After being chucked out of our cabins two hours before the scheduled arrival time (and a good three hours before the actual arrival time), we ferry fodder were hardly in a fit state to reverse out of the car deck, but reverse we did and were soon heading off unsteadily into Barcelona.
I eventually got to my hotel (an Ibis that was a bit more upmarket than I’m used to) at about 1 am and fell into bed
I didn’t wake until nearly 9 next day and took Lottie for a quick walk before breakfast. The area round the hotel is all beautifully manicured, calm and orderly: a real tonic after the ferry ride.
I got to Cal Gat Garrotxa around 1. Emma and Dom bought Cal Cat earlier this year and are offering holidays for groups and families. They have an independent building for groups and another three-storey house that they’re slowly doing up.
The village itself is really friendly and culturally diverse with lots of artistic events.
The attractions include lovely walks and cycle trails, which drop down to gorges with freshwater pools for wild swimming.
Lottie tore herself away reluctantly from her new friends Ike and Scruffy this morning and we set off for the next stop, St-Flour.
The route runs through national parkland and the Massif Central. It’s really spectacular with lots of gorges and viaducts.
St-Flour is a pretty riverside town that makes a perfect stopover spot. What’s more, it’s nice and cool after weeks of blazing sun.
2022 and all that 