Spain - Day 33: Refugio de Malnie to Puigcerda

The inevitable lake

Today we leave the Pyrenees. There are other mountains. In fact the highest point on the walk is still to come (weather permitting). But they have a different name. So today is mostly downhill only 100m up then down, down, down.

Then annoyingly up to get to the town itself. A sort of bridging stage.

The walk was through the last foothills of the Pyrenees. Of course geography prevented a last good picture of the mountains we were leaving. But we tried all the same

A last view

Open cow land is the name of the game. With lots of open cows. We would lose 1,100m and end in a real city. But the countryside as always is beautiful. Almost everywhere is nice if the sun shines and it was shining.

A rare fence

We would miss the Pyrenees. We were missing the Pyrenees. We also thought, just possibly that we were starting to feel that Mediterranean warmth. Could we smell the sea?

The land was big. The sky was big and the mountains behind getting smaller.

Wide open

We felt like cowboys riding into the sunset. But this was just a trick of the light. We didn't have horses (that would be cheating) and there were no Indians and the sun wasn't setting. So stupid really.

'Riding into the sunset'

Another cool bridge

Finally, we reached the last village that was even remotely considered attached to the Pyrenees and kept going. Onto the plain. Hoping, for once that the rain that lives here is on holiday.

We walked, mainly on roads, through a few villages before reaching our destination. We passed the campsite with the Italians and kept going. PigPig here we come.

A final cool bridge before the town proper.

It is a public holiday. But luckily the supermarkets and restaurants were open.

Puigcerda Tower

Martin had had his sunglasses stolen (left on his bed in Baiau as far as we can work out) so he needed replacements. But we were hungry so were looking for a restaurant. We spotted a likely target but miraculously there was an open opticians with sunglasses next door.

We started looking at sunglasses and a nice lady came out to help. She didn't work there but was just helping a friend before they were off to party. The keys to unlock the glasses could not be found. But a husband and a daughter and eventually the owner eventually found the keys. By the he had selected a pair.

I asked the lady if the restaurant next door was any good. She looked around and shook her head. She asked her husband where we could go. They obviously had a destination in mind. A phone call later we had a booking in 'the best restaurant' in town. The guy walked us to the restaurant, in case we couldn't find it, and introduced us to the owners.

They were right the food was fantastic.

In the evening we went out into the carnival atmosphere. We just missed the band - never mind. The kids wanted pancakes. So we set off to look for dessert. We saw the daughter in a bar and waved.

I mean how cool is that. Less than one day in the town and we know the owners of the best restaurant and know enough locals to meet someone by chance in the city.