Lockdown

Andorra - just before it shut

We headed north from the Blanca for a few days climbing at Collbato/Montserrat before nipping back over the border to the Ariege and the Pyrenees. We had been following the Coronavirus developing over the globe, but were almost caught out by the speed with which it swept across Europe. We were still making travel plans a couple of weeks before country after country went into lockdown.
In France it quickly developed from 'avoid people' too don't drive except to the shops. We are fortunate at Chez Arran in that we have a big garden and there are several local walks easily accessible without using the footpaths that are all closed now.

Self Isolating - easy!

At least I have huge amount of work backed-up, photo editing and cataloguing, articles to write and of course the new Costa Blanca guidebook to get stuck into. It looks like we will be here for at least another month - but as we have always said, there could be (much) worse places to be stuck.

Blanca Business Trip

One of the occupants of the Cat Village

Six weeks since we left Chez Arran - not too much climbing done which is disappointing but a lot of photography sorted - both regular and with the drone. We had a couple of weeks in Villajoyosa, then move south to La Matta/Torrevieja - which was hot and busy though we did stop in a superb modern pad there, with the added attraction of the 'Cat Village' - a protected area for feral cats right next door. That gave Sherri a few mouths to feed, and we even got the occasional visitor (Sox) which was nice. The nearby salt lagoons were also an interesting spot, with some great birding on offer.

The Penon from Calpe

Lonely on the beach

Then it was north to Denia, the area we stopped on our first visit to the Costa Blanca in 1987. It was windy there, which rather restricted the drone flying, though we still got plenty of crag-shots 'in the can'. We aim to be back in the area in the autumn to continue to work towards the new book, due out in a couple of years.
Next it is northwards to Montserrat - I haven't climbed there for many years - time to rectify that if possible.