What follows is done in pairs. Each artist will be featured in two of their songs or instrumentals. Firstly, a pair of numbers off the live album by the Madrid band 'Radio Tarifa.' In their first 'Bulerias' number here, check out the crowd reaction to the great guitar string bend @2:30. We were there for that very concert with our pal Mike. I can attest that there were no embellishments or overdubs on that live album, which is rare among recording artists of any sort. We know this warts n' all live approach to be a fact coz Mike made a digital audience recording of that same show! One can listen and compare.

And check out the sax solo on this one.

And now two from Manu Chao. The first may have special meaning just now.

A pair from the late Spanish superstar.

You probably know the first. Maybe not the segona parte.

And to conclude this section Orchestra Aragon: two more from those honorary Spaniards, fellow Iberians from right next door 'Dead Combo.'
*Next: the Escuain area

A big fan of Radio Tarifa, sadly his singer Benjamin died in 2012 and the group disappeared. And of course, Manu Chao, a free soul with a very liberal attitude reflected in his lyrics.

You have captured so well the unique quality of the Pyrenees. Sure there are other mountain ranges, but this is something special.

Wowza, zman!!!! Where to start???

Glad to see that your artistic eye has not been diminished by cataracts or anything else! Fab photos, once again.

The compositions and use of shadows and textures are wonderful. You could teach a photography class, if you haven’t already. (Seems like there isn’t much you haven’t, or couldn’t, do!)

And so very nice to include a couple photos of you two intrepid travelers.

Your story telling and writing skills haven’t diminished, either, nor has your ridiculous memory.

I will listen to the music selections later. Not sure my fellow gate passengers here at DFW would approve.

Thanks for taking us along on this less traveled road!!!! Joyce and I won’t get there but I feel like I’ve been thanks to your exquisite photography and tales.

zebec, fabulous!! A visual and musical cornucopia of an area completely unfamiliar to me. Now I don't even have to go there!
But no kidding on the beauty of the region.

The Mrs. Z artwork you slipped in is nice. You guys are talented.

I have one of those mountain name apps you mentioned (mine called PeakFinder), they are a lot of fun.

Carry on.

Anyone catch the Mod's typo gaffe above in #2 at the start? Apparently, I'm a 'Trip Report fag.' LOL! Outstanding.

I want to thank every traveler above. You are now each required to share with us where your next trip(s) will be or might be. Please don't be shy, just jump in.

Danon, you're one of our resident Film Buffs. We leave for Santa Barbara soon and plan to see the Dylan flick there. Turns out that the SB Film Fest will be on during our stay, an unexpected coincidence. "LOOK! There goes..."
Nelson, your tip to visit The Mission there will be soon realized. A date has been set to go there with maitaitom and his better thirds. We also look forward to hooking up with Irice!

Dcd, there were top-shelf (your phrase) shots of the motif Pyrenees 'Quebruntahuesos' (bearded vulture) bird shown in shops and tourism offices. Their bodies are a combo of orange/gold with bright red eyes and a unique black 'moustache' - striking stuff. Raquel and Juancho's friend was a pro whose shots of same taken at the protected bird sanctuary appeared on bookmarks and postcards. After seeing the excellence of those fotos we thought, "Well, we used to be photographers!"
Shelemm, I agree about the unique quality seen throughout the Pyrenees. Other travelers have also pointed to nearby regions just east and also west on both sides of the border. Btw, the skiing center to the west of Torla (Ordesa-Perdido park) was the site of last month's ski lift accident.

Mikelg, you are one of the very few folks we've come across who knew about Radio Tarifa! For me, they represented quality in a music world so full of well-produced, instantly-forgettable garbage. Pretty sure that poor Benjamin was terminal when he recorded his final solo album from which we selected the song above.
I also wanted to address...wait, excuse me. We're packing and Mrs Z is shouting a question up to me...WHAT HUN?! YES, DO PACK THE NEW DILDO! LEAVE THE CODPIECE."
Sorry, where were we?...oh yeah: Ecsuain.

