Spain & France Day 13: Artouste

The next morning we rose early and jumped in the car, ready for a border crossing. As we drove along the mountain road, there was barely a sign to indicate that we had crossed the border and were now in France, Adventure Girl's tenth country. Shortly after, we pulled into the Artouste gondola station and swung our way up the mountain to board an alpine train. 

The view from the bottom of the gondola

Yup, we'd fall
straight down
the mountain!

Having looked at picutres of the train online ahead of time, we had thoughtfully planned our seating arrangement. We put F on the mountain side of the car as we'd seen some pictures that showed the train perched right at the edge of a cliff with barely any safety precautions. 

To our surprise, the first thing the train did was tunnel through the mountain, coming out on the other side, meaning Adventure Kid was buckled in sitting on the cliff side for the entirety of the ride!

Were there moments when we thought we might plummet to our deaths? - Not really. But it was exciting and promoted a good cuddle for the ride to ensure everyone stayed inside the tiny open-air train compartment. 

The ride was spectacular. Uninterrupted sweeping mountain vistas the entire time. We'll let our pictures speak for themselves. 

If you find yourself in this area of the Pyrenees, this is a must-do!

The ride was approximately 45 minutes long. It was smart to take the first train of the day because it meant no stopping for trains coming from the opposite direction. When we arrived at the mountain station, it also meant that we were the first people up and headed towards the alpine lake. (Pro Tip: sit at the back of the train...it's quieter, has better visibility, and means you are the first up the stairs towards the lake). 

The trail to the alpine lake

The lake hike was easy, with options to add on further distances if you wanted to spend the day. 

Seeing the meadows and valleys in different light on the return trip was just as stunning. It made for an incredibly easy and rewarding day!

Spain Days 11-12: Formigal

We were in awe as we entered the Pyrenees. We spend a lot of time in the Rocky Mountains at home, but our next town, Formigal, was like living up in the alpine meadows. It seemed unimaginable to have views in every direction at all times (hopefully the lack of trees everywhere, including outside ski areas, isn't because of a depressing reason).

The check-in at our Formigal accommodation was late so we had some time to kill. Craig did a little research and discovered a municipal pool we could spend time at for free with lvely views. It was mostly empty and we passed a couple of hours swimming, lounging in the sun, and enjoying the sweeping mountain views. 

After a night's sleep, we headed out to find the Panticosa gondola. A breath-taking half hour ride later, we were at the top of the Panticosa ski hill, headed on foot for the Lago d'Asnos. It felt similar to hiking in Sunshine, Alberta, and it was just as spectacular!

Looking down at the lake trail not taken

Navigating around Ibon de Asnos

We hiked for an hour and a half, gained 250 m and traversed 3 kilometers. Our Adventure Girl put her good hiking background to use and set a strong pace that left other adult hiking groups in our dust!

Snack spot

We took a quick snack break at the lake before mounting the final climb to the mirador into the next valley. At first, Adventure Girl said she didn't want to do any extra hiking, so Erin went up alone...

Looking into the next valley!

Hiking back down - Craig & F in the corner

Adventure Girl then decided that she did, in fact, want to hike up to see the other valley. :)
She and Craig are at the top of the rise.

We returned back down the gondola with the happy feeling of fatigue from a great hike! On our drive back home, we discovered a gem of a restaurant nestled beside a creek in the valley below. We had a delicious, well-deserved meal and chatted with the owner who lived in Whistler for a while. 

One final look before getting into the Gondola

Look at that veggie platter!

Cheers to a great day and a spectacular hike!

Spain Day 10: Sos del Rey Catolico

We chose to visit Sos del Rey Catolico to get the small, hilltop town experience. Also, in the planning stages of our trip, Adventure Girl seemed most excited by medieval castley things. So, we booked a rental car leaving San Sebastian, and took off driving for the hills!

Sos is perched on a hilltop with the town having organically grown around a fort. However, after lengthening our stay in Donostia, our single day in Sos felt like a timed race through a labyrinth of the tiny town's medieval carless streets that weave and curl around the hill, forking off in different unpredictable directions. As we marvelled at the buildings, and views unfolded around every other turn, we were felt that surely our route would be crossing through, over, and under where we had previously walked. Yet through some non-euclidian urban planning, we always found ourselves somewhere new.

Our brief stay was memorable and lovely. It also provided the meal of the trip so far: thistle in an almond sauce and Venison in a chestnut puree and local peach chutney were the stars. (Update from the end of our trip: this still holds true as our best meal of the entire trip!)

The view from lunch

The view from our apartment

Spain Days 2-9: San Sebastian

Up at 4 am, battling the disoriented "pulling an all nighter" + jet lag feeling, we made our way back to the dreaded Barcelona airport. Thankfully, our journey went much more smoothly than our arrival the day before. The domestic terminal was efficient and comfortable, and within a few hours we were in northern Spain in the delightful town of Donostia San Sebastian. 

San Sebastian was what our family needed. Our apartement was comfortable, with enough space for us to spread out and settle in, complete with a little Harry Potter broom closet bedroom for F! (That she chose for her room). We were walking distance from two different beaches ("swim beach" and "surf beach"), and the food was outstanding. The week there was fuel for both our bodies and souls.

We fell into a comfortable routine of sleeping in (for those who know F, yes, gasp!), breakfasting at home, doing a quick beach check for flags (red - no go, yellow - caution, green - swimming!, or the dreaded jellyfish flag). Then we'd hit the beach, have a late patio lunch, siesta, then head back to the beach and dinner at home. 

Noooo! Hoy hay medusas!!!

Adventure Girl loved the beach. There was lots of delight in playing in the sand - building castles, getting burried, digging holes, and creating taxis and bakeries for imaginative play. In the water, she learned how to body surf, boogie board, and dive through oncoming waves. Faced with waves twice the size of her, she reacted with excitement rather than fear. Getting knocked around or even flipped head-over-heels, didn't slow her down or dampen her enthusiasm.

We were beyond thrilled to discover a lactose-free popsicle stand that we visited every subsequent day. You got to choose your popsicle base, then your dip flavour, then add on your topping. Pure deliciousness! We're willing to support anyone looking to branch out Loco Polo internationally!!!

Twice we climbed up the hill, Mount Urgull, in the Old Town. Once, to the statue at the top and once to have a drink and a snack at the bar overlooking the Bahia de la Concha (swim beach). We also leisured through the old town in early morning rain to check out the architecture and meander through alleyways. 

For Adventure Girl's take on San Sebastian, click her Blog Page on the right-hand side bar or the link below:

http://www.highfiveadventures.com/p/adventure-girl-posts-spain-france-and.html

:)  (Also...ummm... how cute it is that she wanted to blog herself?!?!  Very proud parents, here!!!)