Snow In The Mountains

The mountains are calling, even after my dose in Switzerland.

The 'cremallera' to Nuria.

The hike to Nuria.

My 2 week trip to Switzerland is one I will remember forever. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I love small European countries, and ones with mountains are even more special (yes Andorra, I miss you too!). As much as I love travelling and going away, the feeling of coming home (and being able to wash clothes!) is also a wonderful feeling. I returned with a few days to adjust from holiday mode, complete freedom as far as waking up, going to sleep and how to fill your time, to normal life mode - the mundane but necessary part of life. I can't complaint though, I have a decent job and live in a great country. It wasn't long though that I needed a dose of the mountains, the fresh air and open country, hiking books and climbing gear. I live in Sabadell, a city of around 300,000 people just outside Barcelona, and it is fairly close to everything. From my bedroom window I can see the hills of Barcelona, with Tibidabo and the huge Montjuïc Communications Tower  sitting right on top, and on the other side of the building (hidden from me, but I know it's there) is La Mola and Monstserrat. I've hiked all of these mountains, and even climbed on Montserrat, but I've never done any of these in Winter. Another thing I'd never done was hike to the Nuria Valley and really explore the area around there - so that was first on the list!

The beautiful Nuria Valley.

The Nuria Valley and the hotel.

Misty mountains.

El Cami dels Enginyers.

Starting from Queralbs, a wealthy and quite beautiful little town in the foothills of the Pyrenees, we set off on the 2 hour walk to the ski resort of Valle de Núria. Most people take the train, and I've done that before, but this time I would be enjoying the view from the trail rather than the window. As my hiking buddy and I reached the top, a small hill that serves as a viewpoint for Núria, it had just started to rain - but that didn't spoil the view one bit! From our lookout, the ski resort and hotel sits in the middle of a valley, mountains reaching up around the 3 sides, valleys running through the gaps, and a large lake and dam right in front. Picturesque and so beautiful - in rain, fog, sunshine or even snow! The valley is 2000m above sea level and there is no road access at all - you can only reach it by walking (there is a trail from to/from France as well), the train or by helicopter - it would be amazing to fly and land here by air, but the last thing you want is to leave in the helicopter, as only people who have fallen in the mountains usually leave that way. The main building is the hotel, but there is also a church which holds the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Núria. Legend has it that if you put your head in the hole of the wooden box just inside the doors of the church, kind of like a confessional box with a cushion for your knees but it completely covers your head, pull the chain and ring the bell above your head, you'll be blessed with lots of children. Núria is also very important for the Catalans, not sacred like Montserrat, but in 1931 the drafting of the first Catalan Statute of Autonomy took place here, right in the church.

Happy Birthday Carles!

El Refugi Coma de Vaca.

A curious Chamois.

Hiking to Coma de Vaca.

A few more hours hiking was ahead of us though, but we stopped in the hotel for a quick coffee and snack with two other friends who'd spent the night here as part of a birthday surprise - happy birthday Carles! We had surprised him by hiking up and meeting up, before continuing on to a mountain refuge for the night. The refuge, Refugi Coma de Vaca, is about 4 more hours away, and close to the 'Cami dels Enginyers,' a concrete walkway that follows the curves of the mountains along the GR-11, and was built by engineers when they were working on a hydro electric project here. We climbed to the top, following the dirt path (as the cami is closed), and were rewarding with spectacular weather - fast moving clouds, offering sharp rays of sunlight and hints of blue sky, before covering the peaks again and moving on. We were also very lucky to see a herd of Chamois - some were very casual and continued to do their thing, while others couldn't help but stare at us in unashamed curiosity. We did the same. We reached the mountain refuge, our accommodation for the night, tired and hungry, but very happy. We celebrated by drinking some wine and cava that I'd brought up in my backpack and had a great meal with the rest of the people sleeping there for the night on a large wooden table and bench seats. The refuge holds around 40 people, and while not full, it is always strange sleeping near so many people - the beds are all in a row too so you feel the one of the seven dwarfs! We set off early as we had a long hike back to the car. It was cold and windy, but crisp, clean and beautiful - there's nothing like the mountains, in any weather!

