The Pyrenees

Spain does many things excellently. Food, wine, football. Another of the nation's particular talents is the ability to milk a bank holiday for all it's worth. Since arriving in Catalonia, I'm pretty sure the weeks in which I have been working five days are outnumbered by the ones which have included a day off for some reason or another. The 1st November is a public holiday and, luckily for me, it fell on a Thursday. Now, I was nothing short of outraged at this to begin with. 'WHAT SORT OF USE IS A FREE THURSDAY TO ANYONE?!' I wailed at my host family. Until they explained that if the holiday falls on a Thursday then everyone just takes the Friday off anyway so they can have a four-day weekend. Spain, I think I may have discovered why your economy is so far up the proverbial creek sans paddle but I totally respect you for it.

Host family, extended host family and myself took a trip to host grandparents' second home close to Vielha in the beautiful Val d'Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees. The setting was idyllic. A beautiful mountainside house surrounded by nature (and animals!)

We made a brief soujourn into Vielha, which was typically pretty, rustic-in-a-way-that-obviously-appeals-to-skiiers and expensive. It was a beautiful little town, but I am not a fan of these places that seem to only serve the wealthy tourists rather than the locals. Spanish Mum and Auntie took me into a clothes boutique and I was ogling the gorgeous scarves until I saw the price tag and nearly vomited. We did find an amazing little shop though that sold a weird assortment of absurdly beautiful Christmas decorations, home furnishings, antique typewriters and model aeroplanes. There were replica German bombers next to the British ones which I found very strange!

My favourite day was the trip to go walking in the mountains. Spanish Dad drove us up some very windy and precarious 'roads' which made me feel a tad queasy/scared of plummeting off a mountain. It was worth it when we got there though. The views were simply stunning. We were there searching for mushrooms (we didn't find any) but I was just getting snap-happy. Every angle, every view was equally breathtaking. I mean, look:

Me looking glamorous in fluroscent skiwear.

I could have stayed up there forever. Well, not forever. It would probably get a bit cold. I definitely could have stayed up there a bit longer than I did. There's nothing like being surrounded by such raw nature. The air is different, the sky is different, the trees are different. You feel so insignificant and so privileged in the presence of all this wonderfulness.

Being so close to the border, we also took a cheeky day trip into France. The main purpose of this was so that Spanish Family could buy their homeopathic 'medicine' more cheaply (presumably the French have realised that it's just water and pot pourri and so don't charge as much as the Spaniards who are Well Into It), but luckily I got to do more than just stand outside a Pharmacie tutting and rolling my eyes. We visited a utterly charming little village called Saint-Bertand-des-Comminges which I just fell in love with. I love France and my French is vaguely more passable than my Spanish (and a darnsight moreso than my Catalan!) so I was so content to be there. There was a beautiful old monastery/cathedral, typical little boutiques - loads selling handmade umbrellas - and a peace and enjoyable stillness that only comes from sleepy French villages.

The time I spent in the Pyrenees was far too short. It was heaven. I got to walk, eat good food and befriend animals. Some of my favourite things in the world. Whilst I was there a world beyond the mountains was impossible to imagine. Just as now I am back in my day-to-day routine I find the mountains impossible to describe.

Me with my assortment of new friends.