La Coma Hotel Setcases Girona

... bottle here, i am referring to a 1.5 liter plastic bottle), and 2 bottles of red. Plus a real bottle of champagne for good measure. Geez, hes so forward thinking....

right, he's back from the shopping now, so time to go, talk more at the next time we have internet (btw, never spent so much time at McDonald's in my life, but they seem to be the only guarenteed place to get wifi in France, go figure!)....

WHAT THE BROCHURE SAID: This second day of riding is a big day that travels over the most feared cols in the Pyrenees,
but it is also some of the most spectacular riding. Firstly we have a nice gentle warm up to
Laruns, base camp to the stunningly beautiful Col D’Aubisque (1709m). The cafe on the top
provides a perfect ...

... the 25th September and need to fit in some time to pack and make different arrangements. The days following my arrival in Merens have been incredible, helped by fabulous weather, I'm going to regret saying this. However, I have not needed any wet weather gear since my arrival. There I've said it; the kiss of death, I'm now going to be washed away in a monsoon. I've also met the usual wonderful hiking community that frequents the GR10 ...

Distance; 67.6

Pretty standard day really.

Highlights:
Saw a homeless man strip off and shower in a busy town centre using a fountain.
A fat spanish guy tried to sell us a bit of paper for 20 Euros. He was riding a scooter that had been fixed with parcel tape.
Alex licked his arm and described the taste as bacon.

**** bits:
Had to cycle for ages, as usual.

Short peage trip to friends' mas just south of Perpignan. Lovely lunch then into local town late pm for Festival of the Cherries - first ripe pickings. Great crowds, so much nicer and more natural than St Trop. Visiting marching bands - very oompah.

Fierce competition among the locals to see who could spit a cherry-stone the furthest - over 9m being achieved.

Els Caçadors: a very good, family-run hotel in Ribes with both 1-star and 3-star accomodation. Very good food and reasonable prices. There are also other possibilities for accomodation in Ribes, which as far as service is concerned has all you need. I recommend this as a base for your excursions to the peaks around Núria. Much cheaper than living in the hotel at Núria.

The monastery-turned-hotel Núria, north of the town of Ribes de Freser in Catalunya, Spain is an excellent destination for walking. There are several peaks around the hotel, enabling you to do comfortable and rewarding day-treks. Some peaks: Noufonts, Noucreus, Eyne, Puigmal... (can't remember all names right now). Altitude from 2000 to 3000 meters.

... still able to appreciate the place. I then made my way back down the hill, over the river and into Placa Independencia where I was able to find a toasted sandwich. I was glad to finally be able to rest, as my luggage felt quite heavy after an hour and a half of wandering round. After lunch I went for another walk, taking in a few sights in the northern part of the town. These included the Collegiate ...

... of tour buses. The entire complex was huge and impressive, nestled into the hillside. All along the way were vendors selling local goodies like honey and cheese as well as souvenir shops selling all sorts of monk-made products. Had we planned it right, we could have hiked up and around those mountains but, happily for Dan, we had to rush to the airport. The following drive was one of those where your whole body is tense and all you can think about is the fact you are going ...

... us kissed and wiped their silk scarves over the glass casing and the silver plated saints next to the Virgin. Those who have been blessed by the Virgin and want to offer thanks leave a symbolic "thank you". In a new purpose built room there were several first communion dresses, death certificates, driving test score cards and even a football pools ticket. Leaving the pilgrims behind we ...