Day 6: Friday, November 25: Outside of L'Armentera

Today we rode out toward the beach! When we arrived at the ocean there was no one

around as it was off season. We rode right were the waves were breaking because the

thats where the ground was firmer so that the horses didn’t pull any muscles as we

galloped through the sand. Once all the horses were used to being in the water we

trotted and galloped for miles and miles. We would take little breaks to let the horses

catch their breath then surge forward again. There was such an amazing feeling of

exhilaration as the horses flew through the waves. As we came to the end of the beach

there were a few more people around who watched curiously as we walked by. From

the beach we went into a little town on the beach called San Martí. We tied the horses

up in some woods outside the town and walked in to have lunch at a little restaurant.

After lunch it was just a short ride to our next stop. We stayed in an old mill outside of

town. The house was vacant unlike the other places we had been staying, and were

were told that were were going to have a special cook for dinner. At 8:00 we cam out to

a kitchen filled with delicious smells and our superb chef David. David owns and cooks

for a local restaurant that was about 30 mins away. He made us all sorts of traditional

catalan food. Our first course was pumpkin cream soup with 5 local types of

mushrooms. Then we had a plate of asparagus with a delicious dried tomato sauce.

They man course was chicken with curry seasoning and a mix of cooked local

vegetables. For desert he brought almond cake w/toffee sauce and whipped cream.

This was by far the most delicious meal of the trip. After dinner we all hung out and

chatted for a while before heading off to bed.

Our home for the night

Our Chef David

Day 5: Thursday, November 24, 2011: Outside of St. Pere Pescador:

          We got up to breakfast of croissants with chocolate inside- pain au chocolat in French though I don’t know what the Spanish call them, either way though they were delicious! There was also orange juice, coffee, and toast. We gathered our luggage and bags together and left it in the front room for “Buffalo,” the trip assistant and also the person who moves our stuff from place to place for us. We then walked down to meet the horses, brushed them off, tacked up, and rode off. We took more dirt roads today past corn and sunflower fields, as well as crossing two rivers. One of the rivers was very wide and we had to cross it to get to the road on the other side, and while we were in the middle one of the German’s on our trip, Tom, strayed too far to one side of the line of horses and hit a muddy soft spot away from the concrete that we were walking along. He and the horse sunk down and had to leap up and swim a little way to get back onto the harder surface, however, he and the horse were fine- just a little wet! After this excitement, we rode a little farther before reaching Castello d’Empurias around 11:30, we then rode through the town and to the other side where we met up with Buffalo for our days picnic. It was really nice, including a picnic table that he had set up, and real dishes. The food was delicious: salad again, along with noodles with pesto and sun dried tomatoes and cookies of course. We had a miniature siesta before leaving at about two o’clock, walking first back through the town, past a beautiful church and over a brick bridge dating back to the 1930s. We took more dirt roads past hay fields, allowing for lots of trotting and cantering before we reached another two lane road which we had to trot along for about ten minutes. Buffalo met us where the road we had been taking intersected with the highway, so that he could drive along behind us in an effort to keep the cars from passing us which can be very dangerous. After we trotted for ten minutes, we came to another dirt road that we turned onto. We passed lots of apple trees making the air smell like apples, until we reached our home for the night. It’s the horse’s home as well: they are staying just down the drive way from the house. After we got them settled in and gave them more grain, we packed away the tack in the red horse trailer that comes with us everywhere and walked up to the house. Bri and I are staying upstairs with a room that has a beautiful view of the drive and the ponies at the end. Dinner was tasty, vegetable soup, puff pastries filled with veggies and topped with goat cheese or a chicken puff for the meat eaters, and for dessert, a delicious birthday cake for me as it was my 20 birthday! By the end of dinner we were all tired as dinner lasts so long here, so we headed to bed to be well rested for our trip to the beach tomorrow. 

Heading out in the morning.

Crossing the old bridge into town.

The town of Castello d'Empurias from our lunch spot.

The horses tied to trees to snack while we had lunch as well.

Our beautiful picnic table.

The church in the town.

The horses all settled in for the night.

My birthday cake!

 

Day 4: Wednesday, November 23: Perelada:

Riding down the highway

frolicking with the local sheep

Lunch! Tapas! Yum!

