my 'Bikini diet' ;)
... maybe the biggest breakfast on the planet!!!

Feliç Sant Jordi :-*

The traditional rose and book giving dates back a long way. The rose stems from the famous myth of Sant Jordi. Legend says that after Sant Jordi killed the dragon, a red rose grew up from the ground where the dragons blood was spilled. The book giving part came later. On April 23rd 1616 both William Shakespere and famed Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes died. In 1923 a bookseller began to promote the day as a way to commemorate the death of these great authors and a tradition was born.

Primavera en precioso Pallars - a week of warp speed through the mountains, snow, sunburn, laughs & living! Es un sueño la vida! :)

la Pobla

relajando ...

montcortès

"que la pau prevalgui a la terra"

Peramea

Ermita Pessonada

... looking into Aigüestortes

... a procession of death & doom! :(

Sant Corneli

Pantá de Sant Antoni y la pobla de segur

A mad day out ...

Climb a 1000m up a mountain via a vertical dry stony torrent
Arrive at the top 1 hour earlier than expected :)
Its snowing!!!! WTF!!! :-/
Walk along the crest trying to find a dog friendly route where there are sections that need climbing ... difficult but the dog starts to learn a little bit about climbing!
Start descending the other side .. ok the 30 year old guide book said the 'foliage was abundant and don't be detered'' - understatement!!!!

 ... the eternal & near impenetrable forest of doom!

2 hours later still trying to find a route down near vertical scree slopes and through dense forest on a +45degree incline ... even 4-paws don't function well on loose scree slopes!
3 hours later .. are we climbing into a hole into the centre of the earth?
And then we hit the gorge!!!!

Upppppsssss - its not supposed to be flooded!

... once you are in there's only 1 way out!!

 So, after 7 hours of climbing up and climbing down we can't go anywhere except along the canyon. A narrow winding canyon filled with huge rocks and even huger pools of icy water.
Its all ok we tell ourselves just a few kilometers to the road we'll find a way through ... until we meet a totally flooded section with no way out. No way up; difficult for us, impossible for the 4-paws. No way back, we slid & climbed down too much vertical river rock the size of houses. The only way is forward  ...

a small puddle
... its not quite so pretty when you are stuck at water level!

Its snowing, the water is deep and dark turquoise blue ... so whats next?! Ohhhhhh, great plan!!! Lets go skinny dipping .. in March ..in the Pyrenees!! WTF!!!!!!

I'm a big BIG wuss when it comes to water - & this isn't the warm sea around Lombok, this is icy mountain water that seems like the kind of place where monsters-of-the-deep hide out. But, thoughts of an overnight stay in the freezing cold in a canyon was enough, more than enough to propel me into confronting those fears head-on. Throwing Merlin into the water kinda committed me to getting wet, very wet & very very cold. He was crying more than me, but only just!

The clothes didn't stay very dry in the not very waterproof rucksac but even damp clothes after NO clothes & icy water was an improvement. For a short while ...

It was an epic ... more removing of various items of clothing to get poor Merlin through tight channels where 40kg dogs are not designed to go.
And then the final challenge .. a plunge pool - a 5m jump into more icy water and a 20m swim to get to the other side. NO WAY !!!
There was an abseil ring but no rope ... and a nearly sheer smooth rock wall. The ONLY way was up, no way were Merlin & I going down!!
With one pushing and 1 pulling we managed to get the traumatised beast up onto the rocks and hopefully to freedom...
I've never been so happy to see a small sign of civilisation as when we spotted a narrow track leading up and away from the canyon ... even the prospect of a 1 hour vertical hike seemed like a luxury to escape the freezing cold! But we were in luck, really lucky given the time of day and how much we were shivering, it was just a 15 minute walk to the car and heat .. so much heat to try to thaw out the bits that were turning blue!

We truely are the 'village idiots' ;) ; a 30year old guidebook, no ropes, no scuba gear ;), no change of clothes and 2 broken knees between us! But we survived, it was an adventure ... fr sure. this is Life, its now or never!!

... where dreams are real day-by-day

... & the incredible becomes 'normal'

... es un sueño, la vida!

... ok, who has the direct line to the snow-machine?! 
Somebody please tell me ...
WHY is it, the minute I get my laundry done, get packed again and jump in the truck to drop Merlin off for his holidays does it do this???!!!!!
Another journey starts with me wondering if there will be a a happy ending in the sunshine, or if I will be digging myself out of snow drifts watching the plane disappear into the distance!

...my wonderful uniquely Ecuatorian new Panama hat :)

@ work in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Foto credit: CVL Ecuador :)

Un agradecimiento enorme a todos los pilotos y amigos en Guayaquil. La compe fue un éxito y para mi un placer trabajar con gente tan amable y animados del nuestro deporte! Es cierto que nos vemos el año próximo ... pero porfa tenéis que organiser la clima un poco mejor, 7 mangas en 7 días es increíble, pero necesito mas tiempo para comer mas cangrejos, camarones y cerviche!! :)

Monkey-Business @ launch

No more thermals over the arrozera's

Puesto del Sol Los Ceibos

Guayaquil downtown

Guayaquil downtown from Las Peñas

 

colores de Ecuador ...

Las Peñas

Standing on the equator ... one foot north - one foot south!

I haven't written about Venezuela, because at the moment I can't find an appropriate way to describe the experience, other than it was enlightening ... and generally not in a positive way. Maybe with more time, distance and reflection I will write about the trip ... but maybe not!

Anyway, arriving in Ecuador was enough to put the experience behind me ... think 'Colombia with a chill-pill' !  Without exception, everyone I have met so far has been super friendly, helpful and polite. I like this place! :)
'Quito'caminando ...

Lejos de tí, parece que le falta luz a mis ojos y a mi cuerpo vida ...

Street Life

" let sleeping dogs lie ..."

... and following you wherever you go

... la virgen de Quito

The nearly-next adventure ... Ecuador :)))))))))
... ya just gotta Love 'em :) There is nothing quite like a real South American welcome to make a girl smile ...
Estoy muy feliz, para compartir los cielos con ustedes!

estoy muy feliz, para compartir los cielos con ustedes! :)

Thought for the day ...

Less (-) Internet
More (+) CABERNET!! Claro k si!!!! ;-)

In Wine there is WISDOM,
In Beer there is FREEDOM,
In Water there is BACTERIA!! :-D

Un fin de semana espectacular ... one of the best weekends Ever in Àger :))))) Estoy Muy Happy!!

a Mont Rebei ...

Add caption

an incredible evening ...

beautiful Àger

Not a great picture, pero me encanta el reflejo del sol en el pantano :

... sometimes life just feels Sunny! ;)

a high VOLTage day in the sky!
Up's & Down's and some round & round's in a classic Àger sky :-)

all so green! It should still be summer ... but feels more like winter!

blue holes ... in the sky and the earth!