Hello everyone! Yes, we arrived in Europe for our backpacking trip as planned, and our adventure has started. The first true day of our trip was on Monday, July 5th, when we left David's summer home in Spain and set out. We went to the Pyrenees (in Spain), and planned to hike the Pyrenees all the way to the top, cross over the Spain-French border, camp out, and then hike down the mountains to get to the train in France. As we have found out from this trip already, things did not go exactly as planned....
We took a zipper train 1,000 m up the Pyrenees to Nuria, and started our hike from there. There was some confusion over where the trail began and the trail being roped off, though eventually we figured it out. Now David has hiked the Pyrenees before, back in 1997, right before we first met. He told me that there was a well-marked trail, though what he didn't tell me was that the trail was rocky, rough and steep. Now we were hiking up the Pyrenees with our backpacks on our backs for the first time, and as we started climbing the steep path my legs started aching and I began regretting putting every pound in my backpack that was there...I wished I'd left more beauty products and clothing home!!!
I have done day hikes, though I'd never done a hike like this. If I truly knew what I was in for, I probably would not have even attempted it. The steep climb is very difficult and even more so with a backpack. When David and I stopped for a break and lunch, it started to rain. Most of our fellow hikers started scrambling down the mountain, though we stayed put. Luckily the rain passed, and it was clear for the rest of the hike (though very windy). The amazing thing is that David and I were the only 2 crazy people hiking up the mountain...we did not see ANYONE ELSE UP THERE!!!
So David was breezing through the hike, and I was struggling. I must admit that twice I had mental breakdowns and did not want to continue, but David convinced me to keep going, and basically, there was no other option. We made it up to an elevation of about 9,000 feet, and the view was incredible. We could not continue into France because the last part of the trail leading up the mountain was covered with snow and ice. So mother nature blocked us from making it to the summit. We were forced to go to Plan B, which was to hike down the mountain, set up camp in Nuria, and take a train into France the next morning instead of hiking. I am glad this ended up happening, because I got to take in the surroundings on the climb down, as I did not have to focus hard on each step. We saw beautiful wildflowers, towering mountain peaks, snow, waterfalls, and lots of grazing animals (cows, horses, etc.) It was really amazing, and in the end I am really glad David planned this hike at the start of our trip (everything else will seem so easy from now on!)
It's really good we camped in Nuria, too, because it was a beautiful spot next to a mini-waterfall and a flowing stream. We were able to put up our tent before nightfall, and enjoy a dinner of peanut butter (just like lunch!) sandwiches.
Wow, what an incredible start to the trip. Right now we are in Nice, in an Internet cafe, and we are heading to Cannes to spend a day on the beach amongst the rich and famous (can you tell Sharon planned this part of the trip???) It took us 4 trains to get to Nice, but we pulled in at 11 pm last night. Our next stop tomorrow is Florence, so we'll post again in Italy.
Sharon and David
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