Our view

The group

Library at Castle Perelada

Glass Museum

Wine Mueseum

We got up early and had breakfast then packed our stuff and walked to where the horses were being kept. The sun was finally out today and it was warm and breezy. We headed out for our ride and rode through many vineyards. The ground was still pretty wet from the rain. At one point we crossed a patch where the horses sunk to their elbows in mud. We crossed a river that was supposed to be a street but was blocked off because cars could not pass. We could hear lots of gun shots from the near by military base. After walking through the town we went up a hill where we had a beautiful view of the ocean through the mountain tops. After going over the hill the landscape began to vary and get more flat.  We had to ride along the highway for about 1 km which was kind of fun but kind of scary. When there wasn’t room for us on the side of the road we would stop traffic and ride in the middle of the road. We turned into a more agricultural area with corn fields and farm land. At one point we passed a woman walking her sheep, they ran along with us for a little ways until the sheep dog  herded them back. We did lots of cantering today because the ground was very hard and flat. The river where we were supposed to cross was too deep so we had to go around. As we were going around one of the fields we were supposed to cross through was under water so we had to scramble up a steep hill and the horses slid down the other side. After a few more gallops we finally reached Perelada, put the horses away and had some lunch of salad and tapas. One of the plates was this delicious toasted bread with brie cheese, pears, almonds and and olive oil sauce. Ali, Frankie and I wend wandering around the town and took some pictures. We got lost for about a half hour but eventually found our way back. Then the group got together to go get a tour of the Castle Perelada. A woman there toured us through the castle library which had over 80,000 books, glass museum  with over 150,000 pieces of glass dating back to 200 BC.  We also went through the church and wine museum and got to taste the cava that was made in the museum at the local wine shop. We then went back to the house and had dinner around 8:30. Over dinner we talked about different laws and customs in the US, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. After dinner we were all tired from the long day and headed to bed. 

Day 3 Onward to Espolla

Today we left Gariguella and made our way towards the village of Espolla. We were excited because this is supposed to be the last rainy day of the week. As we headed out the ground was really muddy in places but the horses seemed used to the rough terrain. We did a lot more trotting and galloping today because our trail was longer. The horses were all very well behaved as we galloped in a line through the hills. We had to cross a few rivers where the guide told us there were normally only streams. At one point we had to cross a river that came up to my feet and the guide told us that where we were crossing was normally a street! We crossed over a huge stone bridge and headed through the small town of Rabós before going back into the hills. As we cam to the top of a mountain the village of Espolla came into view a couple of miles away. Fields and fields of vineyards led to a beautiful stone church at the edge of the town. We rode through the narrow streets of the town to the outskirts where the horses were staying. They showed us to the old town castle, which had been converted into a bed and breakfast, where we would be staying. When we walked in the place was very dark. The room Frankie and I were are staying in is small but very nice. We enjoyed a lunch of carrot soup, bread with salsa (which was more similar to hummus with tomatoes and almonds), tortilla and of course wine and cava. Buffalo (our trip assistant) and the owner of the Castle Espolla spoke in Catalan confusing everyone. The owner explained it as a  mix of spanish, latin, french and italian. After lunch we went to explore the town. There didn’t seem to be many people around. We stopped by the church and found a small playground, after a few minutes though we realized it was an exercise park for adults. Frankie ran around testing the different equipment in the outdoor gym. We wondered around for a little while more then headed back to the castle to get a tour by the owner. The owner told us that the Castle Espolla  got its name because one day when soldiers were walking by they saw a nest on top of the castle. The commander ordered one of the soldiers to go to the roof and find out what it was. When he got to the top he yelled down to the other soldiers saying “Es Polla” meaning its a chicken. The castle’s crest has a castle-top with a chicken over it. He also told us that the castle was built in the 1300’s and showed us the old fashioned parts of the place. He showed us where they used to make the wine and olive oil. Today he still makes home made olive oil in the castle. He also makes hand made soap with the left overs from the oil. With his profits he buys clothes and other necessities for the people of the Dominican Republic. Inside one of the rooms there was a mini-museum filled with old fashioned tools, candles, wine holders, and grape pickers. After the tour we walked to the local bar/cafe for dinner. For dinner we had salad, fries, lima beans, chicken and bread. They brought us a bottle of the local wine that had been made from the grapes we had passed on our ride into the town. While we were eating a women at the table next to us heard our “american english” and came over to introduce herself. She was british and her husband was originally from Wisconsin and used to work for the american government.  She told us about living in many places including egypt and they had ended up settling in southern France. They had come over for the evening to enjoy a catalan meal. By the time we finished dinner and got back it was after 10:00 and we were exhausted. 

