Welcome to a slightly different blog… From now on Ali will be writing a purely climbing blog and I’ll be covering the “other stuff”. So if you want the beta on his latest crushes click HERE, or read on for the more fluffy stuff from our travels and non climbing life...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A spot of culture...

A few happy snaps from some final days out with my parents, taking in some sun and culture in Tarragona and Miravet as well as some bird spotting down at the Delta Ebre...


Cafe con leche on the terrace? Yes please... 

The Roman Amphitheatre at Tarragona - well preserved despite being full of school groups! 






Perusing the City walls...



The impressive Cathedral...



...with intricate carvings



...and funky door knockers! 


A visit to Miravet Village and Castle on the Ebre River. In the summer you can cruise along the river...



Walking up the narrow cobbled streets to the Castle... Despite being nearly November(!) it was pretty scorchio in the sun and diving into the river was actually pretty tempting! 


Admiring the views from just beneath the castle.


Paddy fields at the Delta Ebre, a peninsula an hour's drive south.  A totally different landscape today, with paddy fields, wetlands and sand dunes! 


A feeding frenzy as the tractor churns up the soil...


Trying to identify the birds with the help of binoculars and Mum's trusty bird book! They all looked fairly grey and white but there were definitely seagulls, grey herons, purple herons and egrets of several sizes!


A stroll along the beach at Punta del Fangar



A pleasant spot for lunch and more bird spotting!



We got to the bird hide hoping to see flamingos, but think they have already migrated for the winter. Hundreds of coots had taken their place, though as Mum says you can see these at Thatcham Lakes (our local park in the UK!). However, there was a pretty impressive consolation prize... 


A bee eater! I saw a flash of colour but questioned my sanity, as I've never seen anything like that before. But I was pretty sure it wasn't a crisp packet blowing in the wind or a hallucination and thankfully everyone got a glimpse later and could identify it! 


Monday, October 28, 2013

Rally 2013

It's that time of year again when the roads turn to racetracks, fields into campsites and the sound of big fat exhausts fill the air... The World Rally Championships have come to town!

This year the route passed through our village after a night stage, so we had a preview of the cars before we saw them in action. We then went to see the gravel stage in the Terra Alta, camping out along the course for good views of the morning stage before joining my parents in Faterella on the final corner of the afternoon stage. For me the experience can be summed up in two words - spectacular and dusty!!!!



Negotiating the corner into Montbrio...



Big lights! And kids out to cheer them at midnight...



A bit of British tradition...




The church in Fatarella, the sleepy village where the final day's stage began... Narrow streets and low archways made for some interesting driving conditions for us visitors! 



Nice detailing...





We camped out along the track to be in a good position for the early morning stage. 


My parents provided us with a British paper and steak sandwiches so we were happy campers :-)


Brum Brum!!!! The cars and dust shower begin...



This section was loose and uphill meaning lots of swerving and power sliding...






I'm always amazed at how close you can get to the track - there are no marshals or controls away from the designated viewing areas.


Fighting to keep straight as they slide up the hill...



Muchos dust!!! 








The post car aftermath... Experienced rally fans brought face masks and ski goggles!








Trying to get a photo and duck before the dust bath! 






Wheels going off the track!












The path wearing out to reveal some rocks...












A little dusty!!! 





We joined up with my parents at the spectator area on the final bend of the afternoon stage... 



More dust as they negotiate the hairpin! 



Where's the car?










Spot the die-hard rally fans in the background... 



My Mum wasn't quite converted to a rally fan, but at least we had chairs, clear views and a bar closeby ;-)












Getting a bird's eye view! 


This one nearly lost it! 





Heading home to wash off the dust!