Mountains and sea - the Mediterranean from Matagalls.

The Med on one side, the Pyrenees on the other.

A church cat.

Snow in B&W.

Although the winter had been mild so far, there was snow to be had in the higher parts of the mountains. Most people wouldn't relate Spain and snow (much like Australia, but you can ski there too!), as it's always shown to be hot and dry, busy cities with people eating and drinking, but there is snow and it's very accessible too! The Montseny mountain, just outside of Barcelona, is one of my favourite places in Catalonia. When I lived in Cardedeu I had a wonderful view of the mountain from my living room window - I used to get excited when it was cold and rained at night, looking forward to seeing the fresh snow on it's peaks. I've hiked up Montseny a dozen times or more - there are so many paths and ways to go, the most popular probably being the Turó del Home, an easy walk up to the radio tower at 1,700m. This time, with a bit of snow too, I decided to head around the other side of this mountain and climb Matagalls. The three of us headed up, no snow shoes (easy is boring!), starting from the Collformic carpark, up to the top  of Cim Matagalls at 1,697. Although there was a lot of snow, we didn't struggle too much, and really enjoyed the walk - so did all the dogs along the trail, running and diving into the snow, eating it and just being dogs. It was busy this day and many people had snow shoes or skies, which they hiked up with on their backs and then strapped them on at the top and skied back to their car - awesome!

Half-way up Matagalls - snack time.

The easy way down.

The cross at the top of Matagalls.

Frozen.

I can't remember how long it took us to reach the top, but it wasn't that hard, a few knee deep falls and stumbles, but the 'landing' was always soft - the biggest worry would be wet feet! Although the weather wasn't clear, it was just enough to see the sun reflecting off the bright sea, the clouds moving quickly overhead to give us a quick peek, also adding real atmosphere. The cross at the top, I recently only found out, is to comemorate the deaths of 110 soldiers who died in the area, and are actually buried near the carpark, during the Third Carlist War (1872-76). I don't know all the details of this war, and it's hard to find much information on the web that isn't in Catalan or badly translated (even then there's not much!), but these men had fled Vic, a Catalan city in the North, hoping to make it to St Celoni (a town nearby Montseny), but were caught and shot. Forty years later, in 1912, a cross was erected to remember those who had fought and fallen.

Hiking Matagalls.

The weather had it's moments - the fog eventually came in, but it was still great.

A bit tacky but a lot of fun!

Blue, white and green - colours of the mountains.

Along the way we stopped for a quick snack of juice, a sandwich and some chocolate, and enjoyed a view of the Mediterranean sea. It's times like this when I am truly happy - problems and worried disappear, nothing is weighing on your mind anymore, everything is simply at peace. I completely understand the obsession some people have with mountains - be it hermits, trail runners or climbers. There is nothing like it in the World - these huge, rocky peaks are there, waiting to be climbed, hiked and enjoyed - Nature's Churches. Some people do take it too far, hike where they shouldn't or aren't up to the difficulty of the climb, bad weather and under preparedness, or some people are just nuts like Killian Jornet. Born in Sabadell, Catlonia (yes, where I live!), he was basically brought up on the mountains, and now has achieved so many mountain feats including the fastest known time for the ascent and descent of The Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Denali. He's only 29. When I'm up a mountain, I feel younger, happier and more level - you wither get this or you don't - some people don't and will never understand, for others, there is no need to explain. At the top we enjoyed the view and the achievement, took and a few photos, got some taken of us and took some for others. Sometimes it's to be alone at the top, but sometimes it's far better to share with good friends and even with complete strangers who are sharing the same elation as you. We came down much faster - a combination of running, sliding and tumbling head over heads in the snow. Sometimes you just have to be a kid and laugh so hard your jaw hurts and tears stream down your face!

Rasos de Peguera.

The 'city-slickers' getting their dose of the country life.

Super models taking a walk.

The trail - snow and sun!