Crossing a river that is normally a road

Entering the village of Rabós

Espolla comes into view

Riding through Espolla

Church in Espolla

Frankie testing out the outdoor gym

Old tools in the Castle

Spanish view

 

Day 2: Monday, November 21, 2011: Garriguela:

         Got up for a delicious breakfast at nine o’clock this morning in order to be ready to ride by ten. Breakfast was self serve with tons of options to choose from, cereal, bread and a toaster to toast it in, a big cheesecake like cake, biscotti (which were wrapped up like in the U.S. but were soft here rather than hard and crunchy,) yogurts and croissants. There was jam to spread on it all, including strawberry, orange and peach, which had actual pieces of peach in it. There was also a plate of cheese and meats, cold cuts rather than hot sausages or bacon.  There was also a pitcher of delicious orange juice as well as coffee. Our guide arrived at around ten once we were all dressed to ride and we headed out to meet the horses. (Though she gave us the option of skipping the riding today and visiting a museum instead as the weather was supposed to continue being rainy, we all opted to ride anyway.) We had to take a short van ride out of the city to where the horses staid for the night, which gave us a chance to see the town in the daylight. All the houses are built very close together with streets barely wide enough for our van let alone two cars, interestingly the houses were pretty much all concrete with stucco outsides, and were painted yellows and oranges making the whole picture much brighter than any American town. The horses staid a little bit outside of town, and when we arrived they were all tied along a wall with a trough in front of them for water. We each were introduced to our horses, I got Marrico, who is a little bay pony who likes to go very fast, so Denise told me I shouldn’t be afraid to pull very hard! Bri is riding a bigger horse named Ufano who is grey. We brushed as much of the mud of as we could though they were all wet from being out in the rain all night so we did the best we could so they would by comfortable with their saddles. Then we learned how to tack them up, they each get two saddle pads and their own saddle and bridle. The saddles are very big and heavy, almost like western saddles, though they are quite comfy for longer rides. Each horse also has saddlebags as well, inside the saddle bags are their brushes, a little foam pad to sit on at picnics and a little bag with some extra shoes sized for them inside. We can also put anything in the saddlebags that we want to take with us while we ride. Each horse has its own bridle as well, they are just the bit, crown piece, that goes over their head and behind their ears, and throat latch. They also keep their halters on while we ride so that when we get to where we stop they can wear their halters to be tied up to something. Once everyone was tacked up we set off on foot first, hiking up a dirt road, and avoiding puddles and the little rivers running down. When we got to a flat section a couple minutes later we all stopped, checked girths and then mounted up. Once everyone was on and Denise had checked everyone’s girth and tack we headed off. We rode onward up the road and up the hills. We passed tons of big fields with grape bushes, though nothing is growing at right now, in fact the leaves are a pretty orange and yellow almost like fall here in Virginia. Though up until this point the rain had been no more than a drizzle all of a sudden the skies just opened up and it began to pour. Despite our rain jackets we were all soaked within minutes, though considering it was so warm once we were wet it was ok (the trickling water down our backs when we were still dry was the uncomfortable part!) we continued to ride upwards and when we reached the top we would have gotten a view of the sea where we will ride on Friday but it was so cloudy that we couldn’t really see that far. The roads that we were ridding along were little more than tracks, or very rough dirt roads, however right at the top of the hill that we had been climbing we came upon a jeep, which seemed crazy considering the fact that it felt like we were on top of a mountain! We came down and met up with some considerable rivers, including a road that we hiked up where water was rushing down, it felt like we were climbing up a waterfall! We rode through part of the town of Garriguela, past the old church and on narrow roads until we came out at the other side leading to our starting point where we left the horses for the night. Once we got back, we dismounted and un-tacked, stowing our tack in a small horse trailer so it wouldn’t get wet (or wetter anyway.) Once the horses had had a little brush we climbed back into the van to head back to the inn. When we arrived we had an hour or so until lunch (which was to be around 2:30) enough time to get warm and dry again. For lunch we had salad with tomatoes, sliced apples and oranges, seeds, carrots and cheese topped with balsamic vinegar and local olive oil. There were also platters of cheese and meats to go with the bread and oil that seems to be a staple for every meal. This afternoon we decided to walk down the road five minutes to the local market. It is also a winery where all the local farmers bring their grapes to press into wine and the olives to make oil, like a co-op. This is apparently a typical arrangement for small towns in Catalonia as it is an easy way to make wine and oil affordably for smaller growers. Once back we had several hours for dinner, which was served traditionally late, around eight. We had pumpkin soup, a dish of egg, cheese and potatoes, spinach and fish with potatoes, and chocolate cake for dessert. By this time we were quite tired and therefore headed to bed early in order to get enough sleep for tomorrow!

    

The horses tied up and waiting for us!

Bri and her pony, Ufano

Me and my horse Marrico, on the left, and another horse on the right.

Us heading up the road, before mounting up!

Where we would have been able to see the sea if not for the rain.

The river that we walked through!

