AAVE Trip BLOG » Bold Europe #2A - France, Spain, Italy!
August 13, 2007
Bold Europe #2A - France, Spain, Italy!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Bold Europe, General AAVE Trip BLOG , trackback
Hello Bold Europe Families!
Sort, Spain:
Leaving France, we headed for Sort, Spain where we camped for 4 nights. It was a relief getting to a nice campsite after a long drive and knowing that we were going to do our laundry. Our first day started off with canyoning. Alejandro and Baldo, the instructors, made canyoning fun and easy despite the wetsuits that made us feel like granolas. The next day was a full day of rafting. The views wer beautiful, and the adventure intense. Continuing our journey in Sort we kayaked putting our coordination to the test. After, we participated in a community service project as we paddled our kayaks and picked up trash around the lake to preserve the wildlife and improve recreational opportunities. We rewarded our hard work by dancing the night away in Sort. We all had a good time dancing together and it was a good way to end our last night in Sort along with everyone sleeping outside under the stars.
Barcelona:
Hola from Barcelona! In Barcelona we stayed at a really nice hostel for 2 nights. Once we got to our rooms we relaxed and showered. The next day was full of sightseeing. It started off in the Gaudi-designed Guell Park where we saw all the colorful mosaics, the long bench and the iguana. Along the way we made our usual ice cream stop and continued to the amazing La Sangrada Familia. After sightseeing we took a long walk to the beach - but it was definitely worth it! Dinner was at the beach once everyone dried off after tanning and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Las Ramblas was next, which was an interesting experience between shopping and seeing the people perform in the street. Barcelona ended with eating paella and having a fun last night in an awesome hostel.
Leaving Barcelona we returned to France and a campsite with mountains surrounding us in every direction. This marked the half way point in the trip. The first day began with rock climbing. It was a great accomplishment getting to the top beacause it was steep and slippery. Our next activity was mountain biking with our really funny instructor, Dominique. We started warming up first doing little obstacles and competing who could bike the slowest without stopping. Some biked with ease while others struggled more, but the ride was mostly downhill so it was fun for everyone. The highlight of the bike ride was riding downhill with the wind in our hair surrounded by vineyards and nice views. It was an active two-day stay, and we were ready to relax near Nice!
The French Riviera is amazing! On the way to the hostel we got to see the beach with the light blue Mediterranean. Once we got to the hostel we met up with a lady called Geraldine who told everyone that we could call her anytime if we wanted anything. Before the next day we did our second laundry stop. The long day ended on a good note when we all went out for ice cream by the beach for Hilary’s birthday. In the morning we all got a taste of breakfast in France with hot chocolate. Later we split into groups to shop and have lunch. It was really funny watching Hilary jump into the fountain while others in other group had fun jumping on the big trampoline in the middle of the park! In the afternoon we all met up at the beach where we just relaxed or swam in the water.
The Mercantour:
Via Ferrata was a new activity for everyone which we tried after leaving Nice. At first it looked really crazy because it is literally climbing vertically up a mountain wall attached on ropes and climbing metal bars. We had a lot of fun though and it was great to see those who had a fear of heights keep going. Then we went to our new campsite which was really cool because we were surrounded by mountains and had a river to hang out by. Later we went canyoning for the second time of the trip. It was a long, hot hike to the canyon with our gear on our backs but it was lovely to get in the water once we arrived at the canyon. This time there were more jumps into the water and more slides and swimming. Some of the jumps were nerve-racking but everyone cheered and encouraged each other to do it so it was fulfilling. “Little Buddy” the bag also came with us to hold our stuff and do the jumps. After canyoning, the next two days were spent in the wilderness on the border between France and Italy. When we got there we met our guides, David and Johanne. David was really cool with dreadlocks and a lot of knowledge about the area. We went on a hike and David showed us the different berries, plants and animals in the area and we ate blueberries and red currants straight off the bushes. Dinner that night was the best one yet because David cooked so well for us. Then we went to bed in tee-pees. The next morning we woke up at 6am for an all day hike up a mountain. Then we returned to our campsite and prepared to begin the final leg of our journey in Italy Europa…
Written by Britney and Elisa
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