City-hopping through Spain

We've been in Spain now for just over a week. Three days in Chulilla, my new favourite ever climbing location, beautiful copper sandstone gorge with the greatest variety of angles and holds and oh so pretty. And the village so quiet and nice and friendly and clean.... I have no idea why I don't live there. I don't.

After Paradise Ellie and I escorted Ed back to his flight home. Sad times. Valencia city turned out to be a little treasure as well, a beautiful town centre with gorgeous medieval buildings and churches and bars. Ellie somehow managed to rip her flip flops so I used it instead, my great big feet didn't let it slide off. Ellie also got her first Flamenco show. Blown over completely. Now we have to get lessons it seems. Climbers/surfers/dancers. Yep, that's us. Good times.

Then, off to Barcelona. Stayed with an old friend there, had a grand time! Went off climbing a bit near the village of Ossia. Ended up spending about half the day actually finding the crags. Then we proceeded to skin our fingers on unfamiliar gritstone. Ouch! By the time we were beginning to get a feel for this vertical, hold-less sandpaper it was time to be off. An incredible sunset saw us on our way back down the mountain.

Barcelona city is much more of a big town then I expected, less of the small town feel I had loved in Valencia. Ellie and I got to know Gaudí architecture first hand and had an amazing awesome birthday celebration in the most awesome dingy dirty bar we could find. Friends I'd met the world over made it there, celebrating with massively oversaturated drinks and an awesome laid back environment. La Ovella Negra. Got to love it! Thanks everybody!

Now we are recovering in the little village of Àger, high up in the province of Lleida, researching the climbing scene from yet another bar, another fine bottle of €2 wine empty before us. Lo Torres bar. Nice place, it has a climbing topo library! Luckily, we got here early and managed to pitch an awesome huge tarp castle to lord from. Lordly and lofty it be! No late evening pitching any more, wheeeee!