getting up and going out on her own" routine. It's amazing how floppy and uncooperative she can be :)
It was the weekend and we decided to get up early and jump in the car for a hike in the Catalan high Pyrenees. After meeting up with friends in Olot and a breakfast of the most fantastic fresh, warm, chocolate croissants and coffee,  we headed up towards the winter ski resort at Vallter, parked the cars and then followed the mountain stream "el torrent de l’Orri" all the way up to El Gra de Fajol.

At the top (Col de la Geganta). From right to left, the summits of Bastiments, and pic de l'Infern

I do feel for her, after 9 years or so, she still hasn't figured out that she can't run around all day and carry on as usual afterwards without consequences..... For me, the route was also not without it's impediments.... After 2 hours or so, my calzoncillos suffered a structural elastic failure and I had no option but to complete the walk, another 4 hours or so, either au natural or with what I can only describe as a badly fitting thong :) Luckily, a very nice picnic of sandwiches and cool beer sat on the top of the world with good company more than made up for it.

The views from the high Pyrenees in Summer are stunning and highly recommended. There are routes for all levels of fitness and experience, clear cool mountain streams and fresh air.  Yesterday we were lucky enough to come across a few Marmots, deer and mountain goats along with the normal carpet of alpine flora. There are a multitude of companies offering guided and self-guided walks from days trips to more adventurous long distance hikes from refuge to refuge. During the summer months, it's our preferred activity at the weekends.

We were joined by local teams competing in a mountain race and were even offered some very welcome refreshments of oranges and bananas by the race organisers. One of the things that I love about this country is the camaraderie and politeness of the people here. Not one of the runners passing by failed to offer us a cheery "Bon Dia". You've got to love Catalunya :)

Last week though was mainly a cycling week. 

The Panta Susqueda

Last weekend I was joined on a fantastic mountain bike ride through the low Pyrenees in the county of Osor along the banks of the river Ter from the Panta de Susqueda to the Panta de Sau. A relatively flat trail of 45km following the old road that linked the villages of Susqueda and Sau before the valley was flooded. The two man-made reservoirs hold about 390 hm³ of water and help to generate electricity for the region. Unfortunately for us, the bad weather forecast was 6 hours early and we were caught out mid way in the most terrific thunderstorm. We pressed ourselves against the cliff face of the trail as my cycling helmet took a barrage from the hail stones and pretty soon, the rainwater began to cascade down the cliff face and down my back. I was wetter than a fish. After the somewhat biblical weather, we decided to carry on regardless and continued along the trail swapping smiles and laughs with other drenched cyclists until we stopped off for a lunch at the hotel La Riba in Sau for a very welcome bocadilllo de Jamon and a beer or two. We enjoyed ourselves so much that I have already augmented the route a tad to incorporate the beautiful village of Rupit, situated high on the cliffs overlooking the water. Next time though, we will take a closer look at the weather forecast !

Panta de Susqueda

More Cycling !

On Thursday, we decided to cycle the Via Verde from Olot to Calonge. The Via Verde, (literally Green Way) follows the old steam train narrow gauge railway from the low Pyrenees all the way to the coast. Our part of the trail that day was about 126km all-in-all and winds its way through some of the most beautiful scenery in Catalunya. From the town of Olot in the low Pyrenees, through the extinct volcanoes of the Garroxta National park and the sleepy medieval villages of the Bas Valley all the way to Girona and onwards to St Feliu de Guixols on the Mediterranean Coast.

The Cafe La Casilla located near Sant Esteve d'en Bas, perfect for a beer.

There are three main routes de Carilet here in Catalunya. The first from Olot to Girona, then from Girona to St Feliu de Guixols and then a small side spur along the coast from Palamós to Palafrugell. The railways  suffered immensely during the Spanish Civil War and their maintenance became too much for a post war government to sustain. They were finally closed in the mid 60's and remained abandoned until the mid 80's when piece by piece they were brought back to life as through ways for cyclists and hikers. These greenways have become increasing popular with locals as an environmentally friendly way to get around and recently have become a focus for the Catalan Tourist Board as a destination for the increasingly popular cycling holidays. Well marked, well maintained and utterly enjoyable cycling. As you approach the main hubs, Girona for example, the greenway remains well marked and you are guided through the city centre on dedicated cycle lanes.

For me, one of the best things about these greenways is that they naturally link village to village and restaurant to restaurant so you are totally spoiled with places to stop and eat or just sit and admire the view with a drink and the vast majority of our route, some 90km or so was down hill !

Facebook     500px     Flicker

About me… I have lived in Calonge (province of Girona) on the Costa Brava since 2003 after retiring as a pilot from the british Royal Air Force. My passions are hiking, biking, skiing, photography and discovering and sharing the hidden cultural treasures of this beautiful country. My day job entails managing a luxury self-catering rental Villa, Casa Cal Domino, and in my search for new and interesting things to do for my clients whilst they are here on holiday, I have been genuinely overawed by the beauty and diversity of this land. I’m not leaving any time soon. I love it here and I hope to inspire you to come and discover this wonderful country for yourself.

#caldomino #costabrava #pyrenees #vallter #cycling