May 21st, 2019
As my train from Paris speeds south to Barcelona, carrying me away from the last few months of endless hassle and stress, I’m looking forward to discovering a new corner of Spain. The idea of walking the long-distance path from Blanes, 90 minutes north of Barcelona by train, to Collioure in France was given to me by my good friend and ace travel/food blogger, Iris Permuy Hércules de Solás, at a translators’ conference in Madrid last year. A few days later, in the magnificent Desnivel bookstore Madrid (a true treasure trove for outdoor sports), I picked up a guidebook to the trail and, on deciphering it in my very limited Spanish, decided that this was the perfect trail to hike in late May or early June. 255 km to walk, 7100 m of positive ascent, it should be fun!
Footsteps 