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In some parts, the Escuain Garganta ('throat' or gorge) rock face is streaked orange-black. That's why we made the fonts above so coloured. Coming here during shoulder season meant far fewer crowds at the less-popular parts of the park such as Escuain. We saw only two other tourists there. The Visitor Center's gal was glad to see we three. Among the wildlife displays there, was a *'quebrantahuesos' stuffed bearded vulture. Its wingspan was impressive up close! *German: 'lammergeiter'
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En route to the gorge, we went via Puertolas village again (above). That began an uncanny trio of chance encounters for Raquel. First, we waved to her blue-eyed pal Nuria. She and husband are Puertolas' sole occupants off-season, raising cows and sheep. Soon after by complete fluke we bumped into Pep, Raquel's former classmate from Mountain Guide school. He was visiting his nearby vacation rental investment before returning home to Majorca. *Third coincidence below
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*Later in Belsierre, her high school classmate Oscar drove by in his new one-person vehicle! He owns the modern tourist rental village there. The smell of cow manure was extremely powerful in Puertolas above. But those of who were born on farms feel that a multi-sensory approach is essential to grasp the full experience. And seriously, it'd be a great education for kids.
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Views and vistas.
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Escuain village is a ghost town right by the gorge. It was once a well-known butter-producing village. Folks would once barter butter for wine. A scattered collection of crumbling old buildings still exist, like the one shown below. Shown here is Escuain's historic church/mausoleum, its empty hutches the result of expensive rates that apparently drove historic farm families to bury and inter elsewhere.
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See the 'witch's hat' chimney? Beware the evil eye. Btw, one could hear the Rio Yaga far below. No doubt it was utilized by locals in the past. Escuain's rare physiognomy means that it is the park's sunniest sector. The hard-working farmers of yesteryear, with their sweaty shirts and weathered faces would've valued a cool respite on hot summer days.
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Higher elevations are often home to thorny plants, ones which result in excellent local honey. Bees must love these cliffs and canyons.
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We'd never seen this rare species before. Any ideas?
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Escuain village is now attracting some folks intent on restoring buildings as holiday homes. During each fall season, they will continue to experience (as we did) annual 'transhumance' cow migrations, with sizable herds coming down from the mountains. You could hear their cowbells coming down en mase from Tozal de Raton for miles. Whereas France has laws disallowing dogs off-leash in mountain parks, here we saw local tourists allowing their pets to bark at the bovine migration.
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Would this be a safe mushroom for folks to ingest?
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The pair of mirador lookouts here were closely-located. Bocastiello belvedere had puddles and was muddy. It's boulders nearby had plentiful once-seabed fossils. But the best views of these jagged limestone massifs were from Gratallera. The source of the waterfalls that feed the local rivers is a mountain cave located 1,000 m deep inside the cliff seen here. Above: Circo de la Sarra.
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Back in Solomonte's Escalona HQ basement, Raquel and Juancho operate a climbing wall activity to train kids. One of those children is the daughter of the couple who own Usana's aforementioned Dos Arcos B&B.
Next: Lofty Pineta valley

Bur first music. The first flamenco piece is by Jesse Cook, who is a member of our gym. The second is a calming instrumental that travelers could use around bedtime.

I blame you, zebec, I was Googling the Pyrenees and the dog was very annoyed…. “I want to go for my walk!” 🐕

yes, I saw that typo (or was it?) 🤷‍♀️

I have always loved your photography, but charming old villages and mountain vistas are my favourite travel moments, so I’m hooked.

Wow! What an awesome TR and a gorgeous part of Spain. How smart of you to include this rural beauty after the city life of wonderful Barcelona. Nice to have such a contrast while traveling. Love all the photos, especially the stunning mountain vistas and beautiful bucolic scenery. And the people you met along the way. And that gorgeous green glass in your first photo, which I remember from the restaurant in Barcelona.

How long were you in the Spanish Pyrenees? And what time of year? This past Autumn???

Again, as a side note: there are big differences in elevation, style of houses, languages, ways of living...along the Spanish Pyrenees. Those that start in the west (Basque Country and mainly Navarre) are very different to those in the central area (Huesca, Andorra, Lleida), which are also very different to those in the eastern area. Almost 500miles of a mountain range that divide two countries, with many common links on both side of the borders.

Gracias Mikelg, please keep adding these interesting facts. They are important for those travelers who wish to be informed. And gracias KW. This six-week trip started mid-September and we were in the Spanish Pyrenees for two of those weeks.

Flamenco has become so popular that there is a widespread idea that Spanish music = flamenco. As Mikelg has explained, there is a great cultural diversity in Spain which is also reflected in its traditional music, for example the "jota" of which there are several versions in Spain, the Aragonese being the best known.