As I mentioned before, sometimes mountains are best shared with good friends. I'd climbed Nuria with 3 great friends, real adventurous people who I go climbing and hiking with all the time. There were 3 of us in Matagalls and the next trip, to Rasos de Peguera, there would be 6 of us in total! The drive to Berga up the C-17 is a nice one, past lovely towns like L'ametlla del Valles and La Garriga, following the road where there are of 'colonias' hugging the river, a sign of a now extinct textile industry. These colonias are the housing built by the factory owner for their workers, which seems like a nice thing to do for a boss or company, but really these places are in the middle of nowhere so there was no option - you would have to buy everything from the company, food, clothing and household goods, and you wouldn't get paid that much to begin with - that and it would be hard to get a day off too. Basically slave labour. Nowadays, primary school kids visit summer camps and call them 'colonias,' probably not knowing what they used to be.

The mining village of Peguera.

Rasos de Peguera.

The walk to the restaurant and beer o'clock.

One of the ruined houses.

Rasos de Peguera is a ski resort near the town of Berga, not far from the Pyrenees. Interestingly, this was the first place you could ski in Catalonia, and in 2008 they celebrated the centenary of it being open. We weren't skiing however, much preferring a hike instead. We walked over and past the ski slopes, past the 'pisa-pins,' 'domingeros' and 'weekend warriors,' all out to get some snow, fresh air (with a cigarette) and of course photos of them doing it - preferably selfies. Everyone likes to get away for a day or a weekend, but these people can't drive in the country, have no idea about mountains, and really just want their Facebook life to look good as they're in the snow and countryside, but not doing anything except drinking, smoking a taking mobile selfies, which they do in the city too. We passed them and the noise dropped off and the relaxation set in. Aaaahhh. We followed a trail through the mountains, enjoying the views and spectacular weather, walking to the abandoned village of Peguera. This is where the valley got it's name, and once it used to be an important mining town, coal being the resource, and people were pulling the black stuff out of these hills until the closure of the mine in 1928. Today, there isn't much left - a few ruined buildings, walls leaning over and crumbling and roofs that have fallen in. The village is still quite pretty, but it would be a little spooky at night - you can stay here, and people do, inside a few of the abandoned houses, which I'm not sure I would do as we checked on out and the second floor made noises as we walked on it. Yup, leave quickly but carefully!

Renovator's delight!

The city of Berga

A great day with great friends.

After the hike, we found a cute little restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking Berga where we tucked into bravas, a refreshing drink (or three) and galtas (pork cheeks). Our legs were feeling tired but good, the sun was shining, cold beer was at hand, and I was with good friends - this is life. Not every day can be great or special, no matter what the 'positivity gurus' tell you, but there's nothing wrong with that! If every day was 'amazing' or worthy of an Instagram photo, a Facebook post, then what would you look forward to? What would you have to compare it too? Too many people think that every day should be 'carpa diem' - getting on your table and yelling to the World and being awesome all the time. I'm sorry, but screw that, some days you need to do your washing, go to work and put up with shit, or just chill in your bed or on your sofa and do nothing - those moments can be 'awesome' too. On the other hand, don't just work away your life just for the weekend escape. Balance is important. Find your balance and be your own 'happy,' not someone else's.

Find your own happiness.

Swiss Holiday - Part 5 - Basel and Home

The Beautiful city of Bern.

Bern Bears marching on a fountain.

Sunshine after the snow.

It had snowed overnight and the weather the next day was glorious - sun and snow in the perfect combination! I headed out of the house full of excitement, heading straight for the river and the Bear Plaza to see if the famous Bern Bears were up and about. The bear has long been the symbol of the city - Duke Berthold V of Zähringen vowed to choose as namesake the first animal his hunt met in the wood that was to be chopped down for his new city. It was written: "Then they caught a bear first, which is why the city was called Bern; and so the citizens had their coat and shield, which was a black bear in a white shield, going upright." There are so many bears all over the city, fountains and paintings and on shields and buildings, some in armour or with weapons, so the 800 year old promise of a Duke is still standing and the city loves their bears. The first bears were kept in the city from the 16th Century - the Bernese returned home from a successful battle, carrying captured standards and living bears as the spoils of war and the bear pit was built. In 1798, the city of Bern was attacked and taken by French troops and the bears were abducted and taken to Paris, but returned in 1810. The Bärenplatz was opened in 1857 to the public and is still here, although now there is a new, modern bear enclosure, and in 2009, to commemorate the first Russian State visit to Switzerland, 2 bears were given as gifts to the city. I didn't see any bears though as they were busy sleeping - I don't blame them either. Although sunny, it was still cold, just over 0c, and the middle of Winter. The enclosure has set up web cams for live feeds of the beers, and I watched, just like the other kids there, with a smile on my face as the bears slept the day away, cuddled up together.

