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Issue #265, Taüll, National Park of Aiguestortes, Spain, October 20, 2024
Ray Craigie, Pam Smarling ad Jon at the Parador of Arties
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
October 21.
Last night at the dinner there was a high degree of boisterousness going on between Fran, the group leader, and Ray Craigie. Mom and I are still passing all of our wine to Ray and some of the others. As mentioned before, the ‘one glass of wine per meal’ is just is not enough for some! The rapport was good and lively.
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
October 21 was a day primarily spent out in nature, as we took a trip to the National Park of Aiguestortes. But first, we made a stop at an ancient Romanesque church, ‘Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll’, which was built in the 11th century, and sits at 1500 m.
Interior, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll, showing the current state of the murals
Interior, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll, the full mural as seen with the projector
We picked up Merixtel, our guide from the day before, somewhere along the highway.
The Iglesia de Sant Clemt in Taüll place is a world heritage site. It was a gorgeous morning, clear as a bell, with the church illuminated with the promise of the day. Inside, a surprise waited us. We sat through a video program with projectors illuminating images of the original fresco on the walls, (which have been removed and put in an art museum in Barcelona) so with this presentation, and Meritxell’s talk afterwards, we were able to understand the iconography of the church quite well.
It was a very satisfying and unusual dive into art history.
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
Church of Saint Joan in Boi, where we got taxis to the national park
We then headed down one valley, and up another, to reach the national park, and to do that we had to exit our bus and take smaller taxis once we got to the town of Boì. It is great that there are wild and pristine Alpine areas here. Great for hiking, but no backpacking (camping is only allowed in specific shelters).
National Park of Aiguestortes
Amanita Muscara, National Park of Aiguestortes
Once up in the park and walking, it was clear that Merixtell was going to go very slowly and explain all the particulars of the native flora, fauna, and geology. Neither I (nor Ileana) had the inclination to walk at a snails pace and discuss the place. I wanted to walk and explore. Essentially, our trail was just a mile-long loop on a boardwalk which ended up back in the parking lot, after heading past a waterfall; but I kept making diversions to see other views. I would have done a sketch if I had planned it right, but mostly I just enjoyed the crystal-clear warm October weather up there.
National Park of Aiguestortes
National Park of Aiguestortes
Jon and Mom at the National Park of Aiguestortes
Ca Milleta, lunch spot
We had another grand lunch of local cuisine in El Pont de Suert, a modern place called ‘Ca Milleta’, with paper-mache clouds hanging down from geometrically-angled white walls, and a stern painting of the owner of the restaurant on the wall.
From Ca Milleta we headed back to our hotel in Arties for what was to be our last night there, but on the way, we had one last stop in a great glacial valley before climbing over the pass to Arties.
Ca Milleta, lunch spot
Vall de Molieres
We went up into a Glacial valley to a spot called the Vall de Molieres, or Espitau De Vielha; an outpost of stone buildings used by shepherds as well as the nexus of many hiking trails, as well as the site of the old Vielha Tunnel, built in the 1940's, and a replacement new tunnel (which we went through)
Ray Craigie about to walk into a stream of water, Vall de Molieres
This was also a place where, on 19 October 1944, Spanish Communist Party guerrillas invaded the valley in an attempt to bring about the fall of the Spanish dictatorship. The guerillas were eventually forced to retreat back into France, after Franco sent reinforcements to defend Vielha.
It was beautiful here, and all that craziness long since forgotten!
Shaggy Mane, Coprinus Comatus, further along in it's life cycle.
Back in Arties, We had several hours before dinner, so after freshening up briefly, mom and I headed out for a bit of an exploration. We passed an old church and statue to Portola, the ‘Casa Senhoriau de Cò de Portola', dating from the 16th century. Portola traveled on the order of King Charles III to California, where he became governor and also founded the cities of San Diego and Monterey. Mom was familiar with his history and importance to California.
There it was, part of the old defensive structure of the town of Arties, with a history directly linked to California!
Casa Senhoriau De Cò de Portola, Arties
We also walked around the base of the large church, Santa Maria de Arties, that I had seen the night before on my hike, illuminated with lights. As I had brought my sketchbook and the light was waning, I chose a nearby view to sketch of the river coming down from the mountains.
A happy traveler!
I had a few other tourists coming around to me to look at my sketch, but it’s been difficult to communicate much other than showing them my work.
