The Pyrenees: Vall De Nuria

After an hour or so in Rapoll, the gateway to the Pyrenees, it was time to venture to the main course of the day’s tour, the Vall de Nuria. An isolated mountain valley tucked away at the head of the gorge carved by the River Nuria, the south-facing drainage begins at the crest of the mountains on the border between Spain and France.

The valley floor lies at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level and is accessible only from the southern approach in Spain by rack railway (below) or by foot, and from France by trails. Today, Nuria is a small ski resort and pilgrimage site with a hotel and chapel, as well as a stunning backdrop of snow-covered peaks most of the year.

Legend has it that St. Giles, a French priest, came to Vall de Nuria to preach to shepherds who lived in the valley. After whittling a Madonna and Child image from wood, St. Giles eventually had to flee the valley to escape the nomadic Visigoths, and hid the image in a nearby cave. More than 300 years later, a pilgrim found the carving.

The pilgrim built a church on the site of Vall de Nuria, which now houses the statuette -- the Mare de Deu de Maria. The Virgin Mary is now regarded as the patron saint of Pyrenean shepherds. During the winter, Nuria is a small ski resort with 11 short runs, allowing for skiers of all abilities, and a toboggan run for kids of all ages.

The first thing we noticed when we exited the train was the temperature, which must have dropped 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit since we left Barcelona. A cable car ride to the top of one of the ridges above the resort was included as part of the tour, and I jumped at the opportunity for an even better view of the Pyrenees.

Two women, researchers attending a conference in Barcelona on Huntington’s disease, kindly took a picture of me at the top near a Catalan flag. Walking back down the trail to the ski lodge, they both expressed surprise that I recognized their Australian accents: “You’re good,” one commented, “most Americans here think we’re British.”