We have had a brilliant crop of grapes this year.

THe vines have grown so much that the weight of them is pulling down the pole and wire!

Lots and lots of grapes.

It’s Ben’s birthday.

He got a bike as a present.

Here are some blasts from the past of the cousins Ben and Riu, who are almost exactly the same age.

Here they are with Granny in Stradbally.

Ice-cream with Pau and Boí.

At the playpark.

Papa and Boí achieved a long-standing ambition of climbing the highest mountain in all the land.

The Pica d’Estats at 3,143 metres is the tallest mountain in Catalonia. Papa has been meaning to climb it for many years. Mama, Papa, and Micheál came close a few years back but the weather was against them.

It’s a two-day hike and the first day has this chain descent. Boí loved it but Aoife was not impressed.

The two-hour hike in takes you up a little stream to the lake. There are several waterfalls.

This is the lake - Estany Sottllo - where we will camp overnight. You can see lots of other hikers pitching tents are the other end of the lake - it’s Catalonia’s national day, so it’s the busiest weekend of the year at the Pica.

Boí spotted this deer when we were walking in along the last section.

Sunset across the Pica d’Estats as we pitched our tent and prepared dinner.

Early the next morning we are hiking up from the lake towards the coll. Boí is wrapped in the Catalan flag as it was cold in the morning.

At the first coll we cross the ridge and descent into the French side, before traversing across the north flank of the pica before turning and beginning the ascent. On the way we saw some goats. Bonjour Monsieur Le Chevre.

This is the scree slope leadign to the coll between Pica d’Estats on the left and Pic Verdaguer on the right.

Boí at the ridge between the top peaks. This is the border again,

The view back down into the Catalan side to the lake were we had spent the night.

At the peak there was a literal queue of people to take a photo.

This is the view northwards, the French side.

Boí, Aoife, and Papa at the peak, finally.

After we dropped bacjk down to the coll, did the five minutes extra climb up the other side to the peak of Verdaguer, the second-highest peak in all the land.

Yay, Verdaguer!

It’s a long hike back out, we took plenty of breaks along the way.

We stopped at the refugi for a well-anticipated drink and crisps.

A fantastic hike! Thank you Boí!

Boí got a haircut.

Before…

After…

In the early morning before level rises we like to go down to the ‘island’ before it gets covered in water.

Aoife likes to tears out the roots of the tree.

Celia’s garden.

We hope Celia gets better and comes home soon.