Day 14 - Montgrķ and the Beach

Today I climbed Montgrķ - the girls preferring a leisurely morning and afternoon on the beach, Meld's leg stopping her from being very active.

It was't very early when Meld and I set out for Montgrķ, leaving Rosie & Kim in the pool and B reading Harry Potter under the trees. Halfway to Torroella we joined a slow moving queue which went right into Torroella, so (after 40 minutes or so) we turned towards Gerona and approached the hill from the west and north. Without too much difficulty we identified the track up to Santa Catherina's hermitage, only to find that it was closed because of the high fire risk. This meant an extra 2 miles or so each way :(. It was 1pm by the time Meld and I started walking, and Meld soon decided that the drying heat of the sun on her grazed leg was not nice, so she returned to the car under the welcome shade of some trees. (In fact, this proved cooler than staying at the campsite)

I continued up the track towards the hills - Montgrķ has the castle on top.

The evidence of earlier fires was all around.

I pushed on to Col de la Creu - the pass of the cross...

... from where there was a view down of Santa Catherina's hermitage.

There was also a view back of a big fire some way off.

It was a bit hazy, but you could see across the Ter towards Pals as I climbed towards the castle.

Also down into Torroella itself.

At the castle I climbed to the top...

... getting views of the Illes Medes

and more of the fire looking back over the valley I'd come up.

From the castle I dropped into the col between Montgri and the next hill, which was a steep descent.

From the next hill (Puig something or other) you could look see right down the Platja de Pals - and (though not visible in the photo at this resolution) THE WHITE SURF.

North there was a view over the Bay of Roses.

At Santa Caterina's this monument records the establishment of the chapel.

And this is the chapel.

Chief Route Planner Chenery will be interested in signposts that give all directions in time rather than distance.

Meanwhile the girls had lunch at the campsite...

... and went to the beach.