July 21and 22 Vilanova de Meia to Masa Masanés to Oliana

Another 5:45 pick-up to return about seven miles to the walk site.  This was a two part walk.  The first part was fairly pleasant on decent track except for the nightmare through the trees where the path had been obliterated by fallen limbs and trunks, oh, and the part that said "cross the valley and go up," but where you go up is your problem.  There are no markers and a valley, is, you know, large.

The second part began at an intersection of two highways.  According to the book, there were two possible routes.  I found neither one.  The one I did find was on my GPS so I took it.  The first half hour or so was fine, rather scenic, in fact, and I was feeling quite accomplished.  Then, for about two and a half hours it was like this:

Sometimes with curves:

Finally, I am within 1/2 a mile or so of my accommodation, the only building for miles around.  The route stops.  The GPS reads "Go!"  There is a fence of electric wire, barbed wire and regular wire.  There is no choice but to cross it.  Two burros were accommodated there:






Finally, I get to a road, but it was not the road I needed to be on.  More transgressions of property defences to gain higher access.  I cannot believe that I actually got to where I needed to be.  It is a lovely place, though, out here in the middle of nowhere.  I can use a huge kitchen and, having noticed a large number of hens as I approached, asked the señora for eggs, which she willingly provided, and for bread: four huge slices. And, oh joy, there is a toaster.  Today's lunch//dinner was way better than dried, reconstituted noodles.

Dudu and I had our last adventure today.  Since he was planning on coming at 6:00 to pick up the bag, I asked if he would drive me to  spot about half way along the route because I knew it was going to be a scorcher.  The problem was that there was not really a road where Google Maps showed one, so we had a lot of hithering and thithering until he finally figured out a way to get there.  Thank God I did that, though because it is over 100 degrees now.  I would have started out fresher had the dogs, many of them, not been woofing and arf arf arfing  at 3:00 a.m.

One roll of hay:

Set in the lowland:

Bridge into Oliana, a rather ugly town with a good supermarket, and nice hotel after you walk the extra 3/4 mile in the heat, laden with your groceries, to get there.