Bears and clocks.

Bern Bear Park - the furry critters are sleeping the day away though.

The Bern Zytglogge.

The entrance to the Cathedral.

The Zytglogge is a landmark medieval tower in the old town of Bern, and something you can't miss. Built in the early 13th century, it's served the city as guard tower, prison, clock tower, centre of urban life and civic memorial. It reminded me of the clock in Prague and Strasbourg as this tower has a 15th Century Astrological clock, telling you not only the time but also the position of the sun, moon and the Zodiac constellations. Built around 1218-20, the tower itself served as the gate tower for the city's western defences until the walls were extended in the mid 14th Century. It was then converted to a women's prison for "faffendirnen" or "priests' whores", women convicted of sexual relations with clerics. It was burnt out completely during the great fire of 1405 and only fully renovated by the end of 1983. The clock was installed in the early 1400s and the large bell cast in 1405 and the tower gained it's name 'Zytglogge,' which means "Time Bell" in Bernese German. The tower sits right on the main shopping street of the city, people walk under the arch (past a pretzel shop) and trams and cars pass beside it. The Käfigturm is the second tower in the city and the second medieval tower for the city, forming part of the old walls. It was built in 1255 as Berns first line of defence, the first being the Zytglogge, but in 1345 it took a secondary roll as the city expanded again and another gatehouse was built. Now it's part of the shopping district, and is flanked by Starbucks and other signs on modern life. Everything changes.

The Bern Zytglogge - a Medieval marvel of engineering! It tells the time, position of the sun, moon and the Zodiac!

Bern's Minster with it's intricate doorway arch.

Bern Minster.

Crossing the Kirchenfeldbrücke bridge.

The Bern Minster is also in the city centre and worth a visit. The entrance of the cathedral is intricately designed and full of tiny figures and patterns, but the building isn't really a normal 'church shape,' instead it seems like a big square block with a tower on the top, but then again it was hard to see as it was surrounded by buildings. I wasn't able to go inside but the view from the outside was enough - I've learned from Swiss churches that usually the outside is much better than the inside, but I was disappointed as the interior is supposedly very beautiful. The Minster is a Gothic church, build around 1421 and reaches a height of 100m, making it visible from most parts of the city and also the tallest church in the country. The Old Medieval Town is a wonderful place for a walk and explore - so many little corners, paths, hidden streets and little treasures everywhere. I continually found new parts of the cities, new fountains and statues, small churches, and best of all, no tourists or even many locals - it's like I had the city all to myself!

The balancing bear sculpture at the Bern Bear Park.

Bears are the city's animal and there are statues and fountains everywhere with them. I like this curious little guy.

Mountains and meadows in Lauterbrunnen.

Bern truly is a beautiful city.

I have really fallen in love with this amazing city - it's relaxed yet cool and happening, beautiful but not over the top, small but big enough to keep you busy and exploring - I had even started listening to the local Radio Bernese and still listen to it over the internet now I'm back when I miss Switzerland a little. A short trip from the city and I was back in the countryside for a bit of a walk - just outside Bern is Lauterbrunnen. This little town is beautifully Swiss - wooden houses, firewood stacked up against the shed for the open fire in Winter, bright window shutters, Christmas decorations, old wooden skis and large metal bells hanging up outside the door and cows in the fields - idyllic. Lauterbrunnen literally means "many fountains," and is called this because it has 72 waterfalls in the valley that surrounds the town. 

Snowy rooftops and snowy mountains.

Bern at sunset - my favourite city in Switzerland!

Frozen waterfall.

Frozen river.

