Vall de Boi
 

I am planning a day in the Vall de Bois in late May to see its World Heritage Site Romanesque churches. I believe that most (if not all) of these churches will be closed for siesta from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and because I don’t generally eat lunch, I am hoping to take advantage of one or two of the other options for which this area seems to be known.

(a) Is there a reasonably short, reasonably flat, and well-used hiking trail in the area that would take, say 1 or 1.5 hours? (As a solo traveler who is no longer the paragon of fitness, I’ve been learning that I need to keep my sights on easy hikes. ;-) )

(b) I believe that one of Spain’s relatively uncommon thermal spas is in the area—the Caldes de Boi. Have any of you tried it, and if so, with what reactions?

Of course, I welcome suggestions for other options!

Thanks again!

We spent a very pleasant day at the Caldes de Boi a couple of years ago. Unless it's changed, it was well worth the visit. My DW would go back in the blink of an eye!

When do you eat? If not lunch, then what? There is a nice little restaurant in Taüll that you can walk to, Malodor (http://malladortaull.com) from Boí in under an hour. There are marked trails that connect to all of the villages in the valley.

@ Rubicund -- good to know, thanks! It seems to offer a staggering array of options. ;-)

@ Robert -- I prefer to eat a small breakfast and large dinner. The Malodor looks wonderful -- I think I'll try it for dinner one night! :-) And thanks for the information on the trails -- sounds like I should easily find a pleasant path.

We normally stick with the following dining schedule when in Spain:

Desayuno, breakfast, is typically the lightest meal of the day.

There is a traditional mid-morning break, the Almuerzo, generally taken between 10:30 and noon, when you have your first pintxo (tapa) of the day.

Comida, lunch, is normally considered the main meal of the day and begins after 1:00, but closer to 2:00 for most people, and later in the afternoon on Sundays and holidays.

Cena, dinner, usually begins at around 9:30, but they do dine a little earlier in the countryside.

I don't know how long you will be in that general area, but if you like wine and have the time I absolutely love the wines from Batlliu de Sort.

http://www.batlliudesort.cat

I think the winery is about an hour or a little more from Vall de Bois and I am not even sure if they do visits. Someday I will try to get there.

@ Robert - Thanks for making sure I understand the usual Spanish schedule! But even here in the US, I eat a very light breakfast and a VERY late dinner (usually about 10:30 p.m.), with only an apple or carrot or a few nuts in between. I know -- my habits are quite unusual.

I'm planning on a comida or two while in Spain -- e.g., while in San Sebastian, I plan to walk to Pasaia, have comida at Txulotxo (if possible), and then sample some pintxos that evening. I'll do something similar one day in Barcelona.

Since I expect to be much more active than during my usual sit-at-a-desk routine, I think I'll enjoy a small tasty tapa or pintxo during Almuerzo.

And yes, in many places that I plan to visit, I realize that I will need to take my cena earlier than I would if at home. ;-) At least it won't generally be so early as in some places in the Orient!

Again, thanks for your input!

@ rialtogrl - thanks! I definitely like wine. :-) But my time in the area is limited and, although this web-site could easily be mistaken, it doesn't look like the Batlliu de Sort allows visits during the time that I will be in the area:
http://www.catalunya.com/what-to-do/...7-14002-439454

But I will definitely keep your recommendation in mind. If nothing else, I'll look for that label both here and there. :-)

Thanks for that link kja.
If you like pinot noir it is worth seeking out. Otherwise don't bother because there is SO much good wine in the area.

Yes, I don't think I'm going to hurt for wine while in Spain!