Day 1: Sunday, November 20: Washington, London, Barcelona to Garriguela

             We left from Dulles International Airport on Saturday, November 19 at 8 o’clock and took a flight first to London’s Heathrow and then on to Barcelona. We flew through the night from Washington to London, getting at least a little sleep, before arriving in London at nine the next morning, their time. We had plenty of time to find our next gate as our plane didn’t leave until 11:25 AM, however after getting on the plane we ended up waiting to leave for an hour more as the runway was running behind schedule due to foggy conditions that morning. We arrived in Barcelona at 3:30 instead of 2:30, though we didn’t realize this at the time not knowing that Barcelona is another hour later than London. We spent the first hour in Barcelona getting through customs and then getting our American dollars changed to Euros and grabbing a bite to eat. We then realized that it was five o’clock not four o’clock and rushed to find the meeting spot where we were getting picked up. It turned out that we were pretty much where we needed to be, and we met up with another girl who was also going on the tour. Our driver soon arrived and took us out to the bus where we loaded our luggage and began the journey into Barcelona. We stopped at a bus stop in down town Barcelona, which let us catch a glimpse of the beautiful city, and picked up a German couple who are joining us for the trip. We then started the long trek out into the countryside to the village of Garriguela where we are staying for the night. The bus ride took about two hours, and though I tried to stay awake in order to see as much as I could, once it was dark I ended up napping for a while until we arrived. The place that we are staying for tonight us a nice little bed and breakfast owned by an older woman and her daughter, who is not here this evening as she is working in the political elections that took place today. There are only four or five rooms that they rent out and we are staying in one of two that are outside through a little back garden, Ali who we met in the airport is staying next door to us. We put our bags down in the rooms and had a chance to change and stretch out for a minute before we gathered in the main room for dinner and the chance to meet our guide at eight. Our guide is a woman named Denise, from Switzerland though she speaks impressively good English and Spanish as well as German. She had us sign a couple of papers before explaining the rough plan for the week. It has been raining in Spain for three weeks at this point, which is very uncharacteristic for this time of year, and means that some of the trails the trip usually takes won’t be passable. Therefore, tomorrow rather than moving on to another place for the night we will spend another night here in Garriguela. Tomorrow, as long as the weather isn’t raining too hard, we will head out and meet the ponies at ten before taking a two hour trail ride up into the mountains a little way before looping back to the place that the horses live here. We then had dinner of leaks in a cheese sauce and veggies cooked with olive oil that could be eaten with bread. Then spaghetti with a vegetable sauce, or chicken for those who ate it, as well as fruits for dessert. Once dinner was done we said goodbye to our guide for the night, and headed back to our rooms for the night. After a wonderful shower after two days of traveling, I’m going to head to sleep.

                                Dinner on Sunday night in Garriguela: Leaks with cream sauce, bread with traditional vegetables in oil and pizza. 

    Our room for the first two nights of our trip.

                                                               Another photo of our room.

 In the Washington airport before boarding our flight to London.

Last minute details and information

            We depart for our trip in six days! Leaving out of Dulles International airport outside of Washington D.C. at 9 PM, flying into Heathrow where we will spend a couple hours before flying to Barcelona at 11:30 arriving there at 2:30 that afternoon. Our trip guides will pick us up at the airport at 6:30 so we are hoping to have a couple hours to do a little sight seeing in Barcelona before heading out into the country side. Our trip lasts from Sunday night until the next Sunday morning when we will be delivered back to the airport just in time for our flight back to London and then on to Virginia. We will be riding everyday from Monday until Saturday, circumnavigating the region of Catalonia including a gallop along the beach. We have reserved a ‘Yotel’ room in the Heathrow airport, a miniature hotel room located in the terminal for convenience, these hotels are a new feature in some international airports so we’ll be sure to let you know how it is!

            I have been doing a little last minute research into some of the places that we will be staying along our trip, including some old farmhouses turned inns and most importantly the medieval village of Perelada and the castle of Espolla.  The village is an important historical sight, containing a perfectly intact roman bridge and an impressive castle with crenelated walls dating from the 14^th century. The castle dates back to the renaissance and has been added to over the years, most notably by the Rocaberti family in the 1800’s. Tomas de Rocaberti was the Spanish ambassador to France and started the library that today houses more than 88,000 books. The village contains many good restaurants including some built to emulate the medieval style of dinning. Other things to look for are the Albera cows allowed to roam free in the area and the forest of Lebanese cedars thought to have been planted by noblemen centuries ago. Everyday the trip gets closer and everyday I get a little more excited about all we will get to see and learn about. The week after we get back we are planning to post blog entries every day documenting our trip in chronological order as if you all were there with us. Starting with the flight out, the trip itself and then our journey home, including photos of it all, so look for that in just two weeks!

    ~ Frankie