Day 83. Thursday 29 May.

Just as you’d expect on a Cran trip.

Time to swap one mountain village for another….today’s destination is Olopte, a speck of a spot in the Girona part of Spanish Pyrenees and a very long drive. T wanted to see snow and mountains (not necessarily be cold). Forecast is for thundery showers where we’re going and we don’t really want to be bogged-in in a village of 35 residents, so fingers crossed. Just after Pamplona  a view of snowy peaks were ahead…yes! And dramatic cliffs appeared soon after, with white-water rafters in the river below.

The day heated up and quickly got into mid-thirties as the mountains disappeared! Doris took us south, south, south and it was flat land, golden wheat and 35 degrees of hazy heat as we moved through Aragon and into Catalunya. Surely, she’s got it wrong!

Coffee at Ayerbe and replacing the sweet treat it was potato omelette and a sardine. Next stop was Monts (T was really doubting Doris) for a cool drink (beer sin alcohol because that gets entry to a bathroom). A ‘backseat-sandwich’ of cheese and jam, made in the the town park. Then onward. Roads were very smooth and traffic light (T didn’t grip the seat).

Signage referred constantly to Andorra, (seemed just over the hills) so T tried to keep faith re snow. And just out of Monts the landscape changed to dramatic rock faces (onya Doris!) Temperature rose to 37…snow??? We were in the Pyrenees now but at 37 Celsius? Villages have ski chalets, everything is stone and in the distance, peaks have a slight snow dusting. 

Doris announced that we had ‘Arrived’; Olopte at 32 degrees was unexpected and we were greeted by a very narrow walled laneway…No way! Josep and Maria Angel appeared and guided us to the cottage and then over-filled our melted brains with local information. Our cottage is a converted barn with rooster on one side and four horses (for meat) in the paddock next door. Church bells will stop at 8pm (yes, please). Olopte was once a farming village we presume, but now has only 35 residents, with folk coming up from Barcelona for winter skiing and summer hiking. It is picture postcard stuff. There’s no way we’ll need the fire for our 3-night stay.

A cool glass and tapas (olives, white anchovies, pickles, crackers) on the back porch as the sun dips. 

Dinner. Chicken salad.