Subject: Spain- mostly Pyrénées
Hi John - Here goes: I am only going to put this into phrases and short bursts as it's easier - so forgive my grammar... From West to East: One place of note on the west - just above the Costa Brava - near Perpignan - B&B Domaine du Mas Bazan (Bazan is the wine) - charming rooms w/ bath - great breakfast and the Mme is very helpful and charming also - actually in Alénya - (France)tel: 04 68 22 98 26 - Mme recommended dinner (casual) at a terrific fun pace - Catalan food - great atmosphere - shrimp delicious in Collioure - 1/2 ride by car. Restaurant; Le Brasero - tel: 04 68 82 12 04. Collioure is a wonderful place where the impressionists stayed and painted during the warm months (There are polaroid-like framed copies of some of their famous paintings at various places in the town - showing folks where the artist stood to paint the famous scene)

(John, when we were there a few weeks ago, we hiked up to, and into much snow, but as far as skiing is concerned, there may not be enough left! - Check. Also, before you begin your trip, buy a phone card. There are very few phones that can be accessed by coins these days - You can get one in any tobac or presse store.)

Going east: We went into an area that is being built up for skiing (Spain is worse than France when it comes to building - really raping the land, I'm sorry to say) This is in the Valter ski area - We went to Olot, stopping at the wonderful midieval city of Besalu - very small, quite intact (wonderful bakeries!) and on to Olot (dirty, University town - much to do but we canted to head to mts - to Camprodon and up to Tregurà Stayed at Fonda Riga tel: 972 13 60 00 or 972 13 60 09 - tiny village (we saw no people other than at the hotel - 3,000 ft up - tiny rooms and baths - but really nice people and wonderful food - We took at wonderful hike to the Col dels tres Pics (it goes to the border of Sp/France - couldn't get to the Refugi, too much snow on the French side... This hotel is NOT posh - but great fun - I am small &hubby is about 5'9 - but the place has the most spectacular view right down the vally into the Mediterranean if there's no smog. Albert is the son, (getting married in Sept - wants to visit NYC and the Grand Canyon.- I'm getting stuff together for him - He's very nice and speaks some English) Do you speak French??? It's very helpful all over on the frontier.) Continue segment 2 - this is getting long.