Parking in the town, we heading off on a walk through the meadows, marvelling at the soaring cliffs on either side - but what was really impressive were the frozen waterfalls and glacier sitting at the end of the valley! Although it was Winter, this year in Switzerland had so far been very dry, with very little snow, and not as cold as usual - cold enough for me and just cold enough to freeze lakes and waterfalls.The Trümmelbach Falls in the ‘Black Monk’ mountains, is a big tourist attraction in the area. Up to 20,000 litres of water per second cascade over the ten glacier falls from a total height of about 200 metres - this is the largest subterranean waterfall in Europe. Unfortunately, this spectacle can only be reached in summer by a tunnel lift which takes you deep into the mountain. It will have to be put on the list for next time. This place must be truly glorious in Spring and Summer - already it was amazing, a valley full of traditional farms, stark blue sky contrasted by deep shadows cast from the tall peaks - in a few months it will be all lush green grass in the fields, new-born lambs and calves, and then to top that off, raging waterfalls pouring down the rock face. On the way back to Bern we passed Interlaken, a popular resort town built on a lake. The drive back was very scenic - lakes, huge snow covered mountains and the sunset. This country really does have it all (apart from coastline), and it would take a long time to explore all it's secrets. If I were to think of downsides to living in this country it would be only one - the cost. The weather is cold and snowy in Winter, but everything is built for this and so you're never really uncomfortable, but to live here is very, very expensive - much like Australia - and if you don't earn enough, life can be very tough. You do get what you pay for though and services are very good.

A farm house in Lauterbrunnen, with the best backyard in the World!

Christmas decorations.

Basel Town Hall.

Elegant House in Basel.

Heading back to the city for my last day in Bern before heading off to Basel for a day and a half. The train would take about 2 hours to get to Basel, which would be fine - sitting on a Swiss train, cruising through the countryside for a few hours didn't bother me at all! The price was a bit steep, something that I was getting used to, but it needed to be done. The snow had started falling that morning, and continued as I boarded the train. Does snow affect trains, like it can do with planes? I'd been stuck in Milan once due to snow on the runway, the flight cancelled, and once also in Poland but they knew what they were doing here and sprayed down the plane with some sort of anti-freeze liquid and off we went. The train left on time and hurtled along as the snow got worse. Getting out of the station was like walking into another World - snow was coming down thick and mushy, people rushing about their business, and me with not enough clothes on for this weather. I found my hostel fairly easily and on the walk the weather started to improve - the wet snow stopped, a blue sky peeked out from behind the clouds and the sun started shining! I checked in, dumped my stuff and heading straight out into the city to explore - it was already about 1pm and today was my only day here, so I needed to make the most of the time and respite in weather. Before I left the hostel though, the guy at the front desk gave me a travel card, allowing me free travel around the city on buses and trams, even for my bus tomorrow for the airport! Wow! Walk and see the city, jump on a warm tram and move around if it starts snowing again or I get too lazy/lost.

Welcome to Basel!

Basel and the Rhine River.

A cute house tucked away.

City of trams.

Basel seemed a little more like a "normal" city to me - people were going about their days, going to work, shopping, walking the streets with their kids - much more than Bern did. It could have been the time of year, everyone had gone back to work after New Years, or maybe because Bern was so special. Either way, I liked Basel straight away - the walk from my hostel to the tram station was one I enjoyed. Cute and quiet streets with interesting houses and buildings, polite drivers, little cafes and shops with lovely windows - a generally nice little place. It's the third most populous city after Zürich  and Geneva, and sits right where Switzerland, Germany and France meet - even having suburbs in all 3 counties. It has a medieval city centre focused around the main square, Markplatz, and boasts a 12th Century Gothic cathedral, which holds the tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam, the oldest university in The Swiss Confederation (dated at 1460), as well as a 16th Century Town Hall. The city has been a commercial hub and important cultural centre since the Renaissance, and is now a big player in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, which can be clearly seen by the factories in and around the city. This city is compact but has it all! I jumped on a tram and watched the streets and people pass by, not really knowing where I was going apart from into the centre, and I would just get off when I felt like it. Not having a map, and not really caring, I got off the tram when I saw something interesting, and just walked in the direction that seemed the right way to go at the time.

The Basel Town Hall.

