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| Photo used courtesy of www.casaguilla.com |
Unlike all the other hotels I’m writing about this month, we took our own luggage directly to the Casa Guilla. But the white-knuckle drive to get there, and the utter peace once we arrived, make it one of the top remote hotels we’ve ever visited.
Andrew is an enthusiastic driver. It’s his willingness to rent a car and drive into the far regions of foreign countries that lets me seek out these amazing locales. But this drive tested even his limits, as we rounded one hairpin turn after another, with sheer drops of a hundred feet or more. I had booked us into the Casa Guilla for two nights, and the plan was that on our full day there, we’d drive back into the valley and see some of the surrounding countryside. When I shared this plan with Andrew, he said, “I’ll be driving that road one more time, and that’s to take us back to Barcelona.”
Take a look at the picture at the top of this post. Notice the buildings all along the ridge. Then see the building perched at the very top: that’s Casa Guilla. Even parking our car was an adventure. I stood along the edge to help Andrew back up, to prevent a reenactment of the final scene in Thelma and Louise.
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| Scenes from our hike |
Even though we never did make it into the valley (except on our way back to Barcelona), we had a wonderful day exploring the casa and hiking around the area. We relaxed by the pool, and we enjoyed two gourmet dinners which were framed by the most glorious sunsets we’ve ever seen. The beautiful views of the Pyrenees and the serenity of the hotel made the drive there and back more than worth it.
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| Hiking down the mountain was easier than driving. Hiking back up was good exercise! |
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| Casa Guilla patio |
20 comments:
Spain is a country I want to visit. My mom has been there and she has only good words to say. Your pictures are breathtaking.
How gorgeous! I lived in Spain for about six months, but didn't make it out of Sevilla very much. Barcelona and its outskirts are something I missed out on~ thanks for the pictures!
Oh, this is so gorgeous! I'm heading to Spain next June and counting down already. We want to spend a couple of days somewhere outside big cities. This might be it, I think.
Hi Beth! Visiting you back from A Moderate Life and the Tackling Bittman roundup! What a lovely blog you have! What a lucky girl to travel to Spain! We were in Paris, London and Switzerland last summer and travel is my next favorite thing behind food! I am now following your blog and I hope you stop back by real soon, as we have a lot of fun things going on! :) Alex@amoderatelife
I've always wanted to go to Spain... this post makes me want to go even more!
What a lovely place to stay! I always wanted to do a study abroad in Barcelona, but ended up in Costa Rica instead. Spain is still on my list of must-sees. China, Tibet and Cambodia are next summer for me, so I'll keep pressing for the following year! Thanks for sharing your travels.
Stunning! The sites and people you and your family have enjoyed visiting are amazing. I love every photo and description, just beautiful!
BTW, I just have to tell you, the best food to blog about is the goodies. I am one of those people who would bake a dessert with every meal if I could get away with it along with posting a new dessert every day. BUT, my home is just my husband, myself, and two kitties now. I am starting to look at my treadmill with disdain =). Thank goodness my husband and I jog outside together after work (uhmm, every other day . . . we are casual joggers).
What an enchanting place!
Lovely photos! What an incredible trip! The drive reminds me a bit of Blue Mountain in Jamacia...Hairpin turns and there was barely room for one vehicle going up or down....and we prayed we didn't meet anyone coming down!
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
I've never been to Spain. I've heard it's a multiculture country with an intersting history! The pictures look amazing. I would love to vist one day:)
Love reading about your travels. These pictures are awesome!
Hi Beth, thanks for stopping by my blog earlier and bring me over. You have such a beautiful blog. I love reading your adventurous writing. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope to see you more often. Have a great weekend ahead.
Blessings, Kristy
You're one brave woman! I have a terrible fear of heights and even a drive along California's Hwy 1 would send me into a nervous frenzy. I love following your travel adventures. Keep 'em coming!
all of these photos are so gorgeous! When I went on spring break a few years ago, my friends and I drove through hills like this on our way to California from Phoenix. It was terrifying!
What a wonderful spot! Your photos are amazing.
I am terrified of that kind of a drive, so I'd probably need to just walk there. It definitely is gorgeous! What a wonderful opportunity.
What a magical place. I bet the stars were incredible in the night sky too!
How beautiful! Wish I had known about this when we visited Spain!
What a beautiful place. The hair pin turns ( YIKES) but, look at the reward. Stunning.
absolutely gorgeous!! definitely a place i should go :)
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