Jon's painting in Artiess
Ray Craigie, Pam Smarling ad Jon at the Parador of Arties
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
October 21.
Last night at the dinner there was a high degree of boisterousness going on between Fran, the group leader, and Ray Craigie. Mom and I are still passing all of our wine to Ray and some of the others. As mentioned before, the ‘one glass of wine per meal’ is just is not enough for some! The rapport was good and lively.
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
October 21 was a day primarily spent out in nature, as we took a trip to the National Park of Aiguestortes. But first, we made a stop at an ancient Romanesque church, ‘Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll’, which was built in the 11th century, and sits at 1500 m.
Interior, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll, showing the current state of the murals
Interior, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll, the full mural as seen with the projector
We picked up Merixtel, our guide from the day before, somewhere along the highway.
The Iglesia de Sant Clemt in Taüll place is a world heritage site. It was a gorgeous morning, clear as a bell, with the church illuminated with the promise of the day. Inside, a surprise waited us. We sat through a video program with projectors illuminating images of the original fresco on the walls, (which have been removed and put in an art museum in Barcelona) so with this presentation, and Meritxell’s talk afterwards, we were able to understand the iconography of the church quite well.
It was a very satisfying and unusual dive into art history.
Belltower, Iglesia de Sant Climent de Taüll
Church of Saint Joan in Boi, where we got taxis to the national park
We then headed down one valley, and up another, to reach the national park, and to do that we had to exit our bus and take smaller taxis once we got to the town of Boì. It is great that there are wild and pristine Alpine areas here. Great for hiking, but no backpacking (camping is only allowed in specific shelters).
National Park of Aiguestortes
Amanita Muscara, National Park of Aiguestortes
Once up in the park and walking, it was clear that Merixtell was going to go very slowly and explain all the particulars of the native flora, fauna, and geology. Neither I (nor Ileana) had the inclination to walk at a snails pace and discuss the place. I wanted to walk and explore. Essentially, our trail was just a mile-long loop on a boardwalk which ended up back in the parking lot, after heading past a waterfall; but I kept making diversions to see other views. I would have done a sketch if I had planned it right, but mostly I just enjoyed the crystal-clear warm October weather up there.
National Park of Aiguestortes
National Park of Aiguestortes
Jon and Mom at the National Park of Aiguestortes
Ca Milleta, lunch spot
We had another grand lunch of local cuisine in El Pont de Suert, a modern place called ‘Ca Milleta’, with paper-mache clouds hanging down from geometrically-angled white walls, and a stern painting of the owner of the restaurant on the wall.
From Ca Milleta we headed back to our hotel in Arties for what was to be our last night there, but on the way, we had one last stop in a great glacial valley before climbing over the pass to Arties.
Ca Milleta, lunch spot
Vall de Molieres
We went up into a Glacial valley to a spot called the Vall de Molieres, or Espitau De Vielha; an outpost of stone buildings used by shepherds as well as the nexus of many hiking trails, as well as the site of the old Vielha Tunnel, built in the 1940's, and a replacement new tunnel (which we went through)
Ray Craigie about to walk into a stream of water, Vall de Molieres
This was also a place where, on 19 October 1944, Spanish Communist Party guerrillas invaded the valley in an attempt to bring about the fall of the Spanish dictatorship. The guerillas were eventually forced to retreat back into France, after Franco sent reinforcements to defend Vielha.
It was beautiful here, and all that craziness long since forgotten!
Shaggy Mane, Coprinus Comatus, further along in it's life cycle.
Back in Arties, We had several hours before dinner, so after freshening up briefly, mom and I headed out for a bit of an exploration. We passed an old church and statue to Portola, the ‘Casa Senhoriau de Cò de Portola', dating from the 16th century. Portola traveled on the order of King Charles III to California, where he became governor and also founded the cities of San Diego and Monterey. Mom was familiar with his history and importance to California.
There it was, part of the old defensive structure of the town of Arties, with a history directly linked to California!
Casa Senhoriau De Cò de Portola, Arties
We also walked around the base of the large church, Santa Maria de Arties, that I had seen the night before on my hike, illuminated with lights. As I had brought my sketchbook and the light was waning, I chose a nearby view to sketch of the river coming down from the mountains.
A happy traveler!
I had a few other tourists coming around to me to look at my sketch, but it’s been difficult to communicate much other than showing them my work.
Jon's painting in Artiess
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen