There is a magical place up high in the Pyrenees if you have the patience to travel the narrow highways and to keep going just when you thought you were already at the end of the road. In the province of Huesca you will find the National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido. It is a protected area and home to species such as the primula aricula or bear´s ear, a precious purple flower that grows on the calcareous rocks of the canyon.
If you follow one of the rivers with magic, the Cinca, it will take you to its headwaters at the Valley of Pineta. In this breathetaking glacier valley you will find the waterfall that heads this river and one of the most peaceful places on earth. The sound of cowbells and the river in the morning is a gift that is hard to replace. I have been blessed to sleep here many times in the past 16 months and I still can´t get enough of its greatness.
At the end of the road you will find the beautiful Parador, a small hermitage dedicated to the Virgin of La Pineta, and a cross country ski area with a small refuge. You can choose to hike up further into the Monte Perdido (lost mountain) or to just wander around with the cows and do cartwheels as I choose to do.
Everytime I arrive I find the Valley in a different mood. I have seen her covered in snow, flowing with waterfalls, cold and bare or lush green. I never tire of discovering new parts of this magical place. My love and I thought we discovered a “bar” once. Well, we found a sign anyhow and were happy that we had brought our own wine.
I look forward to returning in autumn and discovering more of the Lost Mountain. To visit my friends, the cows and see how their babies have grown. And to hopefully see my favorite of all, the chamois, a small goat that likes to hide from me lately. Hasta Pronto, hasta la pròxima querido Monte Perdido.
MOONINSPAIN 