A shorter drive than we expect for the day finds us passing Boi and moving into Taull, deep in the Pyrenees, where of course it’s siesta and the town is shut down tight. The only thing stirring is a couple of viejos, one of which has only one tooth. He has lived there all his life but is unsure if anything will open in the evening.

We wait, we walk, we check out a couple of places and reject them, we sit in the car and have a brandy. Rosemary finds a phone number on Le Xelet and Maria Antonia comes and rents us a room. It is lovely with a balcony and great views.

A 25 year old house in a village mixed with newer houses and those from as far back as the 12th century. Taull is both a ski resort and a gateway to the Aigeus Tortes National Park. We have come for the park!

In the AM, after consuming a great breakfast included with the room we drive to Boi and got a ‘taxi’. A Land Rover, that accommodates 8 plus the driver, takes us deep into the park where we take 2 1/2 hours to traverse the advertised walk of 1 1/4 hours. I suppose we are old and slow but the views of the Pyrenees and the Aigeus Tortes (twisted waters) are phenomenal and we burn up a lot of film recording our visit before we eventually arrive at Long Lake where we quaff a bit of the flask we have brought along and munch our pic nic sitting on the banks of the aforementioned lake.

Returning by the same route as that by which we came and still marveling at the amazing scenery we arrive just before the last taxi down the mountain 5 1/2 hours from the start of our hike.

On our return to Taull we visit several of the 11th and 12th century churches in the area which has one or two in each small town. Most are carefully restored but the original art works which adorned them are in a museum in Barcelona and the frescos in the churches are now reproductions.

Another dinner and it’s early to bed and early to rise and move on in la vida loca.