Alaska Pas de la Casa

... having a beer and watching a man try to dig his van out of the snow. To my knowledge his van is to this moment where it was when I left the bar.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to post some pictures of Canillo when it's snowy and the sun comes out. Don't have too many, but figured it was worth a post.

... charm, but it's easy to see that lots of it is maintained with the massive amounts of money that come in through rich tourists going to the ski resorts. Walking through the peaceful streets and hearing flowing water everywhere almost makes things seem eerily perfect. Like walking through a fairy tale. After a few rounds of the city, I decided to turn in a bit early as I didn't sleep much on the train over.

Today when I woke up the country had been ...

... village et quand on est arrivé, il avait le marché du matin. On a acheter du vin à environ 1 euro le litre (vin de pays) et du bon fromage bleu pour le déjeuner.

On avait pas le droit de prendre des photos dans la grotte pour pas faire de la pollution lumineuse (il y avait déja des ptites pousses de plante pres des lanternes...ils veulent pas en rajouté non plus). Aussi il faut pas déranger les chauve souris...pauve cocottes...

... and hand hold. Until you get to the point where you can’t seem to make a move at all. Limbs getting sore and there’s no place to set your foot, and no where to grab hold with your hand. Every muscle in your body tense trying to keep you in the place where you re. Mind solely focused on the task at hand. Moving slightly, feeling around, using divets in the rock that are barely visible to support your weight. Ever upward straining ...

... between France, Spain and Andorra with 3000m peaks rising up all around. Up past charming little villages where all the little homes are made of stone stacked upon one another with only the slate rooves peeking through.

We drove the truck as far up the road as possible, and then even a little farther than we should have. Feels like complete mountain wilderness, but there are ...

... with cathedral ceilings, arched entryways, dangling chandeliers, and stone sculptures filling in the corners. Walking through this grandeur with tips of toes and hushed whispers watching as the scenery continually changes. One moment there’s a wide expanse to the right, then it opens all around, then it‘s a tight passageway with new sights only coming into view just as you arrive there. Catching glimpses from different flashlights ...

... up at the Col as it stares Eastward into the next range as well as Westward. Clouds rose up from last night’s rain which blinded the eyes as the sun illuminates them from above.

Of course, the very first thing to do here is climb higher! Summiting the nearest peak, I could see through the East ranges, back towards the West, and a bit of the South as well. All around was the music of cowbells ringing above ...

... make an Italian blush, still teaching the Pope a lesson, I guess. Of course the sex ads go off like magic at 6am, so instead of naked couples doing all kinds of mutual gymnastics, you have to make do with pec’ and ‘cep ads of individuals doing all kinds of personal gymmastics so that they’ll be attractive enough to lure someone into doing mutual gymnastics with them. Whew! It’s confusing, but I think I’ ...

... chubby roommate, Cyril, had already done a great deal of trash-talking in preparation for a potential game. "Je te plume! Comme un coque!" (I´m going to feather you! Like a rooster!) He
mimmicked dipping a decapitated chicken into hot water.

Moving his hands like a Scrabble-playing pianist, he boasted what words he´d use to humiliate me wiht. "J´ecrirai, 'phy-siqu-e-ment.' Et 'chem-i-que-ment.' Et 'tech-ni-cal-e-ment-e-ment." The first words he said ...

... paperwork, however, and they denied my request to work legally in their cold, snowy country. And "Mr. Manzano" kicked me out of the apartment he´d been putting me up in. With nine Euro´s, I had two good options: 1. Rob a bank. 2. Hitchhike through the snow-buried Pyrenees to Benidorm, Spain, where it would be barely warm enough for me to camp out, where I had a friend, and where I could try to sell my travelogue booklets on the beach. Okay ...