One Wrong Turn – La Fatarella to Nonaspe (the long way round).

Or How to Make Life Difficult for Yourself. But let’s rewind to La Fatarella and a fascinating conversation with the young(ish) Italian owner of the B&B over breakfast. This small town was not only central to the Civil War in the 1930’s, but was also renowned 800 years before as the Head Office of the Knights Templar. The international centre, no less. 

It’s not talked about in the town. It’s not, locally, revered for this. But it is the biggest untold story in Catalonia. There are two storeys of tunnels and archways under this street, linking monasteries and places of worship. Locals are unaware that they are living in Templars’ housing and they mortar over the stonework and carvings. OMG as someone might say on fB.

The host was great, the breakfast was nice and the room was good and warm. This area is Terra Alta – the Highlands. According to a bloke we spoke to yesterday it’s hot in summer in the sun and cold in the shade. It was cold last night and this morning. This is me last night. 

We talked a lot to GianCarlo, the owner, this morning, fascinated by his insights, and left just before 10am. The air was cold but the clouds were slowly clearing. We were cutting across country on tracks and paths for 18 miles.

The land is like this, with terraces, woodland, vines and olive trees. It’s great but for the second day running we missed our route. What a bugger! When you miss your Way you end up in very difficult overgrown territory with high terraces to climb down. There are lots of angry dogs and people who tell you to go away. There are also vultures waiting to eat you!

We came across all of these and decided on cutting across country to a road from Vilalba des Arcs to Batea to Nonaspe. An additional 13 kms and 44kms in total.
We eventually found the road, after being told we were on private land, but a smile and three or four Spanish words usually cut the ice. We made good time, marching under the warm sun to Batea. The road was empty.

The sun was then going down as we gritted our teeth for the last uphill 17 kms and a swift downhill 3 kms drop to Nonaspe. Our shadows were great against the warm stone.

But the air was cold and turned colder as the sky darkened and kept clear. It’s unforgiving territory. 

We crossed over from Catalonia to Aragon. A real turning point.

We marched side by side with our rucksacks and walking poles in the moonlight for 90 minutes and made it, after 27 miles, to Nonaspe. We’re staying in a converted medieval prison. As usual we are the only ones here. Not even any staff. We’ll see later if it’s haunted.

Since we started we’ve done 90 miles. Another 90 to go. Anyone who sponsored us per mile will pay for 160 and not the 20 additional miles caused by our wanderings. We might be knackered but we’re loving it.

 Night night. Love you.