Category: Spain

After a great night’s sleep, I went for breakfast at 8:30 and found another amazing spread conjured up by Carmen: seven different kinds of charcuterie, three different cheeses, pastries, fruit and bread. And then she brought out the best tortilla I have ever eaten. Needless to say, that set me up for the day and… Continue reading Day 5 – Jabaloyas to Terriente

After a good night’s sleep with no disturbances from the local witches, I went for breakfast only to discover that I was virtually the last guest to come down, meaning that everybody else was served before me (the owner was again working alone as the evening before). As a result, with breakfast starting at 9,… Continue reading Day 4 – Tramacastiel to Jabaloyas

After settling up with Nieves, I set off at around 9 again. The Spanish hikers staying at the hostel had already left by car for their day’s hiking. This would be the first day when I veered off the trail as described in the Recto-Verso guide. It had been impossible to find accommodation in Villel,… Continue reading Day 3 – Riodeva to Tramacastiel

I woke after a good nine hours of sleep to find the sky overcast and grey. However, sunnier weather was forecast for later. The refuge manager was nowhere to be seen that morning, but his girlfriend prepared me an excellent breakfast along with a picnic for midday. There was a little confusion at one point… Continue reading Day 2 – Refugio di Rabadá y Navarro to Riodeva

I woke refreshed after a good night’s sleep, ready to tackle the first day of the trail. The lovely lady serving breakfast was very tolerant with my basic Spanish, and even managed to teach me a new word, tomillo, the Spanish word for thyme. She said that after the recent heavy rain, the mountains would… Continue reading Day 1 – Arcos de las Salinas to the Refugio di Rabadá y Navarro

The journey from Paris to Valencia was a very pleasant one, especially as I had treated myself to first class, meaning I could spend the two-hour wait in Barcelona in the first-class lounge rather than the relentless agitation of Barcelona Sants station. The second part of the journey was delayed slightly, and I arrived in… Continue reading From Valencia to the hills

On May 13, after weeks of intense subtitling work for the Cannes Film Festival, I took a very early train from our local station and, after a quick breakfast in Paris, took the 7:42 train to Barcelona. From there, I shall take take an afternoon train to Valencia and, after a night in the city,… Continue reading Recto-Verso Europe 36