Basel's 'red' Town Hall.

Hopp Basel!

The crazy/beautiful Town Hall.

Wandering the streets, admiring the beautiful stone buildings and shopfronts, I found the Town Hall by accident. When Basel joined the Confederation in 1501, the city decided to replace the existing building for something more grander and impressive. A hundred years later the building was still being added to, and by 1899 Basel had grown so large that it needed yet more upgrading. The result is an amazing, eclectic building from different architectural periods, and nothing short of attention grabbing either. I'm not even sure where to being to describe it! It's a large, bright red building that demands all the attention away from the other buildings in the square, and rightly so. The facade is highly decorated with paintings of important Swiss figures, arches with shields above them, split windows of different sizes, a huge tower reaching for the sky with green, white and red tiles, smaller towers in each corner, crenellations each with shields emblazoned with the flags of Swiss cities, and to top that off, a shining gold spire in the centre of the roof. I stood outside for ages, looking, mouth open, at the sheer boldness and craziness of this construction. It is over the top yet beautiful and incredible - a purely unique building. As you walk through the main entrance, under an arch, to your right you see a larger-than-life statue of Munatius Plancus, the founder of the Roman city of Augusta Rautica (10kms from Basel). It is still used today when Cantonal Parliament comes together to discuss important issues twice a month, but I think it is now more of a tourist attraction than anything, as only a dozen or so people are needed to run the place.

Sunshine after the snow.

The beautifully decorated Town Hall.

Food good enough for kings... or not!

The Roman founder of the city.

Crossing Basel's Mittlere Brücke, a 13th Century bridge and oldest in the city, I walked over the Rhine river and onto the other side of the city. Sadly, people had started putting padlocks on a part of the bridge, declaring their love for each other - it looks nice and sounds sweet, but the people in Paris wouldn't have liked it! The Pont des Artes had 45 tonnes (1 million of the bloody things) removed in 2015 after a part-collapse. This side was far quieter, but afforded great views of the main part of the city nestling the river. The bridge is actually not the original from the 1200s unfortunately - with the invent and installation of trams a new one was needed. The replacement was built from scratch from stone to look like the the old one and was named "Mittlere Rheinbrücke," because at that time Basel had three bridges that spanned the Rhine and this was the middle one. The sun was getting a little lower, but more worrying than that were the big clouds coming in. I headed back to the hostel for an early dinner. I made it just in time as the snow started coming down and the cold dark of Winter in January set in. After my meal, the weather was still cold but it had stopped snowing, so I was back out in the city, this time heading for the cathedral. Built out of red sandstone, it stands out from the other buildings, even more so with its coloured tiles. It was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles, the late Romanesque building was destroyed by the 1356 Basel earthquake and rebuilt by Johannes Gmünd, who was at the same time employed for building the Freiburg Münster. Although at this time I wasn't able to go in, it was something to see from the outside. I sat behind the church on a small view point, a popular selfie spot unfortunately, but it was nice to sit here, in relative quiet, and watch the city lights, see the trams and cars cross the bridges, and appreciate my last night here in Switzerland.

The fad of love -padlocks is starting to get annoying.

Selfie time - or as group shots are called, 'usies.'

Basel Cathedral.

Basel by night.

I returned cold but not miserable - I'd had a great day here in Basel, and a wonderful 2 weeks in total. Mountains and cities, hiking, sightseeing, NYE in the capital, train ride though the snow. I was happy. I went to bed with a smile on my face. This smile was travel happiness! It was also because the beds in this country are so warm and cosy! I took my bus to the airport the next morning (free thanks to the hostel travel pass), boarded my flight and went home back to Barcelona. I've vowed to myself to return in Spring or Summer and spend more time here. Unfortunately my holidays were over and I had to go back home and to work. I'm very lucky that I get to travel so much, I really have quite a bit, but at the same time I don't think it's luck - yes, I teach English as a native speaker, which makes it easier, but it's still taken a lot of hard work, time and money to do it. If you want to travel, or even just really do something, work hard and follow your dreams.

Watching the trams go over the bridge.

Bridges over the Rhine.

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MyUncleTravellingMatt. December 2016.