Castellfollit de la Roca

9th September 2014

Bumbling along to the campsite last night we happened upon a couple trying to hitchhike. We decided to pick them up only to find out that they too were heading fro the very same campsite as us...what a coincidence. After all the torrential rain last night we decided that he should just go and check that the hitchhikers has survived ok!! They did, and so we invited them to our pad for a coffee this morning.

Frederick and Feline have been travelling togethr for the last couple of weeks. Frederick is a photographer for a local newspaper in Ghent and Feline is a graphic design student. They had both been visiting P....... for a photographic that is attended by news editors, journalists and photography bigwigs from all over the world. Every year up and coming photographers can submit a portfolio for comments etc and one is chosen as the best and awarded a prize at the following years exhibition....Frederick's portfolio was deemed to be the best lasst year and so he was returning this year to collect his trophy! Spending time with other people and sharing stories is what we both really enjoy doing so this was a real treat today. Frederick and Feline are moving on towards Barcelona later today before returning to Belgium for work and studies.

This afternoon we decided to visit a couple of the neighbouring towns as the weather was still looking a little dodgy.

Castellfollit de la Roca is a village perched high up on a cliff…the old town itself looks as if…and actually is…it is just clinging onto the edge of the cliff.

It is absolutely stunning. One of the most incredible things about it though is that the cliff itself is formed from two superimposed lava flows….here it is explained in a bit more detail...The basalt crag where the town is situated is over 50 m high and almost a kilometre long and is the direct result of the erosive action of the rivers Fluvià and Toronell on the remains of the lava flows from the volcanic eruptions which took place thousands of years ago.

The lava, once solidified, became basalt, a hard rock which takes on different forms, depending on the cooling, contraction and splitting processes of the lava. The cliff is the result of two lava flows; the first took place 217,000 years ago, and originated in the area of the village of Batet, and has formed slabs, the second, a more recent formation from the volcanoes of Begudà is 192,000 years old, and has formed into prismatic shapes. The basalt crag where the town is situated is over 50 m high and almost a kilometre long and is the direct result of the erosive action of the rivers Fluvià and Toronell on the remains of the lava flows from the volcanic eruptions which took place thousands of years ago.

Many of the houses in the old quarter are made from lava 'bricks'...

[caption id="attachment_2390" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Exposed wall….[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2386" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Narrow streets…probably not changed much over the years…apart from the introduction of electricity and a decent road/pathway...[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_2388" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Beauty found around every corner...[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_2392" align="aligncenter" width="427"] These houses were in a very bad way but you can see the walls made from lava stones...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2389" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Even a shop in someone's garage/frontroom...[/caption]

Not far rom the campsite is a huge 3 metre wide bridge. It spans the river Llierca which has many deep pools and places to swim…however, after the rain last night it is not looking at all inviting….grubby and brown!!! However, the views over the bridge towards the hills are stunning. Apparently, the earliest mention of the bridge was n the 14th Century when shepherds were charges a fee to cross with their livestock

[caption id="attachment_2380" align="aligncenter" width="427"] “Pont de Llierca”[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2381" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Billy admiring the view...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2382" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Just gorgeous…with views of the church and the hills[/caption]

It's been a leisurely day today, pooling around the countryside…until the rain came again…then it was back to camp to slowly smoke BT and Billy!!! BT decided that, as it was heaving with the wet stuff, he would light the BBQ INSIDE the awning…which was fully enclosed…!!! Consequently…we both felt like indians, sending out smoke signals from our home…thankfully, we can have hot showers to wash that smoke right out of our hair!!!!