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This Pineta valley part starts with this carving. For me, this fellow represents plucky determination. Like for example, if a certain Trip Reporter suddenly had several hours of their labeled photo essay work suddenly disappear at 2am due to some indecipherable tech issue. Sigh...
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This day's routing was: Usana van transfer to Escalona (Solomonte HQ) to use washroom/observe huge wall map/board the sturdy jeep. Then jeep with Raquel and our pair of new tourmates up to Bielsa (see map bottom R). Then ascend up the U-shaped Pineta valley to our terminus goal, the remote La Estiva refugio hut. Then reverse. For locals, this is a landmark mountain area, with a number of 'heavyweight' peaks exceeding 3000 meters.
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The Barraso and Cinqa (seen-kah) rivers were two of the gorgeous rios that we saw. Cinqa is the main course where the annual Navatas is celebrated. Hardy teams of rowers reenact the historic river voyages when lumber was moved towards markets in the era before roads.
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Those rowers still use authentic pinewood rafts. They also use specific vocabulary and dress is traditional clothing. That includes black vests, pants and berets with white shirts and stockings, Black rubber sandals complete the look.
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Our tourmates hailed from Guadalajara. They were handsome Jorge and...
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...beautiful Cristina. Newlyweds? We were never told.
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In Espierba, we stopped at the embalse/dam. It was a surprisingly beautiful man-made site, with a marsh within a sizable lake.
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And that lake was beautiful too. The looming karstic landscape hinted at highlights to come.
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After driving past Zapatierna, we kept going up and up. It was our windiest, and coldest daytrip yet. It was also the one with the most tricky driving. I tried to reduce my chirpiness to a minimum so that Raquel could concentrate behind the wheel. In this very stretch, an alert Mrs Z began to notice patches of dying/dead pines. An invasive species of butterfly had been nesting throughout. The firs and beeches seemed resistant so far. The poor pines not so much. A problem for forestry personnel.
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We took a couple break stops. We learned that most mountains here have two names: Spanish and French - we were close to the border.
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A repeat photo of Mrs Z, shown again so we can ID these high-profile mountains. Far R above her left shoulder: Pico Taillon/Balcon Pineta, which fronts the best hike in all the Pyrenees, the famous Breche de Roland gap. Above her right shoulder going R-L: Mt Marbore, Mt Cilindro, *Mt Perdido ('lost') and Soum de Ramon on the farthest left.
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Mt. Perdido is one of 'Las Tres Sorores' along with Marbore and Soum de Ramon. Each of those enormous rock legends towers higher than 3000m and are featured on countless postcards, calendars, book covers and the like. Perdido lends its name to the title of Ordesa-Perdido Park.
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This was a remote area. The only other humans that we saw were some Moroccan timber crews.
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Our goal was La Estiva Refugio hut, seen here in the distance. The mountain the distance is half in Spain and half in France.
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In the center, one can see the distinctive twin peaks of Los Astuzas (love that name). The leftmost twin is Gran Astuzas, which is 3080m. Its little brother Pequeno Astuzas is 'only' 3012. I mention these measurements to add some perspective. These are Tall mountains. Behind those twins is the popular ice climb 'Couloir Swan,' plus a tarn mountain lake.
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La Estiva Refugio is a destination for students taking Mountain Guide courses. Apparently, the first team to arrive there on the final exam gets to drink the waiting bottle of wine. Back at Solomonte HQ we'd seen their HUMUNGOUS wall map beside their feather collection. That map covered an entire wall and clearly showed the location of La Estiva, marked with the visible symbol of a wine bottle! Cristina and Jorge shared their delicious homegrown yellow cherry tomatoes with us all, during the bocadillo-yogurt lunch at the hut.
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The aptly-named Fuende la Pieta was on the slope directly behind the hut. This veritable rock garden gallery proved Mother Nature had once earned an Art degree.
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Igneous rocks plus many other sorts were displayed as though on display at an art show, most covered with a wide variety of colorful lichens.
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The variety went on and on...
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Where are we, Switzerland? This 'Meadow of the Corders' is favoured by local shepherds. Wonder what they pay for their trained sheepdogs?
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Raquel pointed out this unique site: an ancient collapsed cave roof. Next: the Conclusion, with Ordesa Park proper, the Parador, Ainsa town and music.

Revulgo: Gracias for that information. Please keep it coming so that we can all learn more.
I am done. the tired travelerz

one of my favourite ( fun) tunes with great Catalan musician. Peret